Mayor Adams' third veto a strong possibility halfway through his term

Plus: Gov. Hochul signs bill to create slavery reparations commission. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [‘No way I will sign this’: Mayor Adams threatens to veto NYPD reform bill]( Mayor Eric Adams is halfway through his first term and is already preparing for his third veto. In an interview with CBS News New York over the weekend, the mayor said he has no plans to sign a bill into law that would [require the NYPD to start reporting “low-level stops”]( where the person is free to leave. Adams argues the bill, dubbed the How Many Stops Act, would “endanger public safety.” Police officers are already required to report stop-and-frisk reports and arrests. Under the proposed legislation, “level one” and “level two” encounters would be documented too. But, Adams says, that would just lead to more attention paid to paperwork, and less on enforcement. “That is not how you keep the city safe,” he explained in the interview. Halfway points are also a good opportunity to reflect on campaign pledges, which Adams did in an interview with NY1 last week. During his candidacy, Adams promised to close Rikers Island, and while 2027 is the legally mandated closure deadline, the mayor outlined a number of challenges that could hamper the city from meeting it. “Idealism can't collide with realism,” he said. [Read more about the trouble with closing Rikers Island.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week City Hall’s budget cuts Libraries serve critical needs across New York City communities, but they’re also rarely spared when it comes to cutting costs. When Mayor Adams announced sweeping budget cuts across city agencies, it meant more than 200 library branches would no longer be able to offer seven-day-a-week services. And officials warned that further cuts could mean full weekend closures. [Read more about why much beloved libraries are always on the chopping block.]( Another service in the city was saved, at least temporarily, after facing a total shutdown because of the mayor’s budget cuts. An anonymous donor was able to rescue the GrowNYC compost collection sites at the city’s greenmarkets and keep the program running until the end of June. All 53 of GrowNYC’s compost employees were also able to keep their jobs thanks to the donation. [Read more about the future of GrowNYC’s compost program.]( Closing out the year in Albany, and prepping for 2024 As 2023 comes to an end, more than 1,500 people incarcerated in New York prisons are asking Governor Kathy Hochul for clemency. Since taking office, Hochul has granted a handful of incarcerated people their freedom each December. But the governor also promised to grant clemencies more than once a year. During her term so far, Hochul has granted a total of 43 clemencies. [Read more about Hochul’s year-end clemencies.]( Gov. Hochul is also ending the year by signing a new law that creates the state Community Commission to Study Reparations Remedies, a nine-member panel tasked with studying slavery's history in New York and its lasting effects on residents. The commission will consider the possibility of issuing reparations, including direct payments, for descendants of enslaved African people living in the state. [Read more about how the commission will consider reparations.]( Next year’s elections will be all the more interesting after the state Court of Appeals last week threw out New York’s current 26 congressional districts, allowing for the state Independent Redistricting Commission to start drawing new boundaries. It’s a major win for national Democrats seeking control of the House of Representatives. [Read more about what redistricting means for New York voters.]( Before the regular election, New York has to get through a special election in February to replace expelled Rep. George Santos. On Thursday, Republicans announced Nassau County Legislator [Mazi Melesa Pilip]( as their pick in the election. She’ll be up against Democrat Tom Suozzi. The election will be the first test of a new state law that will allow early voting by mail. [Read more about how the special election will test the state’s new vote by mail law.]( Tensions are high among New Jersey politicians There are three congressional Republicans who represent New Jersey, and all of them voted to authorize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden last week. The GOP alleges Biden took government action to help his son Hunter earn money. The decision could impact all three, who face competitive races in next year’s election cycle. [Read more about the representatives’ stance on a Biden impeachment inquiry.]( There’s a new candidate on the scene in the primary race for a U.S. Senate seat, and she happens to be New Jersey’s first lady. Tammy Murphy's entrance into the race sparked a call to other candidates from organizations statewide to take a stand against the way primary ballots are laid out. Progressive activists say 19 of the state’s 21 counties give an unfair advantage to candidates endorsed by the county party organizations. [Read more about the challenge to New Jersey’s ballot designs.]( Besides the election cycle, 2024 will also mark an increase in New Jersey’s minimum wage. Many workers will see a bump of $1 come January 1 to $15.13 per hour. Gov. Phil Murphy says he’d be open to raising it again. [Read more about NJ’s minimum wage and the potential Murphy sees in raising it again.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Biden’s 'Chill' Campaign vs. The Democrats' 'Effing Bed-Wetters']( Despite dismal poll numbers at this early stage, President Biden's reelection campaign is full of staffers who feel confident in his chances for 2024. [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]( [WNYC]( [WQXR]( [NJPR]( [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 All rights reserved. [Terms of Use.]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your [preferences]( or [unsubscribe]( from this list