Assemblyman Clyde Vanel wants to go to space
And what Heastie said Tuesday about the plausibility of an on-time budget.
Good afternoon — it’s Tuesday and Equal Pay Day.
In today’s CapCon:
Assemblyman Clyde Vanel and Sen. James Skoufis are teaming up to get New York a seat at the table of space exploration and discovery.
The chances of a state budget deal by the April 1 deadline are growing dimmer.
But talks on criminal discovery are going well, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie said. He gave an update to reporters Tuesday.
A new bill would create a program to help test drugs for toxins. Another would codify an eviction prevention program. Read about these New Bills of Note.
Names in today’s CapCon: Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, Sen. James Skoufis, Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Assemblywoman Anna Kelles, Sen. Brian Kavanagh
Some bills surprise observers by their very introduction but they often fly under the radar. We’ll tell you tales of actual legislation here.
👨🏾🚀 These lawmakers want New York to get in on space exploration
You might think this idea is out of this world.
I was scrolling through new bills the other day when I came across one from Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, a Democrat from Queens, that made me stop and think.
The bill would create a Space Exploration Task Force in New York. As someone who’s never thought about our state contributing to intergalactic discoveries, I was hooked.
It would “study the potential for economic, academic, and cultural opportunities, ensuring the future survival of humanity and developing strategic advantages for this state by means of evolving space technology and a growing space economy,” the text of the bill says. 🛰️
The concept of New York as a state that contributes to space exploration is alien to me. It’s not like we’re going to launch a rocket off Mount Marcy, I joked when I caught up with Vanel.
“New York used to be one of the leading states in the space and aerospace business,” Vanel said. “We still have a relatively strong aerospace sector but it can be stronger.”
Consider Northrop Grumman, Vanel said. It’s now one of the country’s largest aerospace and defense companies but it got its start on Long Island about a century ago and helped develop the Apollo Lunar Module. It’s now headquartered in Virginia.
But the space exploration industry, or whatever you want to call it, is also still alive and well in New York, even if it’s not what it once was.
NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies is housed at Columbia University in Manhattan. Companies like Lockheed Martin and Honeywell are also affiliated with NASA, along with many others.
Vanel wants to explore how that industry can grow in New York. But space exploration — or the lack thereof — is also something that he said has fascinated him for years.
“What happened to that? People used to dream about going to space,” Vanel said. “Without space exploration, our lives today wouldn’t be what they are now.”
He was glued to the television when NASA’s Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were rescued from the International Space Station by a SpaceX capsule last week.
He might have seen some of himself in them. When I asked Vanel if he would ever go to space himself, his answer was a surprise.
“I tried,” Vanel said. “I applied to be an astronaut while I was in the New York state Assembly. If I had the opportunity, I would leave tomorrow.”
So would state Sen. James Skoufis, who’s sponsoring the bill in the Senate. ☄️
“In a heartbeat,” Skoufis said when I asked. He wouldn’t go on a one-way mission but he’s down for a round trip.
The bill is so niche that I was curious why it interested Skoufis. I’m sure that many members of the Legislature have an interest in the future of space exploration but far fewer may think they can do something about it.
“I’m a student of intrigue and exploration, and I’m just fascinated with the wonder that exists,” Skoufis said.
But he, like Vanel, also wants to see the “space economy,” as he calls it, grow here.
“We actually contribute a lot of what goes into these missions right here in New York state,” Skoufis said. “We want more jobs that are high paying, good jobs and are also contributing to, sort of, the final frontier.”
You could say that New York already has its sights set on space in the state’s motto. That’s Excelsior — Latin for “ever upward.” 🚀
The state budget is due April 1. We’re keeping you updated on negotiations around the spending plan in the meantime.
🕚 A state budget deal probably won’t be reached until after April 1, Heastie signals
There was a funny moment Tuesday when a reporter asked Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie if he thought a state budget deal was plausible by the April 1 deadline.
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