Regular Session - December 15, 2008
5698
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 December 15, 2008
11 3:17 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR GEORGE H. WINNER, JR., Acting President
19 STEVEN M. BOGGESS, Secretary
20
21
22
23
24
25
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask everyone present to please
5 rise and repeat with me the Pledge of
6 Allegiance.
7 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
8 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: In the
10 absence of clergy, may we bow our heads in a
11 moment of silence.
12 (Whereupon, the assemblage
13 respected a moment of silence.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
15 reading of the Journal.
16 THE SECRETARY: In Senate,
17 Sunday, December 14, the Senate met pursuant
18 to adjournment. The Journal of Saturday,
19 December 13, was read and approved. On
20 motion, Senate adjourned.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Without
22 objection, the Journal stands approved as
23 read.
24 May we have some order, please.
25 Presentation of petitions.
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1 Messages from the Assembly.
2 Messages from the Governor.
3 Reports of standing committees.
4 Senator Libous.
5 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President, I
6 believe there's a report of the Judiciary
7 Committee at the desk.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
9 Secretary will read the report of the
10 Judiciary Committee.
11 THE SECRETARY: Senator
12 DeFrancisco, from the Committee on Judiciary,
13 reports the following nominations:
14 As justice of the Supreme Court of
15 the Second Judicial District, Honorable Lewis
16 Bart Stone, of New York City.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
18 DeFrancisco.
19 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Thank you.
20 I'm proud to rise and explain that
21 the three nominees that will be presented to
22 the full Senate today all have been thoroughly
23 reviewed by not only the Governor's office but
24 also by the State Senate; in fact, reviewed so
25 carefully that we didn't get these on the
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1 floor when they really wanted to come here a
2 couple of weeks ago.
3 In addition, each of the nominees
4 went before the Senate Judiciary Committee
5 this morning and all were determined to be
6 well-qualified, and with the unanimous
7 recommendation for all three to be sent to the
8 full Senate.
9 With respect specifically to Judge
10 Lewis Bart Stone, I just want to mention that
11 Judge Stone has been a Court of Claims judge
12 since 2000, and he's got an extremely
13 distinguished career before that, including a
14 partner in the firm of Rogers & Wells.
15 What I found particularly
16 interesting was that not only did he go to
17 Harvard Law School, but he went to RPI and had
18 a degree in biomedical, I guess, chemical
19 engineering. And I've always felt that people
20 with engineering backgrounds always make the
21 best lawyers.
22 And with that said, I'm proud to
23 move his nomination.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
25 question is on the nomination of the Honorable
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1 Lewis Bart Stone as justice of the Supreme
2 Court of the Second Judicial District. All
3 those in favor signify by saying aye.
4 (Response of "Aye.")
5 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
6 Opposed, nay.
7 (No response.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Justice
9 Stone is hereby confirmed as justice of the
10 Supreme Court of the Second Judicial District.
11 Justice Stone is here today and is
12 accompanied by his wife, Gretchen.
13 My congratulations to you, Justice.
14 (Applause.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: As a judge of the
18 Court of Claims, Honorable Frank P. Milano, of
19 Delmar.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
21 DeFrancisco.
22 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I also move
23 the nomination of the Honorable Frank P.
24 Milano for the position of judge of the Court
25 of Claims.
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1 And I would request that you
2 recognize Senator Breslin for a second.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Breslin.
5 SENATOR BRESLIN: Thank you very
6 much, Mr. President.
7 I rise to support and second the
8 nomination of Frank Milano, who back in 2006
9 was a Governor Pataki appointment, one of many
10 Governor Pataki's appointments who were
11 extremely well-qualified for the position.
12 He's had an exemplary record while on the
13 bench for the past two years.
14 Prior to that, he had served in any
15 number of different legal capacities,
16 including but not limited to as a town judge.
17 He'd been the partner in a major Albany law
18 firm, had worked -- as a matter of fact, to
19 show you how much experience he had, he worked
20 for the Senate Majority back in the early
21 '80s, was deputy Secretary of State and
22 general counsel.
23 But most importantly, extremely
24 well-qualified, nonpartisan, and -- which I
25 hope doesn't affect the other side -- a friend
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1 of mine. And I'm happy to second that
2 nomination of Frank Milano.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
4 question is on the nomination of Frank P.
5 Milano as a judge of the Court of Claims. All
6 in favor signify by saying aye.
7 (Response of "Aye.")
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
9 Opposed, nay.
10 (No response.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Judge
12 Frank P. Milano is hereby confirmed as a judge
13 of the New York State Court of Claims.
14 He is also accompanied by his
15 father, Frank, and his son, Peter.
16 My congratulations to you, Judge.
17 And good luck to you.
18 (Applause.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: As a judge of the
22 Court of Claims, Michael H. Melkonian, of West
23 Sand Lake.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
25 DeFrancisco.
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1 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I'd move
2 the nomination of Michael H. Melkonian, of
3 West Sand Lake, as a judge of the Court of
4 Claims.
5 I know he was concerned during the
6 Judiciary Committee meeting about whether or
7 not his children were going to behave in
8 Senate chambers, but they're behaving better
9 than he is, I believe.
10 And with that said, I would request
11 that you call on Senator Maltese to second the
12 nomination.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
14 Maltese.
15 SENATOR MALTESE: Yes,
16 Mr. President, I'm very pleased and honored to
17 second the nomination of Mike Melkonian.
18 He graduated cum laude from Marist
19 College. He is a St. John's Law School
20 graduate. He worked on staff as my chief
21 counsel in 1992 to 1994.
22 His experience is varied,
23 certainly, serving with the New York State
24 Department of Law, in the Litigation Bureau;
25 he worked there for two years. He was with
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1 the New York State Office of Mental Health as
2 assistant counsel for two years.
3 In addition, at the same time, he
4 served for seven years as a judge advocate and
5 headquarters commander with the United States
6 Army Reserve, was also two years with the
7 New York State Army National Guard as a
8 military liaison.
9 And he served as assistant counsel
10 to the Majority for eight years here in
11 Albany.
12 He's definitely one of our own, a
13 man of high integrity. He has also served as
14 deputy counsel for four years with the
15 Rensselaer County Legislature, and most
16 recently he was with the New York State
17 Legislative Bill Drafting Commission as a
18 commissioner.
19 Certainly he's someone I've come to
20 know over the years, both personally and
21 professionally. I'm very pleased that he met
22 his wife, Caroline, while both were serving in
23 my office.
24 It's my great pleasure and honor
25 today to second the nomination of Mike
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1 Melkonian as a judge of the Court of Claims.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Thank
3 you, Senator Maltese.
4 Senator Flanagan.
5 SENATOR FLANAGAN: Thank you,
6 Mr. President. I just wanted to speak on the
7 nomination.
8 Mike I think is a very good example
9 of a lot of things that we don't often read
10 about. You look at government generally and
11 you look at people who work in the public
12 sector, and oftentimes if we succeed it's
13 because we work with good people, people who
14 are sometimes behind the scenes more than they
15 are in front.
16 I think he is a perfect example of
17 someone who has been a terrific team player,
18 incredibly loyal, diligent. I had a chance to
19 work with him extensively when I chaired the
20 Election Law Committee when we were dealing
21 with some very thorny and delicate issues
22 involving HAVA. He was the consummate
23 professional. I think he speaks volumes about
24 what it means to be in public service.
25 And frankly, he's a good guy, and
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1 it's just nice to see somebody who's a good
2 guy succeed.
3 Mike, congratulations.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
5 Farley.
6 SENATOR FARLEY: Thank you. I
7 rise also to support the nomination of
8 Michael, who not only is a member of this
9 Senate family, he's served with great
10 distinction in a lot of roles here.
11 You know, I don't think I've seen
12 any judge ever being appointed that's brought
13 nine members of his family here with him.
14 That just shows you what a family guy he is.
15 But Mike is not only a great person
16 and a loyal -- as John was saying, is a loyal
17 member of this house, but you've served with
18 distinction in our bill drafting area and in a
19 nonpartisan, bipartisan way.
20 And I'm pleased to support your
21 nomination, Mike. Good luck to you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
23 Volker.
24 SENATOR VOLKER: Yeah, I just
25 want to say -- and my voice is a little shaky
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1 today because I got a nasty cold that I
2 brought back from western New York.
3 Mike Melkonian is one of the people
4 who we call a go-to guy. If you need help in
5 a whole series of areas, he was a guy who
6 would -- you'd go to to help you.
7 Just recently, he was supposed to
8 be sent over to Iraq, and some of us were a
9 little concerned about security around here.
10 And whatever happened, they didn't send him.
11 And he walked in one day and I said, "Jeez,
12 thank goodness, I didn't feel safe with Mike
13 not being here." And the guy next to me said,
14 "I didn't even know who he was." I said,
15 "Well, that just goes to show you."
16 And Mike's been around for here for
17 a lot of years -- a fine gentleman, a very
18 bright and erudite guy. He'll be perfect for
19 the Court of Claims.
20 And I wish you the best of luck.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
22 Maziarz.
23 SENATOR MAZIARZ: Thank you very
24 much, Mr. President.
25 I rise too to second this
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1 nomination of Judge Melkonian. It's great to
2 see him here today with his family. Mike, as
3 Senator Farley said, is a member of this
4 Senate team, the whole team, and has done a
5 great job.
6 And I know, particularly on the
7 criminal justice issues, a family in my
8 district had a son who was killed by a drunk
9 driver, and the father happened to be involved
10 in the military, and he really connected well
11 with Mike. And you really helped that family
12 over a very, very -- the most tragic incident,
13 of course, in their entire life.
14 And you're going to be a great
15 judge on the Court of Claims, Mike. We're
16 going to miss you here, but this is a great
17 step for you. Congratulations to you and to
18 your family.
19 Thank you, Mr. President.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
21 Libous.
22 SENATOR LIBOUS: Thank you,
23 Mr. President. I too want to join my
24 colleagues in seconding the nomination of Mike
25 Melkonian.
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1 I worked with Mike when I chaired
2 the Mental Health Committee, and Mike was
3 instrumental in helping us put together and
4 author a number of major pieces of legislation
5 to help people with mental illness and
6 developmental disabilities in this state.
7 And, Mike, for your commitment and
8 assistance, I want to say thank you there.
9 And certainly for your service to our country,
10 I want to again, on this floor, say thank you.
11 And I know that you're going to make an
12 outstanding Court of Claims judge.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
14 question is on the nomination of Michael H.
15 Melkonian as a judge of the Court of Claims.
16 All in favor signify by saying aye.
17 (Response of "Aye.")
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
19 Opposed, nay.
20 (Response of "Nay.")
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Michael
22 H. Melkonian is hereby confirmed as a judge of
23 the New York State Court of Claims.
24 Congratulations, Judge.
25 He's accompanied by his wife,
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1 Caroline; his children, Olivia and Max; his
2 parents, Cedric and Alice; his brother Ken and
3 his wife Lucinda; and his sister Karin and her
4 husband Russ.
5 Again, my congratulations and best
6 wishes to you.
