Regular Session - February 12, 2018
568
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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6
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8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 February 12, 2018
11 3:24 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
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16
17
18 SENATOR FRED AKSHAR, Acting President
19 FRANCIS W. PATIENCE, Secretary
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
3 Senate will 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 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: In the
9 absence of clergy, may we please bow our heads in
10 a moment of silence.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Reading
14 of the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Sunday,
16 February 11th, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Saturday,
18 February 10th, was read and approved. On motion,
19 Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Without
21 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 Messages from the Governor.
25 Reports of standing committees.
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1 Reports of select committees.
2 Communications and reports from
3 state officers.
4 Motions and resolutions.
5 Mr. Floor Leader.
6 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:
7 Mr. President, I move that the following bills be
8 discharged from their respective committees and
9 be recommitted with instructions to strike the
10 enacting clause. All are by Senator Bonacic.
11 Senate Bill Numbers 4286, 5419, 5501, 6243A, and
12 6801.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: So
14 ordered.
15 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I wish to
16 call up Senator Amedore's bill, Print Number
17 6960, recalled from the Assembly, which is now at
18 the desk.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 282, by Senator Amedore, Senate Print 6960, an
23 act to require.
24 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I now move to
25 reconsider the vote by which this bill was
571
1 passed.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
3 roll on reconsideration.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 40.
6 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I now offer
7 the following amendments.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
9 amendments are received, and the bill will be
10 restored to the Third Reading Calendar.
11 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: On page 28, I
12 offer the following amendments to Calendar 243,
13 Senate Print 5575, by Senator LaValle, and ask
14 that said bill retain its place on the Third
15 Reading Calendar.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
17 amendments are received, and the bill shall
18 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
19 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: On page 22, I
20 offer the following amendments to Calendar 171,
21 Senate Print 690, and ask that said bill retain
22 its place on the Third Reading Calendar. It's by
23 Senator Ortt.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Those
25 amendments are received, and the bill shall
572
1 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
2 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: And finally,
3 on page 21, I offer the following amendments to
4 Calendar 157, Senate Print 6964, by
5 Senator Hannon, and ask that said bill retain its
6 place on the Third Reading Calendar.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
8 amendments are received, and the bill shall
9 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
10 Mr. Floor Leader.
11 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Can we now
12 take up the noncontroversial reading of the
13 calendar.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
15 Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 23,
17 by Senator Alcantara, Senate Print 7295, an act
18 to amend the Public Health Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect on the same date and in the
23 same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2017.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
25 roll.
573
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 28,
8 by Senator LaValle, Senate Print 7300, an act to
9 repeal.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
18 the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 82,
23 by Senator Savino, Senate Print 3883, an act to
24 amend the Penal Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
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1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
3 act shall take effect on the 180th day.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
8 the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
11 is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 109, by Senator Lanza, Senate Print 2629B, an act
14 to amend the Education Law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
16 last section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
18 act shall take effect immediately.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
23 the results.
24 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
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1 is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 168, by Senator Funke, Senate Print 3988, an act
4 to amend the Economic Development Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
8 act shall take effect immediately.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
13 the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 170, by Senator Ortt, Senate Print 685A, an act
19 to amend the Mental Hygiene Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
25 roll.
576
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 45.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 203, by Senator Golden, Senate Print 226B, an act
9 to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
13 act shall take effect on the 180th day.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
18 Golden to explain his vote.
19 SENATOR GOLDEN: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I rise today to speak of a bill that
22 is long overdue, requesting that Motor Vehicles
23 issue a "Survivor of the Bravest" license plate
24 to member families of the paid professional
25 firefighters who died on 9/11 and those
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1 subsequently that have died since.
2 We lost 343 firemen that day and
3 we've lost that twice that since then. The
4 numbers are astounding.
5 This bill provides that these plates
6 will only be designed, produced and issued after
7 DMV receives a bond for $6,000. And after two
8 years from the date available for sale or at
9 least 200 sets of plates have been sold, the bond
10 can be discontinued. If less than 200 plates
11 have been sold, the department can use that bond
12 to recover any of its losses.
