This group will guide IPS's future. Hogsett asked lawmakers to make its meetings private
Lawmakers in a late-night move last week shortly before the legislature adjourned for the year exempted the new Indianapolis Local Education Alliance from Indiana's Open Door Law, which ordinarily gives the public the right to attend meetings of governing bodies of public agencies.
The move to restrict the public's right to attend future meetings of the local education group was done without public testimony.
The change was requested by the city's highest-ranking public official, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, said Rep. Bob Behning.
"The mayor did ask for some additional language regarding the Open Door Law," Behning, R-Indianapolis, told the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee late Thursday evening. "We went ahead and clarified at the request of the mayor that it would be not subject ... so they could have an open public meeting if they choose to, but they don't have to."
The final version of House Bill 1515, where the language was included, was approved by the House by a 62-30 vote and by the Senate by a 28-22 vote. It's awaiting Gov. Mike Braun's signature.
The group's work could have big consequences for the future of how Indianapolis Public Schools and local charter schools are run.
It will conduct school facility assessments for all traditional and charter school facilities within the geographic boundaries of IPS.
It will make recommendations regarding school facility "structural changes," as well as come up with a process to approve or deny future capital referendum requests. The group will also come up with a template for revenue-sharing agreements between IPS and charter schools.
The group's membership is spelled out in the legislation. It will consist of nine members, several of whom will be appointed by the mayor. It will also include IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Hogsett himself, or his designee. There will be two parent representatives.
It must complete its work by Dec. 31. During that time, there will be a pause on charter schools opening within the IPS district boundaries, except for those approved by the Indianapolis Charter School Board, which is run mostly by mayoral appointees.
State Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon, said the purpose of the group is to "figure out how (schools) can combine resources and work together further."
The legislation states that although the alliance isn't subject to the public access law, one meeting must be open to the public: the final meeting at which the members vote on the adoption of the facilities and transportation plan.
Critics said that's too late for meaningful public testimony.
Jesse Brown, a Democrat on the Indianapolis City-County Council and frequent critic of Hogsett's, posted on social media that public officials will "deliberate behind the scenes" instead of in front of constituents. He said Hogsett's administration was "allergic to the public."
And IPS' teachers' union, the Indianapolis Education Association, posted on social media: "Who are you hiding from?"
However, Hogsett spokeswoman Emily Kaufmann said in a statement that the city and IPS are "aligned on and committed to creating an efficient, transparent structure to carry out the critical work" of the alliance.
"As the alliance conducts this work, there will be opportunities for community input and public meetings," Kaufmann said.
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com. Sign up for our free weekly politics newsletter, Checks & Balances, by IndyStar political and government reporters.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Group to guide future of IPS, charters will meet behind closed doors
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Politico
an hour ago
- Politico
Playbook: Six months in
Presented by With help from Eli Okun, Bethany Irvine and Ali Bianco Happy Sunday. This is Zack Stanton. Get in touch. THE CONVERSATION: Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) is a lawyer, former state attorney general and a skilled navigator of the old — and new — wings of the Republican Party. He also has another title: White House whisperer. On today's episode of 'The Conversation,' Schmitt joins Playbook's Dasha Burns to talk about his closeness with the Trump administration, driving the Senate's $9.4 billion rescissions bill, his involvement with passing Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' his belief in Medicaid reform, the controversy over the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and what he describes as his 'America First' — but not isolationist — foreign policy approach. Watch the full episode on YouTube … Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify DRIVING THE DAY SIX MONTHS IN: Welcome to the six-month mark of President Donald Trump's second term. How Americans see it: A new poll from CBS News/YouGov finds 42 percent of Americans approve of Trump's job performance, while 58 percent disapprove. One big number to watch: 64 percent disapprove of his handling of inflation — up 10 points from March — and with more tariffs due to kick in a few weeks from now, that number may well rise as prices go up. How Trump wants them to see it: This has been 'one of the most consequential periods of any President,' he wrote in a Truth Social post this morning. 