The 2023 State Legislative Session Ends—For Now
Written by Teddy on June 20, 2023
On June 9, 2023, the New York State Senate adjourned. The State Assembly followed suit on June 10. Unfortunately, however, Albany politicians are not finished inflicting their ill-advised policies on New York’s families; the Assembly is expected to reconvene June 20-21, 2023 to wrap up some unfinished business.
The 2023 regular legislative session was notable because of two related situations: The lateness of the 2023-2024 budget and the frosty relationship between liberal Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul and the leftist-dominated Legislature. Both realities may have been a blessing to New Yorkers this year. Because the budget was more than a month overdue, the left-wing Legislature had limited time to pass damaging bills during the post-budget portion of the session. Also, the friction between the executive and legislative branches may have prevented some left-wing priorities from being enacted. Overall, the Legislature was much more assertive this year than it typically had been under the iron grip of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Other major news stories from this year’s session include the passage of Hochul-backed changes to the state’s controversial bail laws and the State Senate’s historic rejection of Justice Hector LaSalle, Gov. Hochul’s initial nominee to the post of chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals.
Unfortunately, during the waning days of the session, the Senate and the Assembly passed the so-called Clean Slate Act, which will require the state to seal convictions if a given ex-convict has stayed out of trouble with the law for a certain period of time. Gov. Hochul is expected to sign the bill into law.
Upon their return to Albany, members of the Assembly may consider the following bills:
A bill allowing Gov. Hochul to enter into a compact with the Seneca Indians that could include the creation of a Seneca-owned gambling casino in Rochester;
Low-cost health insurance for illegal immigrants;
A bill to make it easier to overturn wrongful convictions; and
Legal protections for abortionists who provide abortion-related services to out-of-staters via telehealth.
