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| Legislature Reaches Deal to Extend Mayoral Control of New York’s Schools for a Year | Legislature Reaches Deal to Extend Mayoral Control of New York’s Schools for a Year |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| ALBANY — State lawmakers on Friday reached a long-awaited deal to conclude the 2016 legislative session that included a modest ethics package, the release of $570 million in state funding for supportive housing for the homeless, required lead testing for public school drinking water and a one-year extension — with major caveats — of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control of New York City schools. | ALBANY — State lawmakers on Friday reached a long-awaited deal to conclude the 2016 legislative session that included a modest ethics package, the release of $570 million in state funding for supportive housing for the homeless, required lead testing for public school drinking water and a one-year extension — with major caveats — of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control of New York City schools. |
| Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders had already announced an agreement on ethics reform measures that would, among other things, strip state pensions from public officials convicted of corruption and strengthen prohibitions on political campaigns coordinating with independent expenditure committees. | Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and legislative leaders had already announced an agreement on ethics reform measures that would, among other things, strip state pensions from public officials convicted of corruption and strengthen prohibitions on political campaigns coordinating with independent expenditure committees. |
| But consensus kept lurching out of reach on the one Albany issue that mattered most to the mayor: city schools, and what Mr. de Blasio would have to give up to his antagonists in Albany in order to keep controlling them. In the end, he made significant concessions in exchange for a one-year extension, including a requirement for his Education Department to publish city school districts’ budgeting information and a sweeping change to the oversight structure of more than half the city’s charter schools. | But consensus kept lurching out of reach on the one Albany issue that mattered most to the mayor: city schools, and what Mr. de Blasio would have to give up to his antagonists in Albany in order to keep controlling them. In the end, he made significant concessions in exchange for a one-year extension, including a requirement for his Education Department to publish city school districts’ budgeting information and a sweeping change to the oversight structure of more than half the city’s charter schools. |
| The trouble this week began when it became clear that Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, and the State Assembly, which is dominated by city Democrats, would have to accept a one-year extension of mayoral control, down from the three years they had hoped for. | The trouble this week began when it became clear that Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat, and the State Assembly, which is dominated by city Democrats, would have to accept a one-year extension of mayoral control, down from the three years they had hoped for. |
| It continued on Friday morning, when State Senator John J. Flanagan, a Republican who is the majority leader and who is not disposed to be helpful to a mayor who has openly worked to flip control of the chamber to the Democrats, said he would grant a one-year extension in exchange for more public information about the city’s education spending. | It continued on Friday morning, when State Senator John J. Flanagan, a Republican who is the majority leader and who is not disposed to be helpful to a mayor who has openly worked to flip control of the chamber to the Democrats, said he would grant a one-year extension in exchange for more public information about the city’s education spending. |
| And it culminated with a last-minute hurdle thrown in Friday afternoon by Senate Republicans, who introduced a charter school provision that would effectively create a parallel system of charter schools within the city by exempting those charters, authorized by the State University of New York, from state rules and regulations. | |
| Under the terms of the deal announced Friday, school districts will be required to test for lead in drinking water, with the state paying for some of the testing costs. | Under the terms of the deal announced Friday, school districts will be required to test for lead in drinking water, with the state paying for some of the testing costs. |
| The state will also provide an additional $50 million in capital funding for SUNY and the City University of New York. | The state will also provide an additional $50 million in capital funding for SUNY and the City University of New York. |
| The Legislature was still considering a measure to legalize daily fantasy sports, which, though popular, are currently considered illegal online gambling in the state. | The Legislature was still considering a measure to legalize daily fantasy sports, which, though popular, are currently considered illegal online gambling in the state. |
| A few high-profile bills did win both houses’ backing on Friday afternoon. The hotel industry in New York City cheered the passage of legislation that would keep people from advertising stays shorter than 30 days in unoccupied homes, a measure that the bill’s supporters said would restrict commercial operators of illegal hotels, but that Airbnb — the company most affected by the bill — said would affect regular city residents. It is already illegal in New York to rent out an empty apartment for less than 30 days at a time. | A few high-profile bills did win both houses’ backing on Friday afternoon. The hotel industry in New York City cheered the passage of legislation that would keep people from advertising stays shorter than 30 days in unoccupied homes, a measure that the bill’s supporters said would restrict commercial operators of illegal hotels, but that Airbnb — the company most affected by the bill — said would affect regular city residents. It is already illegal in New York to rent out an empty apartment for less than 30 days at a time. |
