Summer hasn’t officially started yet for the New York state Assembly. Lawmakers will return to Albany on Tuesday for a two-day session to conclude business for the year. As one top aide put it to Playbook: “We’re clearing out a lot of local stuff on the calendar,” meaning the dozens of members’ priorities that didn’t get approved on June 10, when the Assembly decided to recess. There are some potentially headline-grabbing bills that are still up for consideration — and one major bill that was quashed over the long weekend. Here are five to know. 1. The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act The Assembly is considering following the state Senate's lead and passing the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act, which would make it easier for people convicted of crimes to overturn their cases. But the state’s District Attorneys Association urged lawmakers not to approve the measure, saying it is unnecessary because current laws protect defendants from wrongful convictions. “The bill would have a detrimental effect on the operation of the criminal justice system,” Washington County District Attorney J. Anthony Jordan, the group’s president, said in a statement. He contended that, if signed into law, the bill would “result in no conviction ever being final, and in a way that would impose an impossible burden on an already overburdened criminal justice system.” 2. Protections for telehealth professionals The Democratic-led Assembly is also set to consider another bill that passed the Senate: one that strengthens protections for health professionals who provide telehealth services to out-of-state patients considering an abortion. 3. The Coverage for All bill When they return, lawmakers will be greeted by immigrant advocates who are holding an 11 a.m. press conference outside the chambers, pushing for the passage of the Coverage for All bill. The bill would allow the state to get a federal waiver to provide health care coverage for undocumented New Yorkers. Gov. Kathy Hochul has raised concerns about the cost after federal aid for it runs out, but advocates and the bill’s sponsor, Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas (D-Queens), have dismissed Hochul’s issues and said they are hopeful that it will be approved. 4. The planned offshore wind transmission act In another last-minute effort, environmental groups and unions on Long Island are pressing the Assembly to pass a bill that was approved in the Senate to help critical offshore wind projects off the coast — amid opposition from residents there about the impact on local parkland. But a group of state and local unions wrote in a letter obtained by POLITICO that the bill is critical for the projects and for the state to meet its climate goals. “Taken together, these projects account for over one-third of New York State’s offshore wind mandate. Pushing this legislation to next year materially increases the risk for the project’s failure,” the unions wrote. 5. The Seneca deal One controversial bill that won’t move after passing the Senate: giving Hochul’s office the authority to negotiate a 20-year gaming compact with the Seneca Nation. POLITICO reported it included a deal for a Rochester casino that hadn’t been discussed with local leaders. Rochester officials rallied against the secrecy, and unions ripped the impact on area casinos. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie on Friday night ended the debate for now, writing on Twitter that because of the concerns, “We cannot move forward with a vote on the compact at this time.” The Senecas were livid, and in a nearly 1,000-word response wrote: “The Nation is once again reminded that Native Nations in the State of New York are secondary to corporate interests.” The current compact ends this year. So this issue isn’t going away anytime soon — even if lawmakers will be far away from Albany after Wednesday night.
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