ALBANY (NY)
The Associated Press
January 2, 2018
By David Klepper
STATE: The work gets underway Wednesday.
ALBANY — The new year dawns with political storm clouds bearing down on New York lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The New York City subway system, beset by breakdowns and delays, needs a massive investment. The upcoming corruption trial of a former top Cuomo adviser threatens to dim the Democrat’s presidential chances. The state faces a $4 billion deficit, while ongoing conflicts with Republicans in Washington mean the state could lose even more health care funding. Then this fall, Cuomo and the entire Legislature face re-election.
It all adds up to a year of political maneuvering, tough choices and no easy answers.
“Extremely difficult,” is the prediction from Sen. David Carlucci, a Rockland County Democrat. “The most important thing we can do is try to put the politics aside, at least for six months.”
The work gets underway Wednesday when the Legislature reconvenes and Cuomo delivers his state of the state address.
Big issues for the year include a contentious bill that would extend the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases to allow victims to sue for decades-old abuse, a proposal long opposed by the Catholic Church and other institutions.
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