'In other words, we got a lot of good and great things done, including ending numerous wars … Six months is not a long time to have totally revived a major Country.' One thing complicating that: 'Trump would like nothing better than to point to successes in his second term, and he has had some,' WaPo's Dan Balz writes this morning. 'The swirling Epstein controversy makes that difficult.' If you survey the headlines this morning, you'll see precious few of the six-months-in prewrites that assignment editors like to tee up. Instead, the space is filled with stories about Epstein and Trump — including the top above-the-fold article on the front page of the Sunday NYT. Even so, 'there is no indication so far that this is the scandal that will sink Trump any more than the 'Access Hollywood' tape of 2016, or being found guilty in a criminal trial last year over hush money payments to a porn star,' WaPo's Natalie Allison writes. But: 'If it continues to grab public attention, it could pose a more significant threat at a time when Trump's standing with the public already has been on the decline, though polling shows him steady with his own party.' On that front, the Epstein story is a massive liability. CBS/YouGov finds 75 percent of Americans disapprove of the administration's handling of matters related to Epstein, and 89 percent want the Justice Department to release all the information it has on the case. There's no reason to think this story won't continue to hoover up attention. Partly, that's because it's a topic where there's so much left to be reported out — the contents of the so-called Epstein files, the DOJ's handling of them, the internal dynamics at the White House around the topic, the media angle amid Trump's lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal, and so on. It's incredibly fertile ground for news. But its staying power is also due, at least in part, not just to the particulars, but to the broader dynamics fueling interest. 'The very tools that helped win Trump two terms — the openness to conspiracy, the distrust of elites, the eruption of a viral moment — have now turned to bedevil him,' USA Today's Susan Page writes. In that way, the Epstein story is a problem for Trump because it lights up preexisting pathways for many on the MAGA right. 'This is primarily a within-MAGA problem,' Whit Ayres, a longtime Republican pollster, told WaPo. 'The vast majority of Americans don't spend every waking moment wondering what happened to Epstein.' It's even dividing the MAGA bot networks. NBC's Kevin Collier reports that 'with the MAGA movement split' over the Epstein story, one network of hundreds of reply bots on X has found its 'messaging has broken, offering contradictory statements on the issue and revealing the AI-fueled nature of the accounts.' In terms of MAGA, the hope for Trump is this: If some amount of interest in the story is at least in part due to conspiracy and a distrust of elites, then he may be able to change the target of that suspicion to the media, as in his lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over its reporting on Trump and Epstein. 'MAGA is now united, because they can see there's a common enemy,' Steve Bannon told WaPo. 'They see exactly what the reality is — it's the Deep State, with their media partners, led by [Rupert] Murdoch, that's out to destroy Trump.' SUNDAY BEST … — Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) on AG Pam Bondi and the release of the Epstein files, on ABC's 'This Week": 'I think her communication with us early on was not as good. I mean that the binder, for instance, that she put out, I was very excited about that. But then I found the contents of it. … I think if she turns a corner, I have a saying: 'It's not how you start; it's how you finish.' If she finishes strong on this, then, then I'm all for it.' — Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) on the NYT report on Democrats' post-mortem of 2024 not including former President Joe Biden's decision to run, on CNN's 'State of the Union': 'An autopsy should address the actual cause of death. And I felt like if the Democratic nominee, including Vice President [Kamala] Harris, had had the benefit of a full primary process, she would have emerged from it a better