Queens lawmaker throws plans for a Citi Field-area casino for a loop

Plus, NYC's new migrant resettlement program. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [Key Queens lawmaker says she will formally oppose Citi Field-area casino]( New York state Sen. Jessica Ramosi s formally rejecting a proposal for a proposed casino and entertainment complex in her Queens district, after months of hinted-at opposition. “After three town halls, a poll, a survey and I can't tell you how many conversations I've had around the district, I've concluded that the vast majority of our neighbors would not welcome a casino in our backyard,” Ramos, a Democrat, said in an interview ahead of her planned announcement at a press conference in Albany later today. The state senator's approval was needed for what's known as the alienation of parkland near Citi Field, where the project has been proposed. The legal step is required for commercial development at the site, according to Ramos' office and other lawmakers involved in the process. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week What else is happening around New York City New York City officials are planning to launch a novel resettlement program to help migrants leave city-funded hotel shelters and head to Buffalo, which some proponents hope will serve as a blueprint for how the city manages the migrant influx moving forward. [Read more.]( The looming expiration of a key federal program could mean the end of high-speed internet access for just under 1 million low-income households in New York City. [Read more.]( New York City is changing some of its lifeguard requirements to address an ongoing national lifeguard shortage that has affected city beaches and pools for the past few years. [Read more.]( With summer drawing nearer, some New York City officials are putting pressure on Mayor Adams to find more funding as a means to increase the city’s population of shade-providing trees. [Read more.]( A little more than a year after the deadly collapse of a parking garage in Lower Manhattan, the New York City Council passed a package of legislation aimed at improving the safety and maintenance of local parking structures. [Read more.]( City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams introduced legislation that would give the Council approval over the mayor’s appointment of 21 key commissioners — a move that could dramatically alter the balance of power at City Hall. [Read more.]( Two congressional incumbents representing parts of New York City are also facing primary opponents: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and first-term Rep. Dan Goldman. [Read more.]( What’s going on around New York state A proposed constitutional amendment would grant voting rights to every incarcerated person in New York, but the bill's sponsors say it has little chance of passing before lawmakers leave the Capitol for the year in early June. [Read more.]( Another measure up before the state Legislature would create a separate racial category for Middle Eastern and North African residents, who for decades have been classified as "white" in most government analyses. [Read more.]( A new version of a bill that aims to expand public health coverage to undocumented migrants is racing against time as health and immigrant organizations push lawmakers to get it to Gov. Hochul’s desk. [Read more.]( Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday granted clemency to 13 people, including several convicted of drug crimes decades ago and two serving life sentences for murder. [Read more.]( New York is ramping up privacy protections for judges and their families at a time when former President Donald Trump’s court trials in Manhattan have helped make some of those people targets of a wave of threats. [Read more.]( What's new in New Jersey The Democratic primary is usually a cakewalk for Rep. Bill Pascrell. But this year, he faces a rare competitive race in his Passaic County district. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Why The Supreme Court Smiles On Partisan Gerrymandering]( The Supreme Court issued a ruling that will allow a gerrymander in South Carolina to stand, on the basis that it was done for partisan, not racial, reasons. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.