Regular Session - January 3, 2018

                                                                   1

 1               NEW YORK STATE SENATE

 2                          

 3                          

 4              THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD

 5                          

 6                          

 7                          

 8                          

 9                  ALBANY, NEW YORK

10                  January 3, 2018

11                     12:18 p.m.

12                          

13                          

14                  REGULAR SESSION

15  

16  

17  

18  LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KATHLEEN C. HOCHUL, 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                THE PRESIDENT:   The Senate will 

 3   come to order. 

 4                I ask everyone present to please 

 5   rise and repeat with me the Pledge of Allegiance.

 6                (Whereupon, the assemblage recited 

 7   the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)

 8                THE PRESIDENT:   His Eminence 

 9   Timothy Cardinal Dolan, archbishop of the Roman 

10   Catholic Diocese of New York, is with us today to 

11   give the invocation.

12                CARDINAL DOLAN:   Let us pray.

13                We assemble for this historic event, 

14   dear Lord, yes, as grateful citizens of the state 

15   we're proud to call home, but also as humble 

16   people of faith who simply yet sincerely profess, 

17   as Americans, in God we trust.

18                Thus do we acclaim You as our 

19   Creator who made us in Your own image and 

20   likeness, thus rendering the human person and 

21   human life as sacred, and thus endowing us with 

22   rights calling for protection and with freedom -- 

23   not so much to do whatever we want, but what we 

24   ought.

25                We profess You as our common Father 


                                                               3

 1   who unites us, a Lawgiver who has implanted 

 2   within a grasp of the truth and a thirst for 

 3   justice, and a belief that we are at our best 

 4   when our will is consonant with Your own.

 5                To these distinguished legislators 

 6   we ask the gift of the wisdom only You can 

 7   bestow, and the reclaiming of the honor and 

 8   nobility of public service, a sensitivity to 

 9   those in need.  Please illumine in a radiant way 

10   our leaders:  Senator Flanagan, Senator 

11   Stewart-Cousins, and Senator Klein.

12                You never summon us to a duty 

13   without supplying us the grace to do it, dear 

14   God, and that blessed assurance consoles us 

15   today.  May all that we do and dream and dare and 

16   decide in these hallowed chambers be only to our 

17   credit, Lord, when one day we stand before You, 

18   the omnipotent Lawgiver and supreme Judge, You 

19   who live and reign forever and ever.  

20                Amen.  

21                (The Assemblage responded "Amen.") 

22                THE PRESIDENT:   The Secretary will 

23   call the roll to ascertain a quorum.

24                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Addabbo.

25                SENATOR ADDABBO:   Here.


                                                               4

 1                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Akshar.

 2                SENATOR AKSHAR:   Present.

 3                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Alcantara.

 4                SENATOR ALCANTARA:   Here.

 5                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Amedore.

 6                SENATOR AMEDORE:   Here.

 7                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Avella.

 8                SENATOR AVELLA:   Here.

 9                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Bailey.

10                SENATOR BAILEY:  Here.

11                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Benjamin.

12                SENATOR BENJAMIN:   Here.

13                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Bonacic.

14                (No response.)

15                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Boyle.  

16                SENATOR BOYLE:   Here.

17                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Breslin.

18                SENATOR BRESLIN:   Here.

19                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Brooks. 

20                SENATOR BROOKS:   Here.

21                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Carlucci.

22                SENATOR CARLUCCI:   Present.  

23                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Comrie.

24                SENATOR COMRIE:   Present.

25                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Croci.


                                                               5

 1                SENATOR CROCI:   Present.

 2                THE SECRETARY:   Senator 

 3   DeFrancisco.

 4                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Here.

 5                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Dilan.

 6                SENATOR DILAN:   Here.

 7                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Felder.  

 8                SENATOR FELDER:  Aye.  

 9                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Flanagan.  

10                SENATOR FLANAGAN:   Here.

11                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Funke.  

12                SENATOR FUNKE:   Here.

13                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Gallivan.  

14                SENATOR GALLIVAN:   Here.

15                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Gianaris.  

16                SENATOR GIANARIS:   Here.

17                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Golden.  

18                SENATOR GOLDEN:   Present.

19                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Griffo.

20                SENATOR GRIFFO:   Here.

21                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Hamilton.  

22                SENATOR HAMILTON:   Present.

23                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Hannon.  

24                SENATOR HANNON:   Here.

25                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Helming.  


