In his third annual State of the State address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to outline his agenda for the upcoming legislative session in Albany. NY1's Zack Fink has the story.
Stricter gun laws, raising the minimum wage and campaign finance reform are just some of the big-ticket items Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to focus on in his State of the State address Wednesday.
Although somewhat tight lipped about what his specific proposals will be, the governor did say he is committed to greater disclosure when it comes to campaign spending.
"I have been working on disclosure proposals for months, literally," Cuomo said Monday. "We'll have one in the State of the State."
Cuomo has so far not committed to public financing for campaigns, similar to the New York City system.
"We can do this with a relatively small amount if money," Manhattan Sen. Liz Krueger said. "Works out to be about $56 million annually to pay for campaigns."
Last year, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver called for an increase in the minimum wage, but Cuomo did not make it a top priority. This year may be different.
"Governor Cuomo wasn't very active last session on the minimum wage. You see he is a lot more engaged this time," Mark Dunlea of the Hunger Action Network said. "We think he has the political skills needed to actually get a wage that will provide enough income to the average New Yorker."
Gun control may also be a priority. A special session last month to tighten the ban on assault weapons and limit high capacity magazines never materialized, but Republican lawmakers who normally block further firearm restrictions say reform needs to go beyond assault weapons.
"It's much more complicated, I think you need to be able to look not only at the state level but at the federal level," Brooklyn Sen. Martin Golden said. "Remember, 90 percent of the guns that are coming into New York City are coming in from out of state. Illegal guns."
Republicans also want to strengthen Kendra's Law, which allows judges to involuntarily commit people suffering from mental illness.
Democrats in the Assembly have kept a bill bottled up in committee, but that could be part of a larger deal, assuming the governor makes a gun package a priority Wednesday.
NY1 will have Cuomo's address live on NY1 starting at 1:30 p.m.