7 (Applause.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Reports
9 of select committees.
10 Communications and reports from
11 state officers.
12 Motions and resolutions.
13 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
15 Libous.
16 SENATOR LIBOUS: Could we adopt
17 the Resolution Calendar, with the exception of
18 Calendar Number 7195, 7363 and 7463, please.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All in
20 favor of adopting the Resolution Calendar
21 signify by saying aye.
22 (Response of "Aye.")
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
24 Opposed, nay.
25 (No response.)
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
2 Resolution Calendar is adopted.
3 Senator Libous.
4 SENATOR LIBOUS: Could we have
5 Resolution 7195 and have its title read,
6 please.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
8 Secretary will read.
9 THE SECRETARY: By Senator C.
10 Johnson, Legislative Resolution Number 7195,
11 mourning the death of Rhoda Amon, a woman of
12 singular distinction and extraordinary
13 accomplishment.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
15 Johnson.
16 SENATOR CRAIG JOHNSON: Thank
17 you, Mr. President.
18 This resolution honors the life of
19 Rhoda Amon, a Port Washington resident,
20 newspaper reporter for more than four decades,
21 and a trailblazing member of her profession.
22 She passed away on October 25th of this year,
23 leaving Long Island, New York State, and
24 newsrooms everywhere much better places than
25 she found them.
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1 For 42 years, Rhoda worked at
2 Newsday, earning a reputation as an intrepid
3 features reporter with a thirst for travel.
4 She reported from foreign countries and
5 interviewed those who control the levers of
6 power. However, it was the humanity and the
7 care that she took when writing about everyday
8 Long Islanders and her drive for equality were
9 what distinguished her as a journalist and as
10 a person.
11 Rhoda managed not only to break the
12 glass ceiling in the newsroom, but also
13 managed to tear down a few walls as well. She
14 was among a group of female reporters who were
15 tired of being constrained to the society
16 pages and paid less than their male
17 counterparts, who filed a federal lawsuit that
18 resulted in changes to Newsday's hiring
19 practices. And it was actually through pay
20 equity, a goal she continued to seek decades
21 after her own legal action, that led our paths
22 to cross.
23 In my interactions with Rhoda, she
24 was always fair and never flinching in her
25 questions. Her attention to detail and
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1 dedication to accuracy were second to none, as
2 was her commitment to see what was just.
3 It was these qualities that Rhoda
4 had instilled in the reporters that she had
5 mentored, including her grandson, Michael, who
6 for the last few years sat a couple of desks
7 away from her at Newsday.
8 Last month I joined hundreds of
9 others at a memorial service honoring Rhoda.
10 For nearly two hours, person after person
11 detailed the tremendous impact that she had on
12 their lives. What stuck out in my own mind
13 was one woman, a wife of a soldier who had
14 returned from Iraq and was denied medical
15 treatment that he needed.
16 In reporting out a story about this
17 struggle, this woman talked about how Rhoda
18 put her and her husband at ease as they were
19 talking about what had become a deeply
20 personal situation. The woman said that the
21 resulting article not only did them justice,
22 but that her husband would not be alive today
23 without Rhoda.
24 That was only one story. I know
25 there are many more like it. We are all
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1 richer for having Rhoda in our life. She is
2 missed by those who knew her, by those who
3 loved her, and all of those who she touched
4 through her work, through her words, and
5 through her pursuits. I count myself as one
6 of them.
7 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
8 I certainly open up this resolution for
9 cosigners.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All
11 those in favor of Resolution 7195 signify by
12 saying aye.
13 (Response of "Aye.")
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
15 Opposed, nay.
16 (No response.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
18 resolution is adopted.
19 The Secretary will read.
20 THE SECRETARY: By Senator
21 Larkin, Legislative Resolution Number 7363,
22 paying tribute to the many accomplishments of
23 President John F. Kennedy and memorializing
24 the 45th anniversary of his death on
25 November 22, 2008.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
2 Larkin.
3 SENATOR LARKIN: Thank you,
4 Mr. President.
5 You know, I had hoped to do this on
6 the 18th of November, but, you know,
7 circumstances beyond my control prohibited, so
8 we're here today.
9 You know, my relationship with
10 President Kennedy was small but sincere. In
11 April 1963, we were informed by Ambassador
12 Goodell that President Kennedy would visit
13 Europe in June of 1963. The accomplishments
14 and turmoil of doing such a job that
15 encompassed all the armed forces that were
16 then stationed in Europe and assembled them to
17 Germany and pay specific attention to some of
18 the things that the president wanted.
19 The president wanted to visit with
20 troops at the troop level. The president
21 wanted to eat with the enlisted men, not the
22 officers. The president wanted to talk to
23 some airborne people.
24 To one airborne gentleman, the
25 president said: "I see you've jumped a lot."
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1 He said, "Yes, but they won't let me jump
2 anymore, because I'm 57 years old." President
3 Kennedy turned around to the commander of the
4 airborne unit, and said "Why not?" He said,
5 "I've been here two weeks, sir, but he'll jump
6 tomorrow."
7 He said, "Thrill jumping" -- the
8 master sergeant says to the president, "It's
9 the biggest thrill you'll ever get in your
10 life." And ladies and gentlemen, the
11 president looked at him and said, "There are
12 people who will differ with you."
13 Who laughed?
14 But President Kennedy's attitude
15 while he was in Europe, the immense personal
16 feeling he had about the troops, talking to
17 them at every level, making sure that they
18 were comfortable -- when you talked to the
19 Secret Service, they told you about when he
20 was first elected in '60 and going down to
21 Miami and having all of those accommodations
22 for the Secret Service.
23 Everybody that was there in those
24 functions in Europe knew that the president
25 was a combat veteran, PT-109, and they
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1 respected him. Those of us who were on that
2 detail from April till June got a special
3 respect for the president. And when we went
4 through Germany, we went to Ireland. When we
5 went to Berlin before Ireland, the turnout was
6 the greatest I've ever seen in my life.
7 Personal respect for a man who deserved their
8 respect.
9 Most of my Army friends at that
10 time were registered as an independent,
11 because you didn't want to tick off anybody at
12 the top. But November 22nd of '63 I arrived
13 back in the States, and the first thing I
14 heard was that the president was shot. I
15 thought it was an Orson Welles comedy, and
16 then I found out it wasn't.
17 I that night went to the Pentagon,
18 my assignment station, and the mood was so
19 somber, you could have seen people from one
20 side of -- you never knew what side of the
21 aisle they were on. But the feeling that they
22 had for the president -- people were talking
23 to people all over the world, what were we
24 doing, what we should be doing, and everybody
25 had one thing to say. Those who met him,
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1 those who had the privilege of greeting him
2 were astonished at how he personally made you
3 feel like you were the most important person
4 there was.
5 In five days, from the date of his
6 assassination till his burial, I had never
7 seen a nation in such awe of such an
8 individual. I never saw young individuals --
9 you could take the cameras that were being
10 shown and see the lines; the lines were two
11 and three and four hours to get in to view his
12 casket.
13 He taught a lot of us a lot of
14 things. A lot of people in this room probably
15 weren't even born when he was assassinated.
16 But I think a lot of them should remember one
17 thing: He was a great American, he loved his
18 country. And I am honored I had the privilege
19 of being the project officer for his visit to
20 the United States Army Europe.
21 Thank you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All
23 those in favor of Resolution 7363, by Senator
24 Larkin, signify by saying aye.
25 (Response of "Aye.")
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
2 Opposed, nay.
3 (No response.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
5 resolution is adopted.
6 This resolution, as the prior
7 resolution, are available for sponsorship by
8 all members. Those that do not wish to be on
9 either of those resolutions please contact the
10 desk.
11 The Secretary will read.
12 THE SECRETARY: By Senator
13 Maltese, Legislative Resolution Number 7463,
14 horning Ronald James Sorenson upon the
15 occasion of his special recognition for
16 honorable service and dedication to ensuring
17 the memory of victims of terrorism.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
19 Maltese.
20 SENATOR MALTESE: Mr. President,
21 I rise in support of this resolution,
22 recognizing and honoring Ronald James
23 Sorenson.
24 Ron James is well-known among all
25 the veterans and the legislators here in the
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1 Capitol, constantly lobbying on behalf of the
2 veterans.
3 He has, in addition, been extremely
4 active with the Citizens Flag Alliance and as
5 a matter of fact is the designer and chief
6 proponent of a flag "Missing in Attack on Our
7 Nation," which has been the subject of
8 legislation in this house, legislation Senate
9 7139A, which passed this body, indicating that
10 the flag can be flown on September 11th at the
11 State Capitol and all official buildings of
12 the state.
13 Ron James is a veteran of the
14 United States Marine Corps. He has been
15 putting aside a great deal of his life, not
16 sparing of his own time and effort and
17 diligence and dedication, as a proponent not
18 only of this flag but as a proponent of
19 remembering the victims of September 11th.
20 This resolution today is indeed
21 fitting that it honors Ron James, who is
22 present here with this body, and I support
23 this resolution, Mr. President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All
25 those in favor of Resolution 7463 signify by
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1 saying aye.
2 (Response of "Aye.")
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
4 Opposed, nay.
5 Excuse me, the roll call is
6 withdrawn.
7 Senator DeFrancisco.
8 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I just want
9 to stand up very briefly and congratulate Ron,
10 who's really worked so hard on his time, and
11 for no compensation, for all the causes for
12 veterans. He's constantly around Albany
13 advocating for veterans, and that's -- we need
14 more people like Ron James.
15 So I'm very proud to support this
16 resolution and give my congratulations to Ron
17 and ask him to please keep up the great work.
18 Thank you.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All
20 those in favor of Resolution 7463 signify by
21 saying aye.
22 (Response of "Aye.")
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
24 Opposed, nay.
25 (No response.)
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
2 resolution is adopted.
3 This resolution is also open for
4 cosponsorship, and those that do not wish to
5 be on this resolution please contact the desk.
6 (Applause.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
8 Libous.
9 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
10 there will be an immediate meeting of the
11 Rules Committee in Room 332, please.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
13 Immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in
14 Room 332. The Senate stands at ease pending
15 the return of the Rules Committee report.
16 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at
17 ease at 3:44 p.m.)
18 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened
19 at 3:58 p.m.)
20 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
21 can we return to reports of standing
22 committees for the report of the Rules
23 Committee, please.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Reports
25 of standing committees.
