Ten months after state lawmakers rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first pick for New York’s chief judge, the aftershocks of that battle within the state’s Democratic Party continue to ripple through Albany.
On Friday, Hochul vetoed a bill that would have required organizations to disclose what they’re spending — and which lobbyists they’re hiring — when they advocate for or against a gubernatorial nominee.
The bill — which state lawmakers passed earlier this year — was a direct response to the extensive lobbying battle earlier this year over Hector LaSalle, an Appellate Division judge Hochul nominated for chief judge of the state Court of Appeals late last year.
Had Hochul signed the bill, it would have applied retroactively — meaning the lobbyists who led a public and behind-the-scenes campaign for LaSalle would have been required to disclose.
In a veto message, Hochul suggested that would be inappropriate.
“This bill would impose significant new reporting requirements on people who might not already be reporters, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023,” Hochul wrote. “Additionally, this would impose implementation costs not already accounted for in the state financial plan.”
The Democrat-led state Senate rejected Hochul’s nomination of LaSalle in February, marking the first time senators rejected a governor’s pick for chief judge since the state adopted the current nomination process in the 1970s. The rejection marked a low point in Hochul’s relationship with the Legislature since she took office in 2021.
At the time, some Democratic senators expressed concern about LaSalle signing on to a prior decision that angered labor unions. They also raised issues with what they perceived as a rightward shift on the state Court of Appeals, the state’s top court, and whether LaSalle would be too conservative for their liking.
State law requires anyone spending $5,000 in a calendar year in an attempt to influence state legislation or regulations to register…
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