Regular Session - January 8, 1997
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 January 8, 1997
11 12:04 p.m.
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14 REGULAR SESSION
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18 LT. GOVERNOR BETSY McCAUGHEY ROSS, President
19 STEPHEN F. SLOAN, Secretary
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 THE PRESIDENT: The Senate will
3 come to order.
4 Would everyone please rise and
5 join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (The assemblage repeated the
7 Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 THE PRESIDENT: The Most Reverend
9 Howard J. Hubbard, Bishop of the Roman Catholic
10 Diocese of Albany will lead us in prayer.
11 BISHOP HOWARD J. HUBBARD: Let us
12 pray.
13 Most loving and gracious Lord,
14 Who are the solstice of all wisdom, of all
15 knowledge, of all justice, we pray Your
16 blessings during this new year of 1997 upon all
17 the members of our New York State family. Today
18 we ask Your blessings upon the members of the
19 Senate of the state of New York. We ask that
20 You will grant to them the wisdom, the insight,
21 the understanding, the compassion they need as
22 they grapple with the critical matters of
23 education, welfare, human services and taxation,
24 which face the people of this, our Empire
25 State.
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1 Enlighten them with Your wisdom,
2 inspire them with Your spirit, so that they may
3 make decisions that are truly in accord with
4 Your will and that best serve the needs of Your
5 people. Enable them to be servants of the
6 people, men and women of integrity and
7 responsibility, committed to the common good,
8 and for all this we Pray, O Lord, in Your sacred
9 name. You Who live and reign both now and
10 forever and ever. Amen.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Amen.
12 The Chair now hands down a
13 message from the state Board of Elections, being
14 the official certification of the duly elected
15 members of the Senate and directs that the same
16 be filed. So ordered.
17 The Secretary will call the roll
18 to ascertain a quorum. Excuse me, Mr.
19 Secretary. I understand that all oaths of
20 office have already been filed with the
21 Secretary of the Senate? Yes.
22 The Secretary will call the roll
23 to ascertain a quorum.
24 THE SECRETARY: Senator Abate.
25 SENATOR ABATE: Present.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Senator Alesi.
2 SENATOR ALESI: Here.
3 THE SECRETARY: Senator Breslin.
4 SENATOR BRESLIN: Here.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senator Bruno.
6 SENATOR BRUNO: Here.
7 THE SECRETARY: Senator Connor.
8 SENATOR CONNOR: Here.
9 THE SECRETARY: Senator Cook.
10 SENATOR COOK: Here.
11 THE SECRETARY: Senator
12 DeFrancisco.
13 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Here.
14 THE SECRETARY: Senator
15 Dollinger.
16 SENATOR DOLLINGER: Here.
17 THE SECRETARY: Senator Farley.
18 SENATOR FARLEY: Here.
19 THE SECRETARY: Senator Gentile.
20 SENATOR GENTILE: Here.
21 THE SECRETARY: Senator Gold.
22 SENATOR GOLD: Here.
23 THE SECRETARY: Senator
24 Gonzalez.
25 (There was no response. )
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1 Senator Goodman.
2 (There was no response. )
3 Senator Hannon.
4 SENATOR HANNON: Here.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senator
6 Hoffmann.
7 SENATOR HOFFMANN: Here.
8 THE SECRETARY: Senator Holland.
9 SENATOR HOLLAND: Here.
10 THE SECRETARY: Senator Johnson.
11 SENATOR JOHNSON: Here.
12 THE SECRETARY: Senator Kruger.
13 SENATOR KRUGER: Here.
14 THE SECRETARY: Senator Kuhl.
15 SENATOR KUHL: Here.
16 THE SECRETARY: Senator Lachman.
17 SENATOR LACHMAN: Here.
18 THE SECRETARY: Senator Lack.
19 SENATOR LACK: Present.
20 THE SECRETARY: Senator Larkin.
21 SENATOR LARKIN: Present.
22 THE SECRETARY: Senator LaValle.
23 SENATOR LAVALLE: Present.
24 THE SECRETARY: Senator Leibell.
25 (There was no response. )
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1 Senator Leichter.
