LET'S GET INTO MORE NEWS FROM THE WEEK NOW, INCLUDING A SURPRISE SESSION AT THE CAPITOL WITH THIS WEEK'S PANEL.

ASHLEY HUPFL IS FROM THE DAILY GAZETTE.

ELISE KLINE IS FROM LILY BROADCASTING.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE.

PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.

I WANT TO START WITH SOMETHING THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THE ASSEMBLY THIS WEEK.

IT'S THE SENECA GAMING COMPACT.

WE ACTUALLY COVERED IT ON THE SHOW ABOUT A MONTH AGO.

IT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL FOR THE SENECAS AND I THINK WESTERN NEW YORK, IN PARTICULAR.

ELISE, I WANT TO GO TO YOU ON THIS BECAUSE YOU COVERED IT A LOT, AND I KNOW SOME OF THE STATIONS THAT YOU AIR ON ARE RIGHT IN THAT AREA, TOO.

SO WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE WITH THE SENECA GAMING COMPACT?

WELL, SOME LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW CASINO IN ROCHESTER IS PRESENTING SOME CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF LAWMAKERS WANTING A FAIR COMPACT FOR THE SENECAS, AND I THINK THAT POSED A LOT OF CHALLENGES FOR SENATE MEMBERS GETTING ONBOARD.

I MEAN, THE SENATE ALREADY SIGNED IT OVER A WEEK AGO, BUT IT'S POSSIBLE THEY WILL HAVE TO COME BACK FOR A SPECIAL SESSION.

YEAH.

IT'S AN INTERESTING THING.

THE SENECA GAMING COMPACT, AS I WAS READING ON IT TO PREPARE FOR A SEGMENT FROM A COUPLE WEEKS BACK THAT I JUST MENTIONED, THIS WAS FIRST OR THE MOST RECENT ONE WAS 20 YEARS AGO.

SO IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS.

IF THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF THE ASSEMBLY DOESN'T COME BACK, THEN THE COMPACT EXPIRES.

IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS?

YES, IT EXPIRES THIS COMING DECEMBER.

AND SO YOU KNOW, THE SENATE AND ASSEMBLY COME BACK FOR THE ORIGINAL-- THEIR NEXT SESSION IN JANUARY.

I GUESS IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE-- SINCE IT'S DECEMBER 31ST, THEY COULD KICK IT TO THE LAST DAY OF SESSION, BUT IT'S PROBABLY MORE LIKELY THEY WILL COME BACK FOR A SPECIAL SESSION SINCE IT DOES EXPIRE IN DECEMBER.

SOME LAWMAKERS HAVE SAID THEY WILL BE CONFERENCING AND TALKING ABOUT IT IN THE OFF-SESSION SEASON.

DO WE KNOW WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES ARE IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN DECEMBER OR EARLY JANUARY?

NOT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THE CONSEQUENCES, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK IT COULD DEFINITELY POSE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND MORE, YOU KNOW, JUST PUSHBACK WITH THE SENECA AND STRAINING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SENECA AND THE STATE, WHICH IS ALREADY A CHALLENGE-- YEAH.

-- FOR-- IT'S ALREADY DIFFICULT FOR THEM AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE-- IT WOULD KIND OF FURTHER STRAIN THEIR RELATIONSHIP SHOULD THAT NOT GO THROUGH BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST.

RIGHT.

WHEN THEY CAME TO THE CAPITOL ABOUT A MONTH AGO, YOU COULD REALLY FEEL THE URGENCY OF THIS CONVERSATION WITH THEM.

THEY REALLY WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT IT AND REALLY MADE IT CLEAR IF THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN, IT WOULD BE REALLY DEVASTATING FOR SOME PARTS OF THEIR COMMUNITY.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO WATCH.

I MEAN, IF IT WERE UP TO ME, THE LAWMAKERS WOULD STAY AWAY AS LONG AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE-- [LAUGHTER] I JUST WANT A BREAK FROM SESSION RIGHT NOW.