                                                               6

 1                SENATOR HELMING:   Here.

 2                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Hoylman.

 3                SENATOR HOYLMAN:   Here.

 4                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Jacobs.  

 5                SENATOR JACOBS:   Here.

 6                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Kaminsky.

 7                SENATOR KAMINSKY:   Here.

 8                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Kavanagh.

 9                SENATOR KAVANAGH:   Here.

10                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Kennedy. 

11                SENATOR KENNEDY:   Here.

12                THE SECRETARY:   Senator Klein. 

13                SENATOR KLEIN:   Here.

14                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator, a quorum 

15   is present.

16                In keeping with --

17                SENATOR FLANAGAN:   Madam Present, 

18   if I may, I can barely hear you.  I don't know 

19   what's going on.  I can hear Chris fine.  But 

20   please, we've got to fix your mic, because what 

21   you're saying and what you're doing is important.

22                THE PRESIDENT:   Is it on high?  

23   It's okay.  Is that better, Senator?  

24                SENATOR FLANAGAN:   It depends on 

25   what you said.


                                                               7

 1                (Laughter.)

 2                THE PRESIDENT:   I come with high 

 3   praise for Senator Flanagan.  Can you hear that?  

 4                (Laughter.) 

 5                THE PRESIDENT:   There we go.  

 6                Well, in keeping with tradition, it 

 7   is my honor to welcome you to the 2018 session of 

 8   the New York State Senate, on behalf of Governor 

 9   Andrew Cuomo and the people of the State of 

10   New York.  

11                Like you, many of us journeyed 

12   across this state.  I came through blizzard 

13   conditions, about a six-hour drive from Buffalo, 

14   New York, but I had plenty of time to reflect on 

15   my past year, going to so many of your districts 

16   and sharing the experiences.  And what I 

17   witnessed firsthand so often was the incredible 

18   pride that each of you have for the district and 

19   the people you represent.  

20                And as I heard from so many people, 

21   each one of you tells me you have the very best 

22   district in the State of New York.  And all of 

23   you are correct.  I heard that so often.  

24                But more than just the pride in 

25   representing our districts, there's a profound 


                                                               8

 1   pride we all share in being New Yorkers.  And it 

 2   is a pride that transcends party affiliation, 

 3   geographic boundaries, race, ethnicity and 

 4   gender.  Therefore, it's a pride that compels us 

 5   to journey together in solidarity as New Yorkers 

 6   as we meet the new challenges.  

 7                And that's why we have to fight for 

 8   the people of New York to repel a tax burden that 

 9   is being levied by our federal government on our 

10   citizens.  And that is why we'll go to the mat 

11   over cuts in programs that help needy children.  

12   We'll fight together for affordable education, 

13   Medicare, Medicaid, protecting our environment -- 

14   because from hurricanes in Long Island to floods 

15   on Lake Ontario and upstate New York and the 

16   crazy blizzards of Western New York, we know what 

17   climate change is, and it's just getting worse.  

18                And we will continue to address the 

19   seismic societal shift in attitudes toward women 

20   that is long overdue.  And that will finally 

21   result in equality of opportunity, equality in 

22   pay, and equality in respect.

23                So as we know the constituents close 

24   to our districts, people get up every day, they 

25   go to work, they worry about their families, and 


                                                               9

 1   they think about "if only I could build a better 

 2   life."  They keep their part of the bargain.  As 

 3   elected officials, we must keep ours.  

 4                We share these goals, even if our 

 5   means of achieving them may differ.  In 2017 we 

 6   had many bipartisan accomplishments, and all of 

 7   you should be very proud.  We opened the year 

 8   honoring the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal 

 9   and the 100th anniversary of women winning the 

10   right to vote.  We honored brave and courageous 

11   individuals who were bold enough to dig a canal 

12   and to pave the way for women to have the right 

13   to vote.

14                To conclude, today as New Yorkers we 

15   come together with a common purpose, to honor 

16   those legacies but to create our own.  So 

17   100 years from now, when New Yorkers look back at 

18   our time, I'd like them to say we dreamed big but 

19   we built even bigger.  We began movements that 

20   changed the course of human history, and we left 

21   New York and indeed the world a better place than 

22   we found it.  And we did it together.

23                Mr. Floor Leader.

24                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   May we please 

25   proceed with the regular order of business.


                                                               10

 1                THE PRESIDENT:   Presentation of 

 2   petitions.  

