State lawmakers should return to Albany to take up bills meant to strengthen limousine safety in New York, State Senator Jim Tedisco said on Thursday.
Tedisco, a Republican who represents the suburbs of Albany, released a letter to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Governor Andrew Cuomo to hold the summertime session.
“With summer just getting into full swing, many New Yorkers will be renting limos for weddings, bachelor and bachelorette parties, and to avoid drinking and driving when going out socially with family and friends,” Tedisco said.
“Remember, if the individual doesn’t care who gets the credit, the group can achieve incredible results. It’s time to get back to session and put the limo safety laws on the books. Let’s get this done as soon as possible in memory of the victims and to prevent future tragedies.”
The state Senate approved a package of limousine safety bills that include new insurance requirements and a measure that would take unsafe limousines off the road as well as the requirement that rollbars be included in stretch limos.
The safety proposals were made after a crash last October of a stretch limo killed 20 people in Schoharie. The Assembly last week approved two bills that match what the Senate did: measures that require seat belts in new stretch limos starting January 2020 and an insurance measure.
The lack of agreement on the broader limo package did not sit well with Sen. Tim Kennedy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, who accused the Assembly of dropping the ball on the issue.
Heastie on Tuesday did not rule out approving further limousine safety legislation next year and rebuffed Kennedy’s comment, calling it unhelpful.