candidate.' — Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on the potential criminal prosecution of former Obama administration officials, on FOX News' 'Sunday Morning Futures': '[The] intelligence showed that, again, Russia did not have either the intent nor the capability to be able to impact the outcome of the United States' election. … [There's] no question in my mind that this intelligence community assessment that President Obama ordered be published which contained a manufactured intelligence document — it's worse than even politicization of intelligence. … Next week, we will be releasing more detailed information about how exactly this took place.' — Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, on CBS' 'Face the Nation': 'I think the president is absolutely going to renegotiate USMCA, but that's a year from today. … He doesn't want cars built in Canada or Mexico when they can be built in Michigan and Ohio. It's just better for American workers.' — Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) on the Epstein file controversy, on CNN's 'State of the Union': 'The president blaming Democrats for this disaster, Jake, is like that CEO that got caught on camera blaming Coldplay. … OK, like this is his making. He was president when Epstein got indicted for these charges and went to prison. He was president when Epstein committed suicide. … The people that have been fomenting this are right-wing influencers, members of Congress, people who have a reason that they want to know what's in there … They believed the president when he said there's stuff in there that people should see.' TOP-EDS: A roundup of the week's must-read opinion pieces. 9 THINGS THAT STUCK WITH US 1. IMMIGRATION FILES: With new billions in funding, ICE is expanding its detention space with temporary tents — or 'hardened soft-sided facilities' — to ramp up deportations as quickly as possible, WSJ's Michelle Hackman and Elizabeth Findell scoop. The first up would be a 5,000-bed tent city at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas. But approval over Trump's mass deportations is still on a downward streak, with CNN polling this morning reporting 55 percent of Americans believe Trump has gone too far on immigration, a 10-point spike since February. On the ground: After the sweeping raids in Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass is once again 'the face of a city under siege' as fear and anxiety grows, POLITICO's Melanie Mason reports. … Online activists have launched websites to report ICE activity and arrests in surrounding areas, garnering thousands of followers and the DOJ's ire, WaPo's Robert Klemko writes. … Immigrants in Minnesota, Illinois and California are losing healthcare under Democratic leadership that once championed their care, per AP's Tran Nguyen and Devi Shastri. The men freed from CECOT: 'A Kite Surfer, Navy SEAL and Makeup Artist: Freed in a U.S.-Venezuela Swap,' by NYT's Julie Turkewitz: 'The American kite surfer, Lucas Hunter, 37, worked in finance in London and had gone on vacation in Colombia … The Navy SEAL, Wilbert Castañeda, 37, spent his adult life in the U.S. military and had gone to Venezuela to see a romantic partner … The makeup artist, Andry Hernández Romero, fled persecution for his political opinions and sexual orientation … The seller of bicycle parts, Alirio Belloso, 30, left because he could not afford school supplies for his 8-year-old daughter or medicine for his diabetic mother.' 2. FOR PETE'S SAKE: Another senior staffer at the Pentagon has been ousted, CBS' Jennifer Jacobs and colleagues scooped yesterday. Justin Fulcher came to the DOD as a DOGE employee, then became one of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's senior advisers. Fulcher took on that leadership role in the DOD reorganization following Signal-gate, and he's the latest in a string of top-level staffers to exit the Pentagon following the chaotic leak. 'As planned, I've completed 6 months of service in government to my country. … I will continue to champion American warfighters in all future endeavors and remain impressed by the work of the Department of Defense,' Fulcher's statement released by the DOD said. 3. TECH SECTOR: The Trump administration reviewed SpaceX's contracts and determined cutting them would be detrimental to the Defense Department and NASA, WSJ's Brian Schwartz and colleagues scooped last night, as 'breaking up with Elon Musk is easier said than done.' Meanwhile, the administration is 'trying to woo China' by reversing restrictions on trading advanced AI chips, NYT's Ana Swanson and Tripp Mickle write. Not so happy about that: China hawks, who worry China will now make a stronger play over U.S. technology controls. 