The State of the State (of New York)

This year, it's all things green [Politics Brief from WNYC + Gothamist] [Keep friends and family informed. Forward the Politics Brief.]( What We Heard (And Didn't Hear) in Cuomo's State of the State Address By [James Ramsay]( Dani Lever/Gov. Cuomo's Office via AP There's currently a legal loophole in New York that allows sex offenders to avoid certain charges if the victim was voluntarily intoxicated. Gov. Andrew Cuomo wants to close that loophole. He also wants to legalize e-bikes (after previously vetoing a bill to do so). He wants to ban drugs that mimic fentanyl, the synthetic opiate. And he wants to crack down on vaping. These are all ideas he championed today in his 2020 State of the State address. They're also ideas that have been [introduced by other Democratic lawmakers in Albany](. But today was the day for Gov. Cuomo, fresh off his latest episode of [rescuing a trapped driver]( to take credit for some stuff. Here are some of the biggest (and trickiest) priorities he set in this agenda, which is unusually ambitious for a year in which every state lawmaker is up for reelection. Legalizing Recreational Cannabis Cuomo renewed his call for one of the biggest goals Democrats didn't finish last year. He also explicitly mentioned his desire to work in conjunction with [New Jersey]( [Connecticut]( and [Pennsylvania]( — all of which are in various stages in their gradual move towards legalization. And he proposed [creating]( a "Global Cannabis Center for Science, Research and Education" within the SUNY system. Among the details that still needs to be decided: How to prevent [this]( from happening, and ensure the tax revenue and business opportunities benefit low-income and minority communities that have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. A swing district legislator [told]( WNYC's Fred Mogul today, "I think we can get it done — if there's real movement on bail reform." [Democrats have acknowledged]( that the historic bail reforms passed last year may need tweaking after it became immediately clear that alleged hate crime offenders, among others, could be let out of jail without having to post bond. However, any mention of bail was [conspicuously absent]( from Cuomo's speech today. Expanding Penn Station, Policing the Subway As mentioned in a press conference [earlier this week]( Cuomo wants to expand Penn Station — and this time do more than add [a food court and atrium](. His new plan involves adding eight tracks, which could accommodate an additional 175,000 daily riders. Cuomo did not provide any update on a needed new tunnel under the Hudson River. He also championed his idea to ban repeat sex offenders from riding the subway, which caused advocates to immediately raise concerns about racial profiling and the invasion of riders' privacy. On The Brian Lehrer Show today, NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea [said]( that while "the devil's in the details," any law changes would likely empower cops to preemptively stop the select number of offenders who they already know and see regularly on the trains. Ban Styrofoam, Save the Earth Calling climate change the "transcendent issue of our time," Cuomo [called for]( increasing our use of renewable energy — and proposed [banning styrofoam]( packing peanuts and single-use food containers (not including foam egg cartons) statewide. He also pitched the "[Restore Mother Nature Bond Act]( which would have to be approved by voters this November, and would dedicate $3 billion to habitat restoration, the planting of more trees, and other means to protect against flooding. Funding Everything Amid a $6 Billion Budget Gap As [Fred notes]( Cuomo made only a passing reference to the budget gap, blaming Medicaid costs and cuts from Washington. But states have to balance their budgets each year — they can't carry debt the like the federal government. Following today's largely ceremonial event (the governor worked in a decent joke about his brother Chris, and yes, he put up that giant picture of himself helping a guy out of his crashed truck), many are awaiting the unveiling of [Cuomo's yet-to-be-scheduled 2020 spending plan]( when the state of things become a lot more clear. As for New Jersey's 2020 outlook, we'll hear more tonight on Ask Governor Murphy, which airs [live on WNYC at 7 p.m.]( All the Democrats Running to Replace the Recent Party Defector, Jeff Van Drew South Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew — a first-term House member from a district Trump won in 2016 — was, until recently, a conservative Democrat. Then he voted against impeachment, joined the Republican Party, and is expected to attend a Trump rally in his own district on January 28th. That means the Democratic Party's June 2nd congressional primary won't have an incumbent on the ballot. After a Kennedy jumped in the race this week, five Democrats are now vying for the party's nomination. Amy Kennedy, who introduced herself in a campaign video as a mother of five and former teacher, is married to former Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy, and is expected to be a top contender with the help of the Kennedy fundraising network. Brigid Callahan Harrison, a Montclair State political science professor, has the backing of many party leaders in the 2nd District. Atlantic County freeholder Ashley Bennett expects to have support from progressive grass-roots organizations. West Cape May Commissioner John Francis III and Robert Turkavage, a former FBI agent (and a former Republican), are also running as Democrats. The Republican primary is expected to see at least four candidates, including Rep. Van Drew. ([The New York Times]( One NJ Lawmaker Wanted to Count Mail-In Ballots a Week Early. Some Called it 'Legalized Cheating.' Democratic State Senator James Beach, who represents Cherry Hill, initially thought it'd be a good idea to give election workers a one-week head start on counting mail-in ballots. His bill allowing for this even made it out of committee, and may come to a full floor vote. But progressive activists quickly cried foul, pointing out that election staff are often closely tied to party machines. If those workers have advanced notice of the vote tally, they could theoretically alert a candidate, giving them valuable info on where to target with last-minute campaign ads. Sen. Beach has now backed down from the idea, saying he'll make an amendment scrapping the early-counting provision from his broader bill designed to give county clerks more time to prepare for the 2020 primary. In [other state election news]( state lawmakers are now set to vote on a bill that would allow New Jerseyans to register to vote online. ([WNYC News]( New York Has a New Assembly Minority Leader On Christmas Eve, Upstate Republican Brian Kolb, then the Assembly minority leader, published an op-ed in a local paper warning against drunk driving. On New Year's Eve, he crashed his state-issued SUV into a ditch, blew nearly twice the legal limit into a breathalyzer, and reportedly [tried claiming his wife was driving](. Though he hasn't indicated any plan to resign, he has stepped down from his post as minority leader. William Barclay, a nine-term Assembly member from Oswego County, is taking over the role. He also drives a state-issued SUV. ([City & State]( Trump, Inc. Is Back Patrick Semansky/AP Jared Kushner, the president's 38-year old son-in-law, is one of the highest-ranking and now longest-tenured advisers in the Trump White House. And he's been handed an unusually broad list of responsibilities, from brokering peace in the Middle East to reforming the criminal justice system. Andrea Bernstein, who has written a new book called American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the Marriage of Money and Power, says Kushner may be the second most powerful person in the United States. And to understand how he got to this point, she says you have to go back 70 years, when his family escaped the Nazis and fled to the U.S. as refugees. The Trump, Inc. podcast returns with [the story of Jared Kushner and his family](. Cracks Show in Impeachment Stalemate Mitch McConnell says he has the votes to break Nancy Pelosi's delay, and force the Senate's impeachment trial to begin. What did Pelosi get out of the tactic, and what's coming next? Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential election coverage and more. 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