Democrats and Republicans alike say crime in New York needs to be addressed after an election season in which the issue dominated voters' minds.

But state lawmakers disagree on how to do it. 

State lawmakers returned to Albany for the start of the six-month legislative session on Wednesday. And while the year is new, the issues remain very much the same from an election season in which Gov. Kathy Hochul was criticized for the state's criminal justice policies.

In an interview on Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt said it's up to Hochul to push for the changes. 

"I think she traveled the state probably more than anybody and heard from voters on that issue, and so I think she's going to have to be the one to move the Legislature to do anything significant on cashless bail," Ortt said. 

For Republicans, reducing crime and strengthening public safety starts with the package of criminal justice law changes made in recent years.

Democrats, meanwhile, signaled they plan to take a more expansive approach beyond the hot-button issues like the law that ended cash bail requirements for many criminal charges, overhauling evidence discovery provisions and juvenile justice law changes.  

"We're listening to the real fears New Yorkers have about their communities and we understand perception is powerful," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins told lawmakers in her start-of-session address. "But we have to remember crime cannot be solved with a single solution. Public safety and justice can go hand and hand."

Public safety is once again emerging as another key issue facing New York officials after an election season in which voters consistently ranked crime as a top-tier concern for them. Hochul last year was able to win some changes to the bail law, which progressive advocates opposed and Republicans decried for not going far enough. 

Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay says the top priority remains the cashless bail law. 

"We have to go back and look at the so-called bail reform. We have to give judges discretion in some cases where it's a real risk to the community," Barclay said. "So that's our number one priority."

Democrats like state Senator Kevin Thomas, a Long Island lawmaker, contend Republicans are trying to frighten New Yorkers. 

"They like to scare everyone that the boogeyman is under your bed," he said. "We like to take a data-driven approach."

Democratic Senator Jeremy Cooney says the party is taking a more thoughtful approach, drawing in adjacent issues meant to address social and economic problems.  

"During my own campaign, we were hearing about public safety day in and day out," Cooney said. "We were struggling with issues with gun violence on our streets. It's important that we recognize how to handle crime or reduce crime is to get to root causes."

That includes addressing poverty and education in New York's communities, he added.

"We know the real issue is income," Cooney said. "We know that when you have a city like mine where 48% of the children are below the poverty line, that's a problem."