ALBANY, N.Y. -- State lawmakers are back at the Capitol for the final three weeks of the legislative session, but what can get done remains up in the air.

Reforming state contracting is a topic that came to the forefront after the arrests of a former top aide to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the ex-president of SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

"We're still looking to discuss that internally. I know the Senate has amended the bill. At some point, I'm going to sit down with the committee chair and we're going to figure out what we're going to do," said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx.

The measure is opposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who wants his own contracting cop on the beat. Heastie says he hopes he can strike a deal.

"I've always said the best way to go is to have a three-way agreement. That would be great," Heastie said. "We have three weeks left and in Albany speak that's an eternity. We'll see what happens.

The Republican-controlled Senate, meanwhile, kept a low profile on Monday, passing legislation aimed at tackling the spending mandates placed on local governments by Albany.

"The essence of this is we always talk about mandate relief. We need to demonstrate that we mean that. We want a moratorium on mandates, we want to review the mandates that exist that could be lifted," said state Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome.

The bill has long been favored by local governments who want relief from the costs imposed by state government they say drives up property taxes.

"Ultimately, any new mandate would be accompanied with new funding from the state of New York," Griffo said.

Then there are the advocates at the Capitol who push lawmakers and the governor toward their issues. On Monday, it was Kerry Kennedy, the ex-wife of the governor, who wants to see the passage of a bill designed to speed up the time a person accused of crime faces a trial. It's a measure inspired by the conditions at Rikers Island in New York City.

"We want the Senate to bring it to the floor and we want the governor to sign the bill because as we know justice delayed is justice denied," Kennedy said.

Hanging over it all is the extension of mayoral control of New York City schools. Democrats and Republicans are at odds over the details.