2 SENATOR LEICHTER: Present.
3 THE SECRETARY: Senator Levy.
4 SENATOR LEVY: Present.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senator Libous.
6 SENATOR LIBOUS: Present.
7 THE SECRETARY: Senator Maltese.
8 Senator Maltese excused.
9 Senator Marcellino.
10 SENATOR MARCELLINO: Present.
11 THE SECRETARY: Senator Marchi.
12 SENATOR MARCHI: Present.
13 THE SECRETARY: Senator
14 Markowitz.
15 SENATOR MARKOWITZ: Present.
16 THE SECRETARY: Senator Maziarz.
17 SENATOR MAZIARZ: Present.
18 THE SECRETARY: Senator Meier.
19 SENATOR MEIER: Present.
20 THE SECRETARY: Senator Mendez.
21 SENATOR MENDEZ: Present.
22 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Bruno, a
23 quorum is present.
24 SENATOR BRUNO: Thank you.
25 THE PRESIDENT: The Chair hands
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1 down a communication from the Governor.
2 THE SECRETARY: Senator
3 Stafford.
4 SENATOR STAFFORD: Do we have a
5 resolution, Madam President? Sorry. Go ahead.
6 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
7 will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Dear Madam
9 President: I would appreciate the privilege of
10 appearing before your honorable bodies in joint
11 session on Wednesday, January 8, 1997, at 1:00
12 p.m., or as soon thereafter as may be
13 convenient, to deliver personally my annual
14 message to the Legislature.
15 Sincerely, George E. Pataki.
16 THE PRESIDENT: Senator
17 Stafford.
18 SENATOR STAFFORD: Madam
19 President, it's indeed an honor and a pleasure
20 for me to hand up the first resolution for the
21 1978 -- excuse me '98 -- '97-98 -- whatever. I
22 ask that the resolution be read. Thank you.
23 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
24 will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: By Senator
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1 Stafford, Senate Resolution providing for the
2 election of Joseph L. Bruno as Temporary
3 President of the Senate for the years 1997
4 through 1998.
5 SENATOR GOLD: Madam President.
6 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Gold.
7 SENATOR GOLD: Madam President,
8 if it was 1978, maybe I could vote for that, but
9 for the good of 1997, I want to offer a
10 substitute resolution, and have an opportunity
11 to speak on it.
12 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
13 will read.
14 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Gold,
15 Senate Resolution providing for the election of
16 Martin Connor as Temporary President of the
17 Senate for the years 1997 through 1998.
18 SENATOR GOLD: O.K. Madam
19 President. Usually when I've had the occasion
20 to do these in the past, I think I've done it
21 with -- start with a little humor and, to tell
22 you the truth, this year I feel it's a little
23 more serious because I really do think, based
24 upon the legislative history of the last few
25 years, that there is a time for new leadership
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1 in this house, a leadership which obviously
2 brings respect for us as members, respect for
3 our needs and certainly an appreciation of the
4 work of each of us as members.
5 We all have constituencies, and
6 we owe that constituency our loyalty, our
7 dedication, our hard work -- and we do that -
8 our best efforts. A leader really has more than
9 that. He has a constituency at the local level
10 which is obvious. He's got statewide concerns,
11 but also is responsible to us as a constituency,
12 and that responsibility is to see to it that
13 basically we can do our work, do it in an
14 atmosphere of equity and fairness. Tell you the
15 truth, maybe stop what we've had as Senatoring
16 by slogan and get to start substituting
17 substance for press.
18 I would suggest that Bishop
19 Hubbell* (should be Hubbard) said we should
20 start with wisdom and insight and I believe that
21 if we take the opportunity this year to make
22 Senator Connor our leader, that is something
23 which we can look forward to. Senator Connor is
24 not only knowledgeable and articulate, bright,
25 but he's an individual who is practical, and
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1 he's someone who has brought equity and respect
2 to the Democratic Conference in this Senate and
3 he can do that for the Senate in general, and I
4 offer that to you.
5 I think that, with the help of
6 the press, we might be able to stop legislation
7 by slogans, by press release and get down to
8 real substance. People are sick of hearing
9 about property tax relief. They want to see
10 it. They're sick of seeing -- hearing about
11 fiscal responsibility. They want to see it, and
12 real legislative reform means respect for every
13 member in this chamber.
14 With this in mind, Madam
15 President, it is with a great deal of pride and
16 certainly from my point considered a great honor
17 to ask this body to elect Martin Connor as our
18 next President Pro Tem.