 3                Messages from the Assembly.

 4                Messages from the Governor.  

 5                There is a message from the 

 6   Governor, which the Secretary will read.

 7                THE SECRETARY:   "Dear Majority 

 8   Leader Flanagan:  I would appreciate the 

 9   privilege of the presence of all the Members of 

10   the New York State Senate at the Empire State 

11   Plaza Convention Center on January 3, 2018, at 

12   1:00 p.m.  Very truly yours, Andrew M. Cuomo."

13                THE PRESIDENT:   To be filed in the 

14   Journal.

15                Reports of standing committees.

16                Reports of select committees.

17                Communications and reports from 

18   state officers.

19                Motions and resolutions.

20                Mr. Floor Leader.

21                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   I believe 

22   there's a resolution at the desk by Senators 

23   Flanagan and Klein.  May we please have it read 

24   in its entirety and move for its immediate 

25   adoption.  Thank you.


                                                               11

 1                THE PRESIDENT:   The Secretary will 

 2   read.

 3                THE SECRETARY:   Senate Resolution 

 4   Number 3324, by Senators Flanagan and Klein, 

 5   directing the Temporary President to appoint a 

 6   Committee of three to inform the Governor that 

 7   the Senate is organized and ready to proceed with 

 8   business.  

 9                "RESOLVED, Directing the Temporary 

10   President to appoint a Committee of three 

11   comprised of Senator Jacobs, Senator Hamilton, 

12   and Senator Benjamin, for the purpose of 

13   informing the Governor that the Senate is 

14   organized and ready to proceed with business."

15                THE PRESIDENT:   The question is on 

16   the resolution.  All in favor signify by saying 

17   aye.

18                (Response of "Aye.")

19                THE PRESIDENT:   Opposed, nay.

20                (No response.)

21                THE PRESIDENT:   The resolution is 

22   adopted.

23                Mr. Floor Leader.

24                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, there's 

25   another resolution at the desk by Senators 


                                                               12

 1   Flanagan and Klein.  May we please have it read 

 2   in its entirety and move for its immediate 

 3   adoption.

 4                THE PRESIDENT:   The Secretary will 

 5   read.

 6                THE SECRETARY:   Senate Resolution 

 7   Number 3325, by Senators Flanagan and Klein, 

 8   directing the Temporary President to appoint a 

 9   Committee of three to wait upon the Assembly and 

10   inform that body that the Senate is assembled and 

11   ready to proceed with business.  

12                "RESOLVED, Directing the Temporary 

13   President to appoint a Committee of three 

14   comprised of Senator Tedisco, Senator Alcantara, 

15   and Senator Kavanagh, for the purpose of waiting 

16   upon the Assembly and informing that body that 

17   the Senate is assembled and ready to proceed with 

18   business."

19                THE PRESIDENT:   The question is on 

20   the resolution.  All in favor signify by saying 

21   aye.

22                (Response of "Aye.")

23                THE PRESIDENT:   Opposed, nay.

24                (No response.)

25                THE PRESIDENT:   The resolution is 


                                                               13

 1   adopted.

 2                Mr. Floor Leader.

 3                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, we have 

 4   some very important visitors here from the 

 5   Assembly, Assemblywoman Weinstein and my favorite 

 6   Assemblyman, Bob Oaks.  

 7                (Laughter.)

 8                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Would you 

 9   please recognize them and welcome them to our 

10   chambers.

11                THE PRESIDENT:   Assemblymembers 

12   Oaks and Weinstein are very welcome in our 

13   chambers.  

14                ASSEMBLYWOMAN WEINSTEIN:  We are 

15   here to say that the Assembly has adjourned the 

16   2017 session and we have convened and we are 

17   organized and ready for 2018.  And I think we 

18   beat you once this -- for a while.  

19                (Laughter.)

20                ASSEMBLYWOMAN WEINSTEIN:   Look 

21   forward to a fruitful year.

22                THE PRESIDENT:   Mr. Floor Leader.

23                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, Madam 

24   President, at this time would you please call on 

25   Senator Stewart-Cousins for opening remarks.


                                                               14

 1                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator 

 2   Stewart-Cousins.

 3                SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:   Thank you 

 4   so much, Madam President.

 5                And I just -- I understand our 

 6   remarks at this moment are going to be brief 

 7   because we obviously have the State of the State.  

