Legislative Update

The 2011 State legislative session is underway, with a new Governor, a $10 billion budget deficit, the Democrats retaining control of the Assembly, and the Republicans retaking control of the Senate. Session days - which primarily take place on the first two or three days of the week - are scheduled to end on June 20. The City Bar committees are in the process of writing transition letters to Governor Cuomo, outlining priorities and issues of concern; preparing or updating reports on pending legislation; and, in some cases, proposing new legislation. Here is a snapshot of what the City Bar committees will be advocating for this year:

• Government and ethics reform, including measures that will increase transparency of operations and accountability of public officials;
• The integrity of the judicial process, including increasing the availability of legal representation for low-income parties in civil cases, increasing the number of Family Court judges statewide, implementing greater fairness and accountability in consumer debt litigation, and facilitating the permanency needs of children in foster care;
• The equal civil rights of all New Yorkers, including passage of the Marriage Equality Act, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act ("GENDA"), the Reproductive Health Act and laws that protect victims of domestic violence and trafficking;
• Legislation authorizing an attorney to attach a lien to awards and settlement proceeds received by his or her client through alternative dispute resolution or settlement;
• Expanding jurisdiction in identity theft cases, clarifying the law with respect to ineffective assistance of counsel claims, establishing rational measures to decrease wrongful convictions, expanding judicial discretion to award youthful offender status, and continuing the reform of the juvenile justice system that was started under former Governor Paterson;
• Enhancing the ability of individuals with criminal records to fairly reenter society;
• Continuing the operation of The Office of the Taxpayer Rights Advocate within the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance; and
• Election law reform measures, including support for an independent redistricting commission, no-excuse absentee ballot voting, and the implementation of filing fee alternatives for ballot access.

Further information about the Legislative Affairs Department can be found on our website. In order to receive up-to-date information about the policy work of City Bar committees and news on advocacy and politics in Albany, members can now follow us on Twitter, @NYCBarLegis.

As seen in the January 24, 2011 edition of the 44th Street Notes