Although the legislative session appeared to conclude Saturday, assembly members, not senators, are expected back in the “near future” to complete unfinished work, according to spokespersons for Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie.
Republican lawmakers walking down the hall in the state Capitol could be heard chatting about returning in “two weeks,” which could place a new session day on the calendar for Tuesday, June 20, the day after the Juneteenth holiday. Assembly spokespersons said there is no definite date.
The need to return to Albany comes from a handful of bills the Assembly did not have time to pass this week, according to the Assembly spokespersons. Among the list includes a deal with the Seneca Nation, which could enable it to enter into a new casino compact, as well as passing an amended version of a “wrongful conviction” bill.
The remaining legislation to take up was expected to feature a substantial amount of debate, which could have carried the planned final day for the Assembly several hours further.
Lawmakers entered into a conference with their respective parties in the mid-afternoon Saturday. At that point, some lawmakers had already left Albany. The legislative session was scheduled to conclude Thursday, but ran late both that night and Friday night, well into the early morning. About an hour after the conference, the Assembly adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Entering into the final days of the legislative session, news reports indicated a “conceptual agreement” with the Seneca Nation over a new casino gaming compact. The governor’s office confirmed the deal on Wednesday. Legislation to accomplish the agreement was introduced in the Senate the following day and on Friday in the Assembly.
The Senate, which concluded its session around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, passed the Seneca Nation compact agreement. The Assembly was unable to pass it before its conclusion, which was prolonged by multi-hour debates on the criminal justice legislation, “Clean Slate,” and a number of campaign finance and election laws, at least one of which was opposed not only by Republicans, but also by good government groups.
On “wrongful convictions” legislation, the Assembly first passed a version in March.
“Far too many New Yorkers are sitting behind bars for crimes they did not commit,” Heastie said in a March news release celebrating the passage of the bill. “This legislation will put into place the mechanisms to review cases of those who have been wrongly convicted and for them to present evidence of their innocence.”
The bill would go onto be amended and a different version would pass the state Senate on Thursday. The Assembly would need to pass the new version of the bill if it wants to move forward with the legislation. The new version includes nuanced changes to qualifications and remedies for vacating a conviction, along with the additional need for the state to provide data on the results of the legislation.
A number of other pieces of legislation could come forward.
Lawmakers this week introduced a bill in response to a May decision in a U.S. Supreme Court case, Tyler v. Hennepin County. The legislation calls for a one-year moratorium on the ability of local governments to seize property for unpaid taxes, when the property is worth more than the tax lien. It passed in the state Senate on Friday, but did not make it to the floor in the Assembly. It is unclear if it would be in the mix when lawmakers return, given opposition from groups like the Rural Housing Coalition of New York, which sees it as an impenitent to resolving the housing crisis.
A mix of other housing bills, mainly New York City-centric, failed to be brought forward in the Assembly for a floor vote.
Activists came to the Capitol on Friday to call for the passage of “Sammy’s Law,” a New York City-aimed bill that would allow for the lowering of the speed limit to 20 mph. The bill, despite its passage in the state Senate, was not brought forward in the Assembly. While it is unclear whether the bill would have support in the lower chamber, the expected return of lawmakers is likely to prompt a robust lobbying effort by the advocates.