BUT I IMAGINE IT THEY WILL HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS AT SOME POINT BECAUSE LETTING IT EXPIRE WOULD NOT BE A GOOD ONE FOR THEM, I DON'T THINK.

WHO KNOWS?

THE NEXT ONE THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, WHICH WASN'T AS MUCH OF A SURPRISE FOR ME IS THIS COVERAGE FOR ALL.

IT'S HEALTH COVERAGE FOR UNDOCUMENTED PEOPLE UNDER THE STATE'S ESSENTIAL PLAN.

IT IS NECESSARILY LEGAL.

IT'S REALLY UP TO THE STATES.

SOME LAWMAKERS SAY A WAIVER FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FEDS COULD PAY FOR IT.

BUT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.

THE ASSEMBLY DIDN'T PASS IT.

ASHLEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPEN THERE'D?

I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE.

WE HEARD TUESDAY FROM THE GOVERNOR, SHE WAS IN ALBANY, SOMEONE HAD ASKED ABOUT THIS AND SHE WAS PRETTY DEFINITE IN HER ANSWER OF LIKE, NO, THE FEDS SAID WE CAN'T DO THIS PARTICULAR THING WITH THIS POT OF MONEY AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT, AND I THINK THERE JUST WASN'T MUCH APPETITE TO GET IT DONE.

SOMETHING SO COMPLICATED AND CONTROVERSIAL.

AT THE END OF SESSION, THAT IS KIND OF PUSHBACK TO NEXT YEAR.

RIGHT.

IT IS CONTROVERSIAL.

I REMEMBER-- I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED, EITHER LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR BEFORE, SOMEWHERE DURING COVID, IT WAS A DIG DEAL.

I THINK THAT THERE WAS MORE MOMENTUM IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAN I SAW THIS YEAR.

THIS YEAR DIDN'T SEEM TO HAVE AS MUCH OF AN URGENCY A TAD WITH IT WITH THE ADVOCATES AS LAST YEAR.

THEY HAVE A FEW TIMES THIS YEAR.

BUT LAST YEAR, I FEEL THAT THE ENERGY WAS THERE FOR IT.

HAVE YOU SEEN POLITICS GETTING IN THE WAY OF THAT?

I MEAN, IMMIGRATION IS AN ISSUE THAT'S USUALLY ADDRESSED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.

WE HAVE SOME POWER OVER IT HERE, BUT WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT IMMIGRANTS, SOMETIMES THAT GETS A LITTLE POLITICAL.

I THINK OVERARCHING OVER ALL OF THIS IS THE MIGRANT CRISIS-- THE SO-CALLED MIGRANT CRISIS.

I THINK IF THAT WASN'T GOING ON AT THE SAME TIME, IF NEW YORK STATE WASN'T DEALING WITH THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY UNDOCUMENTED, BECAUSE THEY ARE.

THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, BUT THEY'RE DISPLACED.

THERE'S A LOT OF -- WE SAW A LOT OF CONFLICT BETWEEN UPSTATE AND NEW YORK CITY ABOUT WHERE TO HOUSE THESE PEOPLE AND THERE'S A LOT OF-- THERE'S A LOT OF CONFLICT GOING ON RIGHT THERE, AND I THINK THIS JUST KIND OF WAS MORE GASOLINE ON THE FIRE.

YEAH.

AND THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE, TOO, THAT HAS EXTREME URGENCY TO IT IN THE STATE, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WAS MUCH CONVERSATION AT THE CAPITOL ABOUT IT IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS OF SESSION.

IT SEEMS THERE WAS A LOT IN TERMS OF FROM THE GOVERNOR IN THE CONVERSATION BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THE LEGISLATURE WAS ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING INVOLVED.

I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING INTERESTING MOVING FORWARD.