13 These "Survivor of the Bravest"
14 license plates will recognize the many
15 contributions that our fire department and many
16 others made during those tough times on 9/11 and
17 those subsequent times since. There isn't a
18 month that goes by that we don't go to a wake or
19 a funeral of a fireman that has died and given
20 his life to this great city and to this great
21 state and nation.
22 So I ask all of my members to vote
23 for this, and the Assembly to vote for this, and
24 that we never forget their sacrifices and the
25 sacrifices of many that paid the ultimate price
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1 for the greatest nation in the world.
2 Thank you, Mr. President. I vote
3 aye.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
5 Golden to be recorded in the affirmative.
6 Announce the results.
7 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 47.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
9 is passed.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 219, by Senator Carlucci, Senate Print 4048, an
12 act to amend the General Business Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
16 act shall take effect immediately.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
21 the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 46. Nays, 1.
23 Senator Helming recorded in the negative.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
25 is passed.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 228, by Senator Seward, Senate Print 4654, an act
3 to amend the Insurance Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
9 roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
12 the results.
13 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 47.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
15 is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 240, by Senator Ranzenhofer, Senate Print 3886,
18 an act to amend the Education Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
24 roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
2 the results.
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 50.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
5 is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 289, by Senator Marchione, Senate Print 3854, an
8 act to amend the Correction Law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Read the
10 last section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Call the
14 roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Announce
17 the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
19 Calendar 289: Ayes, 47. Nays, 3. Senators
20 Bailey, Montgomery and Sanders recorded in the
21 negative.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The bill
23 is passed.
24 Mr. Floor Leader, that completes the
25 noncontroversial reading of the calendar.
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1 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:
2 Mr. President, can we now take up previously
3 adopted Resolution 3534, by Senator Kavanagh,
4 read the title only, and call on Senators
5 Kavanagh and Golden to speak.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Legislative
9 Resolution Number 3534, by Senator Kavanagh,
10 commemorating the Asian-American community's
11 celebration of the Lunar New Year, the Year of
12 the Dog, on February 16, 2018.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
14 Kavanagh on the resolution.
15 SENATOR KAVANAGH: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 I rise today to join many of my
18 constituents and New Yorkers throughout our state
19 in celebrating Lunar New Year. As many in this
20 chamber and across our state know, February 16th,
21 this Friday, rings in the Year of the Dog in the
22 lunar calendar.
23 The Lunar New Year holiday is the
24 most important cultural holiday for many, many
25 New Yorkers, and I'd like to invite all of my
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1 colleagues to join me in celebrating this
2 occasion. And I know we're going to hear from a
3 couple of my colleagues today.
4 Those born in the Year of the Dog
5 are traditionally thought to be characterized by
6 their truthfulness, loyalty, honesty, and
7 reliability, four ideals that all public
8 servants, including all of us in this chamber, I
9 know strive to embody each day.
10 Lunar New Year is more than a
11 celebration for Asian-American New Yorkers, it's
12 an opportunity for all of us to expand our
13 horizons, learn about other cultures, and
14 celebrate our neighbor's heritage as well as our
15 own.
16 As the Statute of Liberty reminds
17 us, New York has long been a beacon of hope for
18 individuals from across the globe, and New York
19 welcomes immigrants of all backgrounds with open
20 arms. Our state is proud to be the home to
21 hundreds of thousands of Asian-American
22 New Yorkers celebrating Lunar New Year, including
23 those with Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian
24 and Singaporian heritage.
25 We're proud that Manhattan's
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1 Chinatown, located in my district, is the largest
2 concentration of Chinese individuals in the
3 Western Hemisphere, and we're proud that
4 throughout our state, Asian-American communities
5 are growing and thriving.
6 This celebration is another great
7 reflection of New York's values of openness and
8 inclusion, and I hope that all of us in
9 government live up to the ideals of those born in
10 the Year of the Dog.
11 Thank you, Mr. President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
13 you, Senator Kavanagh.
14 Senator Golden.
15 SENATOR GOLDEN: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 And I thank my colleague for putting
18 this resolution forward. This is an important
19 holiday in our community.
20 Across this great city today and
21 across Long Island and parts of New Jersey, we
22 have, in 12 distinct different communities across
23 those areas, the largest Asian-American community
24 outside of China. Think about what I just said.