19 THE PRESIDENT: On the substitute
20 resolution offered by Senator Gold, all those in
21 favor signify by saying aye.
22 (Response of "Aye.")
23 Opposed nay.
24 (Response of "Nay." )
25 The nays have it. The resolution
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1 is defeated.
2 Senator Stafford.
3 SENATOR STAFFORD: Thank you,
4 Madam President.
5 I, for the first time in my
6 legislative career, I'll have to disagree with
7 Senator Gold, and I'm sure it won't be the
8 last.
9 Your Excellency, it's a pleasure
10 to see you here again this year, and it is an
11 honor for me to rise and to support the
12 resolution nominating Joseph L. Bruno President
13 Pro Tem and Majority Leader of the New York
14 State Senate.
15 This past fall after I'd run a
16 number of times -- I mentioned this earlier this
17 year -- I was in a gathering and someone came up
18 to me and said, "You know, you're fortunate, you
19 don't have to play up to people. You don't have
20 to say what they want to hear. You don't have
21 to curry favor." Someone else walked over to me
22 and said, "He can do it the best of anybody I've
23 ever seen," and now you're all about to see it
24 again.
25 Joe Bruno has worked with all of
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1 us. He's become close to all of us. You'll
2 hear it today from me in this very short
3 presentation. However, we do go back, but it
4 was during this past two years I was called in
5 to -- called in, not invited, summoned as a
6 Majority Leader can do because when he or she is
7 a Majority Leader, they can do it, and we talked
8 for a few minutes. I knew there was something
9 else, and we talked for a few minutes and he
10 said to me, "You know, when I sat back there on
11 that back bench," he said, "I was told by a
12 Senator who had been here longer than I, that,
13 you know, Joe, you sort of lost -- sometimes
14 you've lost your bearings a bit, sometimes
15 you're a bit too direct. Sometimes you speak
16 your mind, sometimes, you know, you know what
17 I'm trying to say and you know you don't lose
18 sight of the fact that you're here to win
19 friends and influence people."
20 So I thought a minute. He told
21 me who it was. I said, "Yes, but look where you
22 are now and look where that Senator is." The
23 Senator no longer is here who said it to him,
24 was defeated, and he's Majority Leader. Yet I
25 took to heart what he said.
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1 What I'm trying to say is he's
2 worked with every one of us, on the big issues
3 and on personal issues. He lives this place and
4 that was an example.
5 I'm going to be a bit
6 presumptuous, but I said a number of things last
7 year when I was talking. I left out one point
8 that I had felt bad about for two years. I say
9 it very quickly. When I got here in December of
10 1965 at the organization luncheon that I hadn't
11 taken office yet, I was told that we were going
12 to have reapportionment, one man, one vote,
13 1964, and we were going to have new districts
14 and I was going to be put in with an incumbent.
15 You talk about the tide ebbing and flowing. It
16 was ebbing, my friends, for me and I would not
17 be here today if I had not been put in a
18 district where I was with Joe Bruno and him
19 supporting me in 1966 and making it possible for
20 me to serve. I left it out inadvertently last
21 year, and I say it heartfelt this year.
22 I said a number of things two
23 years ago that I did include obviously, and I
24 said that we had a leader who did know how to
25 work, that came from a working family, who came
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1 here with his values, had been successful in
2 business, had done well in whatever he'd done.
3 He'd been president of his Young -- he'd been
4 president of the New York State Young
5 Republicans, the New York State JCs. I've been
6 in business with him, I've been on his board in
7 a public corporation, but I said he would do the
8 job, and I said he would do it well and, my
9 friends, I mentioned de Tocqueville, he quotes
10 or he mentions in his writings "the habit" and I
11 said, the habit he was talking about was the
12 habit of taking responsibility for one's actions
13 and if people do not do that, then we will not
14 have self-government, and Joe Bruno does take
15 the responsibility and he is -- he is a leader.
16 I said he'd be a valuable partner
17 to our new Governor, and he has been and they
18 both have done such a tremendous job. Just for
19 example, losing 500,000 jobs the last ten years
20 before the last two years, now gaining over
21 100,000, and I could go on and on, what's been
22 done in the partnership with Joe Bruno and
23 George Pataki.
24 This is probably the most
25 important thing I did say, and I'll say it
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1 again. He came here at a relatively older age.
