ALBANY, N.Y. — Farewell 2020 ...
With a new year comes new ideas and opportunities. This week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo will be sharing a host of his different ideas with New Yorkers during his annual State of the State address.
As New York continues to battle COVID-19, businesses and people are doing their best to stay afloat. With a budget in need of rescue, Cuomo has spent the last couple of weeks previewing proposals to help drive up revenue.
On Monday morning, the governor will share a host of those proposals he hopes will pass legislation.
For example, his proposal on legalizing adult-use marijuana. This will be Cuomo's third attempt at trying to legalize it.
Under his proposal, a brand new Office of Cannabis Management will be set up to help create new adult-use programs to run alongside the state's existing medical marijuana programs.
"I've supported it for years. I've tried, I've tried to pass it, but this is a year where we do need the funding and a lot of New Yorkers are struggling," Cuomo said during a news conference last week.
In addition, Cuomo's pushing a proposal that will legalize online sports betting, which is something he says can help drive revenue by ensuring that it goes directly to the state and not to casinos. Right now, many New Yorkers are leaving the state to cast their bets.
In a news release released by the governor's office he says, "New York has the potential to be the largest sports wagering market in the United States, and by legalizing online sports betting we aim to keep millions of dollars in revenue here at home, which will only strengthen our ability to rebuild from the COVID-19 crisis."
As one of the states that have set an example during this COVID pandemic, Cuomo is introducing several proposals that will enhance and modernize the state's health care system.
The governor has plans to update the Department of Health's Office of Professional Medical Conduct, expand access to telemedicine, and provide nurses faster access to SUNY and CUNY programs.
Cuomo says the goal of introducing these proposals is to boost New Yorker's confidence in the system, one that has shown itself to be disproportionate since the start of the pandemic.
According to the governor's website, other issues and concerns such as domestic violence will also be addressed.
The 2021 State of the State address starts at 11:30 a.m. Monday.