Capitol comes back to life, Equal Right Amendment removed, CapCon Q&A with Luis Miranda
Plus: aid in dying advocates turn up the heat and Democrats propose new gun laws.
Good afternoon — it’s Tuesday and National Tourism Day.
TUESDAY, MAY 7, 2024
TODAY’S CAPCON:
Capitol comes back to life, with a little bit of Tuesday chaos
Why a judge removed the Equal Rights Amendment from the ballot Tuesday
What the roadblock is for supporters of medical aid in dying
New gun law proposed by lawmakers
🔨 Is Tomorrow a Session Day? Yes.
🌷 Tonight’s Weather: Albany: Partly cloudy, showers likely, low 50s. New York City: Partly cloudy, chance of showers, low 60s. (National Weather Service)
🏛️ Capitol comes back to life with one month left of session
🗣️ Lawmakers and advocates held more than 14 news events Tuesday as the clock starts ticking on the end of session.
If you were at the Capitol Tuesday, you probably saw the hundreds of advocates who descended on Albany to rally for their respective priorities.
After all, there are only 17 session days left until lawmakers leave the Capitol for the year and either focus on their reelection campaigns or whatever else it is they do outside this building.
This year’s legislative session is scheduled to end on June 6 — just 19 days before the June primary elections.
On days like these, it’s impossible to attend every press event that’s scheduled. I am still trying to find a way to clone myself.
But it’s a testament to how much advocates and lawmakers care about the final days of session, which can either be a scramble or a snooze-fest.
It’s also an opportunity for lawmakers to push any priorities that might have been kicked out of the state budget, or measures that haven’t gained any traction.
Take the Climate Change Superfund Act, which I’ve written about a few times.
It’s a bill that would essentially identify the world’s largest polluters and require them to pay into a fund the state could use to adapt to climate change.
It might sound like an unrealistic proposal to some, but Democrats in New York aren’t alone in their efforts to seek revenue from fossil fuel companies.
The Vermont state Legislature on Monday gave final passage to a bill that would do the same thing.
It was passed with bipartisan support, but it’s important to note that Democrats have firm control over both chambers in that state as well.
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has signaled he will likely veto it over the cost of taking fossil fuel companies to court, Vermont Public reported this week.
And back at the Capitol, New York’s version of the bill took another step forward Tuesday.
Senate Democrats approved a package of environmental measures to belatedly celebrate Earth Day, which came when they were voting on the state budget.
Among them was the Climate Change Superfund Act, the fate of which is less clear in the Assembly.
That’s the Senate signaling they see a path to the bill becoming law, even if others don’t.
Realistically, because the Senate, Assembly and Gov. Kathy HOCHUL couldn’t reach a deal on this during budget talks, lawmakers will face an uphill battle this year.
Politics is also a factor. With every member of the Legislature up for reelection, Democrats have to anticipate how certain measures would be seen by voters, and if their approval is worth it.
⚖️ State judge orders Equal Rights Amendment removed from November ballot
🧑⚖️ A judge in Livingston County ruled that Democrats in the Legislature didn’t abide by the constitutional requirements for sending an amendment to voters.
A five-day gap two years ago may have doomed the Equal Rights Amendment, a proposal on the ballot in November that would add new discrimination protections to the state constitution.
That’s what a state judge in Livingston County decided Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by local residents and Assemblywoman Marjorie BYRNES.
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