Good afternoon — It’s Tuesday and Paper Airplane Day.
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In today’s CapCon:
A third new state budget bill was introduced overnight. We went through it to pull out the major items included.
Among the bills provisions are changes involving the Climate Act, the state’s environmental review process for development and Tier 6 changes.
But it also includes a package of utility cost oversight and transparency measures, protections for worshippers from harassment and new New York City judgeships.
We pulled the 17 most significant parts of the bill that you won’t want to miss.
Names in today’s CapCon: Kathy Hochul
The state Assembly on Tuesday (Jim Franco/Times Union)
🗣️ What’s in the third new state budget bill as 15th extender passes
It’s the penultimate week of this year’s legislative session and Democrats in the state Senate and Assembly are finalizing what will pass by next Thursday and what will not.
Lawmakers are scheduled to be in Albany this week through Friday but will have to spend part of that time approving the remaining seven bills that make up the state budget. Two passed last week and a third, to make debt payments, was done in March.
One of those seven bills was printed late Monday and includes several major items we were waiting for. It’s the Transportation, Economic Development and Environmental Conservation Bill.
As of this writing, it was being debated in the state Assembly and set to be taken up by the state Senate.
Among its provisions are the anticipated changes to the state’s Climate Act, a streamlined state environmental review process for certain development and new transparency and restrictions around utility costs.
There are several smaller items as well, like measures to address frequently speeding drivers in New York City and protect people from harassment at houses of worship.
While I’ll start alphabetically, I’ll also be lumping together portions that seek to address the same issue when appropriate. Others are simply extensions of current law.
I couldn’t fit everything from this 189-page bill. If you want to sift through it yourself, here’s a link to its full text.
A school zone speed camera sign in Albany (Will Waldron/Times Union)
Part D: Super-speeder device requirements in New York City
This will require drivers who accumulate at least 16 speeding tickets in school zones in New York City over 12 months to install devices that restrict the speed of their vehicle.
The driver will receive at least two notices with a deadline to install the device. If they don’t provide proof of compliance within 30 days of the deadline, they can be hit with a fine of at least $1,500.
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