NY Assembly plans a return to Albany and wrap up 2023 agenda
Assembly Democrats are set to return to Albany before the end of the month, hoping to address unfinished business. The legislative to-do list includes proposals to make it easier to challenge criminal convictions and allow Governor Kathy Hochul to negotiate with the Seneca Nation on their expiring gaming compact. This is also an opportunity for divisive bills that divided the Assembly Democratic supermajority in the final weeks of the scheduled legislative session despite passing the state Senate with ease.
Assemblywoman Jessica González-Rojas (D-Queens) hopes that her bill to provide low-cost health insurance to illegal immigrants, which the feds agreed to pick up the tab for, will pass the Assembly this year. González-Rojas argues that the bill would provide savings of nearly half a billion dollars in Emergency Medicaid costs for the state. However, some moderate Democrats might resist a further push for social services for people lacking legal authorization to be in the country. Additionally, some moderates might not support the proposed Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, which would allow people to use evidence other than DNA to argue they are innocent despite previously pleading guilty.
The state Senate and Assembly originally planned to break for the year on June 8, only to keep legislative action going into the weekend. Measures that made it to the finish line include a “Clean Slate” bill to automatically seal records for most crimes after people finish their prison terms and parole, which notably faced opposition from upstate Assembly Democrats.
Both chambers of the state Legislature also passed several bills that could help their party or incumbents in general in the future if signed into law by Hochul. The Assembly is expected to reconvene sometime in the upcoming weeks.
FAQs:
What is the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act?
The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act would allow people to use evidence other than DNA to argue they are innocent despite previously pleading guilty.
What is the Clean Slate bill?
The Clean Slate bill automatically seals records for most crimes after individuals finish their prison terms and parole.
What bills have only passed the Senate?
High-profile bills that have only passed the Senate cover a range of topics, but this article does not provide details on them.
Why did the state Senate and Assembly extend their legislative session?
The state Senate and Assembly originally planned to break for the year on June 8 but extended the session to address unfinished business.
What bills could help their party/incumbents in general if signed by Hochul?
The bills passed by the state Legislature could help their party or incumbents in general in the future if signed into law by Hochul.
Returning to Albany, the NY Assembly intends to conclude their 2023 agenda
Assembly Democrats are planning to return to work in Albany before the end of the month to address unfinished business. The state Senate concluded its legislative session early Saturday, leaving behind a list of proposals including making it easier to challenge criminal convictions and giving Gov. Kathy Hochul the authority to negotiate with the Seneca Nation regarding its expiring gaming compact. The return to Albany would also provide a second chance to divisive bills that caused a split in the Assembly Democratic supermajority in the final weeks of the scheduled legislative session, despite passing the state Senate with relative ease. A return to Albany also provides an opportunity for a proposed bill to provide low-cost health insurance to illegal immigrants. Moderate Democrats may resist the idea of increasing social services for those lacking legal authorization to be in the country. Assembly Republicans may also object to such measures. Nearly 839 bills have passed the Senate and Assembly this year out of nearly 15,000 introduced, according to an analysis by the New York Public Interest Research Group.