2 He's got younger as you can see, but he
3 established his values. He knew what he stood
4 for, and he had his own parameters and he spoke
5 out. He meant what he said. Nothing was
6 personal, but he had these values and, as I say,
7 he stood for something and he did it at times at
8 personal and political sacrifice, but that's why
9 he's where he is today. He's done such a
10 tremendous job.
11 I mentioned Dante last year, who
12 said, quote, Those who were loathe from living
13 to be either blamed or praised, close quote and
14 then he suggested that they deserve worse than
15 the lowest depths. But this gentleman takes a
16 position, he stands there, he leads, he takes
17 the consequences and he's always there and every
18 one of us in the state of New York is better for
19 Joseph L. Bruno, and I hereby support and
20 nominate this gentleman for 1997-98 President
21 Pro Tem, Majority Leader of the New York State
22 Senate.
23 Thank you. (Applause)
24 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
25 Senator Stafford.
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1 The question is on the
2 resolution. All those in favor signify by
3 saying aye.
4 (Response of "Aye.")
5 Opposed nay.
6 (Response of "Nay." )
7 THE PRESIDENT: The resolution is
8 adopted, and the Chair states for the record
9 that Senator Joseph L. Bruno has been elected
10 Temporary President of the Senate for the years
11 1997 to 1998. Senator Bruno, I'd like to
12 administer the oath of office.
13 Raise your right hand. Do you
14 solemnly swear to support the Constitution of
15 the United States of America, the Constitution
16 of the state of New York and faithfully
17 discharge the duties of the office of Temporary
18 President of the Senate of the state of New York
19 to the best of your ability?
20 SENATOR BRUNO: I do.
21 THE PRESIDENT: Congratulations.
22 You are now the Temporary President.
23 (Standing ovation. )
24 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Bruno.
25 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
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1 Bishop Hubbard, my colleagues here in the
2 Senate: A special word of thanks to Senator Ron
3 Stafford for the very, very kind and generous
4 words, and Ron and I do go back a lot more years
5 than he can remember. He demonstrated that
6 here; but he does say the nicest things and he
7 does the best things on behalf of his
8 constituency and the people of this state. And,
9 Ron, I thank you very much for your support and
10 for your friendship that we have had over the
11 years.
12 I also want to thank Senator Gold
13 for indicating and proving in this environment
14 that we are truly a body that deliberates and
15 anyone can say anything they please and they
16 don't have to be right. (Laughter).
17 And I want to say a special word
18 of congratulations to my colleague, my really
19 friend, Senator Marty Connor, newly elected
20 Minority Leader. I want to wish him well, and I
21 want to make a commitment to him that we will do
22 our best to keep him in that position over the
23 years.
24 We have spent the last two years,
25 many of us, together. We have some new additions
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1 to the house, and I want to congratulate Senator
2 Ray Meier, who is here from Utica (applause),
3 and next to him Senator Neil Breslin from Albany
4 (applause) and Senator Vincent Gentile from
5 Brooklyn (applause), who joined us here, Olga,
6 and David Rosado is also here from the Bronx and
7 John Sampson, we have met before, from
8 Brooklyn. Thank you. Thank you.
9 In the last two years, those of
10 us who were here did a lot of great things on
11 behalf of the people of this state, spent two
12 years together. We can be proud of the things
13 that we did together, and we do things together
14 whatever side of the aisle that we're on because
15 we really do nothing unless we do it together.
16 We changed the way we function in this chamber
17 over the last two years. We're more efficient;
18 we're more professional. We're more business
19 like. I believe we're much more productive than
20 we have ever been here in this chamber, and we
21 started -- Ron mentioned that we cut back since
22 we did a lot of good things in partnership with
23 our great Governor George Pataki. We're going
24 to hear a message from the Governor very
25 shortly, a message that will look us forward and
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1 take us forward, and we will be proud to partner
2 with him in continuing the good work that we are
3 doing on behalf of the people of this state.
4 We have some issues that will
5 come before us this year, and they are going to
6 be difficult issues and, Bishop Hubbard, you
7 said it right and we need God's prayers and we
8 need people's support and we need their prayers
9 because, while we will have differences of opin
10 ion, all of us in this chamber are well inten
11 tioned. We're trying to do what's right on be
12 half of the people in this state and our
13 constituencies.