25 The numbers are astounding here in the
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1 Chinese-American community in those areas.
2 And not to take my colleague with
3 Manhattan being the largest -- I think if he
4 takes a count, he'll find out that Brooklyn beats
5 him, Queens is second, and Manhattan is third.
6 But that's besides the point. It's
7 still the largest Chinese-American community
8 outside of China, and that's what's important --
9 and outside of Asia -- that gives this great,
10 great, great opportunity for many, many families
11 to live and to raise their families in our
12 community.
13 In Brooklyn and Sunset Park right
14 along the areas from 42nd Street up to 62nd
15 Street and Eighth Avenue, 90 percent of those
16 stores were empty until about 15 years ago.
17 Those 20 blocks on Eighth Avenue now are full,
18 and the bustling enterprises and economic
19 development in our restaurants and our computer
20 stores and our technology, our fabric stores --
21 those stores are really, really doing
22 exceptionally well. And the Chinese-Americans
23 are doing extremely well living in our great,
24 great city and our surrounding communities.
25 In this body here that I passed back
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1 many years ago was a bill, 4648, that actually
2 gave the Asian Lunar New Year an actual holiday
3 for our children and made it an official holiday
4 here for the City and State of New York. That's
5 how important it is today to be able to
6 acknowledge our brothers and sisters in the
7 Chinese-American community and the Asian-American
8 community.
9 So I vote -- there's no vote on
10 this, but I thank my colleagues for putting it
11 forward. Thank you. And this is a great, great
12 Year of the Dog.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
15 Golden, thank you.
16 Senator Stavisky.
17 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 I'm not going to get into a
20 discussion of the numbers. However, I represent
21 a district that's approximately 75 or 80 percent
22 Asian-American. And on Friday, not only is that
23 the kickoff -- although we've been celebrating it
24 certainly for the last month -- of the Lunar
25 New Year, but the schools are going to be closed.
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1 Which is, quite frankly, about time, because in
2 the past parents have had to choose between
3 sending their children to school or celebrating
4 their rich cultural traditions, whether they be a
5 Chinese-American or Korean-American.
6 And in fact on Saturday, in
7 Flushing, we're going to have one of the largest
8 parades ever where there are not only Chinese
9 floats but also Korean-American floats. And we
10 work very closely together as a cohesive unit in
11 the Flushing community.
12 And Flushing, as Senator Golden
13 said, is really booming because of the
14 contributions of the Asian-American community.
15 Back in the 1980s, the stores in downtown
16 Flushing were empty, they were boarded up.
17 People had left; it was like a ghost town. And
18 then people originally from Taiwan and later from
19 the People's Republic of China and the Republic
20 of Korea came, and they totally revitalized the
21 community.
22 And now, all you see are cranes and
23 construction going on, because this is where the
24 action is. It's a wonderful community, and I'm
25 very, very proud to represent the Flushing area.
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1 Let me mention something else. And
2 that is how the people celebrate the Lunar New
3 Year, because I think it's more than just a
4 parade. It's a chance for families to come
5 together, to make the traditional meals that
6 people are accustomed to having. Dumplings, for
7 example, are a staple of the Lunar New Year
8 eating experience, and each restaurant is really
9 better than the next. They're all really good,
10 and I highly recommend it.
11 And as far as the Year of the Dog
12 goes, as Senator Kavanagh mentioned -- and we
13 thank you for introducing this resolution -- the
14 dog is man's best friend and woman's best friend.
15 Dogs are devoted, they're loyal, they are
16 companion animals for people in need. And
17 they're also used by law enforcement, the armed
18 services or the police, for jobs that are very
19 dangerous.
20 And the dog has been traditionally
21 one of the signs of the zodiac. There are 12,
22 and each year they celebrate a different sign of
23 the zodiac. Last year I think it was the
24 rooster; this year is the Year of the Dog.
25 And let us hope that everybody comes
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1 to Flushing on Saturday and just watches a
2 magnificent parade filled with banners and music.
3 And lion dancing is another staple, and you'll
4 see a lot of lion dancing in Flushing.
