New York's legislative session came to a quiet close on Wednesday—without a "big ugly" legislative deal or the horse-trading Albany is accustomed to. Instead, the two legislative chambers simply agreed to disagree on the lone outstanding "big ticket" item—speed cameras in New York City. All other high-profile issues, including sports gambling, which emerged as a potential late-session priority after the recent US Supreme Court decision lifting the federal ban on wagering, were punted to next year's session.
A number of factors contributed to the quiet close to the 2018 session. Electoral politics, which, even in midterm election years traditionally doesn't begin until July, managed to creep into state politics earlier than usual this election cycle. Former Sex and the City actress and political activist Cynthia Nixon's announcement that she was entering the race for Governor in mid-March knocked the normal rhythm of the legislative session off kilter. After passage of the state budget in April, Governor Andrew Cuomo moved quickly into campaign mode, publically declaring that the legislative work for the year was complete. The Governor also interjected himself into state Senate politics by forcing the dissolution of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), an eight-member conference of breakaway Democrats who had worked in a coalition with the Republican majority conference since 2012. Reunification of the Senate Democrats subsequently soured what had been a generally cordial relationship between the Governor and the Senate Republican majority. Adding to the legislature's dysfunction was Republican Senator Tom Croci's early departure for active military duty, which set up a 31-31 Republican/Democrat deadlock in the Senate chamber, making passage of even the most basic legislative priorities near impossible.
Despite the late-session gridlock and quiet final days of the 2018 session, a handful of important bills did get passed. The legislature again voted to expand the medical marijuana program to add substance use disorder (opioid addiction) as a condition eligible for treatment, and also passed a bill to enact a statewide drug take-back program. The legislature also expanded the paid family leave program to include bereavement, created a new state task force to study cryptocurrencies and their potential impact on tax collection and energy usage in New York, passed a bill to create a state commission on prosecutorial conduct, and provided the state's Department of Transportation authority to seize land to construct rail access to LaGuardia Airport.
As noted above, a number of important issues, including sports gambling, were set aside to be dealt with upon the legislators' return in January. However, their hiatus may be cut short. After an outcry from state and local officials over the legislature's inaction on a bill to keep 140 speed cameras running near New York City schools until July 1, 2022, and to allow the city to install 150 additional cameras, the Governor, who supports the bill, threatened to drag the legislature back to Albany in September to pass the bill extending the program, which expires at the end of June.
With Republican control of the Senate hanging by a thread, an (unanticipated) open state attorney general race, and a potentially rancorous Democratic primary for Governor slated for September 13, there will be no shortage of political news coming out of New York State. The Dentons team will continue to monitor the political landscape and provide updates heading into November.
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