NYS Adopts CDC’s Guidance for Those Fully Vaccinated
Beginning on May 19th, New York will adopt the CDC’s “Interim Public Health Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People” for most businesses and public settings, with some exceptions.
Consistent with the CDC guidance, Pre-K to 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and healthcare settings will continue to follow State’s existing COVID-19 health guidelines until more New Yorkers are fully vaccinated.
Leadership Updates Chamber Protocols
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie:
“Effective immediately, and consistent with updated guidance, capacity limits in the Assembly Chamber have been eliminated. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, members, employees and visitors will continue to be required to wear face masks in all Assembly workplaces, including the Assembly Chamber during legislative session, and to observe social distancing guidelines whenever possible. These requirements are being implemented per Rule I of the Assembly, which allows the speaker to control the use of the Assembly Chamber, lobbies, rooms and property and to preserve order and decorum in the chamber. The Assembly will continue to operate under existing rules, and remote session will still be available to all members. We have made great progress in combating this pandemic, and we will continue to evaluate our policies as we move forward with the goal of fully reopening when safe and appropriate.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins:
“Effective immediately, and consistent with updated guidance, capacity limits in the Assembly Chamber have been eliminated. In order to ensure everyone’s safety, members, employees and visitors will continue to be required to wear face masks in all Assembly workplaces, including the Assembly Chamber during legislative session, and to observe social distancing guidelines whenever possible. These requirements are being implemented per Rule I of the Assembly, which allows the speaker to control the use of the Assembly Chamber, lobbies, rooms and property and to preserve order and decorum in the chamber. The Assembly will continue to operate under existing rules, and remote session will still be available to all members. We have made great progress in combating this pandemic, and we will continue to evaluate our policies as we move forward with the goal of fully reopening when safe and appropriate.”
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins:
“We will increase capacity limits in the Senate chamber, but we will ask all members and staff to continue to wear masks in and around the chamber. We will continue to review guidelines in the coming days and weeks.”
On Monday, Governor Cuomo announced three new pop-up vaccination sites in collaboration with the MTA, expanding the successful program that was launched on May 12 to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to MTA station stops in the New York City, Long Island and Mid-Hudson regions. The new pop-up sites will be located at the following stations: 125th Street in Manhattan, Sutphin Boulevard-Archer Avenue-JFK Airport in Queens, and the LIRR’s Hicksville train station.
NYC Mayoral Race Update
Primary Day for the NYC Mayoral contest is just weeks away, on June 22. NYC’s crowded Democratic mayoral primary will not only likely determine the next NYC mayor, but it is also the first time that ranked-choice voting is used in a citywide election. That means New Yorkers can select a set number of candidates in order of preference — up to five total.
The ballot will list candidates in a column on the left. Voters will mark their first choice in the column next to the candidate’s name. There will be four additional columns for voters to rank their second, third, fourth and fifth choices.
According to current polls, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Brooklyn Borough are the two frontrunners with former Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia and civil rights attorney Maya Wiley trailing behind.
The general election will be held on November 2nd. To learn more about ranked-choice voting, click here.
Remaining Legislative Issues
The New York State Legislature is expected to adjourn for the year on June 10th, leaving 10 session days to address outstanding legislative priorities.
Since the onset of the pandemic, the legislature has been challenged with balancing it’s standing high priority issues with passing policies to address mounting pandemic-related hardships.
With less than two weeks left of the regularly scheduled session, along with many less controversial and local bills, there are several major issues being raised by proponents and scrutinized by others:
- New York Health Act
- NY Privacy Act
- Adult Survivors Act
- Criminal Justice Reforms