With help from Shawn Ness
Has it been manipulated?: Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is laying the groundwork to argue that the bidding process for three highly lucrative casino licenses could work against him.
“We are moving forward with our plans for the casino. If it's a fair process (and I'm a little worried), if it's a fair process. Nassau County gave us permission because we were in the best location.” the county executive said last week during a call to the right-wing radio show “Sid & Friends in the Morning.”
After reiterating that the decision rests with the state board, he added, “If it’s a fair process, we win.”
The comments are the first time Playbook has heard from Republicans calling New York's downstate casino licenses under extreme scrutiny and questioning the integrity of the public bidding process.
But questions have already been raised that a bid for a large casino on Long Island could be particularly vulnerable given Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul's control of the gaming commission. That's because the majority shareholder of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation is GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson. He and her late husband donated $90 million to pro-Trump super PACs during the last presidential election.
She's not the only Trump donor vying for the casino.
Earlier this week, Mets owner and billionaire Steve Cohen's casino dreams were nearly derailed by state Sen. Jessica Ramos, who opposed the bid. Cohen's army of lobbyists has been working to build a massive casino and hotel in the parking lot next to Citi Field, but the proposed site is located in a state-managed park that would require approval from the state Legislature.
And Bally's Corporation's bid for a casino at the Bronx golf course formerly known as Trump Links would require similar park alienation legislation. Playbook can report that Rep. Gary Pretlow, a Mount Vernon Democrat and chairman of the House's Gaming Committee, has filed a park alienation bill for Bally's.
“What we’re trying to do is make sure that everyone [bid] That’s good until proven otherwise,” Pretlow told Playbook. “So we want to issue a community board and resolve the land issue.”
Interestingly, neither state Sen. Joseph Addabbo, the Senate gaming chairman, nor any of his colleagues in the Senate have filed the necessary equivalent legislation. State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez, whose district includes the golf course, said she is still weighing the merits of introducing a park land alienation bill this session.
Blakeman claimed the Sands project would bring $5 billion in investment to Nassau County and make it the highest-grossing casino in the country. Plans for a casino to be located at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum site are currently on hold, but neighboring Hofstra University is suing to invalidate the lease between Las Vegas Sands and the county. It has now been discontinued due to the success of raising the issue.
When Playbook contacted Blakeman, the county executive declined to be specific about his “concerns” about the fairness of the bidding process.
“Of course we are concerned that it is a level playing field and that politics is not part of that process,” Blakeman said, obliquely referring to “gossip” he did not want to explain.
He added, “When you're talking about the amount of money it takes to issue a license, you want to make sure there's honesty and integrity in the process, without political bias.” — Jason Bipperman
Representatives face ethics actions: The House Ethics Committee took action against Scott Bendett.
The committee concluded that the freshman Republican “made two statements to the international intern regarding his religion and national origin.” The committee ordered him to undergo sensitivity training “given Member Bendett's sincere remorse and honest, active participation in the process going forward and the current highly emotional climate related to the international conflict.”
This is only the second action taken against a sitting member of Congress in the past six years. The committee ordered Democrat Danny O'Donnell to undergo refresher training on the Legislature's harassment policy after his remarks last year.
Bendette is the Democratic Party's top target this November. His district, which includes suburban areas south and east of the city of Albany, favored Joe Biden in 2020. Democrats Chloe Pierce and Kent Sopris are running in the primary to challenge him for the party's nomination. — Bill Mahoney
Fighting Revenge Porn: State lawmakers want to expand New York's law against revenge porn.
The bill being considered in the final week of the legislative session seeks to strengthen an earlier provision in 2019 that established criminal penalties for non-consensual disclosure of intimate images and videos.
State Sen. Monica Martinez, a Long Island Democrat, wants to include an expansion that would also criminalize threats to spread such material.
“The threat of making personal content public can be just as psychologically damaging to victims as the act itself,” Martinez said in a statement. “Strengthening these laws will better protect New Yorkers from perpetrators who seek to use shame as a tool of coercion.”
The bill was previously approved by the Senate, but has not yet been approved by the National Assembly. Lawmakers in that chamber have been reluctant to accept expanded criminal penalties. — Nick Reisman
Measures regarding health law: A resolution supporting the “goal” of the New York Health Act, a bill to create a single-payer health care plan to provide universal coverage in New York, was approved for the time being by the state Democratic Committee at its convention this week. It is done.
The resolution also urges the governor and Legislature to “expedite legislative solutions” to ensure full health care coverage for all New Yorkers.
Voting is symbolic. But the bill's supporters hope it could provide a jolt of momentum to New York's health law, which dates back decades and has struggled to gain broad support among Democrats amid opposition from the state's powerful public-sector unions.
The bill was reintroduced in July 2023 by Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, chair of the Health Committee, and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera.
“This resolution unites Democrats in their goal of passing the New York Health Act, the only law that provides comprehensive health care without barriers to care for all New Yorkers,” said Executive Director of the Campaign for New York Health. Melanie D'Arrigo said. She is also a former Democratic Congressional candidate.
Jay Jacobs, chairman of the Democratic People's Party, told Playbook that the bill was approved “with the understanding that there are complex issues that need to be decided” in light of opposition from key voters, including labor.
But Jacobs can point to areas where Democrats reached clearer agreement during the two-day convention. The resolution condemns anti-Semitism following pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses across the country that have caused political headaches for Democrats in an election year. It was also approved.
“The fact that it was passed unanimously speaks volumes about where the Democratic Party stands on this issue,” Jacobs said. — Maya Kaufman, Nick Reisman
— HOCHUL'S BIG BUFFALO BILL PROBLEM: An ethics watchdog has subpoenaed Empire State Development for records related to its use of the state-run “I Love New York” suite at Buffalo Bills stadium, which was enjoyed by the state's top lawmakers. (NY Focus)
— Call it a comeback. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the appeals court was too quick to reject the NRA's claims. Even Democratic judges like Sonia Sotomayor, who routinely opposes the NRA, switched things up and voted in favor of the NRA. (Politico)
— Trump's testimony: Donald Trump said he wanted to testify in a hush trial. But it was too late, and he didn't want to face potential perjury charges. (Daily News)
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