Long-stalled efforts to legalize marijuana in New York state gained new life Tuesday as state Senators signaled progress towards a tentative agreement — despite less-than-stellar assessments from those close to the talks.
The newfound public optimism came after days of fruitless negotiations that stalled over a series of seemingly intractable issues: Will local municipalities be able to opt out, how will the new tax money be spent and what protections are there against New Yorkers driving while stoned?
“We are very optimistic that were going to hit that magic number 32,” said bill sponsor, state Sen. Diane Savino (D–Staten Island), referring to the number of votes needed to pass a bill through the Senate.
“We’re just going to keep working toward a solution,” she said, telling reporters that lawmakers could stay in Albany until Friday to eke a measure through.
That’s two days beyond their self-imposed end of session Wednesday.
One critic of the current proposals, state Sen. Toby Ann Stavisky said she would keep an open mind until she saw the new language.
“I have misgivings … but let me take a look at it,” the Queens Democrat told The Post.
But details about what was driving the new public optimism were scarce Tuesday. And sources offered more gloomy predictions for the slow-moving negotiations.
“They’re still scrambling,” said one person familiar. “They’re still down votes.”
Another echoed that assessment.
“It’s alive, but it’s on life support,” said another.
The six Long Island Democrats representing potentially vulnerable state Senate seats in the 2020 election are all still opposed to legalizing pot this session, giving boosters little margin for error as they attempt to find the votes for the proposal.
Gov. Cuomo has said that taxes from legal pot would generate $300 million a year for state coffers.
On Tuesday he told WCNY Radio that “I don’t know” where legal pot stands in the legislature.
A June 10 Siena College poll found 55 percent of state voters support legal weed, while 40 percent are opposed. Younger, left-leaning voters were the most ardent backers, while conservative oldsters tend to oppose the measure, the poll found.
Meanwhile, state Senate sources signaled that the Democratic leadership has begun floating a possible plan B — passing a bill that would decriminalize marijuana, but stop short of full legalization.
Additional reporting by Max Jaeger