14 None of us in this chamber are
15 trying to hurt anybody in this state. We are
16 working to try and improve the quality of life
17 for all New Yorkers, all New Yorkers, and we
18 will do that in conjunction with the Assembly,
19 with the Governor as we go forward. We do have
20 some difficult issues, and I'm going to appeal
21 to my colleagues here, in the other house, to
22 the leadership, to the Governor, that we engage
23 in the debate on these issues sooner rather than
24 later, in January and in February and in March,
25 so that we can strive to resolve our differences
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1 and go forward with a budget on time on April
2 1st, and some of the most difficult issues that
3 we have to deal with, in welfare reform and
4 budget reform and property tax reform, energy
5 costs that are still too high, just to name a
6 few.
7 We can resolve our differences
8 and we can resolve them in February and in March
9 and I've said this before, and I will keep
10 saying it. There isn't anything that we can't
11 agree on by April 1st that we can agree on in
12 July, August, September, as long as anyone wants
13 to stay here, but this process is one that we
14 cannot come to a positive conclusion with a
15 budget or with any other important matters
16 unless we have the Assembly and the Senate
17 functioning together.
18 So my pledge to all of you here
19 and to the people of this state is that we will
20 do our best to discuss the issues, debate the
21 issues, do it honestly, do it openly and sooner
22 rather than later, so that we can get on with
23 our business in serving the constituency of this
24 state, and I am proud to be a partner with our
25 Governor George Pataki.
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1 He has provided the leadership in
2 these last two years that has turned this state
3 around. We're looking upward, we're looking
4 forward, and we're looking into the 21st Century
5 with great optimism, and I look forward to the
6 next two years in working in conjunction with
7 this Governor and with you in serving your
8 constituency and mine and all the people of this
9 state.
10 So I can't say thank you enough
11 to my colleagues who helped me in the leadership
12 roles: Senator Dean Skelos, who is my deputy
13 here and who sits in the chamber, and certainly
14 Ron Stafford who takes the responsibility, and
15 Senator Owen Johnson, a lot of the people that
16 have taken leadership positions with me,
17 Senators Velella and Spano and Libous, and I'm
18 remiss in that I will miss some and be in
19 trouble, but I want to say thank you for the
20 trust, for the confidence and the support that
21 you give me, and we will need your continuous
22 faith and prayers and support as we go forward
23 over these next two years to serve our mutual
24 constituency.
25 Thank you very much.
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1 (Applause)
2 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
3 Senator Bruno.
4 I would also like to acknowledge
5 that we have received a communication from the
6 Senate Democratic Conference which I will read:
7 It is with great pleasure that the members of
8 the Senate Democratic Conference inform you that
9 Senator Martin Connor was elected on December
10 3rd, 1996 as Minority Leader of the state Senate
11 and request that this communication be entered
12 into the Journal of Wednesday, January 8, 1997.
13 (Applause)
14 Senator Connor.
15 SENATOR CONNOR: Thank you, Madam
16 President.
17 Madam President, Bishop Hubbard,
18 first my congratulations to my friend and
19 colleague, Senator Bruno, with whom I have
20 disagreed many times and who has disagreed with
21 me many times without ever either of us being
22 disagreeable, and I think that's important to
23 remember as we go forward in this session and
24 face so many contentious issues.
25 Senator Gold, thank you for your
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1 gracious remarks and your efforts and I know,
2 Madam President with her acute sense of hearing,
3 recognized that there were more Ayes for that
4 substitute resolution and less Noes than when we
5 did it all two years ago.
6 In that context, I do want to
7 join in welcoming the new members on our side,
8 Senator Breslin and Senator Gentile, Senator
9 Sampson and Senator Rosado, and also to Senator
10 Meier who joins us on the other side of the
11 aisle.
12 Madam President, I think it's
13 important that we always remember that we're
14 here to do the people's business and that most
15 of our citizens really don't think there's a
16 Republican or a Democratic way to solve our
17 problems and they send us here in faith, each of
18 us as an individual representing a constituency
19 and that we will reason together, argue together
20 and hopefully arrive at a reasonable solution to
21 all the problems we face.
