Sally Robinson, VP for Issues and Advocacy,
Erica Smitka, Deputy Director,
New York State Budget Passed
On May 2, the NYS budget was finally passed.
What we were glad to see:
State Board of Elections:
- Funding of $14.5 million in administrative funds and $25 million in matching funds for the public campaign finance program
- Inclusion of $15 million for local boards of elections for new voting equipment and software/technology upgrades
- Funding for the Attorney General’s office to support pre-clearance for the New York Voting Rights Act.
- $15.2 million in re-appropriated funds to continue to build New York’s online voter registration system
Elementary and Secondary Education:
- $24 billion to fund Foundation Aid
Environmental Conservation:
- Take a look at our Bond Act Coalition statement on the budget outcomes here
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- $500 million for the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
- $400 million for the Environmental Protection Agency
- The inclusion of the All Electric Building Act
- The inclusion of the Build Public Renewables Act
- $8.3 million to support School-Based Health Centers
- Increased Medicaid reimbursements for abortion access
What we were disappointed to see:
Environmental Conservation:
- Exclusion of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill
- The budget walks back last year’s important win by removing the 2022 law that mandates home care workers are paid at least $3 above the minimum wage. Instead, the budget caps home care wages at $3 above the minimum wage — showing $3 is not ‘a start’ but rather the absolute limit. There is also no accountability for insurance companies.
Division of Criminal Justice Services:
- Changes to the bail laws. For the last several years, judges have been required to impose the “least restrictive” conditions to ensure someone will return to court. The new rules would eliminate that requirement and give judges more discretion to set the conditions they think are appropriate. We believe not enough research has been done on the effectiveness of the current law in order for changes to be made. Read more about these changes here.
Elementary and Secondary Education:
- New York City will be allowed to add 14 new charter schools and 8 others will be allowed across the state. Reviving what some refer to as “zombie charters”. Read more about zombie charters here.
Other notable items:
- Exclusion of all mention of housing-related reform
- The minimum wage in NYS will increase
- Exclusion of the proposal to expand taxes on ultra-wealthy New Yorkers
Online Action Party to Pass Packaging Reduction in NYS
On May 25 we co-sponsored an online action party with Beyond Plastics to Pass Packaging Reduction in NYS. Attendees registered with the app Climate Action Network to make calls to help NYS pass landmark legislation to cut packaging waste by 50%, stem plastic pollution, slow climate change, and support recycling and composting programs.
Bill Status Update
We are nearing the end of the session and have only a few legislative days left before it is scheduled to adjourn on June 8th. Below is an overview of some of the initiatives from our post-budget lobby packet and where we stand on each.
Mandatory Training Curriculum for Poll Workers (S587 Comrie/A268 Walker)
Relates to mandatory training curriculum for poll workers; requires the state board of elections to develop and provide to each county materials for a model poll worker training program which the counties may use to train individuals to serve as poll workers in state and county elections. This legislation passed the Senate and has been referred to Ways and Means in the Assembly. Likely to pass.
Absentee Ballot Illness Expansion (A3291 Dinowitz/ S7046 Fernandez)
This bill would make permanently change the definition of illness for purposes of absentee voting to include in cases where the voter is unable to appear personally because of a risk of contracting or spreading illness. This legislation is in the Election Law committee in both the Assembly and Senate.
Plain Language Ballot Initiative (S1381 Comrie/A1722 Zinerman)
Requires proposed amendment to the constitution or other question provided by law to be submitted to a statewide vote be submitted to the people for their approval in plain language. This legislation has passed in the Senate and is in the Election Law Committee in the Assembly.
10-day Voter Registration Implementation (S2381 Myrie/A5007 Burgos)
Relates to enabling constitutionally-qualified electors to register to vote and to cast a ballot on the same day at a polling location. This bill would allow for the effective implementation of the 10-day voter registration bill that was passed last session.
It would allow voters to complete a conditional voter registration application and cast an affidavit ballot. The conditional registration would then be validated by the board of elections, and if the individual is deemed eligible to register, and their information can be validated in conjunction with the state DMV or federal SSA, then their ballot would be canvassed.
This legislation was not moving forward. However, there is similar legislation that is moving forward A6132A Carrol/S5984A Kavanagh. This bill is on the floor calendar in the Senate and is in Ways and Means in the Assembly. LWVNYS supports A6132A/S5984A.
Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S237 May/A6353 Glick)
This bill would expand the Bottle Bill passed in the 80s to include wine, spirits, hard cider, and most non-carbonated beverages. It would also increase the deposit from 5 cents to 10 cents and use revenues to support recycling equity. This legislation is in the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees.
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act (S4246 Harckam/A5322 Glick)
Plastic accounts for nearly all packaging that cannot be reused or effectively recycled – but two bills in New York could transform that.
The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act would require companies to reduce their packaging by 50% in 12 years, make the remaining packaging truly reusable or recyclable, get certain toxic chemicals out of packaging, and pay to clean up their packaging waste by reimbursing municipalities and taxpayers for the collection and processing of those materials.
The bill would also prohibit incineration and “chemical recycling” (waste-derived fuels) from counting as recycling. This legislation is in the Senate and Assembly Environmental Conservation Committees.
Reproductive Telehealth (S1066A Mayer/A1709 Reyes)
Provides certain legal protections for reproductive health service providers who provide legally protected health activities including protection from extradition, arrest, and legal proceedings in other states relating to such services; restricts the use of evidence relating to the involvement of a party in providing legally protected health activity to persons located out-of-state.
- This legislation has been amended and is on the floor of the Senate. It’s currently in the Assembly Codes Committee.