 8   But certainly I wanted to begin by saying "Happy 

 9   New Year" and "Welcome back" to everyone.  

10                I also wanted to note the changes in 

11   my conference.  Not with us -- I expected him to 

12   be here -- but Senator Latimer is now County 

13   Executive Latimer.  Is he here?  Oh, there you 

14   are.

15                (Standing ovation.)  

16                SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:   You know, 

17   we remember everything from the kumquats to --

18                (Laughter.)

19                SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:   -- and 

20   those late nights.  And I'm glad you're here.  

21                We also certainly recognize you as a 

22   great leader.  And he's threatened already to 

23   bring a tin cup; I don't know if you have that 

24   with you yet.  

25                (Laughter.)


                                                               15

 1                SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:   But we 

 2   expect great leadership from you.  And certainly 

 3   our best wishes go with you as you become the 

 4   great county executive for my home county, 

 5   Westchester.  So thank you, Senator Latimer.  

 6                And also not with us is former 

 7   Senator Díaz, who has now joined the City 

 8   Council, and we also wish Senator Díaz the best.  

 9                And, you know, we have two seats 

10   that are available.  And we are certainly hoping 

11   that we get those seats filled as quickly as 

12   possible, because we know that our democracy 

13   depends on representation.

14                Now, speaking about a seat that has 

15   been filled, we had an opportunity to swear in 

16   this morning Senator Brian Kavanagh, who replaces 

17   again another great friend, Senator Daniel 

18   Squadron.  

19                Senator Kavanagh is no stranger, 

20   obviously, to Albany.  He's spent 10 years in the 

21   Assembly.  He's a champion for certainly voters' 

22   rights and sensible gun laws and advocacy for 

23   tenants, and he's a great addition to our great 

24   body.  

25                Welcome, Senator Kavanagh.


                                                               16

 1                (Standing ovation.)

 2                SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:   So again, 

 3   we are beginning a new year.  And the more 

 4   extended remarks will be next week, but I just 

 5   want to make sure that Governor Cuomo knows that 

 6   we are looking forward to working with him and 

 7   certainly looking forward to his address in the 

 8   next half-hour or so.  

 9                And for my partners Senator Flanagan 

10   and Senator Klein, we just want to assure you 

11   that our conference is here to work with you and 

12   to get the people's work of New York done.

13                So, good, I hope we'll have a very, 

14   very productive session.  Thank you.

15                (Applause.)

16                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator 

17   DeFrancisco.

18                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Would you now 

19   recognize Senator Klein for opening remarks.

20                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator Klein.

21                SENATOR KLEIN:   Thank you, Madam 

22   President.

23                I too want to thank the Democratic 

24   Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins -- looking forward 

25   to working with her during this session -- and of 


                                                               17

 1   course my friend and colleague, our Majority 

 2   Leader, John Flanagan, who continues to work with 

 3   all of us, Democrats and Republicans, to get the 

 4   people's business done.

 5                As was said before, I too have some 

 6   remarks prepared for next week, I guess, but I 

 7   also want to congratulate George Latimer, the new 

 8   Westchester county executive.  I know his 

 9   intelligence, his know-how, his understanding of 

10   how to get things done is going to suit the 

11   people of Westchester County extremely well.

12                I too want to welcome Senator 

13   Kavanagh.  I know we worked together over the 

14   years to freeze rents for senior citizens and the 

15   disabled, and I know we'll be able to work on 

16   those types of things again in the upcoming 

17   session.

18                I know Senator Díaz is not here, but 

19   I do see my good friend, sort of a Senator in 

20   waiting, Assemblyman Sepúlveda.  Let's give him a 

21   round of applause too for joining us today.

22                (Applause.)

23                SENATOR KLEIN:   And most of all, I 

24   want to say a very special thank you to all of 

25   the members of the Independent Democratic 


                                                               18

 1   Conference.  We certainly worked very hard in the 

 2   out-session in serving our districts, in working 

 3   together, and each and every day it's my honor to 

 4   call you friends as well as colleagues.

 5                I think the best thing that we can 

 6   do this year is, once again, not knowing -- or 

 7   actually knowing some of the ramifications that 

 8   are coming down from the national government, 

 9   which are not going to suit New Yorkers very, 

10   very well, that we here in the Senate should put 

11   politics aside, at least during the budget 

12   process, to make sure we can all work together 

13   and do the people's business in making sure that 

14   New Yorkers don't shoulder the burden of some of 

15   the damage that was done on the national level.

