Humbug!
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has come under fire for a number of eyebrow-raising vetoes, including one against a bill that would increase transparency in government emergency contracts as 2024 ends. There is.
Good government groups, some homeless shelter advocates and trial lawyers say the governor is getting a big lump of coal this year after he killed parts of the bill in the final weeks of 2024. I hope so.
“Governor Hochul vetoed a bill that would increase transparency in contracts that spend taxpayer dollars. Instead of fixing Albany’s broken system, she is protecting it. “There is no reason to oppose transparency unless the governor has something to hide and a broken system to protect,” said Rep. Richie Torres (D-N.Y.). Posted on X Following the veto.
The governor repealed a bill that would have required the public release of information about contracts entered into by the state during a state of emergency.
The bill, written in part in response to questionable state contracts awarded during the COVID-19 emergency response, has come under scrutiny after Hochul's government was accused of circumventing oversight measures and pushing for lavish contracts. Its relevance is growing even more.
The proposal, backed by State Auditor Tom DiNapoli, is watered down from last year.
“The governor's claim that this bill would lead to the disclosure of 'trade secrets' is absurd,” the good government group Reinvent Albany said in a statement.
“This bill requires agencies to write a brief description of emergency contracts, including the name of the vendor and what the contract provides.”
After she declared transparency “one of the hallmarks of my administration” in a video speech on her first day as governor, the governor's critics were quick to point out her hypocrisy.
The bill passed unanimously in both chambers of the Legislature, but in recent years, legislative leaders stood up to the governor and vetoed it, even though it had enough votes to pass without Republican support. has shown little interest in abrogating rights.
Mr. Hochul also vetoed for the third year in a row a bill that would change New York's wrongful death law to expand the number of people eligible to make claims, which was heavily pushed by the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. This is an initiative.
In a lengthy statement condemning Hochul, NYSTLA President Victoria Wickman wrote, “The Governor has remained entrenched in the same position he took on day one and has shown no flexibility or willingness to engage in meaningful compromise.”
The bill is opposed by hospitals and tort reform groups, who say the effort is actually intended to benefit litigation-hungry lawyers. Its proponents point to a law called the Grieving Families Act.
“The Governor has stood firm and prioritized the well-being of New York families,” Tom Stebbins, executive director of the New York State Litigation Reform Alliance, a tort reform group, wrote in a statement.
In his veto message, Hochul said he believes signing the bill could lead to higher premiums and put vulnerable hospitals at risk.
The governor has also faced criticism from community groups who were pushing for legislation that would adjust rules for how homeless shelters are reimbursed. Under current rules, shelter costs are reimbursed based on the number of people staying there.
Advocates, including activists from community groups Safe Horizons, Urban Resource Institute, and Volunteers of America Greater New York, said the move would force shelters to occupy rooms that could otherwise accommodate more than one person. , which they claim is an incentive to turn away childless abuse victims.
“This veto will make the path to safety and healing in domestic violence shelters even more difficult for thousands of our most vulnerable New Yorkers, including LGBTQ+ survivors, human trafficking survivors, and the elderly. ” wrote a Safe Horizon spokesperson.
Hochul said she vetoed the bill because she was concerned it would reduce the number of people at shelters.
“This legislation does not make the best use of our state's resources and could inadvertently reduce service in many areas of our state. Therefore, I have no choice but to veto this bill. No,” Hochul wrote in part of his veto message.
Some winners survived Hochul's efforts to overcome the holiday veto movement.
Technologists who want to reign supreme with artificial intelligence have reached an agreement with Hochul on legislation that would regulate how the state uses the rapidly expanding technology in automated decision-making.
Public sector unions also spearheaded the bill amid growing concerns about how the technology could automate and displace existing workers.
“We are encouraged that this legislation provides transparency regarding state agencies’ use of AI and common sense protections for state employees,” AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento said in a statement.
There are only two bills left for the governor to consider. The first would provide state aid to help schools fund late buses.
The latter is a landmark bill for environmentalists, giving states the power to force certain companies they designate as responsible for climate change to spend more than $75 billion to fund efforts to combat climate change. It's a thing.
The bill is opposed by groups representing New York's business community, but would be a much-needed victory for environmentalists.
Additional reporting by Aneeta Bhole.
