Regular Session - March 16, 2016
1154
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 16, 2016
11 11:24 a.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR JOSEPH GRIFFO, Acting President
19 FRANCIS W. PATIENCE, 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 GRIFFO: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask all present to please rise
5 and join with me as we recite the Pledge of
6 Allegiance to our Flag.
7 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
8 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: In the
10 absence of clergy, I ask everyone to please bow
11 your heads in a moment of silent reflection and
12 prayer.
13 (Whereupon, the assemblage
14 respected a moment of silence.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
16 reading of the Journal.
17 THE SECRETARY: In Senate,
18 Tuesday, March 15th, the Senate met pursuant to
19 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, March 14th,
20 was read and approved. On motion, Senate
21 adjourned.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Without
23 objection, the Journal will stand approved as
24 read.
25 Presentation of petitions.
1156
1 Messages from the Assembly.
2 Messages from the Governor.
3 Reports of standing committees.
4 Reports of select committees.
5 Communications and reports of state
6 officers.
7 Motions and resolutions.
8 Senator DeFrancisco.
9 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Would you
10 please take up the noncontroversial reading of
11 the calendar.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
13 Secretary will read.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 1,
15 by Senator Marcellino, Senate Print 455, an act
16 to amend the Penal Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
18 last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
20 act shall take effect on the first of November.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
22 roll.
23 (The Secretary called the roll.)
24 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 44. Nays,
25 1. Senator Perkins recorded in the negative.
1157
1 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
2 is passed.
3 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 2,
4 by Senator Croci, Senate Print 2942, an act to
5 amend the Penal Law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
7 last section.
8 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
9 act shall take effect on the first of November.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
11 roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 44. Nays,
14 1. Senator Perkins recorded in the negative.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 3,
18 by Senator Croci, Senate Print 3404, an act to
19 amend the Penal Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect on the first of November.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
25 roll.
1158
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
3 Calendar 3, those recorded in the negative are
4 Senators Hassell-Thompson, Krueger and Perkins.
5 Ayes, 42. Nays, 3.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 4,
9 by Senator Gallivan, Senate Print 5349, an act to
10 amend the Penal Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect on the first of November.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 4, those recorded in the negative are
22 Senators Comrie, Hassell-Thompson, Hoylman,
23 Krueger, Montgomery, Parker, Perkins and Rivera.
24 Ayes, 40. Nays, 8.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
1159
1 is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 119, by Senator Marchione, Senate Print 5845, an
4 act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect immediately.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
14 is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 138, by Senator Larkin, Senate Print 2207, an act
17 to amend the Penal Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
19 last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 7. This
21 act shall take effect on the 180th day.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 47. Nays, 1.
1160
1 Senator Montgomery recorded in the negative.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 152, by Senator DeFrancisco, Senate Print 2915,
6 an act to amend the Election Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 153, by Senator Funke, Senate Print 3131, an act
19 to amend the Election Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
23 act shall take effect on the 120th day.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
25 roll.
1161
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 198, by Senator Nozzolio, Senate Print 1583, an
7 act to amend the Correction Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 46. Nays, 2.
16 Senators Hassell-Thompson and Montgomery recorded
17 in the negative.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 211, by Senator Gallivan, Senate Print 6058, an
22 act to amend the Highway Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
1162
1 act shall take effect immediately.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
3 roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 240, by Senator Funke, Senate Print 4786A, an act
10 to amend the Military Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
20 is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 256, by Senator Addabbo, Senate Print 2495, an
23 act to amend the General Business Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
25 last section.
1163
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect on the 60th day.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
7 DeFrancisco to explain his vote.
8 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, I'm
9 voting no. Not because I'm anti-veteran, because
10 I am a veteran. I just don't see the rationale
11 by giving veterans organizations a right to cure
12 for 120 days and not include other organizations.