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1 The Secretary will read the Rules
2 Committee report.
3 THE SECRETARY: Senator Skelos,
4 from the Committee on Rules, reports the
5 following bills:
6 Senate Print 4996B, by Senator
7 Volker, an act to amend the General
8 Obligations Law;
9 6084A, by Senator Stewart-Cousins,
10 an act to amend the Town Law;
11 6096A, by Senator C. Johnson, an
12 act to amend the Town Law;
13 6647, by Senator Valesky, an act in
14 relation to permitting;
15 7086, by Senator Aubertine, an act
16 to amend the Public Authorities Law;
17 7430, by Senator Farley, an act to
18 amend the Banking Law;
19 7452, by Senator Valesky, an act to
20 amend the Village Law;
21 7631A, by Senator Aubertine, an act
22 in relation to making certain findings and
23 determinations;
24 8128A, by Senator O. Johnson, an
25 act to amend the Executive Law and the
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1 Criminal Procedure Law;
2 8506, by Senator Griffo, an act to
3 amend the Public Service Law;
4 8743, by Senator Farley, an act to
5 amend Chapter 148 of the Laws of 2001;
6 8783, by Senator Fuschillo, an act
7 to adjust certain state aid payments;
8 8786, by Senator Bonacic, an act to
9 amend Chapter 271 of the Laws of 2006;
10 And Senate Print 8798, by Senator
11 Skelos, an act to amend the Tax Law.
12 All bills are ordered direct to
13 third reading.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
15 Libous.
16 SENATOR LIBOUS: Move to accept
17 the Rules report, please.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All in
19 favor of accepting the Rules report signify by
20 saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
23 Opposed, nay.
24 (No response.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
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1 report is accepted.
2 Senator Libous.
3 SENATOR LIBOUS: May we have the
4 noncontroversial reading of the calendar,
5 please.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 2267, by Senator Skelos, Senate Print 8798, an
10 act to amend the Tax Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: This
12 calendar number is being taken out of order.
13 Read the last section.
14 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
15 act shall take effect immediately.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
17 the roll.
18 (The Secretary called the roll.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
20 Schneiderman.
21 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Thank you.
22 I appreciate the courtesy, Mr. President.
23 Because this bill was taken out of order, I
24 think some of my colleagues may be unaware
25 that it's coming to the floor at this time.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
2 Schneiderman, do you wish me to withdraw the
3 roll call? Or are you explaining your vote?
4 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: I'm
5 explaining my vote.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Thank
7 you, Senator.
8 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: You're
11 welcome.
12 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Good to
13 see you up there.
14 The reason that I have concerns
15 about this bill is that we're here in a
16 situation where our state is facing a fiscal
17 crisis, we're here in a situation where our
18 national economy is suffering greatly because
19 of a philosophy of government that essentially
20 has been embodied in the Bush administration
21 but has had its adherents going back to Andrew
22 Mellon and others in the 1920s, which
23 basically says get rid of regulations,
24 concentrate all of the wealth and power in the
25 hands of a few, and we will flourish.
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1 I think that that has been
2 demonstrated to be false, Mr. President. I
3 think our current financial crisis is a result
4 of that sort of philosophy. And I find it
5 difficult to support measures in this bill --
6 while there may be some things in it that may
7 be commendable -- that essentially embodies
8 that philosophy.
9 I don't think we need a new
10 commission to just look at reducing
11 regulations without having a balance of a
12 commission to see if there are some
13 transactions that need to be regulated. I
14 mean, we just went through that with the
15 banking and financial services industry. And
16 the push to end regulations is not an
17 unalloyed positive, and I don't think anyone
18 in the public or in academia is any longer
19 fooled by that.
20 I also have a concern with us
21 providing for essentially very narrow tax
22 loopholes that further complicate our tax
23 code, reduce provisions to ensure that some
24 companies who can jump through loopholes don't
25 have a pay a minimum tax. This is the kind of
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1 complex manipulation of the tax system that
2 has put us in the situation we're in today.
3 I think what we need is
4 broad-based, equitable, progressive tax policy
5 that treats like transactions alike, that
6 means that the rich pay their fair share and
7 that every business, no matter how small, gets
8 a fair shot. That's not what's embodied in
9 the provisions here.
10 I think we need to have smart, good
11 regulations on business to make sure that
12 everyone is protected from the violence in the
13 market. That's part of our job as the
14 government. That's not what's embodied in
15 this bill.
16 And finally, the provisions about
17 the UDC I think are really essentially an
18 end-run around good public policy in terms of
19 who should serve there and how long they
20 should serve.
21 So, Mr. President, with all due
22 respect to this as the last gesture in
23 one-house session, I am going to vote no.
24 Happy holidays.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
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1 Montgomery.
2 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Yes,
3 Mr. President, thank you.
4 I'm going to join my colleague
5 Senator Schneiderman in voting no on this
6 legislation. The Governor is coming out with
7 a budget, his version of the state's budget
8 for the upcoming year, and I think all of us
9 are going to be involved in that debate. We
10 will be discussing it over the next few
11 months, and hopefully before the end of the
12 budget fiscal year we will all be able to come
13 to some conclusion on what will be in that
14 budget.
15 So I think this is an unnecessary
16 move, even though perhaps the Senator is
17 looking for a way to address the budget issues
18 that we're confronted with. The fact of the
19 matter is this is not doing that. We're not
20 accomplishing that. And so Senator Skelos is
21 way off-base with this proposal.
22 And whatever we do, I hope that it
23 is going to be in the context of looking for
24 ways of improving the economic state of our
25 state and looking for revenue, looking for
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1 ways of having the budget be balanced without
2 so much pain to citizens and our families and
3 our middle-income citizens across the state.
4 So let's do that together. And
5 let's do it with every deliberation that is
6 possible. And let's come up with a meaningful
7 budget in a timely fashion.
8 So I'm going to oppose this. I
9 think the process is wrong. And certainly
10 there are aspects of this proposal that are
11 very, very harmful to our state's government
12 and our budget. So I'm going to vote no.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
15 Montgomery will be recorded in the negative.
16 Senator Krueger, to explain her
17 vote.
18 SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER: Thank you,
19 Mr. President. I too rise to briefly explain
20 why I'll be voting no on the bill.
21 It's an interesting bill. It's a
22 little bit of everything. I might argue this
23 isn't really the way to do legislation, where
24 you combine housing policy and health
25 insurance and some tax-revenue reductions and
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1 some UDC change. But that's how it was given
2 to us.
3 And so I feel I must vote no, and
4 just to highlight a few things that my
5 colleagues didn't already.
6 I have spoken frequently on the
7 floor about these "freedom" health policies.
8 One again is included in this complex bill.
9 Freedom health policies have been proved to be
10 freedom to go without healthcare, freedom to
11 not be able to afford healthcare, and freedom
12 to go bankrupt from health expenses if you get
13 sick. So freedom health plans are great for
14 the healthy, not so good for anyone else.
15 So again I urge my colleagues, as I
16 always do when we try to slide these bills in,
17 don't fall for that proposal.
18 It also has a housing section. And
19 on its first read, it just gives the
20 localities some powers in their own right to
21 do bonds and notes and tax incremental
22 financing programs. Again, housing and TIFs
23 are -- the devil's in the details.
24 In this bill, it appears we'd be
25 circling around to allow IDA-type entities to
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1 do their own financing. We have our own
2 concerns about needing IDA reform in this
3 state; I don't think we want to slide around
4 that.
5 It's not specifically for
6 affordable housing, but in fact market-rate
7 housing could also be subsidized. It's also
8 very unclear what the liability for the
9 municipal bonds would be. And of course we
10 all know loans for housing is a little risky
11 in today's market, and we should really
12 understand what we're doing before we actually
13 walk down that road.
14 There's also some real concern in
15 here in the second section on housing around
16 the differences in new construction and
17 rehabilitation. And under the rehab section
18 of the housing bill, it looks like it's an
19 attempt to get around multiple-family-dwelling
20 laws, particularly in New York City, and
21 rent-regulation protections.
22 So again, lots of questions. Not
23 enough answers. Not what we need to do right
24 now in facing a $15 billion deficit, waiting
25 for the Governor's budget bill tomorrow. I'll
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1 vote no and urge my colleagues to vote no.
2 Thank you, Mr. President.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Krueger will be recorded in the negative.
5 Announce the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Those recorded in
7 the negative on Calendar Number 2267 are
8 Senators Breslin, Diaz, Dilan, Duane,
9 Gonzalez, Hassell-Thompson, L. Krueger,
10 C. Kruger, Montgomery, Perkins, Savino,
11 Schneiderman, Stavisky and Thompson.
12 Ayes, 44. Nays, 14.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
14 bill is passed.
15 The Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar Number 2253, Senator Volker moves to
18 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
19 Assembly Bill Number 6421B and substitute it
20 for the identical Senate Bill Number 4996B,
21 Third Reading Calendar 2253.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
23 Substitution ordered.
24 The Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
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1 2253, by Member of the Assembly Weinstein,
2 Assembly Print Number 6421B, an act to amend
3 the General Obligations Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
5 the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 21. This
7 act shall take effect on the first of March
8 next succeeding.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
10 the roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
14 bill is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
16 Calendar Number 2254, Senator Stewart-Cousins
17 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
18 Rules, Assembly Bill Number 8317A and
19 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
20 Number 6084A, Third Reading Calendar 2254.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
22 Substitution ordered.
23 The Secretary will read.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 2254, by Member of the Assembly Brodsky,
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1 Assembly Print Number 8317A, an act to amend
2 the Town Law.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
4 the last section.
5 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
6 act shall take effect immediately.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
8 the roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
12 bill is passed.
13 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
14 Calendar Number 2255, Senator C. Johnson moves
15 to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
16 Assembly Bill Number 8938A and substitute it
17 for the identical Senate Bill Number 6096A,
18 Third Reading Calendar 2255.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
20 Substitution ordered.
21 The Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 2255, by Member of the Assembly Schimel,
24 Assembly Print Number 8938A, an act in
25 relation to permitting.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
2 is a home-rule message at the desk.
3 Read the last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
7 the roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
11 bill is passed.
12 May we have some order, please.
13 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
14 Calendar Number 2256, Senator Valesky moves to
15 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
16 Assembly Bill Number 9560 and substitute it
17 for the identical Senate Bill Number 6647,
18 Third Reading Calendar 2256.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
20 Substitution ordered.
21 The Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 2256, by Member of the Assembly Magee,
24 Assembly Print Number 9560, an act in relation
25 to permitting.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
2 is a home-rule message at the desk.
3 Read the last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
7 the roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
11 bill is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
13 Calendar Number 2257, Senator Aubertine moves
14 to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
15 Assembly Bill Number 9436 and substitute it
16 for the identical Senate Bill Number 7086,
17 Third Reading Calendar 2257.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
19 Substitution ordered.
20 The Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 2257, by Member of the Assembly Barclay,
23 Assembly Print Number 9436, an act to amend
24 the Public Authorities Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
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1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
5 the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
9 bill is passed.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar Number 2258, Senator Farley moves to
12 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
13 Assembly Bill Number 11030 and substitute it
14 for the identical Senate Bill Number 7430,
15 Third Reading Calendar 2258.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
17 Substitution ordered.
18 The Secretary will read.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 2258, by Member of the Assembly Peralta,
21 Assembly Print Number 11030, an act to amend
22 the Banking Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
24 the last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
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1 act shall take effect immediately.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
3 the roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
7 bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
9 Calendar Number 2259, Senator Valesky moves to
10 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
11 Assembly Bill Number 10417, and substitute it
12 for the identical Senate Bill Number 7452,
13 Calendar Number 2259.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
15 Substitution ordered.
16 The Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 2259, by Member of the Assembly Magee,
19 Assembly Print Number 10417, an act to amend
20 the Village Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
22 the last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
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1 the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
5 bill is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
7 Calendar Number 2260, Senator Aubertine moves
8 to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
9 Assembly Bill Number 8216B and substitute it
10 for the identical Senate Bill Number 7631A,
11 Third Reading Calendar 2260.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
13 Substitution ordered.
14 The Secretary will read.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 2260, by Member of the Assembly Townsend,
17 Assembly Print Number 8216B, an act in
18 relation to making certain findings and
19 determinations.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
21 is a home-rule message at the desk.
