ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - A look at the biggest accomplishments- and notable failures - of the 2017 legislative session in New York state.
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Bills that passed:
COLLEGE TUITION: Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan will make public college tuition free to in-state students from families making up to $100,000, but the student must stay in the state after graduation for as many years as they received the help, or else they must pay the money back. The income threshold will rise to $125,000 over three years.
RAISE THE AGE: The state will end its practice of prosecuting and incarcerating 16- and 17-year-old non-violent offenders as adults.
MARRIAGE AGE: The minimum age of marriage will increase from 14 to 17, and 17-year-olds will need parental and judicial permission to wed.
UPSTATE UBER: The ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft will begin picking up passengers throughout upstate New York and Long Island on Thursday.
ADDICTION: The $153 billion state budget includes more than $200 million for prevention, treatment and recovery programs for heroin and opioid addiction.
SCHOOLS: The budget increases total spending on public education by $1.1 billion to $25.8 billion overall.
Bills that failed:
NYC SCHOOLS: Lawmakers couldn’t agree on a deal to extend Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio’s control of New York City schools. The 15-year-old policy expires Friday, and if lawmakers don’t return to Albany to strike a deal control of schools will revert to dozens of local community school boards, creating new bureaucracies and reducing centralized control.
CHILD VICTIMS ACT: A bill to loosen the statute of limitations on child sex crimes failed yet again. The proposal would give victims more time to file lawsuits or seek criminal charges but faces strong opposition from the Catholic Church and other institutions. The Assembly passed it but the Senate did not take it up.
ETHICS REFORMS: Another year, another failed effort by lawmakers to address Albany’s chronic corruption problem.
VOTING CHANGES: Following long lines and complaints in last year’s election Cuomo and several lawmakers proposed authorizing advance voting and easier registration but the ideas never got a vote.
ALCOHOL IN MOVIE THEATERS: Cuomo’s plan to permit movie theaters to serve alcohol failed after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie cited safety concerns.
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