A proposal released Tuesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is meant to bolster relations between local police agencies and the communities. The move would empower Attorney General Letitia James’s office to help improve police-community relations and provide help to improve it. Cuomo is including the plan in his State of the State agenda, which will be fully unveiled on Wednesday. “As our nation confronts the toxic mix of anxiety, fear and division, many of our communities are facing challenges in the relationship between local police and the communities they serve,” Cuomo said. “The stressed relatio ..read more

Republican Will Barclay on Tuesday was elected the leader of the state Assembly, taking the top post of the minority conference in the chamber. He was unanimously elected. “I am enormously proud of the work the Assembly Minority Conference has done to advocate on behalf of the people of this great state, and tremendously humbled to have the support of my colleagues,” Barclay said. “As we start a new year, the members of our Conference will help ensure that every corner of our state is a better place for every New Yorker. I am honored and excited to have their confidence and to work alongside ..read more

Advocates for overhauling New York’s criminal justice laws are pushing back against the growing effort to alter the newly enacted cash bail law. Democratic state lawmakers over the last several weeks have been slammed by Republicans, law enforcement officials and prosecutors over the effects of ending cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies: The release of people facing charges like robbery and manslaughter. Some Democrats are coalescing around measures that would enable judicial discretion for people who are deemed to be too dangerous. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, without going into speci ..read more

The progressive Fiscal Policy Institute on Tuesday released its economic plan that called for higher taxes on the rich and an expansion of family tax credits. The group also backed increasing aid to municipalities as a way of reducing property taxes on the local level and creating a property tax circuit breaker. At the same time, the plan backed closing tax loopholes that benefit upper income earners. “The future is in our hands—we can do nothing and continue to let inequity increase, let basic needs go unanswered and try to balance the budget on the backs of those who are already strugglin ..read more

From the Morning Memo: Momentum to alter the state’s new cash bail law has sped up in recent weeks amid a spate of anti-Semitic hate crimes targeting Jews in the New York City metropolitan area. Democratic lawmakers are backing changes that would add judicial discretion to the measure, which ended cash bail requirements for misdemeanors and non-violent felony offenses. But several Jewish organizations on Monday, including Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, Bend the Arc: Jewish Action, Avodah and Kolot Chayeinu in a joint statement said the wave of attacks and bail law changes shouldn’t be ..read more

From the Morning Memo: The business-aligned Unshackle Upstate on Tuesday released a 2020 agenda that focuses on opposing the creation of single-payer health, expanding the prevailing wage and backing more workforce development investment. The Rochester-based business group has found little cheer about in Albany, opposing increases in the state’s minimum wage and blasting New York’s tax climate. Still, the group found bright spots last year, including the approval of a measure making the state’s cap on property tax increases permanent. But the problems for upstate New York remain acute as it ..read more

Good morning and happy Tuesday! Here’s the news. Happening today: Gov. Andrew Cuomo is in Albany with nothing public planned. Mayor de Blasio is in New York City and has no public events scheduled. At 10 a.m., Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will deliver remarks at the swearing-in ceremony for town officials. Hempstead Town Hall, Nathan L.H. Bennett Pavilion, 1 Washington St. Hempstead. Also at 10 a.m., state lawmakers will hold a news conference on Gov. Cuomo’s veto of a bill seeking protection for Jamaica Bay. Crossbay Kiteboarding Launch Area, just off the Joseph P. Addabbo Bridge, Queens. At 11 ..read more

Assemblywoman Amy Paulin became the latest Democrat in the state Legislature on Monday to back an alteration to the state’s newly enacted cash bail law by adding a judicial discretion component to the legislation. Paulin, a Westchester County lawmaker, proposed the change to the law that ends cash bail requirements for misdemeanor and non-violent felony charges — a measure approved last year that has sparked an uproar among law enforcement, prosecutors and some elected officials. “With this amendment, we have the opportunity to adjust the critical bail reforms that were enacted last year,” P ..read more

Potential adjustments could be made to the state’s newly enacted bail law changes, which end requiring cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felony charges, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said in New York City. His comments further cracked open the door to potential changes to the measures, which took effect at the start of the year and have been criticized by local law enforcement officials, prosecutors and Republicans. “Changing the system is complicated, and then has a number of ramifications,” he said. “There’s no doubt this is still a work in progress and there are other changes that ..read more

Shoshanah Bewlay has been appointed the new executive director of the state Committee on Open Government, the state Department of State on Monday announced. Bewlay previously served as the general counsel and chief legal officer of the state Office of Information Technology Services. Prior to that, she was the agency’s records access officer and personal privacy protection officer. “With more than 20 years of broad experience in both the public and private sectors, Ms. Bewlay will be an asset to the Committee on Open Government,” said Secretary of State Rossana Rosado. “We are fortunate that ..read more