Proposed Amendments to City Charter for November Ballot

The Mayor's Charter Commission voted on Wednesday to approve including three questions regarding proposed amendments to the City Charter on the primary election ballot in November. The first question proposes reform to the city's campaign finance law and matching funds program. The question proposes reducing the maximum contribution  from $5,100 to $2,000 for citywide candidates (mayor, public advocate and comptroller), from $3,950 to $1,500 for candidates for borough president, and from $2,850 to $1,000 for City Council candidates. The measure would also increase the matching public funds ratio for candidates from $6 in public funds for every $1 donated to the candidate from eligible private contributors to $8 in public funds for every $1 from eligible private contributors.  It also increases the maximum amount of public matching funding allowable per candidate from 55 percent of all private funds raised by the candidate to 75 percent. The second question would establish a 15 member Civic Engagement Commission, appointed by various elected officials and tasked with administer a new citywide participatory budgeting initiative, engaging with community groups, and ensuring language interpreters are available at poll sites in addition to other issues related to services for non-English speaking voters. The third question seeks to establish term limits for members of community boards, which would be have staggered implementation dates in order to avoid large turnover simultaneously. The proposal would also standardize the community board appointment process citywide, including implementing reforms that would seek to promote diversity within the boards.

City Council Speaker Calls For City To Take Over Subways

On Friday, City Council Speaker Corey Johnson spoke about his transportation policy objectives at a CityLaw breakfast and notably voiced his support for the city to take back control of the New York City Transit Authority from the state controlled Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA). In his remarks, Johnson was critical of the MTA's crumbling infrastructure and unreliable service for passengers. He was also critical of Albany for not passing a complete congestion pricing plan during the 2018 legislative session, citing the raise significant cost of addressing the NYC public transportation system's infrastructure needs as well as the importance of reducing vehicle traffic on Manhattan's increasingly congested streets. Johnson said he would support a plan to circumvent Albany, through the City's Home Rule authority in order to get a congestion pricing plan into law, if necessary.

New York Post-Primary Client Call

Please join Stuart Shorenstein, Katie Schwab, Ken Fisher, and Rose Christ from Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies New York for a special conference call to debrief on the New York primary election results. We'll break down the hotly contested races for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Attorney General, as well as analyze the results of the heavily contested New York State Senate races, which may impact control of the New York State Senate.

Friday, September 14, 2018

4:00 - 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Toll Free Participant Dial-In Number: 800-769-9015

Labor and Employment Conference Invitation

On Thursday, September 13 all Cozen O’Connor clients are invited to participate in “New York City in 2018: An Update on Labor and Employment Issues Affecting Employers.” The conference is filled with a robust schedule of leading attorneys discussing important topics and issues facing employers. Please see below for details including a full agenda and RSVP information, or click here.

An Update on Labor and Employment Issues Affecting Employers

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Breakfast/Registration: 8:00 -- 8:30 a.m. Seminar and Lunch: 8:30 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception: 5:00 -- 6:00 p.m.

Convene 780 Third Avenue Midtown East, Concourse Level 2 Hub Conference Room New York, NY 10017

Join Cozen O'Connor attorneys as we discuss hot labor and employment legal issues that in-house counsel, management, and HR professionals are facing in 2018.

Also featuring special speakers: Justin Mulaire, EEOC, New York District Office Richard Aborn, President, NYC Citizens Crime Commission

Topics include:

• Employer Investigations and Considerations in the #MeToo Era -- Susan Eisenberg and Justin Mulaire
• Restrictive Covenants in 2018: New Legislative Initiatives and Antitrust Enforcement --Jonathan Cavalier and David Reichenberg
• Trump Administration Part 1: Updates from the NLRB and OSHA -- Robert Hawkins and John Ho
• Managing Medical Issues with Employees: Medical Marijuana and Sick/Family Leave Laws --George Voegele and Sionne Rosenfeld
• Live From New York, It's A Whole New Slate of Employment Regulations -- Michael Schmidt
• Lunch Keynote Address: The Latest Cybersecurity Threats and Initiatives -- Richard Aborn
• Evolving Issues in Discrimination Law: LGBTQ, Equal Pay and More --Julie Trester and Jennifer Queliz
• Trump Administration Part 2: Latest Wage and Hour Trends -- David Barron and Jennifer Williams
• In-House Counsel/Human Resources Roundtable: What is Keeping Us Up At Night 
• Dusting Off Your Docs: Considerations for Your Handbooks, Separation and Confidentiality Agreements, and More -- Debbie Friedman
• Trump Administration Part 3: Trending Immigration and Benefits Issues -- Jay Dorsch and Scott Bettridge