Onondaga County's two state senators help make up what is now a supermajority of Democrats in the chamber and they hope to use that support, and their positions as chairs of Senate committees, to enact a shared agenda that touches on everything from climate change to election reforms.
In a recent 'State of the District' online forum, Sen. Rachel May and Sen. John Mannion outlined their priorities for this session of the New York State Legislature. Recovery from the pandemic will be a major focus for both, which Mannion said will necessitate finding new sources of revenue to close a $15 billion budget gap. Among them, he has signaled support for increasing taxes on the state's wealthiest residents, legalizing and taxing recreational marijuana, and legalizing mobile sports betting.
Mannion, who was made chair of the newly created Senate Committee on Developmental Disabilities, has introduced legislation that would require legislative approval for the closure of any facility or institution relating to mental health, developmental disabilities, or office of children and family services facilities and institutions. And Mannion, a former teacher, also plans to fight for adequate spending on schools.
"There can be major implications if we don't restore that funding and place public education at our highest prioirty," Mannion said.
May is also a member of a new committee called Cities 2 that focuses on large municipalities in upstate New York. It will put her in a prime spot to bring important issues for Syracuse to the table, she says, like the Interstate-81 construction project.
"Right now, all of the powers that be, including the new transportation secretary, seem to be on the same page for moving forward on the I-81 project," May said. "I have been advocating for well over a decade for transforming the I-81 corridor into livable, walkable neighborhoods and a different kind of connectivity for the city and the region. And to see that project finally getting traction after all these years is immensely gratifying."
The supermajority Democrats now enjoy gives them power to override objections from their Republican colleagues and any vetoes from Gov. Andrew Cuomo. May, who is entering her second term, said that is a relief.
"I'm hoping it will change his behavior more than it changes our behavior," May said. "For example, we pass a lot of legislation and then he says I'll only sign it if you make these changes to it and sometimes they're really major changes, sometimes it guts the bill. My hope is that he will do that less knowing that we can overturn that."
Mannion also said Democrats need to "flex their muscles" with this newfound power, and some are already planning to do just that. May said there is talk among her colleagues about rewriting the state constitution to reduce the governor's role and power in the budget process.
"Our constitution gives way more power in the New York state budget process to the governor than any other governor has and I think it's morally wrong," May said. "So, there is a move to change the constitution. It's effectively going to war with this governor, so it's a hard lift, but I think it's an important thing to do."
