“It’s all politics.” (Grrr!)
The dictionary definition of politics is simply the process by which governing decisions are reached.
In a government classroom we may begin with Athenian Democracy, men met and decided how the city-state of Athens would be governed, only the male citizens, not the slaves, not women, the governors were randomly decided, and Socrates, who was teaching the youth of Athens to think, to question, what today we call the Socratic Method, was accused of corrupting the youth of Athens and sentenced to exile or death: Socrates needed a union.
From Athenian democracy to the Roman Senate to a feudal system, lesser lords swearing oaths of fealty and homage to greater lords and kings. Sounds a little like today …
Our system of governance has evolved over 250 years, our Constitution, a deeply flawed document, silent on slavery, interpreted differently by Presidents and courts, absent a ouija board we have no idea of the “original” intent of our founding fathers.
Our states and counties have their own constitutions (see NYS Constitution) or local rules (see NYC Charter). There are 20 articles and over 200 amendments in the NYS Constitution. The NYC Charter has 70 sections, and 305 pages and is frequently amended.
The political process, changing the Constitution/City Charter, labor agreements and laws is fluid. 13,000 bills were introduced in the 23-24 session, about 10% were signed by the governor.
A messy process, it’s the process that has evolved and continues evolving.
In NYC we just elected 51 City Council members to four year terms, with a limit of two terms. The 51 members elect a leader, called the Speaker, who assigns committees and chairs of committees and is the gatekeeper, no legislation reaches the floor without the approval of the Speaker. Member salary: 148,500. The Council has a weekly Thursday Standing Meeting. The Council committees hold “oversight” hearings requiring the approval of the Speaker. The major role of the Council is the approval of the budget, usually in mid June, the city’s fiscal year if 7/1 – 6/30. The Council is overwhelmingly democrats, although there are caucuses across the political spectrum, including Social Democrats, Progressive, etc. Julie Menin, the just elected Speaker is considered “middle of the road,” she gave the plum committee assignments to her early supporters.
The primary UFT issue is the $10,000 pay bump for paraprofessionals, most of the Council signed on to the bill, the former speaker Adrienne Adams did not allow it to come to the floor for a vote. This is a new session and the bill has to be reintroduced.
The UFT has a full time staffer assigned to the Council, a highly competent member lobbyist.
The state legislatures, the Assembly, 150 members and the Senate, 61 members have just convened for the second year of their two year terms, there are no term limits. Each body elects their own leader, the Assembly, Carl Heastie, the Speaker and in the Senate, the majority leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, the leaders are also the gatekeepers, no bill comes to the floor for a vote without their approval and if it does come to the floor it passes. Prior to each day’s session leadership calls a “conference,” democrats only, to discuss the issue of the day behind closed doors, the members can disagree behind closed doors; however, if the bill comes to the floor all democrats are expected to support.
This is an election year and the session ends June 4th, primaries the last Tuesday in June.
The state budget year is April 1 – March 30.
If the budget is not passed by April 1 the state moves to “continuing resolutions” to allow the state to keep functioning, which happens frequently, it gets testy. It is commonplace for the governor to place non-budgetary items in the budget, the legislature pushes back,
The Governor has released her preliminary budget, a compact 140 page summary (Read Education section here.) Note the governor’s budget includes a four year extension of mayoral control.
In February each house will release their budget (one-house budgets) and in March the three leaders will attempt to reach an agreement.
After the budget tussles the legislature will resume regular business and in the waning days, referred to as “the big ugly,” hundreds of bills will be approved before adjourning.
Does this mean backroom deals take place? What do you think?
For the UFT, actually all Tier 6 employees, fixing Tier 6 is the major outstanding issue, reducing the current Tier 6 age 63 requirement to the Tier 4 age 55. It’s a heavy lift: funding the age reduction has to be actuarially funded in the amended law.
Hope you have found this helpful.
Are there backroom deals “…in the room where it happens?” Of course, in the 2022 gubernatorial election Hochul’s lead was melting away, NYSUT, our union endorsed Hochul and she signed the Class Size Reduction Bill, was there a “deal?” I have no idea, in PERB regulations if you choose to negotiate class size it reduces the size of the available dollars for salaries, I tip my chapeaux to Mulgrew. Some of the opposition caucus’ cry we should have gone on strike, last year 2000 prison guards who went on strike were fired.
Every crisis is an opportunity.
Mulgrew seized the opportunity to embed lower class size in state law.
In 1975 NYC was on the edge of declaring bankruptcy, perhaps dragging down hundreds of banks, impacting teachers jobs and pensions, at the very last moment Al Shanker saved the city, and perhaps the nation, read the fascinating story here.
Listen to “… in the room where it happens,” I’m hopeful, even confidant that the union leadership will succeed in the Council and in Albany, they will be in the “room.”
Ed in the Apple: Blogging on the Intersection of Education and Politics Title 