Packaging bill proponents plot new path toward passage in 2026
And health care groups have concerns over parts of Hochul's budget.
Good afternoon — It’s Friday and Galentine’s Day.
In today’s CapCon:
Proponents of the packaging reduction/extended producer responsibility bill are taking a new approach toward passage after a narrow defeat last year.
Nursing homes are seeking clarity on how the Hochul administration wants to spend $1.5 billion in aid split between them and hospitals.
Community health centers were surprised to find out that $40 million allocated for them in last year’s budget has been zeroed out.
Hochul is asking the public to submit their own proposals for how the state could cut or modify unnecessary or burdensome regulations.
A new pair of bills is intended to set new restrictions on federal immigration officers.
Names in today’s CapCon: Peter Harckham, Judith Enck, Deborah Glick, Ken Pokalsky, Monica Martinez, Chantel Jackson, Carl E. Heastie, Kathy Hochul, James McDonald, Sebrina Barrett, Rose Duhan, Alex Bores,
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♻️ How the packaging bill’s supporters plan to shift their strategy this year
When Democrats in the state Assembly decided not to bring the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act up for a vote on the last day of last year’s session, environmental advocates were incensed.
They were defeated by a powerful group of business interests who warned lawmakers the bill would drive up the cost of consumer goods or force them off store shelves altogether. Both sides presented conflicting data for lawmakers to consider.
The bill would require companies to reduce the amount of packaging they use by 30% over 12 years and ban a list of chemicals that could be used in that packaging.
It would apply to companies that bring in more than $5 million in revenue each year. Those companies would also be charged fees based on the kind of packaging they continue to use. Those funds would then be invested into municipal recycling infrastructure.
The concept is called extended producer responsibility — the notion that the producer of certain materials, including packaging, should be responsible for how it’s disposed.
It’s passed the state Senate each of the past two years and is expected to clear the chamber again this year. But its future in the state Assembly is elusive, with proponents saying some members have misrepresented their support.
“We have a majority of the Legislature … on as a co-sponsor,” said Judith Enck, president of Beyond Plastics, an environmental research and advocacy group.
“What we started hearing is: ‘Oh, just because you’re on as a co-sponsor doesn’t mean you’re going to vote yes for the bill,’ which is, let me say this gently — insane,” Enck said.
So they’re starting their efforts this year with the assumption that they’ll need more support in the state Assembly than a simple majority for it to receive a vote on the floor.
But for that to happen, they’ll need a new strategy to overcome the bill’s opponents, who spent millions of dollars during last year’s legislative session to defeat it and are anticipated to continue those efforts this year.
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