22 If there's anything I've observed
23 in the years I've been here, and I don't go back
24 as far as Senator Stafford when, in 1965, I was
25 I think a Sophomore in college -- I'm sorry
24
1 about that, Ron -- but I have been here a number
2 of years, and there has been a tendency
3 regrettably -- and I don't lay blame on any
4 particular individual, him or perhaps either
5 house or -- or institution of government,
6 whether it be executive or legislative -- but
7 there has been a general tendency, in my
8 opinion, to over-politicize on partisan bases,
9 many, many issues. Indeed some months it seems
10 like every issue is a partisan issue and, if a
11 Democrat says yes, the Republicans have to say
12 no, and vice versa, and that's not good for the
13 commonweal, and it's not good for us as
14 colleagues, and it's not good for this
15 institution we all serve and love because it's
16 the people's institution and it doesn't belong
17 to any one political party any more than good
18 ideas belong to any one political party, and I
19 would ask us sometimes when we are tempted to
20 take that big step forward and run to the
21 partisan barricade, so to speak, that we step
22 back a little bit and think what's the problem
23 with giving someone in the other party credit
24 for a good idea? What's the problem with
25 treating a colleague with respect? We are all
25
1 elected by approximately the same number of
2 constituents all of whom have the right to be
3 respected in their choice and, if they chose a
4 colleague that you don't like because it's not
5 from your party, that's no reason to disrespect
6 that choice that the voters made.
7 In that spirit, I pledge to all
8 of you, certainly my colleagues in the
9 Democratic Conference who I all thank for your
10 faith and trust once again in me, but to all of
11 you, that we shall attempt to go forward on that
12 basis. That doesn't mean, Madam President, we
13 shall not have philosophical differences; we
14 shall not disagree about priorities or
15 solutions. We have in the past and I expect we
16 will continue to, and we will argue that out
17 hopefully, though, in a framework in this body,
18 in a framework of collegiality and respect for
19 divergent and different views.
20 Senator Bruno talked about some
21 issues coming up. I once again say on behalf of
22 this Conference, we have our priorities. We
23 have values which we respect -- jobs, justice
24 and the future.
25 That means education is a
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1 priority to the future of our state and for its
2 economic health in the future as well as the
3 well-being of those who will be our adult
4 citizens in the near future.
5 That means respect for those
6 elderly and those who require a quality health
7 care system, that we uphold that. That's a
8 value. That's a New York value. That's an
9 American value. That also means that we work
10 together to create jobs, good jobs with health
11 insurance, with benefits and, while some steps
12 have been taken on a bipartisan basis to bring
13 that about, we have in the past differed about
14 the best way to cut taxes -- cut taxes.
15 We, in this body, have offered
16 alternatives to suggestions you have made. We
17 are happy to see the focus now on local taxes,
18 property taxes, because we have identified and
19 argued for the past several years that local
20 property taxes were the biggest deterrent to
21 business growth in New York and the biggest
22 injustice to our citizens who had to pay those
23 taxes.
24 And when we talk about jobs, we
25 give credit where credit is due. In Governor
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1 Pataki's first months, New York State experi
2 enced a 1.8 percent growth in jobs. Over
3 118,000 new jobs were created, and we applaud
4 that. We regret that it doesn't measure up to
5 the prior 22 months before Governor Pataki
6 became governor, when New York created 156,000
7 new jobs out at a 2.2 percent growth rate.
8 So we're ready to work with the
9 Governor, Majority in this house and whatever.
10 We think some of our ideas are better and we
11 look at hopefully encouraging you to join us in
12 some programs that will get us back to that 2.2
13 percent job growth because the last 22 months
14 haven't been as bad as a loss, have been
15 "better", as they say, "than a sharp stick in
16 the eye" but they haven't measured up to our
17 past experience.
18 So with that said, Madam
19 President, I look forward to a year where in the
20 spirit of cooperation, we do advance solutions
21 and programs to meet some of our common goals.
22 Thank you very much.
23 (Applause)
24 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
25 Senator Connor.
28
1 Senator Bruno.
2 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
3 we're handing up a resolution and ask that it be
4 passed immediately.
5 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
6 will read it.
7 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
8 Senate Resolution that Stephen F. Sloan, of
9 Guilderland, New York, be and hereby is elected
10 Secretary of the Senate for the years 1997
11 through 1998.
12 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
13 on the resolution. All those in favor signify
14 by saying aye.
15 (Response of "Aye.")