22 Read the last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
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1 the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
5 bill is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
7 Calendar Number 2261, Senator O. Johnson moves
8 to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
9 Assembly Bill Number 11721 and substitute it
10 for the identical Senate Bill Number 8128A,
11 Third Reading Calendar 2261.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
13 Substitution ordered.
14 The Secretary will read.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 2261, by the Assembly Committee on Rules,
17 Assembly Print Number 11721, an act to amend
18 the Executive Law and the Criminal Procedure
19 Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
21 Krueger, to explain her vote.
22 SENATOR LIZ KRUEGER: Thank you
23 so much, Mr. President.
24 So this bill is actually being
25 supported by the Division of Probation and
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1 Correctional Alternatives but is opposed by
2 the Office of Court Administration, so it
3 leaves me in a dilemma that the courts are
4 saying this is putting too strict a set of
5 requirements on us -- even though I understand
6 why the Department of Probation and
7 Corrections would want more restrictions on
8 delinquency of a probationer.
9 I'm concerned that we don't have
10 enough information about what the financial
11 costs would be if we are in fact increasing
12 the number of prisoners that might be going
13 back into prison. I'm concerned that we have
14 two state agencies in opposition.
15 And so it's a one-house bill, so I
16 know we have some time to deal with this,
17 perhaps next session. But I'm going to vote
18 no because I think when you've got two key
19 agencies in disagreement about where you're
20 going on a one-house bill -- you're saying
21 it's a two-house bill, Mr. President. My memo
22 says it's a one-house bill.
23 Even more reason for me -- thank
24 you so much for clarifying, Mr. President --
25 more reason for me to decide to vote no for
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1 now, because I'm concerned that we are sending
2 and getting mixed messages from our agencies.
3 Thank you, Mr. President.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
5 the last section.
6 Excuse me, Senator Schneiderman,
7 may I have the last section read? I neglected
8 to do that before Senator Krueger. And then
9 I'll be glad to recognize you to explain your
10 vote.
11 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Certainly.
12 Thank you, Mr. President.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
14 the last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 7. This
16 act shall take effect on the first of
17 November.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
19 the roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
22 Schneiderman, to explain his vote.
23 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Thank you.
24 I also rise to call my colleagues'
25 attention to the fact that this is a bill
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1 that -- I must say I'm not clear as to whether
2 or not it is a one-house bill, because I'm not
3 aware of an Assembly sponsor. This is
4 something that --
5 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
6 Schneiderman, for your information, we
7 substituted it, and so the Assembly bill is
8 before the house.
9 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Oh, okay,
10 thank you, Mr. President. I appreciate your
11 clarification.
12 Then I agree with Senator Krueger,
13 I think that makes it all the more necessary
14 for us to go cautiously here.
15 This is something that restricts
16 the rights of probationers. And quite
17 honestly, I understand very well why the
18 Office of Court Administration is opposed to
19 this. I think that we should really be very
20 reluctant in the current atmosphere and the
21 current environment, particularly
22 economically, to impose any more requirements
23 that could increase the costs of our probation
24 system.
25 And I think OCA's objections are
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1 right on point. We have 9800 people in prison
2 in New York State who are there only for
3 technical violations of parole or probation.
4 This is something that I promise you we will
5 address in next year's legislative session,
6 but this is something that we shouldn't be
7 compounding now.
8 I would urge all my colleagues to
9 vote no on this bill. I think we should try
10 and work with OCA to develop a better
11 procedure that saves the state money and
12 improves public safety. I vote no,
13 Mr. President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
15 Announce the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: Those recorded in
17 the negative on Calendar Number 2261 are
18 Senators Adams, Dilan, Gonzalez,
19 Hassell-Thompson, L. Krueger, Montgomery,
20 Parker, Perkins, Schneiderman. Also Senator
21 Diaz. Also Senator Sampson.
22 Ayes, 47. Nays, 11.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
24 Assemblyman Aubry's bill is passed.
25 The Secretary will read.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 2262, by Senator Griffo, Senate Print 8506, an
3 act to amend the Public Service Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
5 the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
9 the roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
13 bill is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 2263, by Senator Farley, Senate Print 8743, an
16 act to amend Chapter 148 of the Laws of 2001,
17 relating to authorizing.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
19 is a home-rule message at the desk.
20 Read the last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
24 the roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
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1 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
3 bill is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 2264, by Senator Fuschillo, Senate Print 8783,
6 an act to adjust certain state aid payments.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
8 the last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
12 the roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
16 bill is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
18 Calendar Number 2265, Senator Bonacic moves to
19 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
20 Assembly Bill Number 11168 and substitute it
21 for the identical Senate Bill Number 8786,
22 Third Reading Calendar 2265.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
24 Substitution ordered.
25 The Secretary will read.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 2265, by Member of the Assembly Cahill,
3 Assembly Print Number 11168, an act to amend
4 Chapter 271 of the Laws of 2006 amending the
5 Environmental Conservation Law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
7 the last section.
8 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
9 act shall take effect immediately.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
11 the roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
15 bill is passed.
16 Senator Libous, that completes the
17 reading of the noncontroversial calendar.
18 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
19 at this time I'd like to call a Finance
20 Committee meeting in Room 332, please.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
22 will be an immediate meeting of the Finance
23 Committee in Room 332.
24 The Senate stands at ease pending
25 the return of the Finance Committee report.
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1 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at
2 ease at 4:22 p.m.)
3 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened
4 at 5:50 p.m.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
6 house will come to order.
7 Senator Libous.
8 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
9 if we could return to reports of standing
10 committees.
11 And I believe the Finance Committee
12 has met, and could you have the Secretary read
13 the report, please.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Reports
15 of standing committees.
16 The Secretary will read the Finance
17 Committee report.
18 THE SECRETARY: Senator
19 O. Johnson, from the Committee on Finance,
20 reports the following nominations.
21 As president and CEO of the Urban
22 Development Corporation and commissioner of
23 the Department of Economic Development, Marisa
24 Lago, of New York City.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
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1 Libous.
2 SENATOR LIBOUS: Move the
3 nomination.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
5 Johnson.
6 SENATOR O. JOHNSON: Move the
7 nomination.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Thank
9 you, Senator Johnson.
10 Senator Schneiderman.
11 SENATOR SCHNEIDERMAN: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 I rise to strongly support the
14 nomination of Marisa Lago to joint
15 appointments. The principal duty that she is
16 assuming is I think the most important job
17 that exists now in New York State, which is
18 coordinating our economic development
19 strategies to revive our economy, to pull us
20 out of this unbelievable slump that we're in.
21 Things have been bad in quite a few
22 parts of the state, including Central and
23 Western New York, for many, many years. I
24 think it's fair to say, by any objective
25 analysis, our economic development policy has
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1 largely been a failure. There have been some
2 programs that have worked well, but a lot of
3 it just hasn't worked at all.
4 Marisa is someone I have known
5 for -- and I cringe when I say this -- almost
6 30 years. We attended law school together.
7 And I will tell you, I've followed her career
8 since then. There is no one better prepared
9 to undertake this project, to undertake this
10 trust that we're really placing in her than
11 Marisa Lago.
12 She has experience in every aspect
13 of the public sector -- New York City economic
14 development corporation, was the leading
15 economic development officer in the City of
16 Boston, worked in the Securities and Exchange
17 Commission, understands the federal
18 government, has worked in the private sector
19 at law firms and banking, understands
20 everything you need to understand to try and
21 turn our state around.
22 And I will tell you this. I have
23 tepid support for some nominees and strong
24 support for some nominees, but I very rarely
25 have the depth of feeling and the sort of
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1 overwhelming support that I feel for Marisa
2 Lago. She is a great nominee, will make a
3 great commissioner.
4 And I promise all of you, whatever
5 your concerns, wherever you come from or
6 whatever your ideological beliefs are, she
7 will give you a fair hearing, she will make
8 the decisions and call them as she sees them.
9 This is a great addition to our
10 team, and I look forward to working with her
11 for many years to come. Thank you, Senator
12 Johnson, for moving this fine nominee.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
14 question is on the nomination of Marisa Lago
15 as president and CEO of the Urban Development
16 Corporation and commissioner of the Department
17 of Economic Development. All those in favor
18 of the nomination signify by saying aye.
19 (Response of "Aye.")
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
21 Opposed, nay.
22 (No response.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
24 nominee is confirmed.
25 Marisa Lago is joined by her
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1 husband, Ronald Finiw.
2 And we welcome her to the chamber
3 and congratulate her on her appointment and
4 look for great things to be coming from that
5 office.
6 Thank you very much, and
7 congratulations.
8 (Applause.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
10 Secretary will read.
11 THE SECRETARY: As a member of
12 the Public Service Commission, James L.
13 Larocca, of Sag Harbor.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
15 Johnson.
16 SENATOR O. JOHNSON: Move the
17 nomination.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
19 Maziarz.
20 SENATOR MAZIARZ: Thank you.
21 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
22 Earlier this morning the Senate
23 Committee on Energy and Telecommunication met,
24 we examined the qualifications of Mr. Larocca
25 and found him to be eminently qualified for
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1 this position.
2 As we all know, clearly, in our
3 economic crisis that we're in, you know,
4 energy is perhaps the answer for providing and
5 creating many jobs in New York State. And
6 Mr. Larocca clearly has a great background in
7 that area.
8 So we certainly offer our
9 congratulations to him and wish him well and
10 look forward to working with him.
11 Thank you, Mr. President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
13 LaValle.
14 SENATOR LaVALLE: Thank you,
15 Mr. President. I rise to second the
16 nomination.
17 The Governor should be
18 congratulated on this nomination because Jim
19 Larocca has enormous experience, not only in
20 the energy area but in government. And I
21 think one of the jobs with PSC commissioners
22 is being able to make the proper inquiries
23 with staff, ask the right questions, so that
24 the ratepayers are getting the proper
25 decision.
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1 So, Jim, congratulations on your
2 appointment.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Larkin.
5 SENATOR LARKIN: Thank you,
6 Mr. President.
7 I've had the privilege of knowing
8 Jim since the Carey days. I guess the most
9 important thing I remember about him, and I
10 mentioned this just in the Finance Committee
11 meeting, was when you had an issue or you had
12 a problem and you went to him, you didn't get
13 a call back from a staff member, you got a
14 call back from the commissioner.
