Big beauty battles Senate-approved cosmetics chemicals bill

And cannabis retailers can now stage farmers market-style events in New York.

Good afternoon — It’s Thursday and Picnic Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Companies like L’Oréal and Louis Vuitton are uniting against a bill approved by the state Senate this week and poised for passage in the Assembly.

• New York’s cannabis regulators have approved rules that will now allow cannabis retailers to host farmers market style events.

• For the first time since it was introduced in 2009, a bill that would require private arbitration to be made public has passed both chambers at the Capitol.

• Under a new bill, the Public Service Commission would have to explain how it considered the impact of utility rate increases on energy affordability.

• Another new bill seeks to rein in car insurance premiums for people at least 60 years old who can be charged more based on their age.

• The sponsor of a bill that would require businesses to file reports on the impact of AI on their hiring practices has been amended to carve in more companies.

Names in today’s CapCon: Lea Webb, Deborah Glick, Oriene Shin, Jeff Dinowitz, Brian Kavanagh, Jack Martins, James Skoufis, Jen Lunsford, Rory Christian, Didi Barrett, Cordell Cleare, Grace Lee, Harry Bronson, Kevin Parker

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Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by VNS Health

Legislators: New York’s MLTC rate system is underfunding plans caring for residents with the most complex care needs — including older adults and people living with disabilities who rely on support at home — and the state must act now. Without intervention this year, impact will deepen. Plans serving high-acuity populations — including VNS Health, the state’s only statewide 5-star MLTC plan — are already operating at the limits of what the system can support. Learn more.

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State Sen. Lea Webb (Will Waldron/Times Union)

🧴 Beauty Justice Act passes Senate, roiling businesses that sell cosmetics

There’s a bill in New York that’s brought together L’Oréal, Louis Vuitton and SC Johnson to spend thousands of dollars to oppose its passage.

It’s called the Beauty Justice Act and it passed the state Senate this week for a second consecutive year after stalling in both chambers since its initial introduction in 2021. It’s one step away from a floor vote in the state Assembly.