Gov. Cuomo’s State of the State address to unveil property tax rebates, medical marijuana legalization

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to unveil a wide-ranging package that would include property tax rebates for homeowners and cuts for business owners during the State of the State address Wednesday in Albany.

News 12 Staff

Jan 8, 2014, 4:47 AM

Updated 4,053 days ago

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to unveil a wide-ranging package that would include property tax rebates for homeowners and cuts for business owners during the State of the State address Wednesday in Albany.

State Sen. Dean Skelos (R - Rockville Centre) says the Democratic governor will get no opposition from Republicans in the chamber.

The rebates are expected to be in the $200 range for the average Nassau homeowner and about $125 for the average homeowner in Suffolk. Critics say the figures are too small to make a real difference for struggling families, but it may be enough to leave a good taste in voters' mouths this November.

He is also expected to propose legalizing limited use of marijuana for medical purposes, a hot button topic that in the past has triggered heated debate.

"The right wing says 'we don't want anything to do with it,' while the left wing says 'let's do it like Colorado and sell it to everybody,'" said state Sen. Kemp Hammon (R - Garden City). "He's going to try to go down the middle and [legalize medical marijuana] for compassionate care."

The governor's address will begin at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and can be seen on News 12 Long Island.