5 So again, let us rejoice in the fact
6 that we are a diverse community, a community of
7 immigrants, people who came to this country
8 looking for a better life. And they found it.
9 And we certainly don't want to make it any more
10 difficult to celebrate their tradition.
11 So again, Mr. President, thank you.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
13 you, Senator Stavisky.
14 Senator Hamilton.
15 SENATOR HAMILTON: Mr. President, I
16 rise also to recognize the Lunar New Year for the
17 Sunset Park section of my district, for the Year
18 of the Dog. And to my Asian brothers and
19 sisters, I say ni hao ma, ni hao, ni hao.
20 And I just want to say we're having
21 the largest influx of Asian-Americans in
22 Brooklyn, in the Sunset Park part of my district.
23 We will be unveiling the new arch, which will
24 signify the emergence of the central business
25 district for the Asian community on
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1 Eighth Avenue.
2 Also I just want to say to my Asian
3 brothers and sisters that we're living in times
4 where a lot of them are being stopped and asked
5 for their papers. And that's something that's
6 disturbing to me, that no person should be
7 stopped on the street because of their racial
8 ethnicity, and this is what's happening in Sunset
9 Park.
10 So hopefully this will end. I'm
11 looking at legislation to stop people from --
12 that's working-class people, from being stopped
13 because they're Asian-Americans.
14 And so I just want to say to my
15 Asian brothers and sisters, thank you for being
16 supportive of me. Xiexie. Xiexie.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
18 DeFrancisco.
19 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, is that
20 the last speaker?
21 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Yes, sir.
22 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: I move to
23 allow others to join on as cosponsors. If they
24 want to cosponsor, they should approach the desk.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: This
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1 resolution is open for cosponsorship. If you'd
2 like to cosponsor, please notify the desk.
3 Floor Leader.
4 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, there's
5 now a resolution, privileged Resolution 3764, by
6 Senator Lanza. Please read the title only and
7 call on me to speak, please.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
9 Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Legislative
11 Resolution Number 3764, by Senator Lanza,
12 commemorating the 108th anniversary of the
13 incorporation of the Boy Scouts of America on
14 February 12, 2018.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
16 DeFrancisco.
17 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, we have
18 some members of the Boy Scouts in the gallery --
19 pardon me? To my left. And -- see, there's more
20 than to my left.
21 Before I was rudely interrupted --
22 (Laughter.)
23 UNIDENTIFIED SENATOR: I apologize.
24 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: -- we have
25 some Boy Scouts and their escorts here today in
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1 the chambers.
2 And this is a great resolution,
3 because nowadays when you pick up the newspaper,
4 what you see is bad stuff that young people do
5 and bad stuff that older people do. And it
6 really gives you some faith as a legislator and
7 as a citizen of this state that we have young
8 people and those who are teaching them that are
9 people of character, integrity, and people who
10 have great attitudes and take on responsibility.
11 And so it's really important that we
12 acknowledge this wonderful group that is here
13 today, and I think it's 108th anniversary of the
14 Boy Scouts. And we are happy that you are doing
15 what you're doing. We want -- you are the role
16 models throughout this state for young people --
17 and old people too, because sometimes old people
18 don't do what's right and old people don't show
19 integrity.
20 So thank you for being what you are.
21 Thank all of you adults who are spending the time
22 with these young people to make them the great
23 leaders of tomorrow.
24 So enjoy the rest of your day in
25 Albany, and thank you very much for what you do.
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1 (Standing ovation.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: I'm
3 excited to announce that we have several speakers
4 now. So I'll ask that we hold our applause until
5 the end, and I'll call on Senator Bonacic to
6 speak.
7 SENATOR BONACIC: Thank you,
8 Mr. President.
9 First I'd like to thank Senator
10 Lanza for sponsoring this resolution. I'd like
11 to thank Senator DeFrancisco for his remarks.
12 I think many of the scouts are from
13 the mid-Hudson area. I went to your event
14 earlier today, but you were probably traveling,
15 trying to get through security and everything
16 else.
17 But I try always to go to the Eagle
18 Scout ceremonies. And I do that because I'm so
19 proud of the high level that some of the Scouts
20 can achieve. Whether you are an Eagle Scout or
21 not, I am proud that you are in the Scouts,
22 because what you're learning about is character,
23 you're learning commitment to the community,
24 you're learning about leadership.
