Legislation allowing bars and restaurants to serve alcohol before noon on Sundays is on its way to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
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Also on the bubble: legislation to legalize and regulate online daily fantasy sports games, which were thrown into turmoil previous year when Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said they amounted to illegal gambling.
“This debate has always been about ensuring that school children in New York City receive a first-class education that prepares them for the rest of their lives, and this agreement moves us closer to that goal”, said Senate Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island.
“Every day, lives are being lost and families destroyed by the scourge of heroin and opioid abuse”, said Senate Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island, who added that he hoped the bill will “bring hope to communities battling opioid abuse throughout NY”.
The session was scheduled to end Thursday but dragged into Friday when lawmakers and Cuomo struggled to craft a compromise on mayoral control. A bill to expand the number of speed cameras in the city from 140 to 200 and loosen restrictions on how they can be used is not in the final package that Cuomo is negotiating with the leaders of the Assembly and State Senate.The passage signaled a possible deal on the matter, after the Senate and Assembly had been deadlocked for the past year.The Assembly and Senate have been at a stalemate over a bill that would take away the taxpayer-funded pensions of lawmakers convicted of a felony related their public office.
There’s a lot at stake for the industry’s giants, FanDuel and DraftKing: The games have been on hold pending a state law after Attorney General Eric Schneiderman sued to stop the contests, claiming they were illegal betting operations.
The largest commercial fantasy sports operators, FanDuel and DraftKings, agreed in March to stop taking bets in NY as lawmakers took up the issue.
NY will expand safety steps at grade crossings, Cuomo and legislative leaders said.
New York lawmakers lumbered toward adjournment Thursday, seeking final deals on proposals to extend Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control of New York City schools, regulate daily fantasy sports and rein in government corruption.
The sides announced a series of ethics reforms Friday night before passing them around 2 a.m. Saturday.
De Blasio wanted a seven-year continuation of the policy giving the mayor power over city schools, first enacted in 2002.
The end-of-session agreement also includes requirements for schools to test water for lead.
The state Assembly voted to allow bars and restaurants to begin serving alcohol at 10 a.m. on Sundays, and to apply for special permits to sell booze beginning at 8 a.m. on 12 Sundays a year.
The ethics measures also include stronger laws prohibiting campaigns from working with so-called independent political organizations, which can spend limitless amounts of money, as a way to circumvent campaign finance limits.
The plan now goes to the full Legislature for consideration.
That provision will require a state constitutional amendment.
Lawmakers leaving Albany for the summer missed another opportunity to significantly address Albany’s corruption problem.
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Independent expenditure groups and political action committees will be required to adhere to what Cuomo says are unprecedented disclosure requirements. The change, proposed by Cuomo, is meant to help businesses cater to the brunch crowd and fans of morning sporting events like European soccer.
