The new Democratic leader of the New York state Senate says she wants to make a cap on local property tax increases permanent.

Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers announced her support Wednesday, the first day of the 2019 session and Stewart-Cousins’ first day as the Senate’s top lawmaker.

Republicans and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo already support legislation that would eliminate the need to periodically extend the cap, which is set at 2 percent or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

First imposed in 2012, the cap restricts how much local governments can increase property taxes without a special vote by local officials, or, in the case of schools, a vote by local residents. It was created as a way to encourage local governments to become more efficient.

(AP)