25 You may be -- our children may be
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1 25 percent of the population, but you're a
2 hundred percent of America's future, and we
3 expect you to be the leaders.
4 So to the troops that help mold
5 these individuals, to the parents that are
6 supportive, working with their children in the
7 Scouts, I say thank you very much for what you
8 do. Have a wonderful, wonderful 108th
9 anniversary.
10 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
12 you, Senator Bonacic.
13 Senator Robach.
14 SENATOR ROBACH: Yes,
15 Mr. President.
16 Happy to be a cosponsor of this
17 resolution. You're not only celebrating
18 108 years, but I would say, very succinctly,
19 appreciate the effort of the Scouts, the leaders,
20 and the direction.
21 Senator Bonacic alluded to it; I've
22 been to over 500 Eagle Scout ceremonies. And
23 every day, the highest award you can get, they're
24 teaching at every meeting not skills, personal
25 responsibility, but really those values that will
594
1 make you successful at any age. Love of God,
2 country, family, respect for yourself and respect
3 for others are truly great, great things to give
4 an individual at any age.
5 And knowing that you've been doing
6 it so well for 108 years, it is very fitting that
7 all of us here should be commending you, because
8 that's going on all across the state. And I know
9 in Monroe County where I live, it's been great to
10 not only see an increase in the Eagle Scouts, but
11 also a growth in population of young people
12 joining the Scouts.
13 So we say thank you, congratulations
14 on your 108 years, and we look forward to many,
15 many more of doing great things with these young
16 people that are served so well through Boy Scouts
17 of America.
18 Thank you, Mr. President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
20 you, Senator Robach.
21 Senator Croci.
22 SENATOR CROCI: Thank you,
23 Mr. President.
24 I proudly cosponsor this resolution.
25 And to all the Boy Scouts in and the
595
1 families in the audience today, thank you for
2 being part of an institution which I believe is
3 one of the pillars that we build a good society
4 on. Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
5 courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
6 brave, clean and reverent. If you believe in
7 nothing else in life and you follow those simple
8 principles, you're going to be successful.
9 You know, when Lord Baden-Powell
10 started the Boy Scouts at the turn of the
11 century, the last century, he was worried about
12 young people not having the ability to survive,
13 Mr. President, on their own. And so the
14 Boy Scouts was a way to get out in nature, to get
15 back to basics and learn what it means to be a
16 human being and survive. Those are principles I
17 think are apt today.
18 I'm very proud of all the things
19 that I've been able to accomplish in my life, but
20 the final two words on my resume are "Eagle
21 Scout." And those are the things that I will
22 remember, and those memories.
23 Whether it's Philmont, New Mexico,
24 or Boy Scout camp or whatever you do on your
25 weekends, it's a good way to spend your time.
596
1 And with all the challenges that you're facing as
2 young people, stick to it. We're very proud of
3 you and very proud to be with you today to
4 celebrate the anniversary.
5 Thank you, Mr. President.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
7 you, Senator Croci.
8 Senator Golden.
9 SENATOR GOLDEN: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 Along with my colleagues, we are
12 very extremely proud of your tutorship and your
13 leadership in bringing and keeping scouting alive
14 in the greatest state and the greatest nation in
15 the world. In some cities it's an uphill battle,
16 but you've done it and you've been successful.
17 I've got to tell you right now, if
18 you look at the leaders in science and
19 technology, the leaders in finance, the leaders
20 in our military and paramilitary units, you will
21 see in many, many instances that there is
22 scouting and Eagle Scouts in each one of those
23 different departments and agencies and companies
24 and military units.
25 That's what it's about. It's about
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1 giving our kids the future, to be our future.
2 And you've done an outstanding job. We're proud
3 of each and every one of you. Thank you for your
4 service, and continue to do what you are doing.
5 God bless you, God bless the Scouts,
6 and God bless this great country. Thank you.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
8 you, Senator Golden.
9 Senator Sanders.
10 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 I should have suspected that my
13 colleague across the aisle was an Eagle Scout.
