Up in Albany

Up in Albany

From farm workers to carnivals, gun laws to childhood obesity, local legislators plan to tackle a heap of issues in Albany this year. Recently, we asked Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz and state Sens. Adriano Espaillat, Gustavo Rivera and Jeff Klein to divulge their legislative plans for 2012. 

They didn’t reveal all the details of the bills they are working on, but here’s a roundup of what they said (or in Mr. Klein’s case, sent to us in a press release.)

… Espaillat 

State Sen. Adriano Espaillat plans to reintroduce a bill strengthening the renewal process for firearm permits. He said the bill would require gun permit holders to take a test every two years to determine if they are fit to carry a gun.  Mr. Espaillat said he also plans to introduce a bill reforming the benefits and working hours of farm workers. The ranking Democrat in the Senate’s Housing committee also said he hopes to work with Gov. Andrew Cuomo on the creation of the Tenant Protection Unit within the New York State Homes and Community Renewal, which Mr. Cuomo announced in his State of the State address last week. The unit will investigate fraud and prosecute landlords who fail to maintain essential services.

… Dinowitz

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said he plans to release a “slew” of bills related to the Consumer Affairs Committee he now chairs. One of the pieces of legislation, inspired by a death at an upstate amusement park last year, tackles safety issues at carnivals. He said he plans to unveil some of the new legislation in a few weeks.

Mr. Dinowitz said he has not given up on his national popular vote bill, which didn’t make it out of the assembly last year. The legislation would require New York electorates to wait until all votes are tallied nationally before casting theirs. Then, they would be required to vote for the candidate who had won the popular vote — effectively eliminating their roles.

… Rivera