WE SAW HOW IN THE STATE BUDGET HOW THEY KIND OF PROVIDE SOME AID FOR NEW YORK CITY.

I THINK IT WAS A BILLION DOLLARS.

IT WASN'T A SMALL POT OF MONEY, OF COURSE.

I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHERE THAT GOES NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF BUDGETING AND HOW THEY LOOK AT THIS, HOW ARE THEY GOING TO HOUSE THESE PEOPLE?

BECAUSE IN THEORY, THESE AREN'T PEOPLE GO WHO ARE GOING TO BE RETURNING TO THEIR COUNTRIES.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE STAYING IN NEW YORK.

INTERESTINGLY ON TOP OF THAT, WE DIDN'T HAVE HOUSING PASS THIS YEAR.

DO YOU THINK THAT GIVES HOUSING MORE URGENCY NEXT YEAR?

UM, I'M NOT SURE.

YEAH.

I THINK THE HOUSING ISSUE IN NEW YORK CITY IS PRETTY URGENT ALREADY.

YEAH.

[LAUGHTER] I WOULD SAY REALLY ANY URBAN CENTER AND RURAL AREAS, TOO.

WE COVERED ON THE SHOW A FEW YEARS AGO, LAKE PLACID HAD THIS REALLY BIG PROBLEM WITH AIRBNBS, ESSENTIALLY DISPLACING WHERE PEOPLE COULD LIVE.

THEY PUT A MORATORIUM ON IT.

AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.

I'M WONDERING IF THAT COMES INTO THE CONVERSATION.

BUT I WANT TO MOVE ON TO THE THIRD THING, A BILL THAT ACTUALLY DID PASS, CHALLENGING WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS ACT.

THIS IS A BILL THAT WOULD ALLOW DEFENDANTS OR PEOPLE CONVICTED OF A CRIME WHEN NEW NON-DNA EVIDENCE COMES UP, THEY COULD BRING IT UP TO THE JUDGE AND TRY TO GET THEIR CONVICTION OVERTURNED.

I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, ELISE, I DID NOT SEE THIS ONE PASSING.

I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE TOO CONTROVERSIAL.

YOU KNOW, ONE QUESTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE IS BOTH MAJORITIES IN THE LEGISLATURE SUPPORT IT, OBVIOUSLY, THEY PASSED IT.

THE BIGGER QUESTION NOW IS, WILL THE GOVERNOR SIGN IT?

DO WE HAVE ANY INDICATION?

I THINK SHE WILL SIGN IT.

I MEAN, SHE'S BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICIES IN THE PAST.

THEY PASSED CLEAN SLATE THIS YEAR WHICH WAS BIG.

I THINK THIS POLICY'S A LITTLE SIMILAR TO THAT.

I WOULDN'T-- I WOULD BE SURPRISED HONESTLY, IF SHE DOESN'T SIGN IT.

I THINK WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF SHE DOESN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THIS BILL, WHAT THE GOVERNOR DOES OFTEN WHEN THEY'RE DECIDING ON BILLS IS THEY DO SOMETHING CALLED THE CHAPTER AMENDMENT, WHICH FOR OUR AUDIENCE IS SOMETHING WHERE BASICALLY THEY SIGN THE BILL AND THEY AGREE TO CHANGE IT AT A LATER DATE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

THERE'S NOTHING REALLY FORMAL ABOUT IT.

IT'S ACTUALLY KIND OF STRANGE SOMETIMES TO WATCH.

SO WE'LL SEE IF THAT COMES UP.

THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE CRIMINAL JUSTICE MEASURES CENTERS AROUND POLITICS FOR ME IN SUCH BIG WAYS.

THIS IS A BILL THAT REPUBLICANS DID NOT SUPPORT BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN VERY AGAINST ALL THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM MEASURES THAT DEMOCRATS PASSED IN THE PAST FEW YEARS.

