Via MMAMadness.com || Written by Samantha L. Johnson

The 2009 session for the New York State Assembly ended this morning at 2am (EST) before Bill 2009-B (the MMA Legislation bill) could make it to the Governors desk for approval.  With the session closed the bill will not be signed into law during the 2009 year; meaning any hopes of having an MMA event in the state of New York will have to be put on hold for at least another year. 

There is a slight chance the bill could come up during the emergency session called by Gov. Patterson; though with issues such as budget restructuring it's highly unlikely.  Even if, miraculously, the Senate approved the bill it would still have to pass through the House before making it to the desk of Patterson. 

Assemblyman Steve Englebright, House sponsor of 2009-B, regretfully explained, "Essentially, we just ran out of time." Now, the bill will have to be reprocessed through the House and onto the Senate in next year's session to be considered into law.  

“If a bill passes on the floor, it would just go back onto the floor calendar next year,” Englebright continued. “But since this bill didn’t make it to the floor yet, it has to automatically go back to the committee of origin, which really kind of stinks.”


Miss something? Questions? Comments? E-mail me: samantha.lynn.johnson@gmail.com