13 So that's the only reason I'm voting
14 no.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
16 DeFrancisco to be recorded in the negative.
17 Announce the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 47. Nays, 1.
19 Senator DeFrancisco recorded in the negative.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 262, by Senator Carlucci, Senate Print 5424, an
24 act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
1164
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
8 Carlucci to explain his vote.
9 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 Illegal housing throughout our state
12 has become more and more pervasive. Putting our
13 neighbors, our friends in harm's way when
14 unscrupulous landlords are putting profits above
15 people. Even worse, our firefighters that put
16 their lives on the line, going into a
17 smoke-filled room is hard enough, let alone have
18 to worry about an illegal subdivision.
19 This legislation takes a no-nonsense
20 approach to say we're going to fight back against
21 illegal housing, we're going to fight back
22 against unscrupulous landlords by adding unpaid
23 code violations to the tax levy. Save our
24 municipalities the trouble of being bill
25 collectors or debt collectors. And by adding it
1165
1 to the tax levy, we have more leverage on those
2 unscrupulous landlords.
3 So I'll be voting in the affirmative
4 for this legislation, and I want to thank my
5 colleagues for doing the same.
6 Thank you, Mr. President.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
8 Carlucci to be recorded in the affirmative.
9 Announce the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 48.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
12 is passed.
13 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
14 267, by Senator Savino, Senate Print 6696, an act
15 to authorize.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
17 last section.
18 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
19 act shall take effect immediately.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
21 roll.
22 (The Secretary called the roll.)
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 51. Nays, 1.
24 Senator Bonacic recorded in the negative.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
1166
1 is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 299, by Senator Golden, Senate Print 802, an act
4 to amend the Penal Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect on the 90th day.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
13 Calendar 299, those recorded in the negative are
14 Senators Hassell-Thompson, Montgomery, Parker,
15 Peralta and Perkins.
16 Ayes, 47. Nays, 5.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
18 is passed.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 302, by Senator Young, Senate Print 2990, an act
21 to amend the Penal Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
23 last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect on the first of November.
1167
1 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 52.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 349, by Senator Ritchie, Senate Print 2305, an
9 act to amend the Penal Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect on the first of November.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 52.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 351, by Senator Young, Senate Print 3087, an act
22 to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
1168
1 act shall take effect immediately.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
3 DeFrancisco to explain his vote.
4 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, I'm
5 going to vote yes on this bill.
6 I just want to state something that
7 hopefully will be -- well, rather than
8 characterizing it, in trials, one of the main
9 important rights you have under the Constitution
10 is to confront witnesses. I guess I can
11 understand why you want to protect a child or a
12 domestic abuse victim. And there's different
13 degrees of domestic abuse.
14 I'm just concerned that we don't
15 ever expand this particular provision to include
16 more and more special people, like we do with the
17 assault in the second degree, where everybody but
18 a passenger who's a victim goes up to assault
19 second degree, whether it's a subway worker or
20 somebody else. We've got it to the point where
21 the exception has eaten up the rule out of
22 assault in the second degree.
23 I think we've got to be careful with
24 this as well, in view of the fact that there's a
25 constitutional right to confront witnesses. And
1169
1 this is getting close.
2 So with that said, I will vote yes,
3 as I did last year on this bill.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
5 Secretary will call the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
8 DeFrancisco is recorded in the affirmative.
9 Announce the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 54.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The bill
12 is passed.
13 And, Senator DeFrancisco, in this
14 remarkably quiet chamber today, that concludes
15 the reading of the noncontroversial calendar.
16 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Well, I can
17 explain that. They were listening carefully to
18 my explanation.
19 Would you please take up previously
20 adopted Resolution 4329, by Senator Boyle, title
21 only, and call on Senator Boyle.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
23 Secretary will read.
24 THE SECRETARY: Legislative
25 Resolution Number 4329, by Senator Boyle,
1170
1 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the
2 New York Aviation Management Association and
3 celebrating the benefits of aviation in New York
4 State.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
6 Boyle.
7 SENATOR BRESLIN: Thank you,
8 Mr. President. To explain my vote.
9 This is the 40th anniversary of the
10 New York Aviation Management Association. As
11 many of you know, we have an aviation caucus here
12 in the State Legislature. There are 42 state
13 Senators who are members of that caucus. And we
14 work to promote the aviation industry in New York
15 State.
16 The aviation management association
17 is a key player in that regard. It has been the
18 voice of aviation in New York State.