16                So I think we really have to sort of 

17   get down to business, make sure we have a subway 

18   mass transit system that's second to none, make 

19   sure that homeowners and taxpayers who are losing 

20   deductions don't have to shoulder the burden on 

21   their own, that our state and especially we right 

22   here have to come to their defense.

23                But most of all, I look forward to a 

24   productive budget session.  I think we in the 

25   Senate especially, we rise to the occasion.  And 


                                                               19

 1   as difficult as it may be, I think working 

 2   together, Democrats and Republicans, in a 

 3   bipartisan fashion, we can continue to deliver 

 4   for New Yorkers.

 5                So again, I look forward to a 

 6   productive session, and a happy and healthy 

 7   New Year to all.

 8                (Applause.)

 9                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator 

10   DeFrancisco.

11                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Madam 

12   President, would you now recognize Senator 

13   Flanagan for opening remarks.

14                THE PRESIDENT:   Senator Flanagan.

15                SENATOR FLANAGAN:   Thank you, 

16   Senator DeFrancisco.

17                And Madam President, it's nice to 

18   see you here.  You always conduct yourself with 

19   class and elegance.  And I'm sorry you got into a 

20   little scuffle there with, well, somebody 

21   probably in government, somebody probably in 

22   government.  But it's nice to have you here 

23   presiding today.

24                And, you know, we opened our session 

25   with something that to me is like personally very 


                                                               20

 1   cool.  How many times do you get to have a 

 2   cardinal come and open session?  I'm not talking 

 3   about a baseball player, I'm talking about the 

 4   real deal.  

 5                Having the cardinal here, he has a 

 6   presence that we all respect and admire.  And 

 7   when I listen to him pray on our behalf, I feel 

 8   good.  I actually really feel good.  And I'm 

 9   always grateful, always grateful when we have 

10   people of faith who come and deliver opening 

11   prayers.

12                But the cardinal spoke about 

13   something that I think is -- no pun intended -- 

14   eminently important.  He used the phrase "the 

15   honor and nobility of public service."  

16                So I want to thank my friend and my 

17   colleague -- and I'm going to make it crystal 

18   New York clear:  Jeff Klein and I work very well 

19   together.  He knows how to govern, he knows how 

20   to lead.  He knows how to comport himself with 

21   diplomacy and professionalism, both publicly and 

22   privately.  And that's something I deeply 

23   appreciate.

24                I can say that very clearly as well 

25   about Senator Stewart-Cousins.  She, Madam 


                                                               21

 1   President, has many of your admirable qualities, 

 2   and she acts as a leader.  

 3                And I'll say this pretty clearly:  

 4   The day the three of us all agree on everything, 

 5   that's when everyone should start to worry.  

 6                (Laughter.)

 7                SENATOR FLANAGAN:   We're going to 

 8   have our differences, but we can do so in a way 

 9   that is important.  

10                When I look at how we run our house, 

11   I think of Senator DeFrancisco, Senator Gianaris, 

12   and Senator Valesky, who help make the day-to-day 

13   operations actually work.  Actually work.  

14                So the honor and nobility of public 

15   service.  I did a little fact-checking this 

16   morning.  And I'm going to be off by a hair, and 

17   Parker will correct me at some point.  See, 

18   that's what he does.  He'll correct me at some 

19   point.  And this does not include staff time, 

20   school board service, City Council service, 

21   serving in other capacities.  I can think of 

22   Toby Stavisky and think of the longevity of the 

23   Stavisky family and public service, not unlike my 

24   own family.  

25                But just to be clear, we have 


                                                               22

 1   presently 593 years of service in the Senate from 

 2   all the people, all the people that are serving 

 3   right here.  

 4                Senator Kavanagh, welcome to you.  

 5                That doesn't include my 16 years in 

 6   the Assembly, it doesn't include Kemp Hannon's 

 7   longevity in the Assembly, Betty Little, Cathy 

 8   Young, a whole bunch of our colleagues.  

 9                And I am not going to apologize; I'm 

10   going to speak proudly of this institution and 

11   the fact that we all are engaged in public 

12   service.  Because the last time I checked -- I 

13   don't have to canvass all 62 other members to 

14   know nobody's doing this for the money.  Nobody's 

15   doing it for the money.  

16                Speaking of money, Latimer, he 

17   brought a tin cup, a silk bag, he's trying to -- 

18   he sounds like Rainman now.  He's saying:  

19   Mandate relief, mandate relief, mandate relief, 

20   help me out here.