16 Opposed nay.
17 (There was no response. )
18 The resolution is adopted, and
19 the Chair states for the record that Stephen F.
20 Sloan has been elected Secretary of the Senate
21 for the years 1997 to 1998, and it's my pleasure
22 to administer the oath of office to him.
23 Do you solemnly swear to support
24 the Constitution of the United States and the
25 Constitution of the state of New York and
29
1 faithfully discharge the duties of the office of
2 Secretary of the Senate of the state of New
3 York, to the best of your ability?
4 MR. SLOAN: I do.
5 THE PRESIDENT: Our Secretary,
6 ladies and gentlemen.
7 (Applause)
8 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
9 we hand up another resolution, ask that you read
10 the title and that we move its immediate
11 passage.
12 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
13 will read.
14 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
15 Senate Resolution that Pauline E. Williman be
16 and hereby is elected the Official Stenographer
17 of the Senate for the years 1997 through 1998.
18 THE PRESIDENT: On the
19 resolution, all in favor please signify by
20 saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 Opposed nay.
23 (There was no response. )
24 The resolution is adopted.
25 Congratulations, Miss Williman.
30
1 (Applause)
2 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
3 I hand up another resolution, ask that the title
4 be read and move for its immediate adoption.
5 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
6 will read.
7 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
8 Senate Resolution that John P. Everhardt be and
9 hereby is elected Sergeant-at-Arms Emeritus of
10 the Senate for the years 1997 through 1998 and
11 that William C. Martin be and hereby is elected
12 Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate for the years
13 1997 through 1998.
14 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
15 on the resolution. All in favor signify by
16 saying aye.
17 (Response of "Aye.")
18 Opposed nay.
19 (There was no response. )
20 The resolution is adopted.
21 Congratulations, Mr. Everhardt and Mr. Martin.
22 (Applause)
23 Senator Bruno.
24 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
25 we now hand up a concurrent resolution and ask
31
1 that it be immediately adopted.
2 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
3 will read.
4 THE SECRETARY: The Assembly sent
5 for concurrence Assembly Concurrent Resolution
6 Number 7. Senator Bruno moves to substitute
7 Assembly Concurrent Resolution Number 7.
8 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
9 on the resolution. All in favor signify by
10 saying aye.
11 Oh, is there a substitution
12 ordered? The substitution is ordered. The
13 Secretary will read the title, please.
14 THE SECRETARY: Assembly
15 Resolution Number 7, Concurrent Resolution with
16 the Senate and Assembly, providing for a joint
17 assembly for the purpose of receiving a message
18 from the Governor at 1:00 p.m. today.
19 THE PRESIDENT: On the
20 resolution, all in favor signify by saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 Those opposed nay.
23 (There was no response. )
24 The resolution is adopted.
25 Senator Bruno.
32
1 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
2 we offer up another resolution, ask you to read
3 its title and move for its immediate adoption.
4 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
5 will read.
6 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
7 Senate Resolution: Resolved that the President
8 appoint a committee of two to inform the
9 Governor of the election of Joseph L. Bruno as
10 Temporary President of the Senate for the years
11 1997 through 1998 and that the Senate is
12 organized and ready to proceed with business and
13 will meet with the Assembly in the Assembly
14 Chamber at 1:00 p.m., to receive the Governor's
15 message.
16 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
17 on the resolution. All in favor signify by
18 saying aye.
19 (Response of "Aye.")
20 Those opposed nay.
21 (There was no response. )
22 The resolution is adopted. The
23 Chair appoints Senators Nozzolio and Breslin to
24 wait upon the Governor for the purpose of
25 notifying him that the Senate is ready to
33
1 proceed.
2 Senator Bruno.
3 SENATOR BRUNO: And Madam
4 President, we hand up another resolution, ask
5 you to read its title and move for its immediate
6 adoption.
7 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
8 will read.
9 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
10 Senate Resolution: Resolved that the President
11 appoint a committee of two to wait upon the
12 Assembly and inform that body of the election of
13 Joseph L. Bruno as Temporary President of the
14 Senate for the years 1997 through 1998, and that
15 the Senate is organized and ready to proceed
16 with business and will meet jointly with the
17 Assembly in the Assembly Chamber at 1:00 p.m. to
18 receive the Governor's message.
