Your Voice In Albany
The New York State Legislature convened the 2021 legislative session on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
In the Assembly, Carl Heastie remains Speaker. Democrats hold a 107-43 majority. Committee assignments have been posted.
In the Senate, Andrea-Stewart Cousins remains as the Majority Leader. Senate Democrats enter this session with a veto-proof majority of 43-20. Committee assignments have been posted.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has announced a long list of proposals he will advance in his 2020 State of the State agenda:
1: Preventing Individuals Who Commit a Serious Crime in Another State From Owning a Gun in New York
2: Banning Fentanyl Analogs To Further Combat the Opioid Epidemic
3: Mandating Automatic Manual Recounts in Close Elections
4: Closing the Rape Intoxication Loophole
5: Banning the Use of Single-Use Styrofoam Food Containers in New York State
6: Lowering Prescription Drug Prices for All New Yorkers Through Comprehensive Three-Part Plan
7: Advancing the Strongest Net Neutrality Protections in the United States
8: Protecting Consumers From Abusive Debt Collectors
9: Cracking Down On Retailers Who Sell Illegal Cigarettes
12: Making the “New York Buy American” Act Permanent
13: Developing an Innovative Strategy to Build High Speed Rail in New York
14: Increasing Transparency in Healthcare Costs
15: Legislation Banning Flavored Nicotine Vaping Products and Vaping Ads Aimed at Youth
16: Legalizing Gestational Surrogacy
17: Combating the Scourge of Robocalls
20: Passing the First-in-the-Nation Inclusive Equal Rights Amendment
21: Expanding Access to Safe and Affordable Financial Services
22: Preserving 4,000 Acres of Land in the Mid-Hudson Valley
25: Protecting the Health Lake George’s Waters
26: Rebuilding the Mid-Station Lodge at Whiteface Mountain
27: Transferring Pier 76 Tow Pound to Hudson River Park for Reuse
28: Transforming Buffalo’s North Aud Block
29: $300 Million Plan to Reimagine the Iconic Erie Canal
30: Creating a 21st Century Empire Station Complex in Manhattan
31: Creating the State’s First Comprehensive Education and Workforce Training Center in Syracuse
32: Expanding New York’s $175 Million Workforce Development Initiative to Meet Emerging Job Demand
Three long serving Republican State Senators are not running for re-election. Sen. Elizabeth Little (SD-45-Glens Falls), Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer (SD-61-Williamsville) and Sen. Joseph Robach (SD-56-Rochester) have all announced that they will not be running for re-election in 2020.
Other Republican Senators have also decided to step down recently. Albany area businessman and senator George Amedore (SD-46-Guilderland) has decided not to run for re-election and Robert Antonacci (SD-50-Syracuse), just elected last year, is leaving to take a judgeship.
These departures in the Senate Republican ranks come in addition to Sen. Cathy Young’s (SD-57-Olean) resignation earlier in the year after losing a leadership election to Minority Leader John Flanagan.
Republican Senators Chris Jacobs (SD-60-Buffalo) and Robert Ortt (SD-62-Lockport) have both announced that they are running for an open congressional seat in Western New York.
In the Assembly, long serving Democratic Assemblyman Robin Schimminger of the Buffalo area (AD-140) has announced he will not be running in 2020 as well. Schimminger was first elected in 1976.
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