Mike Groll | The Associated Press

What to expect from NY lawmakers in 2019: Voting reform, legalized pot, healthcare, more

When New York lawmakers begin their new session Jan. 9, it will mark the first time since 2010 that Democrats have full control of state government, with a majority in the Senate and Assembly that can push through Gov. Andrew Cuomo's agenda.

What does that mean for New Yorkers in 2019?

Cuomo and legislative leaders have offered a glimpse into their plans for an increasingly progressive agenda that would make it easier for New Yorkers to vote, obtain healthcare or qualify for college aid.

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Richard Drew | AP

Cuomo's priorities

Cuomo detailed his priorities when he was sworn in Jan. 1 to his third term as governor during a ceremony at Ellis Island.

The governor issued a 20-point agenda for legislation that he wants to pass in the first 100 days of his new term. His agenda includes promises he made to voters during the 2018 campaign.

What follows is a quick snapshot of the laws Cuomo and New York lawmakers have promised to pass in the new year.

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Lauren Long | llong@syracuse.com

Voting reforms

Democrats want to pass sweeping voting reforms that would give New Yorkers the ability to vote early, allow for automatic voter registration and give voters more flexibility to change political parties.

Lawmakers also want to consolidate federal and state primary elections, which have been held on separate dates for the past six years. A single primary election would save Onondaga County about $50,000 every two years.

The effort could include a ban or limit on political contributions from limited liability corporations.

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Michael Davis | File photo

Legalizing marijuana

Cuomo said he will push to legalize marijuana for recreational use by adults in New York in the first 100 days of his new term.

The state Department of Health said in a report last year that New York would see an overall benefit by legalizing pot. The report found that recreational marijuana could produce up to $340.6 million in tax revenue in the first year.

New York would join 10 other states and Washington, D.C., in making pot legal.

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Hans Pennink

Child Victims Act

With full control of the legislative branch, Democrats say they will pass the Child Victims Act. The Assembly passed the bill in each of the past two years, but the legislation failed to make it out of the Senate.

The law would lift the statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse in criminal and civil cases. It also would allow a one-year period during which adults who were abused as children could file civil claims against their abuser or an institution.

Opponents of the bill have included the Roman Catholic church and Boy Scouts of America.

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Expanding access to healthcare

Legislative leaders and the governor say they want to protect and expand health insurance coverage for New Yorkers and guarantee that pre-existing conditions are covered regardless of what happens to the federal guarantee under the Affordable Care Act.

But Cuomo and lawmakers may battle over the New York Health Act, a bill that has been approved by the Democratic-controlled Assembly in each of the last five years but rejected by the Republican-controlled Senate.

The bill would set up a state-run health insurance program to cover all New Yorkers. Private or employer-sponsored coverage would be eliminated. Instead, all New Yorkers would obtain insurance from the state, with no copays, deductibles or premiums.

Cuomo will likely push for some tweaks to the legislation. He has said such a single-payer system may work on the federal level but may be difficult for states to implement on their own.

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Kate Collins | File photo

Abortion rights

Cuomo and Democratic leaders promised to update New York's 1970 law that gave women abortion rights, three years before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that states can't ban abortion.

New York's law would be updated to match the Roe v. Wade protections, giving women the right to an abortion in the third trimester if a fetus is no longer viable and in cases where continuing a pregnancy threatens a woman's life or health.

Cuomo also wants New York to regulate abortion under public health law, rather than the existing penal law.

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Douglass Dowty ddowty@syracuse

Criminal justice reforms

The governor wants to improve fairness in the criminal justice system by passing laws to end cash bail for minor crimes, require speedy trials and require disclosure of evidence in a timely manner.

Cuomo first proposed the overhaul of New York's criminal justice system last year.

The legislation would ban asset seizures from individuals in cases where law enforcement makes no arrest.

The state also would end the mandatory suspension of a driver's license following a drug conviction, as long as the conviction did not involve driving.

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N. Scott Trimble | strimble@syracuse.com

Boost in infrastructure spending

Lawmakers will consider investing an additional $150 billion to improve New York roads, bridges, airports, ports, train stations and other infrastructure.

The additional funding would build on an existing $100 billion state infrastructure plan.

The extra money could help with the demolition of the elevated portion of Interstate 81 in Syracuse. The state is expected to decide this year whether to replace the highway with a new viaduct, community street grid, or tunnel.

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Renewing the millionaire's tax

New Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Cuomo want to renew an extra state tax surcharge on millionaires.

In 2018, New Yorkers earning more than $1 million per year and couples with incomes of more than $2 million per year had a tax rate of 8.82 percent.

The surcharge produces an extra $4.5 billion a year in revenue for the state. The tax is due to expire at the end of 2019.

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Judy Sanders | Provided photo

Property tax cap

Cuomo wants to make permanent a 2011 law that set a temporary property tax cap across New York. He is shown, above, after signing the bill at the home of Chris and Tina Maroney in Onondaga County.

The law forces school districts and local governments to limit increases in their property tax levy to no more than 2 percent, or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

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Samantha House | syracuse.com

New gun laws

Democratic lawmakers and the governor say they will push to pass several new gun laws in 2019, building on the New York Safe Act.

Cuomo said he wants to sign bills banning bump stocks, the devices that turn rifles into automatic weapons, and extend the waiting period for buying a gun from three days to 10 days.

The governor has also touted a "red flag" law that would ban firearm sales to individuals determined by a court to be at risk of causing harm to themselves or others.

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Mike Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

Addressing climate change

The governor pledged to pass environmental laws that would make New York's electricity production "carbon neutral" by 2040.

Cuomo said he wants to make New York the most progressive state in the nation in moving to renewable energy such as wind and solar.

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Samantha Sais | Associated Press

College aid for undocumented immigrants

New York lawmakers will consider a bill to provide free public college tuition to students who were brought into the United States as the children of undocumented immigrants.

Cuomo previously pushed for an amendment to state education that made the so-called Dreamers eligible for the state's Excelsior Scholarship program. The scholarships pay tuition for students from families with incomes of up to $125,000.

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Seth Wenig | AP Photo

LGBTQ rights

Cuomo plans to push New York lawmakers to pass a bill that would guarantee rights for the LGBTQ community, making the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act part of state law.

Last year, the governor signed an executive order banning all state agencies and authorities from doing business with companies that promote or tolerate discrimination.

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Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

Equal Rights Amendment

Cuomo promised to push for an Equal Rights Amendment to the state Constitution this year, banning discrimination based on gender.

The change would have to pass the state Legislature twice before voters would be asked to approve it in a referendum.

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Richard Drew | AP

More about NY government

New laws for NY in 2019: Wage hikes, diaper changing, body scans, more

Cuomo vows NY will lead nation with progressive agenda

Governor pardons more than 20 New Yorkers facing deportation

Cuomo vetoes bill allowing 12 weeks paid bereavement leave

Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751