Syracuse, N.Y. -- Casino gambling, tax-free zones, abortion, public financing of campaigns and fixing municipal finances are on Albany's legislative to-do list.
And the lawmakers have just eight days of scheduled votes left to wrap up work before this year's regular legislative session is scheduled to end June 20.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat in his third year, is driving much of the agenda. Among his priorities are: revamping the Long Island Power Authority, passing a women's rights legislative package, creating a financial advisement board for municipalities and creating tax-free zones for businesses around universities.
But not all lawmakers are on board with the ideas. Notably, some Senate Republicans are balking at the governor's putting current abortion practices -- now supported by case law -- onto the law books in New York. Some Downstate lawmakers are looking for a bigger piece of the tax-free zone and casino pies, which the governor has targeted for Upstate.
Here's a look at some of what's on the legislative table:
Tax-Free NY
Less than three weeks ago, Cuomo proposed drawing tax-free zones around public college campuses and some private ones for qualifying businesses. If approved, it would mean businesses could avoid property, corporate and sales taxes for a decade. Their workers would avoid state income tax bills for at least five years.
Cuomo wants the program, in part, to rejuvenate the sluggish economy Upstate, where many of the state-run schools exist. Assemblymen Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, Al Stirpe, D-Cicero, and Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, support the idea.
Others have been more critical, including Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse.
"I think the state of New York would be better served with across-the-state tax cuts, not just for new companies," he said after the proposal was unveiled.
Cuomo has not yet submitted legislation for the idea.
Casinos
The governor's bill on expanded gambling was released last week. He's proposing three casinos in four areas: Hudson Valley-Catskill area, the Capital District-Saratoga area, Eastern Southern Tier, and Western New York.
Developers would pay a $50 million licensing fee and 25 percent of gross gaming revenue to the state. Eighty percent of the money the state receives from the Las Vegas-style casinos would be funneled to K-12 schools.
Central New York would not be eligible for a casino because the bill would give the Oneida Indian Nation exclusive rights there. The North Country, too, would be off-limits because the St. Regis Mohawk tribe has rights there.
The legislation would prohibit any casino construction Downstate until at least five years after the first Upstate casino opens.
Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have put forward their own proposal. They would like as many as three casinos in the Catskills and two video slot venues on Long Island.
Women's Equality Act
Cuomo also wants the legislature to pass his 10-point agenda on women's issues. The wide-ranging bill includes changes to equity in the workplace to housing laws to domestic violence laws to increasing penalties for those caught engaging in prostitution with a minor.
But the bill also contains language on abortion. (The abortion language is in the last two pages of the bill.)
"The state shall not deny a women's right to obtain an abortion as established by the United States Supreme Court in the 1973 Roe v. Wade," the proposal reads. The governor has repeated said the intention is to codify the court's decision into state law, not to expand any aspects about abortion procedures.
Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos has strongly criticized that portion of the bill, making it unlikely that it would come to the floor for a vote. Cuomo said last week he would veto an amended version of the bill that excluded the abortion language.
Public Trust Act
The governor is pushing three bills that tackle public corruption, election laws and campaign financing. His proposed Public Trust Act would give local prosecutors more power to go after public officials caught accepting bribes.
Another creates an chief enforcement election counsel with subpoena power to crack down on those who violate campaign-related laws. The proposal would also require candidates who seek third-party designations to collect signatures from party members, rather than get an endorsement from the party's leaderships. Voters could also change their party enrollment much more quickly.
In the midst of casinos, abortion and taxes, these proposals haven't elicited as much debate. That may also be because these changes hit close to home. Cuomo proposed them as four lawmakers faced accusations of corruption this year.
Financial Restructuring Board
Cuomo has proposed creating a state board that would advise municipalities, like Syracuse, on how to restructure and avoid financial collapse. Participation from local governments would be voluntary. But if localities agreed to accept help provided by the board, they must also swallow advice that could include hard medicine: layoffs, shrinking departments, consolidation.
Contact Teri Weaver at: tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.
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