Good Morning, New York! Kathy Hochul’s budget numbers are out—and it is bigger than last year again at $252B. Eric Adams dropped everything and ran to DC only to be relegated to the cheap seats, and NJ calls for Trump to end congestion pricing. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Tuesday, January 21st, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany, presenting the FY2026 Executive Budget at 1:00PM.

WHERE’s ERIC: Hosting media availability at City Hall.

TIPS? Email me: [email protected]

Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Eric Adams abandoned his schedule yesterday and bolted down to DC to join the festivities surrounding President Trump’s inauguration.

He reportedly accepted a personal invite from developer Steve Witkoff after the midnight release of his events for the day. (Gothamist)

Adams was accompanied by his NYPD security detail. They joined NYPD Chief of Department John Chell in DC, who was reportedly there to assist with security at the request of U.S. Capitol Police. (X/createcraig)

Adams’ last-minute trip will likely cause political backlash, as he was supposed to attend events celebrating MLK Jr. His political opponents were quick to attack him for his lack of attendance. (POLITICO)

Yet despite his last-minute show of deference, Adams himself was not honored at the event, being relegated to the overflow space outside of the Capitol Rotunda to sit with a group of donors. (NY Post)

— The Department of Sanitation is considering the use of drone technology to force compliance with trash legislation. The NYPD already uses drone surveillance, although that has been controversial. Mayor Adams has been a big proponent of drone technology, so it is likely he will back this plan. (Gothamist)

Capitol Gains

— While Hochul’s budget will not be officially announced until 1 PM, numbers about her budget have reportedly leaked to the press. Her expected budget is expected to have increased spending by $10 billion to a massive $252 billion in combined state and federal funding. Much of the increase reportedly comes from school aid and Medicaid. (Spectrum NY1)

— Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas will lead the State Assembly’s Task Force on Women’s Issues. She represents parts of Queens, and has spent much of her career working on women’s issues like reproductive health and gender equity. (Jackson Heights Post)

— New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has called for President Trump to end congestion pricing. It is already clear that President Trump dislikes the tax, but it is unclear if he will be able to end it anytime soon or will spend early political capital on the move which will mostly affect New York metro area voters. (NY Times)

Trail Mix

— Al Sharpton has called for a boycott of all companies ending their DEI programs. He said that they will investigate and determine two companies to eventually boycott. The comments come as many have slashed spending on DEI or cut it alltogether as Trump retakes office and consumers have increasingly spoken out against it. (The Hill)

— New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez did not attend Trump’s inauguration, saying that she “doesn’t celebrate rapists” in an angry Instagram video. Trump has never been criminally convicted of rape, but was found civilly liable for sexual assault. ABC News later had to pay to settle a defamation lawsuit after saying President Trump was ‘liable for rape,’ leading many on the right to call for action against AOC as well. (The Independent)

— The New York GOP is hoping the increased vote share of President Trump will lead to better results in upcoming statewide elections. They believe that if Trump follows up on his promises, it serves to help New York voters who will, in turn, show loyalty to GOP candidates in 2026. Their particular focus is the migrant crisis, the SALT tax, and work on the economy. (State of Politics)