This Wednesday was the last official day of legislative session for 2017, however, it remains to be seen whether or not the Legislature will reconvene to address outstanding issues such as the extension of county sales tax provisions and mayoral control of New York City schools. While the end of the legislative session was certainly slower than this year’s budget session, I am nevertheless pleased with our accomplishments this session.

End of Session Highlights: In particular, I was proud that Indigent Legal Services Reform, a bill which I sponsored the last two years, was included in this budget earlier this year. These past weeks have seen several of my other bills passed, including one to expand the Master’s-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship, naming a portion of Route 146 in honor of a fallen Guilderland soldier, Major General Harold Greene, and a bill to allow cross promoting of craft beverages for New York farm distillers.

Below is a quick “cheat sheet” on bills that were passed by both houses this session, by just one house, and issues that still require action:

Addressed by Both Houses

-Excelsior Scholarship

-Raising the Age of Criminal Responsibility

-Upstate Ride hailing (Uber and Lyft)

-Ban of Indoor E-Cigarette Use

-Date of Discovery (Malpractice Reform)

-Master’s in Education Incentive Scholarship (now can be used at SUNY & private colleges)

-Child Marriage Ban

-Buy American Act

-Indigent Legal Services Reform

-Kendra’s Law 5 year Extender (psychiatric confinement for those who are risk to themselves or to public safety)

Addressed by One House

-Community and Climate Protection Act

-Closing the LLC Loophole

-Child Victims Act

Left Unaddressed

-Mayoral Control of NYC Schools

-County Sales Tax Extender Bills

-Procurement Reform

-Nuclear Bailout

-MTA (fixing the NYC subways)

Assembly Passes Climate and Community Protection Act. Climate change is real and it represents a serious threat to the State, to say nothing of its global consequences. On Monday, the Assembly passed the New York State Climate and Community Protection Act, which implements the state’s 2030 clean energy goals, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, invests in green energy projects and provides support to disadvantaged communities across the state. If this were to pass in Senate, which is unlikely at this point, it would help elevate New York’s place as a leader on combating climate change.

Master’s in Education Teacher Incentive Bill Passes Both Houses. One of my top priorities for the end of session was passing my bill to allow the Master’s-in-Education Teacher Incentive Scholarship Program to be used at both public and private colleges and universities. The scholarship offers awards in amount of up to the annual tuition charged at

SUNY operated institutions for 500 state residents seeking to become masters' educated teachers. Currently, these award recipients must enroll in full time study in an approved master’s degree in education program at a SUNY school of higher education. The bill has passed both houses and will be sent to the Governor for signature.

Bill Promoting New York Craft Beverages Passes - 3 for 3. Craft beverage production has grown exponentially in the Capital Region in just the last few years. A bill I introduced with Senator George Amedore, which passed on Monday, encourages cross collaboration between distilleries, wineries, cideries, and breweries. This legislation will give parity to farm distilleries with other farm craft beverage producers in New York State. I advocate often for this Upstate growth industry, and this is the third bill I have successfully sponsored in three years!

Bill Passes Naming Portion of Route 146 in Honor of Major General Harold Greene. On Monday, the Assembly passed a bill Senator George Amedore and I sponsored, naming a portion of Route 146 in honor of the late Major General Harold Greene. Major General Harold Greene grew up in Guilderland, and spent a 34 year career serving in the US military. He joined the ROTC while studying at RPI to fulfill a physical education requirement, but quickly took to military life, eventually achieving the rank of Major General. Maj. Gen. Greene made the ultimate sacrifice in 2014. Very sadly, he was the first American General to be killed by combat fire since the September 11th attacks.

Assembly Passes the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disability Benefits Act. It was announced Tuesday that the Assembly had passed the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disability Benefits Act. Under the New York State Volunteer Firefighter Enhanced Cancer Disability Benefits Act, all fire districts, departments or companies would be required to provide and maintain an enhanced cancer disability benefit insurance program for each eligible volunteer firefighter. The bill has passed both houses and will be sent to the Governor’s desk.

Buy American Act. Earlier this week, the Assembly passed a ‘Buy American’ measure to invest in American manufacturing and create jobs. The New York Buy American Act requires that contracts over $1 million awarded by various state agencies utilize American steel and iron unless certain conditions justify an exemption. By supporting state and national manufacturers, the bill ensures that taxpayer-funded projects reinvest in our economy to create more decent-paying jobs.

Community Updates:

New UAlbany President to be First Latino SUNY President. The selection of Havidán Rodríguez as the new President of the University at Albany was announced on Wednesday. Rodríguez will be the first Latino President of any SUNY institution. Rodríguez, who comes to UAlbany from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, will start as President in September.

Art on the Rail Trail. Art on the Rail Trail (ART) is a new initiative designed to bring public art installations to the Albany County Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail. ART was conceived of as a means to enrich the lives of visitors to the Rail Trail and to encourage usage of the trail by local residents as well as regional visitors. While the ultimate goal is to see various mediums of art up and down the trail, the pilot project consists of one mural to be painted this year. The mural will be painted on the side wall of the town-owned building located at the intersection of the rail trail and Adams St.

Upcoming Events:

Capitol Confidential End of Session

Panel . I’ll be joining a bipartisan panel of lawmakers next Tuesday to discuss accomplishments in this year’s legislative session. The panel will be held on Tuesday, June 27 from 8:00 - 10:00 a.m. at the Times Union in their new Hearst Media Center. Read here for more information.

DEC to Host Outdoor Day at Five Rivers. Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, in Delmar, will host The Department of Environmental Conservation’s first “Outdoor Day” with a celebration of family-friendly activities and presentations from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. this

Saturday, June 24. The 445-acre site has long been a destination for area families who enjoy exploring the 10 miles of walking trails through forests, meadows, and wetlands. The area also boasts some of the best bird watching in the Capital District.

City of Albany Launches “Summertime in Albany.” Looking for summer activities in the Capital Region? The City of Albany Department of Recreation and the Mayor's office have launched "Summertime in Albany," with many recreation programs and summer opportunities available.

Garden Club at Myers Middle School. Garden Club: The Summer Edition at Myers Middle School returns this week, marking the seventh summer that they will invite kids, their parents and other friends to get their hands dirty with us. They will meet on Tuesday evenings at the garden at Myers from about 6 to 8 p.m. for the next month and a half and then they'll shift an hour earlier in August.

A Personal Note on My Daughter, Eileen. It is an emotional end to the school year for me as my daughter Eileen Bequette will be graduating from Albany High (AHS) this weekend. She had a wonderful finish to the school year with competing in the NYS Track & Field final for AHS - finishing a remarkable 4th in the Pentathlon! She will start college in the fall and will be missed each day.

Job Opportunities: New York State has set up a new job portal entitled Jobs Express, where thousands of private and public sector jobs are listed. Visit jobs.ny.gov for more information on how to apply for these opportunities. As always, for the latest news or for upcoming events, please visit my office online on Facebook, on Twitter, or my Times Union blog. If you would like to reach my office, please feel free to send us a note.