19 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
20 on the resolution. All those in favor signify
21 by saying aye.
22 (Response of "Aye.")
23 Opposed nay.
24 (There was no response. )
25 The resolution is adopted. Chair
34
1 appoints Senators Larkin and Gentile to wait
2 upon the Assembly -- to wait upon the Assembly?
3 -- to wait upon the Governor and inform that
4 the Senate is ready to proceed.
5 Senator Bruno.
6 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
7 I believe we are joined by Assemblymen Farrell
8 and Faso, and I believe they have a message from
9 the Assembly.
10 ASSEMBLYMAN FASO: Madam
11 President, for the Assembly, this is Assemblyman
12 Faso, and Assemblyman Farrell to inform the
13 Senate that we have elected the Honorable
14 Sheldon Silver, Speaker, and that we stand ready
15 to wait upon the Senate in joint session with
16 the Governor.
17 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Bruno.
18 SENATOR BRUNO: And Madam
19 President, we will offer up another resolution,
20 ask that the title be read and move for its
21 immediate adoption.
22 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
23 will read.
24 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
25 Senate Resolution providing the rules of the
35
1 Senate for the years 1996 as last amended be
2 adopted as the rules of the Senate for the years
3 1997 through 1998.
4 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
5 on the resolution.
6 SENATOR CONNOR: Madam
7 President. Madam President, with the
8 understanding that the Minority could at this
9 time offer amendments to, we believe, improve
10 these rules, because of the exigencies of today,
11 the time exigencies, we just -- we consent to
12 this with the usual understanding that at a
13 later date the Minority may offer amendments to
14 these rules for consideration.
15 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
16 Senator Connor.
17 The question is on the
18 resolution. All those in favor signify by
19 saying aye.
20 (Response of "Aye.")
21 Opposed nay.
22 (There was no response. )
23 The resolution is adopted.
24 Senator Bruno.
25 SENATOR BRUNO: Madam President,
36
1 we have another resolution, and we would ask
2 that we move for its immediate adoption.
3 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
4 will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
6 Senate Resolution providing for the hours of
7 meeting by the Senate for the years 1997 through
8 1998.
9 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
10 on the resolution. All those in favor signify
11 by saying aye.
12 (Response of "Aye.")
13 Opposed nay.
14 (There was no response. )
15 The resolution is adopted.
16 SENATOR BRUNO: And Madam
17 President, I believe we have a privileged
18 resolution by Senator Seward. I would ask that
19 the title be read and move for its immediate
20 adoption.
21 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
22 will read.
23 THE SECRETARY: By Senator
24 Seward, Legislative Resolution honoring Anne
25 Eves upon the occasion of her retirement as
37
1 Commissioner of the Cortland County Board of
2 Elections.
3 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
4 on the resolution. All those in favor signify
5 by saying aye.
6 (Response of "Aye.")
7 Opposed nay.
8 (There was no response. )
9 The resolution is adopted.
10 SENATOR BRUNO: And I believe,
11 Madam President, that I have a privileged
12 resolution at the desk. Ask that the title be
13 read and move for its immediate adoption.
14 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary
15 will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: By Senator Bruno,
17 Legislative Resolution congratulating the
18 Waterford High Boys Soccer Team and Coach
19 Patrick Udeh upon the occasion of their captur
20 ing the New York State Class D Championship.
21 THE PRESIDENT: The question is
22 on the resolution. All those in favor please
23 signify by saying aye.
24 (Response of "Aye.")
25 Opposed nay.
38
1 (There was no response. )
2 The resolution is adopted.
3 SENATOR BRUNO: And, Madam
4 President, our work being done for this day and
5 our organizational and procedural which have
6 been adopted, I would now recommend that we move
7 to the Assembly Chambers where we will hear the
8 State of the State from our esteemed Governor
9 George Pataki at 1:00 p.m. sharp, and I would
10 move at this time that we adjourn until January
11 13, Monday, at 3:00 p.m., intervening days to be
12 legislative days.
13 THE PRESIDENT: The Senate will
14 now proceed to the Assembly Chamber for the
15 Governor's message, after which the Senate
16 stands adjourned until Monday, January 13th, at
17 3:00 p.m., intervening days to be legislative
18 days.
19 (Whereupon at 12:50 p.m., the
20 Senate adjourned. )
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