19 Just a couple of quick statistics
20 about our aviation industry in New York State,
21 and it is the strongest --
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
23 Boyle.
24 SENATOR BOYLE: I'm sorry?
25 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
1171
1 Boyle, excuse me.
2 It was so quiet.
3 (Laughter.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: If we
5 could just have some order, please.
6 Senator Boyle, please continue.
7 SENATOR BOYLE: Thank you very
8 much, Mr. President.
9 New York's aviation industry is
10 responsible for over $50 billion in annual
11 economic activity here in the State of New York.
12 It's responsible for $2.8 billion in state and
13 local taxes generated from the aviation industry.
14 And there's over 400,000 jobs directly and
15 indirectly associated with the aviation industry.
16 Compared to the entire United
17 States, New York State makes up 7 percent of the
18 aviation activity economically in the entire
19 country. Aviation is a major player. And all of
20 us, if we don't have airports or aviation workers
21 in our districts, we have them nearby. Some big
22 ones downstate, medium-sized, regional, small
23 ones -- whatever the case may be, it is a vital
24 industry, and we want to thank and congratulate
25 the New York Aviation Management Association for
1172
1 their 40th anniversary. Keep up the good work
2 being the voice of aviation.
3 Thank you, Mr. President.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Thank
5 you, Senator Boyle.
6 As noted, this resolution was
7 adopted on March 15th, yesterday.
8 We want to welcome those who are
9 here from the Aviation Management Association.
10 Thank you so much for being here. We extend the
11 courtesies of the house. Let's give them a round
12 of applause.
13 (Applause.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
15 DeFrancisco.
16 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Senator Boyle
17 has offered to open this resolution up for
18 cosponsorship.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
20 resolution is open for cosponsorship. Should you
21 choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify the
22 desk.
23 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Can we now
24 take up previously adopted Resolution 4065, by
25 Senator Montgomery, read the title only and call
1173
1 on Senator Montgomery.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: The
3 Secretary will read.
4 And again, I'm going to ask for some
5 order in the house.
6 THE SECRETARY: Legislative
7 Resolution Number 4065, by Senator Montgomery,
8 congratulating the Brooklyn Technical High School
9 Women's Varsity Volleyball Team upon the occasion
10 of capturing the PSAL Class A City Championship.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
12 Montgomery.
13 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Thank you,
14 Mr. President.
15 I have the great honor and pride to
16 present to our chamber, our colleagues here
17 today, the Brooklyn Technical High School Women's
18 Varsity Volleyball Team. They are the PSAL
19 Class A City Championship Team of 2016.
20 They are joining us today. And I
21 want to say how proud I am of these young women,
22 who some of them -- some of whom are taller than
23 the tallest member.
24 (Laughter.)
25 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: And I have
1174
1 heard from some of the members that they would
2 really hate to meet these women on the court.
3 Even though they claim to be good basketball
4 players, they are not so good when it comes to
5 the Brooklyn Tech High School Women's Varsity
6 Volleyball Team.
7 Brooklyn Tech High School, as we all
8 know, is one of the top 10 best high schools in
9 the State of New York. And the high school,
10 which is in my district in Brooklyn, has, in
11 addition to this group of women who are top
12 volleyball champions, they are also high academic
13 achievers. Fourteen of them are scholar
14 athletes, with an overall impressive GPA of
15 93.24, and 10 of those have a GPA of 92.2 to
16 100.1. These are young women who have achieved
17 excellence academically, and they are also young
18 women who are excellent athletes.
