Lawmakers Try To Put Brakes On Uber, Lyft

Long Islander News photo/Andrew Wroblewski
Local lawmakers are trying to put the brakes on Suffolk’s move to join the state initiative to legalize ride-sharing services, like Uber.

By Jano Tantongco
jtantongco@longislandergroup.com

Both county and state lawmakers are trying to put the brakes on a statewide initiative to legalize and regulate ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft.

Suffolk Legislator William “Doc” Spencer (D-Centerport) has called for a moratorium on Suffolk’s move to join the state plan just weeks after County Executive Steve Bellone gave the green light. The statewide implementation — which some counties were given the option to opt out of – is planned to begin June 29.

A bill that Spencer has co-sponsored is calling for the six-month moratorium, which would be used to re-examine the law and also attempt to renegotiate with the state.

Currently, Spencer said, the state’s plan would add a 4-percent tax on all rides initiated through ride-sharing services, and the entirety of that tax would go to the state.

Spencer instead wants the tax to be split between the state and county. He said the county’s half would be further split between law enforcement and maintenance, and transportation networks to accommodate increased load on infrastructure.

“I wanted to take a pause,” Spencer said, adding that he thinks the state “gave us kind of a bum deal.” “We pay out so much more than we receive.”

A separate bill introduced by Suffolk Legislator Leslie Kennedy (R-Nesconset) calls for the county to opt out entirely of the state’s plan to implement ride-sharing services — many of which already operate across Long Island; although not necessarily legally. Legislators’ attempts to fast-track that bill were struck down by Bellone at Tuesday’s meeting, according to published reports.

Uber spokeswoman Danielle Filson said in a statement emailed Wednesday she’s confident Suffolk will continue forward with plans to join the state’s plan.

Spencer also expressed concerns about a loophole in the state regulations that would allow level-one sex offenders to drive for ride-sharing companies. However, a bill passed through both houses of the state legislature on Tuesday would bar level-one offenders from the service, along with already banned level two and three offenders.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has 10 days to either sign the bill into law, or veto it.