21                So when I think of these things, you 

22   know, I go back, Madam President, to something 

23   else you said.  Last night we had some time to 

24   socialize with some of our members, and I came 

25   back to the Capitol last night to grab some 


                                                               23

 1   stuff.  And I want to describe to you how I 

 2   personally feel.  And we'll get into our agenda; 

 3   we're going to talk about all kinds of things -- 

 4   property tax cap permanency, spending cap, 

 5   regulatory reform, making sure that there's money 

 6   for Lake Ontario and places all across the State 

 7   of New York.  All those type of things we're 

 8   going to talk about.  

 9                But when I come through the Capitol, 

10   whether it's in the morning or the night, I have 

11   a sense of reverence.  I do.  And the dean of our 

12   conference and the dean of the Senate reminds me 

13   of this all of the time.  This is a special 

14   place, a special place.  And when I walk through, 

15   I think about that.  And when I hear -- 

16   literally, when I hear my name, each time it 

17   makes me take a step back.  And I think that's a 

18   good thing.

19                So, Madam President, you mentioned 

20   something that -- the person I think of more than 

21   anyone else -- anyone else -- is my father.  So 

22   when I watch Helene Weinstein come in here as the 

23   new chair of the Ways and Means Committee, who 

24   served after her father in the New York State 

25   Assembly -- I think of Joe Robach and people with 


                                                               24

 1   legacy.  But my father, my father was way ahead 

 2   of his time.  And I'm doing this just a little 

 3   personally to make this point.  

 4                In 1986, my father was a co-prime 

 5   sponsor on legislation, with Bill Passannante, on 

 6   discrimination based on one's sexual orientation 

 7   for housing.  That was over 30 years ago.

 8                But my father was also cutting edge.  

 9   Because when women got the vote -- there were two 

10   women that were elected the first year that women 

11   got the vote.  One of them happened to be a woman 

12   named Ida Sammis.  Ida Sammis was from the Town 

13   of Huntington, and she had a legendary but short 

14   career.  So he did a historical perspective, over 

15   30 years ago, of every woman -- and I repeat, 

16   every woman -- that had been elected to the 

17   Legislature.  That was cutting edge.

18                So when we talk about these issues, 

19   I feel like I come from a good lineage, and I'm 

20   very privileged and lucky to be able to say that.  

21                So as we move forward, I'm going to 

22   tell everyone again, I'm proud of who we are, I'm 

23   proud of the work that we do.  Can we do things 

24   better?  Of course.  Will we try and do things 

25   better?  Yes.  Will we work with the Governor?  


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 1   Yes, we will.  Have we proven that we know how to 

 2   govern?  Yes.  Yes.  

 3                So as we move forward, I'm going to 

 4   reiterate, I'm a state senator, I'm a public 

 5   official, I'm a public servant, and I'm very, 

 6   very happy to be working with all of you.  So as 

 7   we move into next week, we're going to -- I think 

 8   I told Senator Klein this, Senator 

 9   Stewart-Cousins, and I will speak more about 

10   this.  I want to have January be very productive.  

11   I don't want to be wasting anyone's time, 

12   including the taxpayers'.  

13                So I am deeply grateful to all of 

14   you for who you are and what you do.  And as we 

15   go downstairs, let's distinguish ourselves again 

16   by showing the class and dignity that this house 

17   exemplifies and listen carefully to what the 

18   Governor has to say.  Whether or not we agree 

19   with him will certainly be open to question.  But 

20   we will do the people's business.  

21                And I thank you for your indulgence.

22                (Applause.)

23                THE PRESIDENT:   Thank you, Senator.

24                Mr. Floor Leader.

25                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Just a point 


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 1   of clarification about that 593 years of service.  

 2   If you exclude Ken LaValle, it's 99 total years.  

 3                (Laughter.)

 4                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Just to make 

 5   it clear.

 6                Is there any further business at the 

 7   desk?  

 8                THE PRESIDENT:   There is no further 

 9   business at the desk.

10                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   That being 

11   the case and there being no further business, I 

12   move we adjourn until Monday, January 8th, at 

13   3:00 p.m., intervening days being legislative 

14   days.

15                THE PRESIDENT:   On motion, the 

16   Senate stands adjourned until Monday, 

17   January 8th, at 3:00 p.m., intervening days being 

18   legislative days.

19                (Whereupon, at 12:45 p.m., the 

20   Senate adjourned.)

21

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