4. TRADING PLACES: European Union envoys are gearing up to meet this week and plan countermeasures if no deal is made with the U.S. before Aug. 1, Bloomberg's Alberto Nardelli reports. While the goal is to continue negotiations, the talks last week didn't lead to any breakthroughs. More complications: Exit polls show Japan's ruling coalition is poised to lose its majority in the upper house in today's election — a blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who lost the more powerful lower house back in October, and throwing a wrench in Ishiba's policy priorities — including trade talks with the U.S. More from Reuters' Mariko Katsumura and John Geddie New world order: Some of the U.S.' biggest companies and trading partners are struggling to adapt to a new global economy under Trump's tariffs, raising prices due to inflated costs and an expensive supply chain, WaPo's David Lynch writes. 'The United States is no longer considered the leader of the world trading system. It has opted out,' Alan Wolff, former deputy director of the WTO, told WaPo. The collateral: 'Less selection, higher prices: How tariffs are shaping the holiday shopping season,' by AP's Anne D'Innocenzio and Mae Anderson 5. FED UP: 'How Bessent Made the Case to Trump Against Firing Fed Chair Powell,' by WSJ's Brian Schwartz and Nick Timiraos: 'Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in recent days privately laid out his case to President Trump for why he believed Trump shouldn't try to oust Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell … Bessent said firing Powell was unnecessary because the economy is doing well and markets have responded positively … Fed officials have signaled they could cut rates twice before year's end … Bessent's cautious approach marks a contrast to other administration officials who have entertained more aggressive tactics. Trump told reporters on Tuesday he feels Bessent is 'soothing.'' 6. ON THE HILL: Polarization over Trump's legislative agenda has splintered Congress so deeply that NBC's Sahil Kapur and Frank Thorp V write that the 'last vestige of the bipartisan funding process is at risk of dying,' with the appropriations process growing even more dicey and Democrats blasting Trump for interfering in Congress' budget authority. The tension has exploded in shouting matches, committee walkouts and abandoned deals last week, NYT's Carl Hulse reports. No August recess?: Trump is calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune to cancel the off-year break (and long weekends!) to finish getting his nominees confirmed. There's no decision on that yet, but there's been chatter about canceling the first week, POLITICO's Jordain Carney notes on X. That August recess could be a crucial moment for Republicans to sell the massive megabill to their continents. On that megabill: The cuts to SNAP and other federal food programs will decimate local grocery stores in low-income communities that turned out for Trump in 2024, POLITICO's Rachel Shin reports. And the break for states with the highest rates of waste in SNAP benefits, who wouldn't have to pay for those costs until 2030, could end up discouraging those states from correcting the errors, WaPo's Mariana Alfaro writes. 7. FROM THE WILDERNESS: As the calls get louder for redistricting Texas ahead of next year, Democrats are betting that Republicans will bite off more than they can chew. Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez — whose Texas border district could be a potential target —told AP's Nicolas Riccardi and Nadia Lathan that Dems are already recruiting challengers to seize 'pickup opportunities' in the new map. It comes as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and other Democrats are weighing a similarly risky move to redraw maps in California, New York, New Jersey, Minnesota and Washington, CNN's Manu Raju and Sarah Ferris report this morning. 2026 watch: Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.) is preparing to launch a run against Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) next year, per AJC's Greg Bluestein. 2028 watch: Many Democratic presidential hopefuls — among them Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) — have flocked to South Carolina to make their pitch in a state that will be crucial in the primaries, POLITICO's Brakkton Booker and Elena Schneider write from Pawleys Island. 8. