Capitol Watch: Tankers on the Hudson, tick trouble

(AP) In New York state government news, a new law aims to protect the Hudson River amid a rise in oil tanker traffic and a legislative report calls for greater action on tick-borne illness.
The 2017 legislative session may have ended months ago but Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo is still working his way through a long list of bills. Several were recently signed into law.
One new law authorizes the creation of “tanker-avoidance zones" on the Hudson River to restrict where oil tankers can anchor. The idea emerged after the U.S. Coast Guard proposed 10 anchorages along the Hudson for tankers traveling between Albany and New York City. Environmental groups as well as residents objected, raising safety and environmental concerns.
“An increase in petroleum tankers would pose a direct threat to coastal fish and wildlife, local drinking water, the safety of waterfront communities and economic development in our beautiful region," said Assemblywoman Didi Barrett, a Hudson Valley Democrat. “This is truly a victory for everyone who voiced their opposition to the Coast Guard's ill-advised proposal."
Another bill signed by Cuomo last week gives all children in foster care the right to ask to visit their siblings.
A third new law will add electronic cigarettes to the state's indoor smoking ban.
Earlier this month Cuomo signed legislation outlawing elephant performances at circuses and carnivals.