New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie, a Democrat, is working to give convicts who have served their time a chance to start fresh with the Clean Slate Act. Myrie told Cheddar he was driven to sponsor the bill because of the 2.3 million New Yorkers living with criminal records, many of whom face difficulty in securing employment and access housing. He noted that while the program to expunge records would extend to most of those with felony and misdemeanor convictions, there would be carve-outs for violent or sexual offenses and other situational needs.