| The Legislature also passed bills that would increase penalties for using software known as ticket bots to scoop up large numbers of tickets to concerts, games or other events, a practice that the state attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, highlighted in a recent report. Doing so is already illegal, but the bill would make the practice a misdemeanor. | The Legislature also passed bills that would increase penalties for using software known as ticket bots to scoop up large numbers of tickets to concerts, games or other events, a practice that the state attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, highlighted in a recent report. Doing so is already illegal, but the bill would make the practice a misdemeanor. |
| The announcement about the ethics agreement highlighted what it called strong protections against the independent expenditure committees empowered by the Citizens United ruling, the Supreme Court’s 2010 campaign finance decision. The governor had already made a push to tighten restrictions on such committees over the past few weeks. | The announcement about the ethics agreement highlighted what it called strong protections against the independent expenditure committees empowered by the Citizens United ruling, the Supreme Court’s 2010 campaign finance decision. The governor had already made a push to tighten restrictions on such committees over the past few weeks. |
| Of all the ethics reforms measures lawmakers had discussed this session — the first after the corruption trials of Sheldon Silver, the former Assembly speaker, and Dean G. Skelos, the former Senate majority leader — pension forfeiture, a relatively straightforward and popular measure, was the only one to survive. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, had proposed, but ultimately abandoned, more ambitious proposals that included closing a campaign-finance loophole that allows limited liability companies to donate to political candidates as individuals, rather than as businesses. | Of all the ethics reforms measures lawmakers had discussed this session — the first after the corruption trials of Sheldon Silver, the former Assembly speaker, and Dean G. Skelos, the former Senate majority leader — pension forfeiture, a relatively straightforward and popular measure, was the only one to survive. Mr. Cuomo, a Democrat, had proposed, but ultimately abandoned, more ambitious proposals that included closing a campaign-finance loophole that allows limited liability companies to donate to political candidates as individuals, rather than as businesses. |
| In order for pension forfeiture to become a constitutional amendment, two consecutively elected Legislatures must approve it before voters consider the measure on the ballot. | In order for pension forfeiture to become a constitutional amendment, two consecutively elected Legislatures must approve it before voters consider the measure on the ballot. |
| The ethics package will also require political consultants who simultaneously advise elected officials or candidates and work with companies with business before the state to register with the state and disclose their clients. It strengthens disclosure requirements for lobbyists and for tax-exempt nonprofits that lobby the state to disclose financial support from other nonprofits that are not supposed to engage in political activity. | The ethics package will also require political consultants who simultaneously advise elected officials or candidates and work with companies with business before the state to register with the state and disclose their clients. It strengthens disclosure requirements for lobbyists and for tax-exempt nonprofits that lobby the state to disclose financial support from other nonprofits that are not supposed to engage in political activity. |
| Blair Horner, executive director for the New York Public Research Group, said the deal was a “smorgasbord of elections, ethics and lobbying reforms” that nonetheless was “not focused at the heart of what’s wrong with Albany,” including the nearly unchecked flow of money through multiple limited liability companies. | Blair Horner, executive director for the New York Public Research Group, said the deal was a “smorgasbord of elections, ethics and lobbying reforms” that nonetheless was “not focused at the heart of what’s wrong with Albany,” including the nearly unchecked flow of money through multiple limited liability companies. |
| That said, Mr. Horner said that the move to define coordination between independent expenditure committees and candidates was an improvement. “No one has defined what that means,” he said. “And this does.” | That said, Mr. Horner said that the move to define coordination between independent expenditure committees and candidates was an improvement. “No one has defined what that means,” he said. “And this does.” |
| The greatest source of friction on Friday appeared to be the mayoral control issue. | |
| City officials were warning that the charter school provision of the mayoral-control agreement would significantly change how such schools in the city are run. | |
| These schools can be authorized by three agencies — the State Education Department, the city’s Education Department and SUNY — but all operate according to the same state law. Although the announcement of the agreement did not offer details, under the Senate proposal, the SUNY schools would be exempt from those laws and regulations and free to set their own rules, two officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations said. | |
| There are 111 charters authorized by SUNY in the city. Another 55 are authorized by the city’s Education Department, and 39 by the state department. | |
| The proposal would affect SUNY charters statewide, the city officials said. |