19 Today we have an opportunity to
20 applaud them, to honor them, and certainly I want
21 to say to them that you are certainly, for us --
22 those of us women here, we strive to be as good
23 as you are.
24 And they are now accompanied by the
25 wonderful principal of Brooklyn Tech High School,
1175
1 Mr. Randy Asher. We thank him so much because he
2 is an exemplary administrator and is really
3 making sure that we're preparing the next
4 generation of not only athletes but excellent
5 young people who will be in the forefront of our
6 next generation of young leaders.
7 Let me see if I can give you the
8 names of the team members. Luanna Chan -- Luanna
9 Chan. Thank you.
10 Chellsa Ferdinand. Thank you.
11 Zoe Hockenberry. Thank you.
12 Cody Fung. Thank you.
13 Jane Lynn. Thank you.
14 Victoria Plonski. Thank you.
15 That's a tall one, ladies and gentlemen.
16 (Laughter.)
17 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Sarah Flynn.
18 TEAM MEMBERS: She's not here.
19 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Haeji Hwang.
20 Thank you.
21 Halna -- Halyna --
22 {Inaudible comment from gallery.}
23 (Laughter.)
24 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Thank you.
25 Anais Mewha. Thank you.
1176
1 Su Aray.
2 Gabriella Kahulsky. Thank you.
3 Jessica Krupa. Thank you.
4 Gigliello -- excuse me. Alexandra
5 Kusa.
6 And Head Coach Rosanne D'Augusta.
7 Assistant Coach Stephen.
8 And I do see and know and thank our
9 principal, Randy Asher.
10 (Applause.)
11 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Thank you.
12 Mr. President, this is one of the
13 premier high schools in our state. Certainly it
14 is a flagship school as it relates to technology,
15 science, all of those areas that we rely on so
16 much to bring us into the future. And by the
17 way, it is the alma mater of my son.
18 So congratulations. Thank you very
19 much, young ladies. I honor you today. Thank
20 you.
21 (Applause.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
23 Hamilton.
24 SENATOR HAMILTON: Yes, Chairman, I
25 rise to congratulate the women scholar athletes
1177
1 of Brooklyn Tech. To get into Brooklyn Tech is a
2 task in itself. It's academic excellence, it's a
3 rigorous process, and it's the best school in
4 Kings County, the Brooklyn of New York. It's
5 ranked seventh in the City of New York, and I
6 think it's 70th in the State of New York. It's a
7 premier school.
8 I happened to visit the school this
9 past week. As you know, my daughter was accepted
10 to Brooklyn Tech and to the Beacon Program, as
11 was the mayor of the City of New York; his
12 daughter went to Beacon, his son went to Brooklyn
13 Tech. And I spoke to Mayor de Blasio and I said,
14 you know, which school should I choose from?
15 So I did go to Brooklyn Tech and
16 visit the school. And Principal Asher, you have
17 done a phenomenal job with that school -- from
18 the robotics program, the team always scoring
19 high on national championships; to your
20 architectural program, where in the school itself
21 you're building a home, literally a home in the
22 school; to your biology program, which is a great
23 program; to your legal program. You have an
24 actual courtroom in the school, which is
25 phenomenal in itself. You have a solar panel
1178
1 laboratory by Con Ed.
2 Your school is the epitome of what
3 all our high schools should be in the State of
4 New York, and I wish we could duplicate it
5 throughout the state.
6 Yesterday I stood here on the floor
7 and I mentioned how one school in Brooklyn has
8 the reading scores of only 2.1 percent, and
9 that's one extreme of what's happening. And
10 maybe one day you'll become the chancellor and
11 change that in New York City.
12 So I just want to say Brooklyn Tech
13 is a beacon of hope for many students. And to
14 the volleyball team, you're doing a great job.
15 I'm not sure about the basketball team, but thank
16 God for the volleyball team, that you're doing a
17 great job. Keep up the great work that you're
18 doing.