14 And if you were listening carefully, he recited
15 the entire motto very quickly. Could you do it
16 backwards, though? Oh, I'm sure he could. I say
17 that with some pride myself, I was a Scout. And
18 I understand that it certainly allowed me to get
19 out there. And I visited Ten-Mile River several
20 times and had some fun there and therefore was
21 not -- I feel very comfortable being in the
22 woods, sometimes even more than in the woods of
23 Albany, New York, though it's hard to get out of
24 the woods here.
25 I will say this. The integrity that
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1 the Scouts really push, if people take that to
2 heart, it will take you a long way.
3 So my Eagle Scouts and other Scouts
4 above me, I commend you. And I really applaud
5 the Scoutmasters, the people who are really
6 putting in the time, putting in the effort to
7 develop the young talent. I applaud that. You
8 never know where that talent will take them. You
9 know, perhaps with God's grace you will see your
10 proteges out here, sitting down here. Perhaps
11 they will be sitting up there and being a
12 president.
13 So having said those things, God
14 bless the Scouts, God bless America.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Thank
16 you, Senator Sanders.
17 Senator Little.
18 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you,
19 Mr. President.
20 Boy Scouts certainly is an American
21 institution which is known for years and years,
22 108 years, all over our country.
23 I'm the proud grandmother of two
24 Eagle Scouts in Virginia Beach and certainly have
25 learned from them all of the things that they
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1 studied and worked at to make all the badges that
2 they create.
3 But not only do you learn a lot in
4 scouting, you have camaraderie that you will
5 remember forever. But the leadership skills, as
6 many of my colleagues have mentioned, make you
7 successful throughout your life.
8 I also am proud of Andy Hanaburgh,
9 in Chestertown, New York, who just made
10 Eagle Scout, as his four brothers have made
11 before him. So five brothers in one family, all
12 Eagle Scouts. And my understanding is you're not
13 just an Eagle Scout the day you get that award,
14 you are an Eagle Scout forever.
15 So thank you very much for being
16 here, and continue to support Boy Scouts in this
17 country. Thank you.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: To the
19 Boy Scouts and the leaders that are with you, on
20 behalf of the members of this great house and our
21 staff, we welcome you. We extend all of the
22 courtesies and the privileges of this great
23 house.
24 Ladies and gentlemen, one more round
25 of applause.
600
1 (Standing ovation.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: So the
3 question is on the resolution. All in favor
4 signify by saying aye.
5 (Response of "Aye.")
6 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Opposed,
7 nay.
8 (No response.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: The
10 resolution is adopted.
11 Mr. Floor Leader.
12 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Can we now
13 offer the resolution up for cosponsorship.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: This
15 resolution is in fact open for cosponsorship. If
16 you'd like to be a cosponsor, please notify the
17 desk.
18 Mr. Floor Leader.
19 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: We have some
20 special guests here that Senator Croci would like
21 a moment to introduce. Would you recognize
22 Senator Croci.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
24 Croci.
25 SENATOR CROCI: Thank you,
601
1 Mr. President.
2 We are very fortunate to have with
3 us today representatives from all over the state,
4 from 16 counties, who represent the people who
5 make the Joseph Dwyer Peer-to-Peer Program work
6 in the State of New York.
7 This was a program born of this
8 body. And all of my colleagues, all of us
9 together, have made this program work. It has
10 expanded to 16 counties. I'd like to just
11 mention the counties that are here today. And
12 all the professionals I believe are behind me.
13 If they could please rise just to be recognized
14 when I mention your county. Representatives from
15 the counties of Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland,
16 Putnam, Dutchess, Saratoga, Jefferson, Broome,
17 Monroe and Rensselaer are all here today.
18 If you don't know what the Dwyer
19 Peer-to-Peer Program is, it's a way for veterans
20 who are coming home with the wounds of war --
21 sometimes the silent wounds of war, posttraumatic
22 stress disorder and traumatic brain injury -- to
23 be able to work across their barriers and across
24 their troubles with other veterans to get the
25 help that they need.
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1 In very many instances it's very
2 difficult for individuals who have been trained
3 to quote, unquote, fix themselves to reach out
4 for help. And reaching out to somebody who's
5 shared those experiences, a veteran themself who
6 is also going through hard times, has been a very
7 effective way. It's a model for the country.
