Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered his 2019 agenda on Monday, Dec. 17, 2018

ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out his agenda for the first 100 days of 2019 during a wide-ranging speech Monday in Manhattan, where he vowed to set New York on a progressive course that he says would make President Franklin Roosevelt proud.

Cuomo laid out dozens of measures he says he will push at the start of his third term, which begins Jan. 1.  He called it his “Justice Agenda” and likened it to a Declaration of Independence for New York.

His agenda includes making the state property-tax cap law permanent. It is set to expire in 2020. He also wants to extend a higher tax on the state’s top earners, something that is a consistent topic of debate at the Capitol.

The president also called for bolstering abortion rights, implementing the state DREAM Act, legalizing recreational marijuana, and approving the Child Victims Act – which would extend the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse crimes and open up a one-year window to revive previously timed-out claims.

In addition, Cuomo vowed to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act – Also known as GENDA – which would provide protections for those who are transgender and add gender identity to the state’s hate crime and human rights laws. And he also vowed to put a legal end to conversion therapy in New York.

And with Democrats in control of both legislative chambers, Cuomo has vowed to bolster the state’s gun-control laws. Specifically, Cuomo has pointed to three different measures he’d like to see become law. One would officially ban bump stocks, the second would expand the wait period for gun-seekers flagged by the national background check database, and the third bill, known as the Red Flag Bill, would allow family members or school officials to petition a judge to block someone from owning a gun if the person is deemed to be a danger to themselves or others.

The governor also said he will push to enact reforms in the state’s criminal-justice system – starting with ending cash bail, saying it discriminates against lower-income defendants.

And Cuomo said he’s going to push for a number of reforms to make it easier to vote in New York, including making Election Day a state holiday.

Cuomo also vowed to push for automatic voter registration, early and mail-in voting and aligning the state and federal primaries, which are currently held on different days.

The agenda comes in advance of the governor working for the first time with a fully Democrat-controlled Legislature, following the Republicans losing control of the State Senate following the 2018 General Election.

A couple of local officials commented on the governor’s progressive agenda.

Former Jamestown City Council President and current Chair of the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities Gregory Rabb said that he was particularly pleased to see GENDA and the end of conversion therapy on the governor’s list of priorities.  Rabb – who was the first openly gay elected official in upstate New York – said he’s spent a good part of his advocating for the LGBTQ community and as he approaches retirement, he said it’s exciting to see the Governor’s commitment to the cause of human rights for all residents in the State.

Chautauqua County Democratic Election Commissioner Norman Green also provided a statement on the Governor’s Agenda, saying he’s in full support of reforming New York’s antiquated election laws that are disenfranchising voters.

The State Capitol, Albany NY.

ALBANY – The state budget may be completed in Albany, but there’s still plenty of work that needs to get done during the current legislative session.

Lawmakers are currently on break until April 21, but when they return, they hope to tackle several key issues, including minimum wage, the Dream Act, tax credits on education investment, property tax relief, charter schools, campus sexual assault, and much more.

Some of those issues were first addressed in the state budget process when the Governor included a lengthy list of initiatives into his executive budget. But most fell off the table during negotiations with the Assembly and Senate.

In the end, the $142 billion fiscal plan included only two significant sets of non-budgetary policy: Cuomo’s call for new ethics laws and education reforms, including an overhaul of the way teachers are evaluated.

But discussions about a higher minimum wage, criminal justice reforms, property tax relief, an education tax credit and the Dream Act — a measure that would provide financial aid to undocumented college students — were all pushed aside with promises that they’d be taken up in post-budget deliberations.

In addition to the list of state-wide initiatives, Chautauqua County is also hoping the legislature will take up its request for increasing sales tax by half a percent. Currently, the sales tax in Chautauqua County is 7.5 percent. County officials say increasing it by just half a percent more means $7 million more dollars in annual revenue, enough to close a looming budget gap while also providing property tax relief.

That after members of the state Senate Monday rejected the “Dream Act.” The 30 to 29 vote was short of the 32 votes needed to pass. There are 63 seats, two are vacant, and two senators did not vote. No Republicans voted for the measure, though all five of their coalition partners in the Independent Democratic Conference voted for it. All but one of the mainline Democrats in the minority voted for the measure.

The proposal includes a budget appropriation of $25 million to open up Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) money for students who are in the country illegally but attend public or private colleges, paying up to $5,000 a year for undergraduates at four-year institutions.

Exactly how many would be eligible for the need-based assistance is unclear, but according to a report issued by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, 8,300 such students in the CUNY and SUNY systems would qualify.

Since it was first introduced three years ago, opponents have argued that using taxpayer money to fund tuition assistance for people in the country illegally takes opportunity and funds away from students who are citizens. New York is among 16 states that already allow those students to pay in-state tuition at public colleges.

The Assembly passed the Dream Act last month. After the vote, Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement saying he was disappointed that the Senate had failed to pass the measure.