In Albany, time runs short...
Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Rockville Centre, speaks to reporters after meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on gay marriage in Albany. (June 16, 2011) Credit: AP
On the calendar, Monday was to be the last day of the legislative session in Albany. Now with legislators continuing their negotiations, a tremendous amount of work remains to be done before our legislators will have earned their vacations.
Bills affecting the future of the whole state and garnering massive attention still must be passed. If laws are enacted on gay marriage and the tax cap, as well as pension reform and a health insurance exchange plan, this could be considered one of the most productive sessions ever.
When a balanced budget was passed on time and ethics reform was finally approved recently, such success seemed possible. Now, though, these landmark pieces of legislation are hitting logjams as the session nears its end and lawmakers jockey for concessions. In the process, many smaller bills also aren't getting done.
There are dozens of such issues lawmakers need to deal with. On Long Island, some of the biggest include Nassau's sales tax renewal and funding for its health clinics. Nassau and Suffolk also need legislation (as does New York City) giving them the right to control their own red-light camera programs. And the state colleges, Stony Brook in particular, must be given the ability to set sane tuition rates.
If the big laws fail, this session could go down as one of the state's most disappointing, because of what could have been achieved but wasn't. If the smaller legislative needs aren't handled, the headlines won't be as huge -- but the headaches will.
