This weekend on In Focus, we’re looking back at this year’s New York State legislative session. JoDee Kenney sits down with Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes to talk about what she saw as the major bills that passed. Peoples-Stokes highlighted the passage of the Clean Slate Act, which would clear the criminal records of people who served their time in prison and become eligible. The majority leader said this would ensure that New Yorkers would not continue to be judged for past offenses and offers them a true second chance at life. Another bill passed this session creates a commission to consider reparations for New York’s role in the slave trade, in an effort to correct this historic injustice.

Peoples-Stokes talked about the state’s emerging cannabis industry, and the extension of cultivator and processor licenses to make sure farmers aren’t held accountable for the delays in the rollout of retail dispensaries. She said the Office of Cannabis Management is doing a good job, overall, and hailed the increased enforcement of illegal cannabis sales as part of this year’s budget agreement. When it comes to addressing New York’s housing crisis, Peoples-Stokes said the priority should be to build more homes, rather than enact narrower tenant protection laws. In addition to increasing available units, it would keep rent costs down and level the playing field. While housing legislation did not pass this session, she said future legislation should incentivize localities to participate in the process.

You can watch the full interview with Peoples-Stokes in the video player above. And be sure to tune in for a look inside the biggest issues impacting upstate New York, on In Focus with JoDee Kenney — every Sunday on Spectrum News 1.