19 You have 128 student activities.
20 That's unheard of for a school, to have 128. You
21 have an engineering program. You have a music
22 program that travels to China. Your high school
23 is doing so many things. It may be a large
24 school, 5,000 students, but it's doing wonderful
25 things in the community. When I went to the
1179
1 school, I felt that I was part of a larger
2 family. And hopefully by the end of this week my
3 daughter will be going to Brooklyn Tech and I'll
4 be advocating even more strongly for the school.
5 God bless you all. Thank you very
6 much.
7 (Applause.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
9 Stavisky.
10 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 And I too want to congratulate the
13 girls' volleyball team.
14 Many, many years ago I was a teacher
15 at Brooklyn Tech. And times have changed,
16 fortunately, because when I taught at Brooklyn
17 Tech, there was no girls' volleyball team. In
18 fact, there were no girls. It was all boys.
19 And secondly, I was in the social
20 studies department, and there were two women
21 teachers out of -- I don't know how many. So
22 times have changed.
23 And I think that is a testimony to
24 the faculty and the administration, the teachers,
25 obviously. But also to the parents -- an
1180
1 involved parent association -- to the students,
2 obviously, but an involved alumni association
3 also. Because your alumni groups have done a
4 remarkable job to promote not just the mission
5 and the tradition of Brooklyn Technical High
6 School, but the mission of educational excellence
7 throughout our state.
8 So I too offer my congratulations.
9 Thank you.
10 (Applause.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: Senator
12 DeFrancisco.
13 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: My district
14 is in Central New York. And many of us here
15 played high school sports, some played college
16 sports.
17 And the one thing that you don't
18 realize now, but an old guy like I understands it
19 clearly. The people you play with on this team
20 will be your lifelong friends. You'll be talking
21 about some of your games when you're in your 70s.
22 It will be embellished a lot --
23 (Laughter.)
24 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: -- because
25 you'll remember more than really happened. But
1181
1 it's the greatest experience in the world to be
2 involved with a team, especially a championship
3 team, for your life's experience.
4 And secondly, it's not surprising
5 that you're outstanding athletes and also
6 excellent students, because it goes hand in hand.
7 It's the hard work to achieve both. And the fact
8 that you can achieve both says you know how to
9 use your time efficiently, you're going to be the
10 leaders of tomorrow. Some of you, God forbid,
11 may be in this chamber some day. No, I'm
12 kidding. It's a wonderful place to be.
13 But seriously, some of you may be
14 here some day or even higher.
15 So good luck in the rest of your
16 lives, and enjoy these relationships that are
17 forever.
18 Thank you.
19 (Applause.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: As noted,
21 the resolution was passed on March 8, 2016.
22 We want to again welcome the
23 faculty, administrators, and students from
24 Brooklyn Tech. We congratulate the Women's
25 Varsity Volleyball Team on achieving that
1182
1 championship.
2 And Senator Montgomery has opened
3 the resolution up for cosponsorship. Should
4 anyone choose not to be a cosponsor, you may
5 address the desk.
6 Senator Hamilton, do you want to add
7 something quickly?
8 SENATOR HAMILTON: Yes. I made a
9 mistake. I said it was ranked seventh in the
10 city. But actually it's ranked seventh in the
11 state, and it's 80th in the country. I'd like to
12 make that correction.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: So let's
14 give a big round of applause to everybody here.
15 (Applause.)
16 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Senator
17 Montgomery has offered the resolution for
18 cosponsorship.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: So noted
20 and so instructed.
21 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: So if you
22 don't want to be a cosponsor, just notify the
23 desk.
24 Is there any other business at the
25 desk?
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: There is
2 no further business before the desk at this time.
3 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: In that case,
4 I move to adjourn until Thursday, March 17th, at
5 11:00 a.m.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO: On
7 motion, the Senate will stand adjourned until
8 Thursday, March 17th -- the commemoration of
9 St. Patrick's Day -- at 11:00 a.m.
10 The Senate will stand adjourned.
11 (Whereupon, at 11:50 a.m., the
12 Senate adjourned.)
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