Last week, New York\u2019s State Senate wrapped up its legislative session. During the session, the Senate approved nearly 1,750 bills. In order for those proposals to become law, the state Assembly must approve identical legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state Assembly is scheduled to return for a few days this week and, so far, has approved more than 800 bills, a lot but not quite half of the Senate\u2019s total. It is expected that hundreds of bills will be approved by the Assembly as it rushes to finish this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s a lot of bills and little time to do them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
New York\u2019s lawmakers introduce more bills<\/a> than any other state in the nation \u2013 and it\u2019s not even close. Not surprisingly, New York also is among the leaders nationwide in approving<\/a> legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many of the bills are high impact \u2013 meaning they will directly impact many New Yorkers \u2013 and some are less. For example, New Yorkers pay among the highest utility bills<\/a> in the nation. Yet, consumers don\u2019t have a full-time, well-resourced advocate for their interests at the crucial decision points that affect utility reliability and affordability. As a result, regulators typically only get to hear fully developed arguments from industry sources. The voice of the average residential consumer can get lost in the cacophony of industry lobbyists, engineers, and economists. Legislation<\/a> has been approved in both houses that establishes a utility ratepayer advocate that will look out for the interests of consumers before state regulators. How the governor will respond is unclear, but given her stated<\/a> desire to make New York more \u201caffordable,\u201d this should be an easy one to approve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another bill that was approved by the Senate and is under consideration in the Assembly should be a \u201cno-brainer.\u201d That \u201cinside-baseball\u201d bill plugs a loophole in the state\u2019s lobbying disclosure law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n New York\u2019s lobbying law<\/a> currently does not require public disclosure of efforts to influence the nomination or confirmation process for positions requiring Senate<\/em> approval. This loophole allows lobbying to go unreported and thus allows spending to influence the appointment of important state positions to occur out of the public\u2019s view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s why plugging the loophole should be a legislative \u201cno-brainer.\u201d As mentioned earlier, legislation has been approved that would establish a utility ratepayer advocate before state regulators. The key regulator is the Public Service Commission, which sets utility rates. Under New York law, spending to get a rate hike approved or denied is considered \u201clobbying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, due to the existing loophole, advocacy to influence the governor\u2019s choices to be on the Public Service Commission is not<\/em> considered lobbying. So, trying to influence utility rates is lobbying, but trying to influence who is picked to make the rate decision is not. How does that make sense?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, the Senate approved the legislation<\/a> to plug the loophole and the chair of the relevant Assembly Committee, John McDonald from the Albany area, is the leader pushing the legislation in that house. The bill makes sense and has not seen any lobbying in opposition and therefore should be an easy one for the Assembly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is one bill that could have a big impact on people and has been approved by the Senate but has not<\/em> yet been acted upon by the Assembly. That legislation<\/a> would require retailers to furnish prescribed warnings that gas and propane stoves used for commercial or residential food cooking emit poisonous gases that are hazardous to human health, which can cause or worsen respiratory problems. Warning labels on products, signs\/posters on premises where covered products are displayed, and conspicuous notices for online sales would be required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The evidence<\/a> is in and it\u2019s clear that a fixture in many New York homes and restaurants \u2013 the gas stove \u2013 is a potent health danger. Gas stoves using natural and propane gas for cooking release carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and fine particulates. Gases \u2013 including the powerful greenhouse gas methane \u2013 can be released<\/a> even when the stoves aren\u2019t in use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n