15 Because he always felt and told me
16 and others that "If it was important enough
17 for you to call me, it was important enough
18 for me to call you." And my first phone call,
19 I said, "Yeah, I bet it's the commissioner."
20 And he said, "You lost the bet, Lark."
21 Jim, congratulations. And thank
22 you very much for in your dedicated service
23 over the years. And also thank you for your
24 combat service in Vietnam. You are a
25 distinguished American.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
2 question is on the nomination of James L.
3 Larocca as a member of the Public Service
4 Commission. All those in favor signify by
5 saying aye.
6 (Response of "Aye.")
7 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
8 Opposed, nay.
9 (No response.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: James
11 L. Larocca is hereby confirmed as a member of
12 the Public Service Commission.
13 Congratulations.
14 (Applause.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: As commissioner
18 of the State Civil Service Commission, Joseph
19 Dennis Hanrahan, of Latham.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
21 Johnson.
22 SENATOR OWEN JOHNSON: Move the
23 nomination.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
25 question is on the nomination of Joseph Dennis
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1 Hanrahan, of Latham, as a commissioner of the
2 State Civil Service Commission. All those in
3 favor signify by saying aye.
4 (Response of "Aye.")
5 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
6 Opposed, nay.
7 (No response.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Joseph
9 Dennis Hanrahan is hereby confirmed as a
10 commissioner of the State Civil Service
11 Commission.
12 Our congratulations and best wishes
13 to you.
14 (Applause.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: As a member of
18 the State Commission of Correction, Phyllis
19 Harrison-Ross, M.D., of New York City.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
21 Johnson.
22 SENATOR O. JOHNSON: Move the
23 nomination.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
25 Adams.
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1 SENATOR ADAMS: Thank you. Thank
2 you. Thank you, Mr. President.
3 I just want to rise in support of
4 the nomination for Dr. Ross. I believe that
5 she's going to bring a level of expertise and
6 an innovative outlook on how we should deal
7 with mental illness as another aspect of our
8 correctional facility.
9 Her resume -- I'm sure all of my
10 colleagues have read it -- is extremely
11 impressive, and I think she's a great asset to
12 our team here in the state. I'm looking
13 forward to working closely with her. Thank
14 you for the opportunity on her behalf.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
16 Perkins.
17 SENATOR PERKINS: Yes, I'd also
18 like to join my colleague in representing my
19 support for Dr. Ross, who I've had the
20 privilege of knowing and working with over the
21 years and have great, great, high expectations
22 of the wonderful things that she'll be able to
23 do in this new position.
24 And I'm glad that it has finally
25 concluded in the way that it has, and I want
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1 to commend the Governor for his
2 recommendation.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Hassell-Thompson.
5 SENATOR HASSELL-THOMPSON: Thank
6 you, Mr. President.
7 I too rise to add my voice to the
8 nomination of Dr. Harrison-Ross. In our
9 opportunity this morning when she came before
10 the committee, we talked extensively about
11 some of the reforms and the kinds of things
12 that she would like to see happen.
13 And certainly, as one who has
14 expressed in this chamber and other places the
15 concerns for the health issues that regard
16 inmates and how those translate to our broader
17 community when they return home I think make a
18 significant difference to us, particularly as
19 we talk about HIV and AIDS and some of the
20 other concerns that she has, in her 33 years
21 as a member, has addressed and now, as the
22 chair, will have an opportunity to really put
23 some things in motion.
24 So I congratulate the Governor on
25 his choice and certainly to her for the energy
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1 and spirit that she brings to this post.
2 Thank you, Mr. President.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
4 question is on the nomination of Phyllis
5 Harrison-Ross as a member of the New York
6 State Commission of Correction. All in favor
7 signify by saying aye.
8 (Response of "Aye.")
9 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
10 Opposed, nay.
11 (No response.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Phyllis
13 Harrison-Ross is hereby confirmed as a member
14 of the New York State Commission of
15 Corrections.
16 She is joined here today by her
17 godson, Dr. Michael Pratts.
18 Congratulations.
19 (Applause.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
21 Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: As a member of
23 the SUNY Board of Trustees, Pedro A. Noguera,
24 of New York City.
25 As a member and chairman of the
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1 New York State Foundation for Science,
2 Technology and Innovation, Robert B. Catell,
3 of Garden City.
4 As director of the State of
5 New York Mortgage Agency, William Myers, of
6 Ithaca.
7 As a member of the Battery Park
8 City Authority, Frank J. Branchini, of
9 New York City.
10 As members of the Dormitory
11 Authority, Jacques Jiha, of Woodbury, and
12 Anthony B. Martino, of Buffalo.
13 As members of the New York State
14 Energy Research and Development Authority,
15 Kevin Burke, of New York City, and Roger B.
16 Kelley, of East Amherst.
17 As a member of the New York State
18 Olympic Regional Development Authority, Robert
19 Francis Flacke, of Lake George.
20 As a nonvoting member of the
21 Capital District Transportation Authority,
22 Michael Stammel, of Rensselaer.
23 As members of the Niagara Frontier
24 Transportation Authority, Peter G. Demakos, of
25 Buffalo, and Michael P. Hughes, of West
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1 Seneca.
2 As commissioner of the Port
3 Authority of New York and New Jersey, Stanley
4 E. Grayson, of New York.
5 As a member of the
6 Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation
7 Authority, Henry Smith, Jr., of Albion.
8 As a member of the Advisory Board
9 on Public Work, William F. Shannon, Jr., of
10 Oswego.
11 As a member of the Administrative
12 Review Board for Professional Medical Conduct,
13 Richard D. Milone, M.D., of Rye.
14 As a member of the Public
15 Employment Relations Board, Sheila Cole, of
16 Delmar.
17 As a banking member of the State
18 Banking Board, Thomas S. Buerkle, of
19 Larchmont.
20 As a member and chairman of the
21 Freshwater Wetlands Appeals Board, Lemuel
22 Srolovic, of Brooklyn.
23 As a member of the State Board of
24 Real Property Services, Cathy Bell, of Mount
25 Vernon.
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1 As a member of the Long Island
2 State Park, Recreation and Historic
3 Preservation Commission, Bryan Erwin, of
4 Mattituck.
5 As a member of the Stewart Airport
6 Commission, F. Edward Devitt, of Montgomery.
7 As a member of the Veterans Affairs
8 Commission, John Batiste, of Rochester.
9 As members of the New York
10 Convention Center Operating Corporation,
11 Stephen L. Drummond, of Queens Village, and
12 Gary Lavine, of Fayetteville.
13 As director of the Urban
14 Development Corporation, Stanford Lipsey, of
15 Buffalo.
16 As a member of the Continuing Care
17 Retirement Community Council, Clari Gilbert,
18 of Brooklyn.
19 As members of the Mental Health
20 Services Council, Kunsook Song Bernstein,
21 Ph.D., of Baldwin; Luis R. Marcos, M.D., of
22 New York City, and Katherine L. Moshier, of
23 Albany.
24 As a member of the State Council on
25 the Arts, Daniel D. Simmons, of Brooklyn.
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1 As members of the State Hospital
2 Review and Planning Council, Christopher C.
3 Booth, of Pittsford; Renee Garrick, M.D., of
4 Bedford; Jeffrey A. Kraut, of East Meadow; and
5 Malcolm D. Reid, of Briarcliff Manor.
6 As a member of the Board of
7 Visitors at the New York State Home for
8 Veterans and Their Dependents at Batavia, Mary
9 Ann O'Coin, of Rochester.
10 As a member of the Board of
11 Visitors of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center,
12 Judy Grubin, of Jackson Heights.
13 As a member of the Board of
14 Visitors of the Agricultural and Industrial
15 School at Industry, Paul C. Brule, of Webster.
16 As a member of the Board of
17 Visitors of the New York Developmental
18 Disabilities Services Office, Mildred
19 Holley-Davis, of the Bronx.
20 As members of the Board of Visitors
21 of the Rochester Psychiatric Center, Marcia J.
22 Boyd, of Rochester; George Follett, of Albion;
23 and John C. Owens, of Henrietta.
24 As a member of the Board of
25 Visitors of the Rockland Psychiatric Center,
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1 James Scaringe, of Orangeburg.
2 And as a member of the Board of
3 Visitors of the Western Developmental
4 Disabilities Services Office, Ann L. Scherff,
5 of LeRoy.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
7 Johnson.
8 SENATOR OWEN JOHNSON: Move the
9 nominations.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
11 Stavisky.
12 SENATOR STAVISKY: Mr. President,
13 I think the record should reflect the fact
14 that Dr. Pedro Noguera was here, he came
15 before the Committee on Higher Education and
16 the Finance Committee, and he brings, as a
17 trustee of the State University of New York, a
18 wealth of background, a very impressive
19 resume, and great potential to serve on this
20 important body.
21 Thank you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Thank
23 you, Senator Stavisky.
24 The question is on the nominations
25 as presented. All those in favor signify by
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1 saying aye.
2 (Response of "Aye.")
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
4 Opposed, nay.
5 (No response.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
7 nominations and the nominees are confirmed.
8 Senator Libous.
9 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
10 could I call an immediate meeting of the Rules
11 Committee in Room 332, please.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: There
13 will be an immediate meeting of the Rules
14 Committee in Room 332.
15 The Senate stands at ease pending
16 the return of the Rules Committee.
17 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at
18 ease at 6:07 p.m.)
19 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened
20 at 6:28 p.m.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
22 house will come to order.
23 Senator Libous.
24 SENATOR LIBOUS: Can we return to
25 reports of standing committees, please.
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1 There's a report of the Rules
2 Committee at the desk.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Reports
4 of standing committees.
5 The Secretary will read the Rules
6 Committee report.
7 THE SECRETARY: Senator Skelos,
8 from the Committee on Rules, reports the
9 following bill direct to third reading:
10 Restored, Senate Print 7497B, by
11 Senator LaValle, an act to amend the Education
12 Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
14 Libous.
15 SENATOR LIBOUS: Move to accept
16 the report of the Rules Committee, please.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All in
18 favor of accepting the report of the Rules
19 Committee signify by saying aye.
20 (Response of "Aye.")
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
22 Opposed, nay.
23 (No response.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
25 report is accepted.
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1 Senator Libous.
2 SENATOR LIBOUS: Can we please
3 take the bill up, noncontroversial.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
5 Secretary will read.
6 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
7 Calendar Number 1529, Senator LaValle moves to
8 discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
9 Assembly Bill Number 11696A and substitute it
10 for the identical Senate Bill Number 7497B,
11 Third Reading Calendar 1529.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
13 Substitution ordered.
14 The Secretary will read.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 1529, by the Assembly Committee on Rules,
17 Assembly Print Number 11696A, an act to amend
18 the Education Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Read
20 the last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 11. This
22 act shall take effect on the 180th day.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Call
24 the roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
2 LaValle.
3 SENATOR LaVALLE: Thank you,
4 Mr. President. To explain my vote.
5 This accountancy bill that we have
6 before us, the present law was enacted in
7 1947, and we have basically had the same law.
