Manhattan tolls, plastic bag ban approved in New York budget

The Assembly and Senate passed the plastic bag ban legislation Sunday afternoon to start what was expected to be an all-day session that could spill into early Monday, when the spending plan for the 2019-2020 state fiscal year is due to be in place.

News 12 Staff

Mar 31, 2019, 10:24 AM

Updated 1,861 days ago

Share:

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - New York's Democrat-controlled Legislature on Sunday passed a statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and planned to approve tolls for driving into the busiest sections of Manhattan starting in 2021 as part of a $175.5 billion state budget agreement worked out with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The Assembly and Senate passed the plastic bag ban legislation Sunday afternoon to start what was expected to be an all-day session that could spill into early Monday, when the spending plan for the 2019-2020 state fiscal year is due to be in place.

Other agreements in the budget include the closure of up to three yet-to-be-determined state prisons, eliminating cash bail for misdemeanor and non-violent felony arrests, a permanent, annual 2 percent cap on local property taxes, and another $1 billion for public education.

"This budget is probably the strongest progressive statement that we've made," Cuomo told reporters Sunday as lawmakers worked through hours of debate and voting on the budget. "If you have big problems, it calls for big solutions."

MORE: Politics Coverage
In an agreement reached earlier last week but not officially announced until Sunday, most single-use plastic bags provided by supermarkets and other stores will be banned statewide starting March 1, 2020. Individual counties will have the option of charging 5 cents for paper bags, with 2 cents going to local governments and 3 cents to the state's Environmental Protection Fund.

New York would be just the third state with a statewide ban. California's ban has been in place since 2016. All of Hawaii's counties ban plastic bags but it's not a state-mandated ban.

"The convenience of plastic bags is simply not worth the environmental impact," said Carl Heastie, D-Yonkers. "By reducing our state's usage, we will see less litter in our communities and less plastic pollution in our waterways."

Major issues that didn't make it into the spending plan include legalization of recreational marijuana. Cuomo and legislative leaders have said the issue was too complex to rush into the budget. Instead, it could be handled in separate legislation worked out over the last three months of the legislative session, scheduled to end June 19.

The Manhattan tolls plan known as congestion pricing will be the first of its kind in the nation. State leaders said a review board will determine the toll amount, exemptions and credits for drivers headed into the borough's central business district. The billions the tolls are expected to raise will go toward fixing New York City's ailing mass transit system, though a portion of the revenue will go to the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North

An earlier estimate had put the toll amount for personal vehicles at nearly $12. Cuomo said without the tolls, either the subways could continue to deteriorate or fares for subways and city buses would have had to go up 30 percent.

"That was the choice," he said of the toll. "You need a viable mass transit system."

The state budget also will include two other dedicated revenue sources for the subways: a "mansion tax" on Manhattan homes that sell for $25 million or higher, and an internet sales tax levied on retailers who sell merchandise online.

The funding streams for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority include a reorganization plan and other reforms Cuomo has demanded for the agency that runs the city's buses, subways and commuter trains.

In addition to eliminating cash bail for some charges, other criminal justice reforms include requiring prosecutors and defense lawyers to share all case information well in advance of trials, and speeding up the time it takes for a case to go to trial.

The budget agreement also establishes a state commission that will come up with a system for public financing of legislative and statewide offices, with up to $100 million in taxpayer funds authorized annually for such a system.

Cuomo and legislative leaders also agreed to legislation that would allow three hours of paid time off for New Yorkers to vote on Election Day and expand voting hours upstate in primary elections to begin at 6 a.m. instead of noon to match general election hours.
 


More from News 12
2:08
Prosecutors: Queens man stole used cooking oil from 8 Long Island restaurants

Prosecutors: Queens man stole used cooking oil from 8 Long Island restaurants

1:59
Mostly dry, cloudy Saturday on Long Island; light rain Sunday

Mostly dry, cloudy Saturday on Long Island; light rain Sunday

0:28
Sag Harbor teen charged with DWI following crash into tree

Sag Harbor teen charged with DWI following crash into tree

2:15
Meeting held over next steps for cleanup at Bethpage Community Park

Meeting held over next steps for cleanup at Bethpage Community Park

0:38
Sam Ash Music announces closure of all store locations

Sam Ash Music announces closure of all store locations

1:39
Runners are lacing up for the Long Island Marathon Sunday. Click here to see which roads will close to traffic

Runners are lacing up for the Long Island Marathon Sunday. Click here to see which roads will close to traffic

1:58
Kids get up-close-and personal tour of Suffolk police headquarters during Police Week

Kids get up-close-and personal tour of Suffolk police headquarters during Police Week

2:15
EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Hochul talks retail theft, bail reform during visit to Lindenhurst

EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Hochul talks retail theft, bail reform during visit to Lindenhurst

1:56
JAC Shack gives BOCES students chance to work at restaurant

JAC Shack gives BOCES students chance to work at restaurant

2:39
Deer Park man heads to Washington DC to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease

Deer Park man heads to Washington DC to raise awareness about Alzheimer's disease

0:20
Police: 13-year-old robbed at knifepoint on soccer field of Turtle Hook Middle School

Police: 13-year-old robbed at knifepoint on soccer field of Turtle Hook Middle School

0:25
Garbage truck driver indicted for 2023 fatal crash in Hauppauge

Garbage truck driver indicted for 2023 fatal crash in Hauppauge

2:19
Campus police on standby following pro-Palestinian protest arrests at Stony Brook University

Campus police on standby following pro-Palestinian protest arrests at Stony Brook University

0:19
Man wanted for stealing package worth $6,000 from East Northport home

Man wanted for stealing package worth $6,000 from East Northport home

1:44
The Real Deal: Now may be the time for a job change

The Real Deal: Now may be the time for a job change

10 organizations to donate to in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities

10 organizations to donate to in support of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities

2:11
Garden Guide: Is it safe to plant your summer garden?

Garden Guide: Is it safe to plant your summer garden?

9 Long Island health care providers earn highest safety rating on Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

9 Long Island health care providers earn highest safety rating on Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade

0:35
Mets foundation partners with America's Vet Dogs to raise future service dog

Mets foundation partners with America's Vet Dogs to raise future service dog

1:53
Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!

Shop Mother’s Day Gifts – Exclusive Offers Up to 75% OFF!