Politico: Veto Pen Again
By: Jason Beeferman
Influential business organizations want Hochul to once again veto a measure meant to expand the state’s wrongful death statute.
The bill would make it easier for people to sue for emotional anguish when a loved one dies. Current law allows for only economic losses that can be easily quantified.
Hochul has vetoed previous versions of the bill after private-sector advocacy groups and local governments raised objections that the measure would drive up their insurance costs.
Those concerns remain. A letter signed by 35 business groups — including the Long Island Association, the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York and The Business Council of New York State — pressed Hochul to veto the measure for a third time.
The letter raised concerns that the broader economy in the state would be affected by the bill’s potential to hike insurance rates.
“With the rising cost of groceries, housing and healthcare, and growing tax and fee burdens, New Yorkers are in the middle of an affordability crisis,” the letter stated. “This coalition urges you to once again veto legislation that will dramatically alter the liability environment in New York, putting the state out of line with the rest of the nation.”
Hochul’s office has not signaled how she will act on the latest version of the bill.
State lawmakers have defended the measure’s intent. They believe the current wrongful death law is too narrow.
“New York’s wrongful death statute is over 175 years old, and it is unfortunately out of step with nearly every other state because New York’s laws prohibit grief-stricken families from recovering damages for their emotional suffering from the death of their loved one,” supporters wrote in a bill memo. — Nick Reisman
VETO PEN, AGAIN: The Citizens Budget Commission, meanwhile, urged Hochul today to veto a dozen so-called pension sweeteners. The fiscal watchdog is concerned the pension bills meant to boost benefits for public employees would increase costs for taxpayers at “unsustainable rates.”