8 What brought this about was the
9 Enron situation. And our committee, myself
10 and Senator Stavisky, held a series of
11 hearings in New York City and throughout the
12 state to talk about how we would deal with
13 some of the problems that confronted the
14 accountancy profession.
15 The profession was under a cloud
16 that they were cooking the books, that in
17 their auditing function that they kind of
18 glossed over and were really representing the
19 person that hired them but the bigger prize
20 was other kinds of contract work that that
21 accountant or firm would be doing.
22 Here, under this legislation, we
23 clearly have a review of the auditing
24 functions so that those functions would be
25 done in a straightforward way and that the
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1 accountant has, to his or her license, the
2 greatest focus and commitment.
3 The New York State Society of CPAs
4 and many of the people here asked, you know,
5 "How do your accountants feel?" Well, they
6 have been working with our committee, and we
7 have passed a version of this I think three
8 different times.
9 So this is a bill that will protect
10 the public, that will protect the profession
11 and will ensure that, as accountancy grows and
12 creates other niches, that there will be a
13 review and that people will be putting forth
14 the most professional job that they can
15 because their license is one that will be
16 under scrutiny.
17 I vote in the affirmative,
18 Mr. President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
20 Stavisky, to explain her vote.
21 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 As Senator LaValle indicated,
24 hearings were held on this legislation. And
25 sometimes legislation can pass very quickly,
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1 other times it takes a little longer. But I
2 must commend Senator LaValle for all of the
3 work that he and his staff did on this bill,
4 meeting with the various stakeholders.
5 Scope-of-practice bills are some of
6 the most contentious because when you take
7 power from one group and give it to another,
8 it's like pressing a balloon, and it sort of
9 bulges in another spot.
10 The practice of accountancy is an
11 important one, but the beneficiaries are going
12 to be the consumers, the people who read the
13 reports, the people who use both professional
14 accountants and CPAs.
15 The state society has been in touch
16 with me; I know they worked very closely with
17 Senator LaValle. And this is an important
18 consumer-protection bill. It protects the
19 consumer by providing transparency.
20 And I'm delighted to support this
21 measure, and hopefully the Governor will sign
22 it and in six months it will become law.
23 Thank you, Mr. President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
25 Announce the results.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59. Nays,
2 0.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
4 bill is passed.
5 Senator Libous.
6 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
7 there will be an immediate meeting of the
8 Finance Committee in Room 332, please.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
10 Immediate meeting of Finance in Room 332.
11 The Senate stands at ease until the
12 return of the Senate Finance Committee.
13 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at
14 ease at 6:35 p.m.)
15 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened
16 at 6:42 p.m.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
18 Libous.
19 SENATOR LIBOUS: Mr. President,
20 can we go back to reports of standing
21 committees.
22 I believe there's a report from
23 Finance Committee at the desk. Could it be
24 read, please.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Reports
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1 of standing committees.
2 The Secretary will read the Finance
3 Committee report.
4 THE SECRETARY: Senator Johnson,
5 from the Committee on Finance, reports the
6 following nominations.
7 As members of the Capital District
8 Transportation Authority, Denise A. Figueroa,
9 of Cohoes, and Joseph M. Spairana, Jr., of
10 Wynantskill.
11 As a member of the State Board of
12 Historic Preservation, Joanne B. Arany, of
13 Rochester.
14 As a member of the Stewart Airport
15 Commission, Thomas Schaaff, of Middletown.
16 As director of the New York
17 Convention Center Operating Corporation, E.
18 Scott Gilbert, of New York City.
19 As a member of the Board of
20 Visitors of the Central New York Developmental
21 Disabilities Services Office, Mary E.
22 Patricia, of Oneida.
23 And as a member of the Board of
24 Visitors of the Staten Island Developmental
25 Disabilities Services Office, Joanne Certo, of
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1 Staten Island.
2 Senator Libous.
3 SENATOR LIBOUS: Would you move
4 the nominations.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: All
6 those in favor of the nominations in the
7 report of the Finance Committee signify by
8 saying aye.
9 (Response of "Aye.")
10 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER:
11 Opposed, nay.
12 (No response.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: The
14 nominations and the nominees are confirmed.
15 Senator Smith.
16 SENATOR SMITH: Thank you very
17 much, Mr. President.
18 I rise to speak about a couple of
19 my colleagues, one of which I want to offer
20 some brief remarks. And obviously, my members
21 and colleagues, I have the right to do so as
22 well.
23 This year we are going to miss one
24 of this body's most esteemed colleagues, one
25 who has distinguished himself as a lawyer
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1 second to none, who clearly has a reputation
2 in front of many judges to be one of the
3 brightest legal minds when it comes to
4 election law.
5 He served as the Senate Minority
6 Leader in this house, distinguished himself in
7 that capacity as well. He has been here now
8 for 30 years, serving the 25th District in the
9 City of New York, a person who has been
10 extremely, extremely forceful when it comes to
11 certain legislation. He created the Senate's
12 Puerto Rican and Hispanic Task Force when he
13 was the Minority Leader.
14 He also served as Minority Leader
15 for eight years, and during the time he was in
16 that capacity, I had pleasure of being
17 introduced to this body by him. He broke me
18 into the Senate, he taught me much of what I
19 have learned today about the rules of the
20 Senate as well as what it means to be a member
21 and how one conducts himself in such an august
22 body as this.
23 Senator Marty Connor was always a
24 person and will always be a person that I
25 consider to be a friend.
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1 There are some elected officials
2 that are described by their colleagues and by
3 their friends by how smart they are or what
4 pieces of the legislation they accomplished or
5 what programs they established. And while all
6 of those things are tremendous in terms of
7 what Senator Connor has accomplished, one
8 thing that I think stands out for many of us
9 is his heart.
10 You never had to question or
11 second-guess Senator Connor as to what his
12 motivations were. When he brought forth a
13 piece of legislation or an idea, you knew it
14 was something that he meant from his heart, it
15 was for the greater good, and it was also one
16 that many of us could be proud to be a part of
17 and partner with him in doing so.
18 This is a day that we will remember
19 as a loss. And while I do accept the new
20 member that will be in this chamber, for me
21 personally, and for many of us, having Marty
22 Connor leave this chamber is one that brings
23 some sadness to us as well.
24 But I say to Marty Connor, that
25 chair will always be yours. And that in this
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1 house, if any of these stones which have been
2 here for years represent longevity, a portion
3 of these stones belong to you, Marty Connor.
4 And it will always represent it to me and
5 represent to, I'm sure, many members that are
6 here what you have meant to this institution,
7 what you will continue to mean to this
8 institution.
9 As long as this institution is
10 authorized with the authority to do the
11 people's business, we will forever remember
12 all that you have done on behalf of the people
13 of this state. Nineteen million will never
14 forget the contributions you made to this
15 state.
16 And it is my hope that come the
17 first of January, or the first session in
18 January, that we will have a fitting statement
19 as well as a dedication to all that you have
20 done for this august body.
21 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
22 (Standing ovation.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Let the
24 record reflect the standing ovation in support
25 of Senator Smith's remarks.
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1 Senator Connor.
2 SENATOR CONNOR: Thank you,
3 Mr. President. If I can have the privilege of
4 the floor for a few minutes -- and I'll try
5 and speak not so long that people are throwing
6 shoes at me.
7 (Laughter.)
8 SENATOR CONNOR: But, you know, I
9 do want to say this is the 231st session of
10 this body, and I have been privileged to serve
11 for the last 31 of those sessions. It is
12 7.5 percent of the existence of this body
13 since our New York republic was founded.
14 I first -- I can remember the day I
15 took my seat, sat right where Diane Savino
16 sits now, just being so awed, thinking how did
17 I get here. This was my childhood dream. My
18 father worked in a factory, I worked in
19 factories next to get through college and law
20 school. My wonderful alma mater, Catholic
21 University, gave me full-tuition scholarships
22 for the whole seven years. And that's sort of
23 how I got here.
24 But I didn't do it alone. First of
25 all, our wonderful system -- you know,
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1 politics is a meritocracy. It usually works
2 that way. And there is merit in winners and
3 leaders in elections. Those who compete merit
4 that.
5 And I remember -- I told this story
6 to a few who were with me primary night -- I
7 was running in a special election. There was
8 a blizzard two weeks before Election Day; it
9 shut down New York City. And a young woman
10 wandered into my campaign headquarters
11 because, you know, she didn't have to go to
12 work that day because things were shut for a
13 couple of days and said, "What's going on
14 here? Anybody need any help? Can I
15 volunteer?" And my campaign manager said,
16 "Yeah, we're doing a mailing tonight."
17 And this young woman came back that
18 night -- because that's when you did a
19 mailing. No mailhouses. You know, you put
20 the labels on the envelopes and the stamps on.
21 And as we were breaking up at about 1:00 in
22 the morning, my campaign manager said, "Oh,
23 we're doing the subway stop at the St. George
24 tomorrow." And somebody said to her, "Well,
25 you've been working too hard, somebody should
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1 do it with him."
2 This young lady said, "Well, what's
3 a subway stop?" It was like, you know, me,
4 him at 7:30 in the morning, and you give out
5 literature. And she did. And on primary
6 morning she did that same subway stop with me,
7 because she's been at my side ever since.
8 And I'm talking about my wife,
9 Christine, without whom I could not have
10 served here for 31 years or really done half
11 of what I've done without her support.
12 You know, last week of session,
13 we're in session nights, a zillion bills come
14 up. I have two wonderful sons, two years
15 apart. They were each born, in the respective
16 years, next-to-last night of session. Boy, I
17 missed a lot of votes rushing back there.
18 And I remember then coming back --
19 and this is going to sound so politically
20 incorrect now -- passing out cigars. It's
21 what you did then when you became a dad. And
22 yes, in those days people lit them up and
23 smoked them here, too. That's what these
24 things are.
25 (Laughter.)
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1 SENATOR CONNOR: So, you know, my
2 entire family has been involved and
3 supportive. My wonderful sons, Marty and
4 Brian, have supported me all these years.
5 And they have given up so much
6 because I don't need to tell all of you how
7 much time -- the public really doesn't get it.
8 They wouldn't want to know our real hourly
9 wage if they take into account the evenings,
10 weekends, and everything that you have to do
11 to do this job well and serve your
12 constituents.
13 You know, in all those years -- I
14 did a rough estimate the other day. I believe
15 I have voted more than 60,000 times. You
16 know, you vote a couple of thousand times a
17 session. I'm sure I've spoken on this floor,
18 Lord knows, a couple of thousand times.
19 I've served with -- I tried to do a
20 rough calculation. How do you remember
21 everybody who's been in and out? But I think
22 I've served with over 160 wonderful men and
23 women who were elected to serve here at
24 various times in those 31 years. Dedicated,
25 committed, wonderful, wonderful people. Some
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1 giant intellects, some wonderful,
2 compassionate people.
3 A couple of rogues, a couple of
4 fakers. But, you know, that's no different --
5 that's no different than life out there. And
6 in fact, I think we reach a higher standard
7 than what you see in the marketplace, so to
8 speak, out there in terms of people's
9 integrity, commitment, and hard work.
