New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told reporters Tuesday that landmark legislation to reduce single-use packaging and plastic waste won’t get a vote during the legislative session that’s slated to end Thursday.
The demise of the “Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act” this session is yet another blow to environmental advocates after a bruising budget fight that rolled back the state’s ambitious climate law.
“There’s not enough votes to pass the bill,” Heastie told reporters when asked if he would bring it to the floor before the end of session this week.
The background: The bill, sponsored by Assemblymember Deborah Glick and state Sen. Pete Harckham, both Democrats, was first introduced in 2023. Last year, it passed the Senate but did not get a floor vote in the Assembly, leading to recriminations between advocates of the bill and Heastie.
