Know When To Hold 'Em

Well, I guess Albany insiders now know who Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie is. He’s not nearly as taciturn as some believed. He’s very much the steely negotiator that few thought he could be. Many overlooked his successful herding of the cats known as Bronx Democrats during his tenure as county leader. 

The lessons of 10 years as a backbencher apparently taught him how to deal with a governor whose initial “mandate” has dissipated or has succeeded in turning off legislative allies. Or it could simply be that Cuomo’s “tells” were too obvious to ignore and not exploit. 

Heastie smartly agreed to a package of ethics reforms—lukewarm reforms roundly panned by good-government groups—that Cuomo tied to an on-time budget. Nonetheless, those reforms ensured ending per-diem expense abuses; making clearer rules prohibiting personal use of campaign funds; and broadening disclosures of independent campaign expenditures. 

Understanding Cuomo’s desire for an on-time budget and distaste for protracted negotiations, Heastie (and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos) got Cuomo to deal with controversial measures post-budget. 

By all accounts, it seems that Heastie is listening to his leadership team as well as his junior backbenchers. His onetime rival for the speakership, Assemblyman Keith Wright, praised Heastie for doing “extremely well” on behalf of the conference. 

Heastie appears open to democratizing the Democratic Conference, recognizing and rewarding talented members and giving members more input in policymaking and about which bills come to the floor. Frosh Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, a former federal prosecutor, was credited with helping to craft the ethics reform compromise. 

For all that Heastie did to manage a successful first budget, he must still guide the Assembly through the legislative briar patch over the remaining months of session. Among the thorny issues that threaten to prick him are renewal of New York City rent regulations, a constitutional amendment governing pension forfeiture for corrupt public officials, legalization of mixed martial arts, and the controversial 421-a real estate tax break, which figured in the federal criminal complaint against former Speaker Sheldon Silver. 

I want to believe that Heastie will heed what he told UFT members and join the Invest In Ed Coalition, providing the “support and investment our students need to succeed.” All of New York’s students and their parents deserve support for their school choices. 

The Education Investment Tax Credit is a win-win for public and private school students, parents and teachers. I have often wondered why the “bright line” between public and private/religious education funding disappears when it comes to state aid for post-secondary education. I hope Carl creates space for that discussion. 

In the countdown to the end of session, I am also hopeful the speaker will institute a more transparent and bipartisan process for getting bills to the floor. The Assembly needs a real committee process, real public hearings and consequential debates. 

In the meantime, Heastie deserves recognition for bringing tablet technology to Assembly members’ desks. Heastie does not fear technology and understands that members appreciate tangible improvements. 

After his freshman turn as speaker, Heastie will face many more demands for reforms because that’s the nature of Albany politics. But it’s also the nature of Albany politics that new leadership consolidates control by making minor concessions. So we will continue to learn more about Heastie’s style and substance as time goes by. 

Former Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (@SquarePegDem on Twitter) represented the Bronx for eight years.