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Good Morning, New York! A casino in Queens is looking more and more likely, the NYPD’s horsecare contract is under review following accusations against the vet involved, and Andrew Cuomo racked up 2 parking tickets this month while campaigning. This is your Tammany Times AM Briefing for Monday, March 31st, 2025.

WHERE’S KATHY: In Albany with no publicly scheduled events.

WHERE’s ERIC: No public schedule yet.

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Front Pages

Hall Monitors

— Steve Cohen's casino dreams are inching closer to reality. A state senator introduced a bill to re-designate the Citi Field parking lots, but another senator representing the area where the casino would be built is a firm "no." Despite this hurdle, Cohen's team is optimistic that the project will gain traction and that local residents will ultimately support the plan. (NY Post)

— NYC's employee health fund has officially hit zero, jeopardizing benefits for nearly a million public workers. To plug a $600 million budget hole, the city is in negotiations with unions to find cost-saving measures, including the possibility of a $1,500 annual charge for certain health plans. With workers already feeling the pinch, potential benefit cuts could spark tension between the city and its employees. (NY Focus)

— Hold your horses, the NYPD's $734,000 contract with a horse vet is now under review. Turns out, Camilo Bravo Sierra, the vet in question, has a history of violations at the racetrack, including fines and suspensions. While Sierra dismisses the violations as minor, the NYPD says it's taking the allegations seriously. (NY Post)

Capitol Gains

— Trump's trade war is hitting upstate New York where it hurts: tourism. According to the North Country Chamber of Commerce, Canadians are canceling trips to the U.S., with one travel agency reporting inquiries have "fallen off a cliff" since tariffs were announced. With nearly half of Quebecois canceling U.S. vacations costing businesses a whopping $3 billion in lost revenue, officials on both sides of the border are worried about the long-term impact on trade and travel. (Times Union)

— Gov. Hochul says the state will lose over $360 million in federal public health funding due to Trump administration cuts, impacting everything from disease tracking to mental health services. While Dems Schumer and Gillibrand blast the move as 'cruel,' the Trump admin insists the cuts are justified because COVID is "over". (Gothamist)

— New York's budget deadline is about to be missed thanks to a stalemate over changes to the state's discovery laws. The governor is pushing for reforms to evidence-sharing rules in criminal trials, but some Democrats are putting up a fight, specifically about the wording. With the deadline looming, lawmakers may need a short-term spending extension to keep things running. (NY Post)

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Trail Mix

— Andrew Cuomo's bid for mayor just got yet another big boost. Despite past calls for resignation, the Queens Democratic Party, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, endorsed the former governor, framing him as the strongest candidate to stand up to Washington. (State of Politics)

— Mike Lawler is being called the 'most effective' House freshman for his legislative work. A new report ranked the Rockland County Republican highly based on the bills he introduced and got passed in his first term, saying he outperformed most freshman representatives. Fellow New Yorker Marc Molinaro also scored well, just before leaving his seat to join the Trump administration. (Lohud)

— Andrew Cuomo's already fitting into city life with his latest campaign stops resulting in two parking tickets this month. One ticket was for parking in a bus lane in front of a cone, and the other was for parking illegally on 33rd Street. Cuomo's campaign assured the press that the tickets will be paid. (NY Post)