Signing off
Mandated paid time off for bereavement bill nixed by governor
Cuomo signs, vetoes dozens of bills in twilight of 2018.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed more than 60 bills at the end of the week — and vetoed 51 more.
Some could broadly impact New Yorkers, while others were quite narrow, but all the decisions came on the Friday between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The deadline to sign or veto any of the bills on Cuomo’s desk was the end of 2018.
One of Cuomo’s biggest decisions was the veto of a bill that would mandate employers provide paid time off for “bereavement” following the death of a worker’s loved one.
The legislation – which would have applied to the death of a child, parent, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or domestic partners – would have become part of New York’s paid family leave program, which already includes mandated paid time off for maternity leave, or to care for an ill family member.
“There is no greater loss than the death of a close family member, and I fully understand the spirit of this bill to ensure that hardworking New Yorkers can take time to mourn the passing of a loved one,” Cuomo wrote in his veto message. He also said the bill had many issues of
concern.
“The twelve-week benefit upon full implementation would constitute an extreme expansion of the (paid family leave) program, the cost of which would result in a dramatic burden on low-wage workers,” Cuomo wrote.
Cuomo noted that employee contribution to fund the program would have to dramatically rise to pay for the new benefit.
A bill Cuomo did sign would create a transit “lock box,” which would require the Legislature to sign off before the governor could divert funds originally meant to fund transit.
The bill’s passage came after past concerns about the diversion of such funds, and ahead of a year when the Legislature is expected to wrestle with how to fund billions in new spending for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
State Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-glenville, also touted Cuomo’s signing of a bill Tedisco had sponsored. The bill will extend the time frame a car owner has to submit their license plate to the Department of Motor Vehicles when the vehicle is repossessed.
“This new law is a win, win, win for car owners, small businesses and local governments by extending to 10 days the time motorists have to return their license plates to the DMV if their car is ever repossessed,” Tedisco said in a statement. “Consumers won’t have to pay to re-register their car during those 10 days and this bill will save tax dollars on paperwork and time spent by county DMV offices re-registering people and small businesses in processing
“The twelve-week benefit upon full implementation would constitute an extreme expansion of the (paid family leave) program, the cost of which would result in a dramatic burden on low-wage workers.” — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in vetoing a bill that would mandate employers provide paid time off for “bereavement” following the death of a worker’s loved one.
repossessions.”
Among other bills Cuomo signed included one changing New York laws to replace the words “fireman” or “policeman” and with the terms “firefighter” or “police officer.”
Cuomo also signed a bill directing the state to issue a distinctive license plate honoring the 1988 Winter Olympics Jamaican bobsled team, which was famously depicted in the film “Cool Runnings.” The Assembly memo backing the measure notes there are many people of Jamaican background living in the state.
Among the proposals vetoed by Cuomo were:
■ A bill establishing a “New York City seawall study commission” that would have sought to protect the city from the hazards brought by climate change. In his veto message, Cuomo wrote that while the goal was admirable, state resources have to be expended in a “prudent manner” — and there are already several other state efforts under way to address the risks from sea level rise.
■ A bill requiring at least three members of the Public Service Commission be present at a meeting to have a quorum, and three votes in favor of a measure (out of a possible five) to pass. Cuomo said that measure would “severely restrict” the ability of the PSC to act in the case of an emergency.
■ A bill providing state recognition and acknowledgement of the Montaukett Indians on eastern Long Island. Cuomo, who had previously vetoed two similar bills, wrote that the New York Department of
State was in the process of reviewing documents concerning whether the Nation should earn such recognition.