8 It's something that's being considered to go
9 nationally across the 50 states.
10 And it started right here in
11 New York, and it started with my predecessor,
12 Senator now-Congressman Lee Zeldin, and it
13 started in the New York State Senate. All of the
14 members of the Senate participated.
15 I want to thank you all for what you
16 do for our veterans, and I want to thank this
17 body for their continued support. And let's help
18 this program grow in the State of New York,
19 because it's helping the individuals who have
20 served us so bravely in combat.
21 Thank you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Mr. Floor
23 Leader.
24 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Yes, we have
25 funding from this program that Lee Zeldin started
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1 in Syracuse, New York, as well. And the place
2 that does all the great work is Clear Path for
3 Veterans in Syracuse, a real model for how to
4 deal with veterans with traumatic problems when
5 they get out of the military. It's something
6 that should be increased in the budget, not just
7 maintained.
8 And thank you for all the work that
9 you do for this important segment of our
10 community.
11 Thank you.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
13 Marchione.
14 SENATOR MARCHIONE: Yeah, I also
15 want to add my thanks, certainly to Senator
16 Croci, but also to all of the men and women who
17 have been working on this, on these programs.
18 I represent Rensselaer and Saratoga,
19 so I'm blessed to have two of my counties
20 represented. And the work that these people are
21 doing is just phenomenal -- the help that they're
22 providing, the programs that they've instituted.
23 I'm very grateful for the program
24 and certainly very grateful that our veterans
25 have someone to turn to, peers to turn to who can
604
1 help them, who understand, and who really can
2 provide the assistance that's needed.
3 So thank you to all of them. Thank
4 you to this body for this program. And Senator
5 Croci, thank you very much.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Senator
7 Carlucci.
8 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 I just want to echo the words of my
11 colleagues and thank the people that make the
12 Joseph P. Dwyer Program work. We can provide the
13 funding, but at the end of the day it's the
14 volunteers and the professionals that have
15 dedicated countless hours to making sure they're
16 helping improve the quality of life of our
17 veterans.
18 And it's just an honor to have in
19 our presence -- we've got many people from
20 Bridges, in Rockland County, that have really
21 championed this program. Because as Senator
22 Croci said, this was really born out of the
23 New York State Senate and it's something that
24 we've tried to get off the ground and running.
25 But there is a learning curve. And we've been
605
1 able to show from counties around this state that
2 we can have a model that works and that we can
3 expand it not just throughout the state but
4 throughout the nation.
5 Right now we're living with a major
6 problem. Over 20 veterans commit suicide every
7 day in the United States. And we can no longer
8 just sit back and ask ourselves why; we've got to
9 step up and do something. So I'm grateful to all
10 the members here that have supported the Joseph
11 P. Dwyer Program from the beginning. Let's make
12 sure we fund it again in this budget and make
13 sure that it expands in New York State and
14 expands around the country.
15 Thank you, Mr. President.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: I too am
17 blessed to have a Joseph Dwyer Program in the
18 County of Broome that I represent.
19 So on behalf of my constituency and
20 the people of this great state, I say thank you
21 for everything that you do. We extend, of
22 course, all the privileges and the courtesies of
23 this great house to you here today.
24 Ladies and gentlemen, a round of
25 applause, please.
606
1 (Standing ovation.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Mr.
3 Floor Leader.
4 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: There are two
5 committee meetings immediately following session.
6 The first is Consumer Protection, in Room 510 of
7 the LOB, the second is Codes in Room 124 of the
8 Capitol, both immediately following session.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: Consumer
10 Protection, 510 in the LOB, and Codes, 124 of the
11 Capitol, immediately following session.
12 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: Is there any
13 further business at the desk?
14 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: There is
15 no further business at the desk.
16 SENATOR DeFRANCISCO: There being
17 none, I move to adjourn until Tuesday,
18 February 13th, at 11:00 a.m.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT AKSHAR: On
20 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
21 Tuesday, February 13th, at 11:00 a.m.
22 (Whereupon, at 3:59 p.m., the Senate
23 adjourned.)
24
25