Hochul calls up 155 more bills, including 100-ft. rule and prisons overhaul

Only four more bills remain after this, including the RAISE Act.

Good afternoon — It’s Tuesday and Pastry Day.

In today’s CapCon:

• Full list: Gov. Kathy Hochul called another155 more bills up to her office, setting her deadline for a decision on them for next Friday.

• There are now only four bills Hochul has not called to her office. They’re among the most controversial.

• Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman launched his bid for governor Tuesday and pushed back on party leaders’ opposition.

• The Assembly Ethics Committee has scheduled a meeting in Albany this week.

Names in today’s CapCon: Robert Brooks, Messiah Nantwi, Kathy Hochul, Donald J. Trump, Letitia James, Bruce Blakeman, Elise Stefanik Edward F. Cox

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Today’s Capitol Confidential is sponsored by Food & Water Watch.

Tell Governor Hochul to sign the Legislature’s repeal of the 100-foot rule. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to subsidize new gas hookups. End this outdated giveaway and cut costs for families. — Food & Water Watch

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📅 Robert L. Brooks died one year ago today at Marcy Correctional Facility

Before we begin today’s CapCon, I wanted to acknowledge the anniversary of Robert L. Brooks’ death at Marcy Correctional Facility.

Brooks died after he was severely beaten by correction officers, many of whom have since been convicted of criminal charges. Some struck a deal with prosecutors while others went to trial.

“Robert Brooks should be alive today,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday.

His death — and that of Messiah Nantwi at a nearby prison two months later — spurred a package of prison legislation that will be considered by Hochul in the next two weeks.

I’ve made all the stories linked above free for you to read if you want to learn more about what happened to Brooks and how lawmakers chose to respond.

Capitol Count features updates on bills as they move through the legislative process.

(New York Governor’s Office)

✒️ Hochul starts the clock on 155 bills with only four left after this batch

Gov. Kathy Hochul may finish working her way through the rest of the bills passed this year by state lawmakers before her Dec. 31 deadline.

Hochul called up another 155 bills Monday night, starting the 10-day clock (excluding Sundays) for her to make a decision on each of them. That deadline lands on next Friday, Dec. 19.

The list includes some of the most controversial bills approved this year by the state Legislature, including items to safeguard health care data, improve oversight of state prisons and restrict natural gas service.

I’ll have a link to a list of each bill currently on Hochul’s desk further down. ⬇️

But another list may be more interesting to political observers at the state Capitol. There are now only four bills that Hochul has not called up from the state Legislature to consider.

That could signal a few different things. It could mean Hochul is undecided on the bills. She may also be trying to negotiate amendments from lawmakers in exchange for her approval.

Hochul could also be holding the bills until a day when news of those decisions is less likely to reach the public, including Christmas Eve or even New Year’s Eve.

Either way, they’re in limbo. Let’s start with what those four bills are and then move on to some of what’s in the batch of 155 sent to her overnight.

Supporters of the Medical Aid in Dying Act this year (Will Waldron/Times Union)

4️⃣ The four final bills that haven’t been sent to Hochul

There are clear reasons why each of these four bills are considered by Hochul to be controversial.

1. Prevailing wage for custom fabricators in public projects (S2536/A2747)

Custom fabrication is when a product is created for a specific purpose or project instead of being purchased from a wholesaler or retailer. Custom metal work is a good example.

This would require companies that contract with the state or a municipal entity to pay a prevailing wage to custom fabrication workers, regardless of whether that’s done on- or off-site, including outside New York.

There’s been quite a bit of lobbying on this bill, filings show. Trade groups support it because it would result in higher wages for their workers.

But that also means the applicable public projects would be more expensive for the state or municipality to finance. It would also require certain reporting on payroll that would require administrative changes.

2. The RAISE Act would create strict regulations for AI developers (S6953B/A6453B)

We already know Hochul is seeking amendments to this bill but we don’t know if lawmakers will be willing to accept them.

It would require developers of frontier AI models to have a plan for preventing their product from being used for critical harm, defined as the death or serious injury of at least 100 people or an action that causes at least $1 billion in damages.