10 And it is hard work. I've had good
11 days here and bad days here. Sad days. I
12 tried to count, at least 15 days that I can
13 recount where we came in this chamber and
14 there were red roses on a desk and we lost a
15 colleague. And those were tough days here.
16 For me, they were.
17 Political high points and some low
18 points. You know, my colleagues on this side
19 of the aisle gave me the privilege in 1995 to
20 commence being the Minority Leader. I look
21 around here, I only see two members here who
22 helped me get to that magic number. Thank
23 you, Efrain. Thank you, Velmanette. And
24 thanks to the rest of you who supported me
25 subsequently.
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1 You know, there are no enemies
2 here. I've always believed in politics there
3 are no enemies. There are foes, and then
4 everybody is a friend, because we're all
5 motivated by the same thing.
6 So I have, on high days and low
7 days, just loved every minute of it. It has
8 just absolutely -- you know, as Minority
9 Leader I probably had dinner at the White
10 House five or six times. I got to go places
11 where I just never dreamed, as a kid in
12 Trenton, New Jersey, working a night shift in
13 a factory while I was going to school, that
14 I'd ever get to go.
15 And I owe that to the people who
16 elected me, the people who supported me all
17 those years, the wonderful staff I've had,
18 certainly my family. My grandmother and
19 grandfather got to see me here in 1978. My
20 grandmother was my inspiration for politics.
21 Quit school at fourth grade, went to work in a
22 factory at 12 -- lied, because you had to be
23 14. Worked in Woodrow Wilson's campaign for
24 governor of New Jersey.
25 So, you know, it's just been a
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1 wonderful, wonderful experience. I urge you
2 all, remember, you have your disputes here,
3 you have your battles, so to speak. Sometimes
4 heated words are exchanged. When you leave,
5 you're colleagues, you're friends.
6 I urge you to go back to something
7 we haven't done that much in more recent
8 years, and that is socialize together across
9 party lines.
10 One of the first major bills I
11 passed, which someone just reminded me of,
12 involving loans to podiatry students -- for
13 which I got an honorary degree a few years
14 later -- I owe to Senator LaValle and I having
15 a discussion over dinner. And it was in his
16 committee, and it got moving.
17 So you can accomplish things. My
18 advice to those who may find themselves in the
19 minority -- and I jokingly said to someone,
20 I'm going to start a consulting business
21 because I have more experience than anybody in
22 this room on how to survive in the minority.
23 So I don't know -- but I'm not predicting the
24 future. But maybe, you know, a little advice,
25 a consultant to tell you what it's like to be
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1 in the minority, might be a possible career
2 path for next year.
3 (Laughter.)
4 SENATOR CONNOR: And I do feel a
5 little bit -- and nothing is certain, I know.
6 But I feel a little bit like Moses. You know,
7 I wandered in the desert of the minority for
8 31 years, and then I got to the edge and I
9 look down and I think I see the promised land,
10 but I can't go in.
11 (Laughter.)
12 SENATOR CONNOR: But that said, I
13 do want to thank all of you, my colleagues,
14 for all the many courtesies that you've
15 extended me over the years and extended to my
16 family.
17 I want to thank the many, many
18 staff members without whom I could have done
19 nothing. I can still remember my first three
20 staff members when I first got here. I'm
21 married to one of them; I'd better remember
22 her.
23 But the fact is that staff of all
24 the members and the staff of the Senate, the
25 central staff -- at every level, from the
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1 people who deliver things to your office to
2 whatever -- have always been so courteous and
3 so professional. And, my colleagues, I've
4 observed enough to know we as a class, elected
5 officials, we ain't easy to work for
6 sometimes. You know, we sometimes make
7 demands on people's time and patience that
8 they may not find in other lines of work.
9 So that said, I have loved every
10 minute of it. And I won't say farewell, I
11 will say adieu.
12 (Extended standing ovation.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
14 Smith.
15 SENATOR SMITH: Yes,
16 Mr. President, thank you.
17 Before I make comments on my next
18 colleague, I do want to -- and I know Majority
19 Leader Skelos will do the honor, but I do want
20 to, to Senator Maltese, Senator Trunzo, and
21 Senator Mary Lou Rath, want to also extend the
22 best wishes of our conference to these members
23 who have also served in distinction to this
24 body.
25 And just as Senator Connor said,
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1 this is more about our contribution and what
2 we do on behalf of this state. All of you
3 have served here longer than I have been here.
4 You have contributed much to the betterment of
5 the state. And there are many things that you
6 should feel proud of within your district and
7 around the state, all that you've done on
8 behalf of the 19 million people that are here
9 at present.
10 Most people talk about this being
11 the former Empire State. Well, I would only
12 challenge them to know that with colleagues
13 such as yourself, who have given up so much of
14 your personal life for public benefit, that
15 because of you this state is still the Empire
16 State and will always be the Empire State, and
17 it was definitely my honor to serve in this
18 body with each and every one of you as well.
19 Senator Gonzalez. Mis amigo. Mis
20 hermano. Mucho trabajo all the time. A man
21 who, as many of you know, came to the Senate
22 because he lived in a district where many
23 people felt that there was very little
24 representation for the Hispanic population as
25 well as those who basically felt that they
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1 were just cast aside from the norms of what
2 government was supposed to do.
3 Senator Gonzalez, who has now
4 served in this body 20 years -- 20?
5 SENATOR GONZALEZ: Nineteen
6 years.
7 SENATOR SMITH: I say 20. Leader
8 prerogative, 20 years. But he has clearly
9 served in the 33rd District in the Bronx.
10 Someone who -- and while I won't read all his
11 accomplishments, but you know he established
12 the Democratic Task Force on International
13 Trade. He developed that New York-Cuba
14 Economic Development Task Force.
15 Also, when it wasn't popular,
16 helped sponsor legislation that established
17 the office of healthcare with regard to AIDS.
18 And many of us know how critical that
19 particular disease is to many of our
20 communities today. He had the passion, the
21 foresight, and the vision to understand what
22 was important to the people around this state.
23 Senator Gonzalez is a humble man.
24 He is not someone who will be loud. You don't
25 see him standing in front of the microphone or
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1 the press having dozens of press conferences.
2 But he has been extremely effective. When you
3 go to his district or you walk through the
4 district with him, everybody knows him. They
5 know him for his passion, for his caringness.
6 They know him for somebody who works 24 hours
7 a day.
8 There was never a time that I would
9 reach out to Senator Gonzalez, no matter what
10 time of day, where, surprisingly, he would
11 answer the phone. And most people know I
12 don't get sleep, and I try not to. And I can
13 tell you, whether it was 1 o'clock or
14 2 o'clock or 3 o'clock, he was answering that
15 phone and always ready to give some advice.
16 The thing that Senator Gonzalez
17 does very well, and some of you may know, is
18 he is a shy teacher. I mean that to say some
19 of us will come when you come to this floor,
20 and you have members who will immediately
21 embrace you and tell you what to do, what not
22 to do, how to do it and when to do it.
23 Senator Gonzalez doesn't do that.
24 Senator Gonzalez waits, he watches. He will
25 give you a passing remark as you're walking
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1 out of the chamber or coming out of your
2 office. You may not pay much attention to it,
3 but then the next day it will click, because
4 you made the mistake that he tried to tell you
5 not to make.
6 And so he has been the kind of
7 passionate legislator that is very calm about
8 what he likes to accomplish, but yet and still
9 very firm and committed to his goals and
10 objectives, which was for the betterment of
11 people who have not been served.
12 Senator Gonzalez, while many of my
13 colleagues will want to not miss you, we will
14 miss you. And I know many will try not to
15 miss you, because it hurts when you miss
16 someone that you're so fond of. And so you
17 try to push it to the side like it's not
18 there. It's like pain sometimes. We will
19 miss you. We will miss you. The body will
20 miss you, I will miss you, your colleagues
21 will miss you.
22 And understand, as with Senator
23 Connor, this chamber is always considered to
24 be your chamber. There's not a member in this
25 house that will not take the time to listen to
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1 you, to spend time with you. And the chair
2 that you sit in, you have to pay for that
3 yourself.
4 (Laughter.)
5 SENATOR SMITH: But we will
6 always be your colleague.
7 These are not easy moments. And I
8 say that for Senator Connor and Senator
9 Gonzalez as well as Senator Maltese, Senator
10 Trunzo, and Senator Mary Lou Rath. It's not
11 always easy to say goodbye to colleagues. But
12 the thing that allows us to move on to the
13 next day is that what you have contributed to
14 this body and to the betterment of this state
15 will be forever.
16 The archives will always have your
17 names in it, will always have the legislation
18 that you passed, and the lives that you
19 impacted, whether they are still living in
20 this state or moved beyond, will always
21 remember what you did for each and every one
22 of us.
23 Mis hermanos always. I love you
24 and will always be a friend of yours.
25 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
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1 (Standing ovation.)
2 SENATOR GONZALEZ: Mr. President.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Gonzalez.
5 SENATOR GONZALEZ: Thank you.
6 To my colleagues, thank you.
7 Nineteen years in the Senate, but I think 34
8 years as either a staffer I've been around
9 this Senate body. I think that Senator
10 LaValle and I were staffers at the same time
11 back then.
12 And so I've always been someone
13 that, whether both sides of the aisle, very
14 true to staff, because they're the ones that
15 you do the work. You help us be who we are.
16 And I say that because, my colleagues, I mean
17 it's so important how I've worked to make my
18 staff -- not mine only, but central staff on
19 both sides of the aisle.
20 Through the years, I've gotten to
21 serve under four minority leaders and four
22 majority leaders. But I've always looked to
23 reach out on both sides of the aisle so that
24 we can do things together. And that's what
25 we've got to do more of as you move forward.
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1 We've got to do these things together for the
2 people of the State of New York.
3 So there are many of our colleagues
4 who are not here and who have gone, but I've
5 always taken their inputs and their thoughts
6 and working so that we work together as
7 passionate as we can be. And boy, I've been
8 passionate about our issue. But it's working
9 together, it's the only way that we can get
10 through the hard times that we're about to
11 face.
12 So I thank you all from the bottom
13 of my heart. Thank you.
14 (Applause.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
16 Skelos.
17 SENATOR SKELOS: Thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 Today this body comes together not
20 as members of the Majority, the Minority,
21 Republicans or Democrats, we come together as
22 fellow colleagues to say goodbye but also to
23 say thank you to five individuals who have
24 served in this chamber.
25 Efrain, I wish you the best.
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1 And, Marty, needless to say, you've
2 had a great career. The first time I ran for
3 the Senate, you were head of the campaign
4 committee and you beat me. Not that I will
5 ever remember that.
6 (Laughter.)
7 SENATOR SKELOS: But always a
8 worthy advocate. And we wish you well.
9 To our colleagues on this side of
10 the aisle, Mary Lou Rath, Serf Maltese, and
11 Caesar Trunzo, all of you have distinguished
12 yourselves in your career. You know, your
13 record speaks for itself. I'm not going to go
14 through all the wonderful bills that you have
15 passed.