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: More than 60 people were killed today in northern Gaza as Israel launched an attack on the crossing where humanitarian aid trucks enter the strip, NYT's Isabel Kershner and Aaron Boxerman report. The shooting followed an evacuation order for Palestinians to leave parts of central Gaza that have had yet to be targeted. The plan to move into these previously untouched central cities comes as Israel accuses Hamas of stonewalling a ceasefire, Bloomberg's Dan Williams and Fares Alghoul write. Meanwhile in Iran: Iran reached an agreement in principle for nuclear talks with France, Germany and the UK and could possibly begin last week, per Bloomberg's Arsalan Shahla. A Sunday read: 'Vodka Toasts With the Dictator of Belarus: How Diplomacy Gets Done in Trump 2.0,' by POLITICO's Amy Mackinnon 9. JUDICIARY SQUARE: 'After a Chaotic Start, a U.S. Attorney's Time May Be Running Out,' by NYT's Jonah Bromwich and Tracey Tully: '[Alina] Habba is among the most high-profile of the new U.S. attorneys appointed by a president who has taken closer control of the Justice Department than any other in the past half century. … Her tenure has also shattered morale inside the U.S. attorney's office and left many prosecutors looking for a way out … Prosecutors have chafed at her availability to defense lawyers. She disbanded the office's Civil Rights Division and killed the office's longest-running prosecution just days before it was scheduled to go to trial. … Habba acknowledged that she was unlikely to be appointed by the judges and offered an emotional, pre-emptive farewell.' TALK OF THE TOWN BLACKOUT: Large swaths of Dupont Circle are experiencing yet another power outage this morning. Pepco reports power may not be restored until 9 p.m. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, PART I: Zohran Mamdani is traveling to Uganda to celebrate his marriage to Rama Duwaji with their friends and family. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, PART II: Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo told business leaders yesterday that he will move to Florida if Mamdani wins the mayoral election. Cuomo's team later said he was joking. IN MEMORIAM — 'Award-winning former AP photographer Jo Ann Steck is remembered for her wit and leadership,' by AP's Safiyah Riddle: 'Award-winning photo journalist Jo Ann Steck — who broke barriers in male-dominated newsrooms by capturing some of the most notable moments in recent United States history — has died. She was 73.' TRANSITIONS — Fernando Brigidi De Mello is now senior campaign strategist for ACLU's new Abuse of Power team. He was previously with VP Kamala Harris's White House office and 2024 campaign, and is a Pete Buttigieg alum. WEDDING — Annika Nordquist, an incoming PhD candidate in government at Georgetown and daughter of Nels and DJ Nordquist, and Ryan McGregor, partner at Architect Capital, were married last Saturday in Alexandria. They met at a Georgetown house party during the fall of 2020, when Annika was home from Stanford and Ryan was working for Numinar, a political startup. Pic ... Another pic — Evan Swarztrauber, principal at CorePoint Strategies, and Carolyn Mahoney, an attorney advisor in the space bureau, satellite programs and policy division of the FCC, got married on Saturday in Block Island, Rhode Island. They originally met in 2018 as work friends and reconnected at The Hamilton in 2022. Pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) … Tom Friedman … Franklin Foer … CNN's David Chalian … Texas state Rep. Katrina Pierson … WaPo's David Lynch … Anita Decker Breckenridge … Patrick Kelly … King & Spalding's Justin Dews … Jamal Simmons … Hunter McKay of KRC Research … former Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) … Meta's Don Seymour … Leah Grace Blackwell … Paula Cino … Cornerstone's Max de Vreeze … Tristan Breaux of Rep. Shomari Figures' (D-Ala.) office … Liam Fagan of Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) office … former FCC Chair Dick Wiley (91) … Sharon Copeland of the Herald Group … MSNBC's Joya Manasseh Dioguardi … POLITICO's Kevon Eaglin … Sydney Poindexter … Aloise Phelps Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us on Signal here. Playbook couldn't happen without our editor Zack Stanton, deputy Garrett Ross and Playbook Podcast producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Lefty Rep. Jasmine Crockett dubs Trump a ‘wannabe Hitler' over Epstein files row
Outspoken Rep. Jasmine Crockett dubbed President Trump a 'wannabe Hitler,' comparing him to the genocidal Nazi leader while chastising Republicans for displaying fealty to him. Crockett (D-Texas), who has a penchant for incendiary rhetoric, hurled the explosive insult against Trump while assessing how Republicans have been navigating the renewed drama over notorious sex predator Jeffrey Epstein. 'I absolutely think that they are gonna run away with this as quickly as possible,' Crockett told MSNBC's 'Alex Witt Reports' on Saturday when asked if Republicans will hold a vote to release grand jury files on Epstein. 'They want to show that they're loyal to this, you know, I don't even know what to call him. I've called him so many things, but this wannabe Hitler for sure. They want to pledge their loyalty to him, and they know that he does not want this released.' Trump and Republicans have been consumed by an Epstein firestorm after a memo from the Justice Department and FBI concluded the evidence indicates the deceased pedophile most likely didn't have a client list and killed himself in prison. 