Politico: Mayor’s Worry

By: Nick Reisman

Municipal governments in New York fret a bill to expand the state’s wrongful death law will hurt their bottom lines.

Opponents are mounting a final push to get Hochul to veto the measure, which supporters have argued is necessary to update the state’s wrongful death statute by adding emotional anguish to the law.

But businesses, as well as local governments, continue to raise the same concerns they did with a previous version of the proposal. Hochul vetoed that bill; lawmakers this year passed a revised version

“If this bill becomes law, increased liability costs won't just drain resources from municipal services — small businesses and healthcare facilities that play a crucial role in local economies, providing jobs, and lifesaving services will be impacted too,” said Barbara Van Epps, the executive director of the New York Conference of Mayors.