SO NEXT YEAR, IF THIS COMES UP AGAIN, EITHER IN AN AMENDED FORM, IF THE GOVERNOR VETOES IT OR THERE'S OTHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE MEASURES, I COULD SEE THAT KIND OF DYNAMIC PLAYING IN INTEREST AS WELL.

ASHLEY WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT IN AN ELECTION YEAR?

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT YEAR?

THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WAS GONNA BRING UP.

ONE IMPORTANT THING ON THESE CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES IS LAWMAKERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ELECTION, AND WE SAW-- I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME I WAS HERE.

WE SAW HOCHUL GET HAMMERED FROM HER REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE ON THESE ISSUES, ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND I CAN SEE HER BEING VERY SENSITIVE TO THIS KIND OF BILL, KNOWING THAT SHE CAN GET FLANKED BECAUSE OF IT AND YOU KNOW, IT'S-- IT IS A VERY BROAD BILL.

THERE IS SOME, I THINK, FAIR CRITICISM ABOUT IT OR CONCERNS-- SURE.

-- ABOUT IT.

FROM PROSECUTORS WHO SAY, IF YOU DO THIS, NO VERDICT IS EVER GOING TO BE DEFINITE EVER AGAIN.

RIGHT.

THERE'S AN ARGUMENT ABOUT WHETHER THAT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE.

BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW SHE HANDLES THIS.

I THINK IT COULD PASS THIS YEAR OR BE SIGNED THIS YEAR ONLY BECAUSE MAYBE SHE WANTS TO GET IT OUT OF THE WAY.

YEAH.

THAT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD POINT.

SHE COULD SIGN IT THIS YEAR.

LET THE KIND OF ROUGH NEWS CYCLE AROUND HER GO AND ESCAPE IT BY NEXT YEAR.

I MEAN, SHE HAS THE ADVANTAGE NEXT YEAR THAT SHE'S ACTUALLY NOT UP FOR RE-ELECTION AS GOVERNOR, BUT THE LEGISLATURE IS.

THIS COULD BE THE YEAR THAT KATHIE HOCHUL REALLY TRIES TO PUT IT TO 'EM, YOU KNOW.

[LAUGHTER] AND TRY TO PUT SOME PRESSURE ON BECAUSE FOR HER, THERE AREN'T REALLY ANY POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT NEXT YEAR.

ELISE, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF NEXT YEAR LOOKING AT THE CAPITOL?

I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST FULL LEGISLATIVE SESSION YOU COVERED HERE, RIGHT?

YES.

SO NEXT YEAR COULD BE MORE FUN OR LESS FUN.

[LAUGHTER] NEXT YEAR WILL DEFINITELY BE DIFFERENT IN THAT BECAUSE LAWMAKERS ARE UP FOR RE-ELECTION, THAT THEIR OPINIONS AND YOU KNOW, DECISIONS ON POLICIES MIGHT CHANGE AND THEIR EFFORTS TO PUSH FORBE SOME OF THOSE POLICIES MIGHT BE DIFFERENT, SO CONVERSATIONS IN THAT CONSEQUENCE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT WITH THE GOVERNOR.

THERE MIGHT BE MAYBE MORE HEATED CONVERSATIONS, MAYBE IT WILL GO A LITTLE EASIER.

I GUESS IT'S HARD TO SAY.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

THE GOVERNOR, SHE'S NOT UP FOR RE-ELECTION AND SHE DOESN'T HAVE THAT PRESSURE.

YEAH.

THE POLITICS OF NEXT YEAR, I THINK, ARE GOING TO BE FASCINATING BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN KATHIE HOCHUL AND THE LEGISLATURE CLASH BEFORE.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WHERE THEY MAY BE ABLE TO CLASH IN A WAY THEY HAVEN'T BEFORE.

SO WE WILL SEE, BUT WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

ASHLEY HUPFL FROM THE DAILY GAZETTE.

ELISE KLINE FROM LILY BROADCASTING, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.