3 Rep. Jasmine Crockett compared President Trump to Adolf Hitler in a stunning attack. 3 The Texas Democrat predicted that Republicans will show fealty to President Trump even through the Jeffrey Epstein drama. That conclusion drew fury from the MAGA base, which promptly demanded more transparency from the Trump administration. Trump had seethed at the demands and at one point, lashed out at the faction of his base as 'weaklings' and 'past supporters' who 'bought into this 'bulls—,' hook, line, and sinker.' Democrats quickly seized on the internecine battle within the GOP and introduced legislation to force the release of the Epstein files, drawing some Republican defections. On Thursday morning, Trump declared that he is seeking the release of the grand jury testimony on Epstein — a step US Attorney General Pam Bondi quickly took. Trump later groused Saturday that 'nothing will be good enough for the troublemakers and radical left lunatics making the request.' Crockett surmised that Republicans will be careful about breaking ranks with Trump on the Epstein debacle due to fears it could damage the brand. 'I think they also are concerned about the damage that it may do,' she said. 'If he's trying to hide it, they understand that it is most likely problematic for him as well as the MAGA brand, as well as the Republicans.' 'So, I don't anticipate that they will be on board for doing anything that may harm them or their fearless leader.' 3 President Trump has previously bashed Rep. Jasmine Crockett's intelligence. Getty Images All of this comes before lawmakers are poised to head home to their districts for the August recess. Some lawmakers, such as Libertarian-leaning Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), have concluded that constituents will likely put pressure on Republicans to push for more transparency on Epstein. Crockett, whose frequent fiery rhetoric against Trump has a knack for going viral, has feuded with him publicly. Last week, Trump called on Crockett and 'Squad' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) to take an IQ test, strongly implying that his intelligence is far superior to hers. 'AOC, look, I think she's very nice. But she's very low-IQ, and we really don't need low-IQ,' Trump told reporters on the White House lawn last Tuesday. 'Between her and Crockett, we're going to give them both an IQ test to see who comes out best.'
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Sean Hannity urges others to move to ‘Free State of Florida' if Mamdani is elected
Fox News host Sean Hannity has claimed there will be a 'mass exodus' out of the state of New York if Democrat Zohran Mamdani is elected as the city's mayor in November—warning that many companies will choose to relocate to Florida in order to avoid 'burdensome regulations and high taxes.' Hannity, 63, who himself moved to the Sunshine State from New York in January, made the claims during an appearance on his fiancée Ainsley Earhardt's show, 'Fox & Friends,' during which he discussed the Democratic party's plummeting approval rating. According to a new poll by Quinnipiac University, 72% of voters disapprove of the Democrats in Congress, while just 19% gave the party a positive rating. However, the numbers were not much better for congressional Republicans, who received a 62% disapproval rating from voters. 5 Fox News host Sean Hannity has claimed there will be a 'mass exodus' out of the state of New York if Democrat Zohran Mamdani is elected as the city's mayor in November on 'Fox & Friends.' Fox News While sharing his views on the rating—which he noted is at an all-time low—Hannity suggested that it may be related to the political party's choice of spokespeople, mocking the likes of Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and the other members of a group known as 'the squad,' before taking aim at Mamdani. Mamdani, 33, who won the Democratic mayoral primary in June, is now being largely viewed as one of the leading new voices of his political party—however, Hannity claimed that his policies will likely lead to many New York residents fleeing the state, suggesting that his fellow Fox News hosts may want to get ahead of the trend by joining him in Florida. 'If they want to go with Mamdani as the Mayor of New York City, I invite you all to come and broadcast your show as I do, originate your show in the free state of Florida,' he said. 