Regular Session - March 12, 2014
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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
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4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 12, 2014
11 5:30 p.m.
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14 REGULAR SESSION
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18 SENATOR DAVID J. VALESKY, Acting President
19 FRANCIS W. PATIENCE, Secretary
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask everyone present to please
5 rise and recite with me the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: In the
9 absence of clergy, may we bow our heads in a
10 moment of silence.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: The
14 reading of the Journal.
15 The Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Tuesday,
17 March 11th, the Senate met pursuant to
18 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, March 10th,
19 was read and approved. On motion, Senate
20 adjourned.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: Without
22 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
23 Presentation of petitions.
24 Messages from the Assembly.
25 Messages from the Governor.
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1 Reports of standing committees.
2 Reports of select committees.
3 Communications and reports from
4 state officers.
5 Motions and regulations.
6 Senator Libous.
7 SENATOR LIBOUS: Thank you,
8 Mr. President.
9 At this time I would ask you to call
10 on the Democratic Leader, Senator Andrea
11 Stewart-Cousins.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: Senator
13 Stewart-Cousins.
14 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: Thank
15 you, Mr. President.
16 I rise today to just pay tribute to
17 a special guest who's visiting us: Donna
18 Zaccaro.
19 Donna, if you would rise.
20 This is Women's History Month. And
21 obviously we have an opportunity to pay tribute
22 to many great women throughout history, and
23 certainly women in New York State. Donna Zaccaro
24 is the daughter of a woman that most of us have
25 had the opportunity to know of and even meet in
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1 our lifetime. She's the daughter of Geraldine
2 Ferraro.
3 And as we know, Geraldine Ferraro
4 played a significant political role for women as
5 the daughter of immigrant parents who rose to be
6 the very first woman to be on a national ticket
7 as vice president in 1984.
8 I often tell the story of how when I
9 was a journalism student on election night in
10 1984, they sent me to cover Geraldine Ferraro and
11 Walter Mondale's election night. And how
12 thrilled I was, as were all of the reporters that
13 night, to be at this moment, regardless of the
14 results, with this historic, iconic figure who
15 not only worked with such great poise throughout
16 the campaign but certainly showed the attributes
17 of a true winner even on that devastating evening
18 for her.
19 Donna Zaccaro is going to be
20 presenting her film, which is a feature-length
21 documentary. I don't suppose any of us will get
22 to see it because it will be this evening at 6:30
23 in --
24 SENATOR LIBOUS: Now, Senator, you
25 never know.
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1 (Laughter.)
2 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: We might
3 be, okay. There you go. Hope springs eternal.
4 Senator Libous says that we might be able to get
5 there.
6 So should we get there, we will get
7 an opportunity to see footage about Geraldine
8 Ferraro that we've never seen. And it is a
9 powerful documentary -- which will be on
10 Showtime, I believe it is, later in the month and
11 for a whole month -- that will not only I believe
12 inform us, but inspire us, and certainly inspire
13 so many women who have yet to blaze new trails
14 but can be educated and informed by the life of
15 our great Geraldine Ferraro.
16 So I just wanted to welcome Donna
17 Zaccaro, wish you the very, very best of luck in
18 introducing your mother to generations of women
19 who did not have the privilege, and reminding us
20 who did the privilege how great she was.
21 Thank you very much.
22 (Standing ovation.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: Thank
24 you, Senator Stewart-Cousins.
25 Certainly a special welcome to
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1 Ms. Zaccaro. Welcome to the New York State
2 Senate chamber, and hope you're enjoying your day
3 here in Albany. Thank you.
4 Senator Libous.
5 SENATOR LIBOUS: Thank you,
6 Mr. President.
7 And like I always try to do, is
8 grant wishes for Senator Stewart-Cousins --
9 (Laughter.)
10 SENATOR LIBOUS: -- I would ask if
11 there's any further business at the desk.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: The desk
13 is clear, Senator Libous.
14 SENATOR LIBOUS: There being no
15 further business, I move that the Senate adjourn
16 until Thursday, March 13th, at 11:00 a.m.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT VALESKY: On
18 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
19 Thursday, March 13th, at 11:00 a.m.
20 (Whereupon, at 5:35 p.m., the Senate
21 adjourned.)
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