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Cuomo downplays chances of end-of-session agreements

Zack Seward
/
WXXI
Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (file photo)

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is downplaying the chances of any major agreements before the legislative session ends later this month.

The governor, who has already vowed to replace the current Senate leadership coalition of Republicans and breakaway Democrats, says he does not expect any deals on big ticket issues before the legislature leaves for the summer.

“We have some clean up items,” Cuomo said. “I don’t expect us to do any major initiatives.”

Cuomo began the election season early when he also pledged to the Working Families Party that he would try to convince the breakaway Democrats, known as the Independent Democratic Conference, to reunite with the rest of the Senate Democrats. Cuomo now says he does not expect that to happen until after the November elections.

“We’ll go through the elections, and then what we are talking about is next year, the reunification,” Cuomo said. “Not this year.”

Cuomo did offer some hope for a bill gaining support in the legislature to legalize medical marijuana, saying if the legislation makes sense, he’ll sign it.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.