'Because there is going to be a mass exodus out of the state of New York the likes of which we have never seen.' 5 Mamdani won the Democratic mayoral primary in June. Getty Images Addressing the impact on New York City's economy, the Fox News host went on to warn that many businesses have already made the decision to set up bases in Florida—and will likely turn even more attention to the Southern state in the event of a Mamdani victory in November's mayoral election. 'What a lot of people don't know—and it's a pretty fascinating phenomenon—is that Wall Street South is already here,' he added. 'All these companies, they don't just have offices in Southern Florida, no, they've got half their companies down here now. 'The reason is because of burdensome regulation, high taxes, they've chased them out. And they're just going to pick up and leave completely now.' 5 'Wall Street South is already here,' Hannity said about companies moving from New York to Florida. 'All these companies, they don't just have offices in Southern Florida, no, they've got half their companies down here now.' TTstudio – When asked about Mamdani's fellow mayoral candidates, Hannity urged Fox News viewers not to count out Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, claiming that there may still be a 'lane' for him in the election, particularly given that independent runner Andrew Cuomo is closing in on Mamdani in the polls. 'So, Mamdani's numbers have been going down. It looked like it might have been a slam dunk in the beginning—I'm not so sure,' he said, before calling attention to the fact that there are three other left-leaning politicians in the race: Cuomo, Eric Adams, and Jim Walden, which may prove to be of benefit to Sliwa. 5 'Mamdani's numbers have been going down. It looked like it might have been a slam dunk in the beginning—I'm not so sure,' Hannity said. Paul Martinka 'Cuomo is definitely leading in terms of coming into second place. But you've got three leftists on the ticket besides Mamdani and, sorry, Eric Adams is not polling particularly well, [although] I know there's going to be a lot of money thrown in his direction,' Hannity said. 'But if all three of them stay in the race and Mamdani stays in the race, I do believe—it's an outside shot—but it does create a lane for Curtis Sliwa, who has been a longtime friend of mine. He really is Mr. New York, he loves New York City.' Hannity went on to describe Sliwa as a 'Giuliani 2.0,' referring to Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump's disgraced former attorney who served as Mayor between 1994 and 2001. Start and end your day informed with our newsletters Morning Report and Evening Update: Your source for today's top stories Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters The conservative pundit noted that Sliwa has a 'very hard' road ahead of him, given New York City's long-standing affiliation with the Democratic party, but insisted that if the left is split between multiple candidates, the Republican candidate could still have a shot at a win. Earhardt and Hannity went on to discuss Mamdani's 'socialist, Marxist' policies, with the latter describing them as 'madness' and 'insanity.' Though Hannity believes that a Mamdani victory in the election would prompt a 'mass exodus' from New York, real estate experts have insisted that it's too early to begin making those kind of predictions—particularly when it comes to the city's wealthiest residents. 5 Hannity discussed Mamdani's 'socialist, Marxist' policies, describing them as 'madness' and 'insanity.' Getty Images Luxury real estate broker Donna Olshan told earlier this month that, while she has received some 'nervous calls' from her clients, she believes it's highly unlikely that long-term residents will simply up and leave New York and move elsewhere. 'It's way too early to see how this will affect the luxury market in Manhattan,' Olshan said earlier this month. 'Have I gotten nervous calls? Yes, but at the end of the day, most people are not going to pick up roots and move somewhere else because they don't like the mayor and are afraid of the direction the city will go in.' Still, Mamdani's policies are already influencing the New York City real estate market, with Olshan revealing that right after the primary, a buyer submitted a low offer on an apartment she was representing—in an attempt to secure a 'Mamadani discount.' 'I thought this was ironic,' Olshan adds. 'They were perfectly happy to live in New York City—even with Mamdani—if they could get a discount on an apartment.' And while Manhattan residents may have previously looked to places like Palm Beach as an alternative home base, figures show that these trends have changed. Instead, city dwellers who want to leave the Big Apple are now seeking alternative residences in places much closer to home, like Suffolk and Nassau. 'It appears that more Manhattan residents are interested in staying within the New York City metro, but outside the city proper,' senior economist Joel Berner said.
