Political Arena

How the state budget could affect Klein's reelection bid

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Correction appended.

State Sen. Co-Majority Leader Jeff Klein accomplished many of his goals for this year’s budget, and his action against Montefiore could practically canonize him for a large and vocal group of Riverdalians who loathe the medical center’s proposed new facility in this part of the Bronx. Measures including rent freezes for senior citizens are also likely to boost support for the senator as he faces a possible primary challenge from former Riverdale Councilman G. Oliver Koppell.

But the budget is not all roses for Mr. Klein, with his support for a measure helping charter schools potentially costing him points among die-hard supporters of public schools such as unionized teachers. The lack of strong ethics reform could also play against Mr. Klein, although he says he will seek tougher anti-corruption measures later this year.

Here are some of the most interesting parts of this year’s state budget at first blush:

Montefiore: Community Board 8 Chairman Robert Fanuzzi said of Mr. Klein and Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz’s measure, “It puts in law all the objections that were voiced at community board meetings” — some of the most heavily attended ones in recent memory. Riverdalians ought to be Mr. Koppell’s strongest source of support in a potential run to represent the wide 34th state Senate district, but it now looks like Mr. Klein will have the loyalty of many of them. 

• Helping middle- and low-income New Yorkers: In a phone interview Tuesday, Mr. Klein rattled off a range of provisions from his Independent Democratic Conference’s (IDC) Affordable New York initiative that went into the budget. Those include a $1.23 million allocation to increase the income limit from $29,000 to $50,000 for seniors to receive rent increase exemptions. Mr. Klein also successfully supported $34 million in childcare subsidies.

budget, Jeff Klein, Montefiore, charter schools, preschool, inBloom, Moreland Commission, Kirsten Gillibrand, Charles Rangel, health care, Riverdale Neighborhood House, Shant Shahrigian
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