NYC NOW - May 29, 2023: Midday News

Episode Date: May 29, 2023

Happy Memorial Day! New York state is being eclipsed by its West Coast counterpart, California, on the matter of reparations. WNYC’s Tiffany Hansen talked with Arun Venugopal about what, if anything, is happening on this issue in New York. Plus, some store owners are trying to change a state law that prevents you from buying wine at grocery stores.

Happy Memorial Day. Here's to hoping your day is filled with relaxation and maybe some grilled food. I'm Junae Pierre for WNYC, and this is our one and only Memorial Day episode of NYC Now. Today we're going to talk about reparations. New York may think of itself as a cultural and political frontrunner, but right now, the state is being eclipsed by its West Coast counterpart on the matter of reparations. A state commission in California has made a series of recommendations for how the state should deal with nearly two centuries of discriminatory policies in voting, housing, education, policing, and mass incarceration. Perhaps the biggest suggestion is direct cash payments for black residents of the state. WNYC's Arun Vanagapal talked with my colleague Tiffany Hansen about what, if anything, is happening on the issue in New York. Before we get to New York, let's talk about what's happening in California. Tell us about this commission and what is proposing for the state. Well, the commission in California has really generated a lot of attention on this issue nationwide. And for a state that it's worth noting, at least technically, was not a slave state, unlike New York, which was until 1827. The California State Commission started meeting in 2020, and they've held all these public hearings, and they recently issued a report. And the biggest recommendation,

The one that's grabbing all the attention has to do with cash payments to the vast majority of the state's black population. And now the average cash payment is supposed to be around $223,000 due to lost wealth from housing segregation, redlining, these kinds of issues. But depending on one's age, the figure could go all the way up to $1.2 million. So in California, how much traction do these suggestions actually have? could the state really go through with it or is it pie in the sky kind of stuff? Well, the committee has another meeting. That's the final meeting. It's at the end of June, after which this goes to the state legislature, which has to approve any recommendations. So it's unclear right now if it will. The governor, Gavin Newsom, has already been sending mixed signals,

saying this is a historic milestone, but also making these remarks that some have interpreted as downplaying the importance of cash payments. So the process is really just playing out. There are lots of critics, right, some of whom point out that the bill for reparations could exceed $800 billion in this state based on current calculations. And this is a state whose annual budget is $300 billion. All right. Now to New York. So where does New York stand on reparations? Well, nowhere close to California, at least not right now.

California's reparation committee has met for years, right? We don't have a reparations committee, and it's unclear how soon we will, if at all. The State Assembly passed a bill a couple years ago under Assemblyman Charles Barron, who's now in the City Council, and it called for the creation of a commission, but there hasn't been much momentum since then. A similar bill in the State Senate is currently in committee, and this contrast between New York and where things stand in California hasn't escaped the attention of scholars and activists here in New York. This is Cynthia Copeland. She's a public historian who served as the co-chair of the Reparations Commission of the Episcopal Diocese. of New York. The perception of New York is that it is a leading state, leading in policy, leading in

legislation, leading in all kinds of things that kind of move us into the future. But often I find through history that New York is kind of one to be very conservative and kind of drags its feet. Just a little context, Tiffany, when it comes to racial disparities here in New York, the median household income of a white, family in New York State was around $122,000 in 2015. By comparison for a black family, that figure was $69,000. Well, you've been telling us about all of these state efforts, both in California and what's happening here in New York. And I'm curious, does the federal government have any

role here in reparations or not? Well, that's really the ultimate question, if and when it does bubble its way to the top. Derek Hamilton is an economist at the New School. And he also serves on New York City's racial justice commission. He had this to say. The reality is that the federal government is the entity with both the moral authority and the monetary sovereignty to implement in full force a reparations program. But he said local efforts, they do help build momentum. And also that state governments, local governments, they have been complicit in racial inequity over the centuries. So he thinks they have a role to play in this process.

That's WNYC's Arun Venigapal talking with my colleague Tiffany Hanson. Stay close. There's more after the break. New York State law prevents you from buying wine at your local grocery store. Now grocery stores are trying to change that. Again, from Albany, WNYC's John Campbell has more. Holding court outside the Senate lobby in the state capital, Nelson Husebio has one clear message. We're here today in Albany promoting wine and supermarkets. Husebio is with the National Supermarket Association, which represents stores like Food Town and Key Food.

They're fighting for the right to add wine to their shelves, which is pretty common elsewhere and would help boost their bottom line. New York is one of 11 states that prohibit grocery stores from selling wine. Instead, that right belongs exclusively to liquor stores like Michael Town Wine and Spirits in Brooklyn Heights. Owner Michael Carrera wants to keep things just the way they are. I've been involved in this battle for like I've owned my store for almost 30 years. Carrera also heads the Metropolitan Package Store Association, a liquor store organization. He says letting grocery stores sell wine could put him out of business. You'd certainly see them kick out Campbell's, Kansas.

soup and put, you know, 200, 300 wines in there. It would be morons not to. Supermarket owners have been trying to change the law for decades. The effort really picked up steam in 2010. That's when the Wegman's grocery chain, which has a big presence upstate, put its weight behind a bill. But it still didn't pass. The issue even has its own nickname.

Wigs for wine in grocery stores. The wigs would, I believe, maybe not put them all out of business, but would put many, many, many mom-and-pop liquor stores out of business. That's Senator James Scoofus, a Democrat from the Hudson Valley. He's a key player. Any wine bill would have to go through his committee to pass. He says New York is right to keep wine out of grocery stores. Some other states, there are no mom-and-pop liquor stores.

You get your liquor from Costco. You get your liquor from Sam's Club. Wegmans and other grocers are supporting new bill that would allow them to sell wine, but it would exclude the big box stores. Still, it's a long shot this year. Senator Liz Kruger of Manhattan introduced that bill, and she knows it may take some time to build support. If there's enough momentum for it, great. Happy to bring it to the floor, but I don't sincerely know where leadership is or where the governor. The state legislature's annual session is scheduled to end June 8th. That's WNYC's John.

Campbell. Thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYC. We'll be back with our normal three episodes a day scheduled tomorrow. For now, enjoy the rest of your day.