16 Mary Lou, in terms of your service
17 in local governments, protecting our local
18 governments, smart growth, so many areas that
19 you've been involved with. You have a
20 tremendous legacy, and I know how proud we are
21 of you and certainly your family.
22 Serf, defender of New York City.
23 Just a gentleman, an absolute gentleman who
24 all of us in this conference respect
25 tremendously. In terms of the arts, bills
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1 that you've passed, we say thank you to you
2 for your wonderful service.
3 And to Caesar, our neighbor on Long
4 Island -- was it 32 years?
5 SENATOR TRUNZO: Thirty-six.
6 SENATOR SKELOS: Thirty-six years
7 of wonderful service.
8 And you think about all the
9 wonderful progress that members of labor have
10 made in terms of respect for themselves,
11 decent wages, I believe agency shop, the
12 original agency shop bill. All of those,
13 Senator Caesar Trunzo was the sponsor of.
14 And, Caesar, we thank you for your wonderful
15 service.
16 As Senator Smith mentioned, it's
17 always difficult to say goodbye to a
18 colleague. You know, sometimes we battle in
19 this chamber. Sometimes we come together.
20 But I do believe there's always that mutual
21 respect that we've all had the great privilege
22 of sitting right here in this beautiful Senate
23 chamber.
24 And I'm here now 24 years, and
25 every so often I'll just sit and you start
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1 looking around at the beautiful decor here. I
2 never noticed that individual who's there, and
3 I'll have to find out who it was.
4 But that's what we do every day.
5 Besides just staring at the ceiling, we do a
6 lot of good work.
7 (Laughter.)
8 SENATOR SKELOS: But it is
9 difficult to say goodbye.
10 And to our colleagues that are
11 leaving, we wish you all good health, all good
12 health that you've earned, retirement to enjoy
13 life as you wish now, not having to be here on
14 every controversial bill, not having
15 necessarily to go to all those committee
16 meetings or the chicken dinners that we've had
17 so much of over the years. But you've earned,
18 you've earned good health.
19 And to all of you, I pray that God
20 gives you the good health and the happiness
21 with your families that you've all earned.
22 So I congratulate you again on
23 behalf of a united body -- not Republicans or
24 Democrats, Majority or Minority -- in saying
25 thank you. To our three colleagues, we thank
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1 you and we love you.
2 (Standing ovation.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Rath.
5 SENATOR RATH: Someone is going
6 to have to take care of Senator Larkin now
7 that I'm gone. All of you promise.
8 No, it's been wonderful being back
9 here in the back row with you, Bill, really,
10 and with Carl and with all of you. And this
11 has been like that movie "The Long Goodbye."
12 I think when I made my announcement at the end
13 of January, it just has been goodbye, goodbye.
14 And as I've been drawing myself
15 together for saying goodbye to my constituents
16 in my last newspaper article that I wrote for
17 the Amherst Bee, I thought to myself what is
18 it that I can say that is important after all
19 that's been said for 15 years in the Senate
20 and 15 years in the county legislature, 30
21 years in public life.
22 And I would sit here on nights like
23 this and listen to Manny Gold and Franz
24 Leichter when they said their goodbyes. And
25 who could forget John Marchi or Joe Bruno.
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1 And John Daly, eloquent as the day was long.
2 So I'm not going to try to be
3 eloquent or repeat what Efrain has said or
4 Marty has said, because those sentiments are
5 there. But what did I say to my constituents?
6 I said to them I think if there's anything
7 that I have learned -- and again, from another
8 eloquent man who I've quoted many times --
9 I've always liked Thomas Jefferson's thoughts.
10 And he said that, if I can paraphrase it, the
11 price of liberty is eternal vigilance.
12 And if that's what we do here, if
13 that's what we do here, then it's a small
14 price that we together pay for the liberty
15 that we hold so dear, the liberties and the
16 freedoms. And we do that on behalf of our
17 constituents. We do that with each other,
18 back and forth.
19 And as Efrain just said, when times
20 are tough, we work together. We just saw a
21 wonderful bill come from Senator LaValle and
22 Senator Stavisky who worked together to get
23 that bill done. That's how our shining
24 moments show up.
25 And so if eternal vigilance is the
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1 price that we pay, and if our process and our
2 system -- and it's easy when you're talking
3 globally, but when we're talking on state
4 government's level or local government's
5 level, the vigilance of keeping the system
6 going and keeping it straight and keeping it
7 fair for all of our constituents -- then I'm
8 proud to have been a part of that, and proud
9 to have served with all of you who have really
10 enriched my life and all of you who have
11 served so much and so well for the people of
12 the great State of New York.
13 Thank you.
14 (Standing ovation.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
16 Trunzo.
17 SENATOR TRUNZO: I didn't expect
18 this, but so be it. You know, 36 years up
19 here has been quite an experience for me,
20 something that I've enjoyed very much.
21 Really, it's been my life, so to speak.
22 And before that, I was eight years
23 as a councilman for the town of Islip. So for
24 45 years I've been an elected official.
25 And I remember at various functions
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1 that during the campaign when I was being
2 introduced, and at one point somebody turned
3 around and said, you know, I actually had
4 50 years of government work. Because back in
5 1959, I was appointed as a member of the Islip
6 Town Planning Board, and I served on that five
7 years.
8 And so I sat with the individual
9 after he finished speaking, saying, you know,
10 "You said I spent my life here." I said, "If
11 I include those five years that I have at the
12 planning board, I'd have to be a hundred years
13 old. I'm only 82."
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR TRUNZO: And so really,
16 half my life has been as an elected official.
17 And these days I've been going
18 around thinking as to what I have to do. This
19 morning I spent time filling out retirement
20 papers and that kind of stuff. And it's very
21 sad in my life and what am I going to do with
22 myself. When I get up in the morning, what,
23 I've got to go down to the basement? I have
24 no office to go to, anything of that sort.
25 But believe me, it has been an
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1 experience here. I know my opponent during
2 the campaign just made one statement,
3 indicated -- at least his people might have
4 stated that I never spoke too much; in fact, I
5 didn't say a word two years in this
6 Legislature.
7 Now, all these years, many years --
8 and I remember one of the Newsday reporters
9 many, many years ago said to me, "I've got to
10 write something about you." I said, "Why is
11 that? "You keep passing bills without any
12 debate."
13 But I have good bills, and
14 therefore you guys over there don't want to
15 debate me.
16 (Laughter; applause.)
17 SENATOR TRUNZO: So that's what
18 it's all about.
19 You know, and then we hear the
20 "Hail, Caesar," the "Hail, Caesar." Evidently
21 a number of the people said "The hell with
22 Caesar."
23 (Laughter.)
24 SENATOR TRUNZO: And so that's
25 it.
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1 And so with that, I'm really going
2 to miss all of this. But God bless all of you
3 for the work that we've done together and many
4 of the things that we have done.
5 And my colleagues who were elected
6 with me, Senator Johnson, you know, you're
7 going to reach that age pretty soon and --
8 (Laughter.)
9 SENATOR TRUNZO: In fact, you
10 look older than I do, so --
11 (Laughter, catcalls.)
12 SENATOR TRUNZO: Anyway, look,
13 I'll end it with that. You know, the -- so
14 "the hell with Caesar" has happened,
15 eventually would happen.
16 And I hope to be around for a
17 number of more years. And with that, God
18 bless all of you for all the work we've done
19 together. Thank you.
20 (Standing ovation.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
22 Maltese.
23 SENATOR OWEN JOHNSON: Is this
24 thing working?
25 Caesar and I and Frank Padavan are
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1 the only three left of about 20 new Senators
2 that came in in '72. Took office in '73,
3 really.
4 And when I was first elected, I was
5 mostly in Nassau County and part of Babylon.
6 Every 10 years when they had a census, it
7 moved a little further east, a little further
8 east. Caesar said, "Every time you move, you
9 take part of my district away. Every time,
10 you take a part of my district away."
11 But we always got along well,
12 really. Caesar was a great leader and a great
13 friend. And I don't know what to say. I told
14 him, and he didn't keep his word. He said
15 he's going to keep serving here as long as I
16 do. So I'm a little disappointed in that, but
17 I'll see you around home, I'm sure.
18 And you're a great guy, a great
19 friend to everybody. And we all love you,
20 Caesar.
21 Thank you.
22 (Applause.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
24 Maltese.
25 SENATOR MALTESE: Mr. President,
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1 first of all, I want to wish Godspeed to my
2 colleagues, all of you, and certainly those
3 that are leaving with me, Marty and Efrain and
4 of course Mary Lou and Caesar. Certainly you
5 couldn't be in better company.
6 Many, many years ago -- over 50, as
7 a matter of fact -- I first came up to Albany
8 with my high school group. And when I saw the
9 Senate chamber, I fell in love with it. And I
10 wasn't smart enough to say at the time that
11 I'd be back, but the fact is that I was. I
12 did come back.
13 In 1965, I ran for the State
14 Senate. That was that odd year. And I like
15 to say to some of the school groups that
16 23 years later, I won.
17 (Laughter.)
18 SENATOR MALTESE: And persistence
19 pays.
20 But the fact is that I've always
21 been among those that felt that politics and
22 government is certainly a noble calling. And
23 everything I've seen these last 40 years, and
24 the last 20 in the Senate, have certainly
25 proven that.
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1 I've enjoyed it. My wife,
2 Constance, of 53 years has stood beside me all
3 that time -- sometimes a little ahead of me.
4 And it's been a very pleasant, pleasant
5 experience.
6 I've enjoyed working with you, I
7 think my staff have become my friends.
8 They've endeavored to make me look good,
9 sometimes under difficult circumstances.
10 But the fact is that I many times
11 wondered at the fact -- and some of you may
12 not like this -- but that they pay us to do
13 this. That it's so much fun to represent the
14 people.
15 We do accomplish a great deal. I
16 know all of you do, through many, many
17 difficulties. I think this is a great body.
18 I've enjoyed working with all of you. I
19 subscribe to the saying that Buckley had, you
20 can disagree without being disagreeable. I
21 admire what you do. I admire all of you, my
22 colleagues and my friends. God bless you, and
23 please persevere in giving the people the type
24 of government that they need and deserve.
25 Thank you all for everything you've
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1 done. Thank you.
2 (Applause.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: Senator
4 Skelos.
5 SENATOR SKELOS: If I could,
6 there's going to be an immediate short
7 conference of the Majority in the Majority
8 Conference Room.
9 Is there any further business at
10 the desk?
11 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: No,
12 there is not, Senator Skelos.
13 SENATOR SKELOS: I wish, first of
14 all, everybody happy holidays.
15 I know this is an interesting time
16 of year, and look forward to seeing you on
17 January 7th.
18 There being no further business to
19 come before the Senate, I move we stand
20 adjourned until the call of the Majority
21 Leader, intervening days being legislative
22 days.
23 Thank you very much, and God bless.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT WINNER: On
25 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until the
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1 call of the Majority Leader, intervening days
2 being legislative days.
3 (Whereupon, at 7:26 p.m., the
4 Senate adjourned.)
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