State lawmakers aren't ruling out a return to Albany for finishing up a legislative session that has been disrupted by a global pandemic.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday signaled he felt the Legislature's work wasn't done, days after they put the finishing touches on a state budget that will have to be re-adjusted throughout the year amid non-existent tax revenues and uncertainty surrounding continued federal support.
"As always, the Assembly stands ready to protect and provide for the well-being of all New Yorkers," Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said in a statement. "Last week we established a system for remote voting and we are on call to perform our constitutional duties as a co-equal branch of government. The Assembly is in recess (session is not over) at the call of the Speaker."
Under regular circumstances the Legislature was not scheduled to return until April 20.
The session, which usually stretches through the final week of June, this year is a one truncated one to fit the new political calendar of a June primary. It's due to conclude on June 2.
Lawmakers devised a method of remote voting and participation for the budget so that only a handful of people were in either the state Senate or Assembly chambers at a given moment. That could very well continue.
"The 2020 legislative session ought to continue to continue," Sen. James Skoufis wrote on Twitter, "remotely if necessary."