Regular Session - February 4, 2019
918
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 February 4, 2019
11 3:39 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR LUIS SEPÚLVEDA, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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25
919
1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask everyone present to please
5 rise and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: In the
9 absence of clergy, I ask that everyone bow their
10 head in a moment of silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
14 Reading of the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Sunday,
16 February 3, 2019, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Saturday,
18 February 2, 2019, was read and approved. On
19 motion, Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Please
21 can we have order in the chamber. Thank you.
22 Without objection, the Journal
23 stands approved as read.
24 Presentation of petitions.
25 Messages from the Assembly.
920
1 Messages from the Governor.
2 Reports of standing committees.
3 Reports of select committees.
4 Communications and reports from
5 state officers.
6 Motions and resolutions.
7 Senator Gianaris.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 On behalf of Senator Kaplan, I move
11 that the following bills be discharged from their
12 respective committees and be recommitted with
13 instructions to strike the enacting clause:
14 Senate Bills 2670 and 2506.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: It is
16 so ordered.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
18 Senator Krueger, I move that the following bill
19 be discharged from its respective committee and
20 be recommitted with instructions to strike the
21 enacting clause: Senate Bill 2603.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: It is
23 so ordered.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: And on behalf of
25 Senator Gaughran, I move that the following bill
921
1 be discharged from its respective committee and
2 be recommitted with instructions to strike the
3 enacting clause: Senate Bill 637.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: It is
5 so ordered.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can you please
7 call on Senator Griffo.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
9 Senator Griffo.
10 SENATOR GRIFFO: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 On behalf of Senator O'Mara, I move
13 that the following bill be discharged from its
14 respective committee and be recommitted with
15 instructions to strike the enacting clause:
16 Senate Bill 1888.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: It is
18 so ordered.
19 Senator Gianaris.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
21 I'd like to call up Privileged Resolution J323,
22 by Senator Savino. Please read the title only
23 and recognize Senator Savino to speak.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
25 Secretary will read.
922
1 THE SECRETARY: Legislative
2 Resolution Number 323, by Senator Savino,
3 commending the Boy Scouts of America upon the
4 occasion of celebrating Founders Day on
5 February 22, 2019.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
7 Senator Savino on the resolution.
8 SENATOR SAVINO: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 I want to take this moment to
11 congratulate and commemorate the Boy Scouts of
12 America upon the occasion of celebrating
13 Founders Day.
14 We have with us in the chamber right
15 now some Boy Scouts and some troop leaders; I'm
16 going to mention them in a moment. But we've had
17 over a hundred scouts here today celebrating,
18 visiting our government, participating in their
19 civic duty.
20 We have with us Ethan Draddy, who's
21 the CEO of the Greater New York Councils; Chris
22 Coscia, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Council.
23 And as I said, more than 100 Scouts were here
24 today.
25 I think it's very important that we
923
1 now recognize that it's not the Boy Scouts of
2 America anymore, it's BSA. Why did they change
3 the name? Because they opened up their ranks to
4 allow girls to participate as well in scouting.
5 Which probably makes it a lot easier on parents,
6 who are oftentimes required to move their kids
7 from place to place, so they can take their
8 daughters and their sons to BSA to participate in
9 scouting.
10 Scouting has had a profound effect
11 on the development of young people in our nation.
12 Many times here on the floor we are celebrating
13 and commemorating the achievement of the Eagle
14 Scout rank. Some of our members in this chamber
15 are Eagle Scouts.
16 Scouting has helped improve the
17 lives and educational opportunities for boys and
18 young adults and girls. It helps them build
19 character, train them in the responsibilities to
20 participate in citizenship, develop personal
21 fitness and moral fitness. It has been a fabric
22 of our lives for almost a hundred years.
23 And we welcome them to the chamber,
24 and we offer them all of the privileges of the
25 Senate.
924
1 Thank you, Mr. President.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
3 presiding officer calls on Senator Gounardes, who
4 wishes to speak on the resolution.
5 SENATOR GOUNARDES: Thank you,
6 Mr. President.
7 I want to thank my colleague Senator
8 Savino for introducing this resolution.
9 I stand here as one of those proud
10 Eagle Scouts that you referenced, that you
11 mentioned, so I want to direct my comments to the
12 Scouts here in the gallery.
13 Remember the story of how scouting
14 started, Boy Scouting started, scouting in the
15 United States started. It was a gentleman, W.D.
16 Boyce, who went to London and he got lost in a
17 fog. He lost his way, he didn't know where he
18 was going, until a boy came up to him and helped
19 him find his way. In uniform, a Scout. And when
20 W.D. Boyce went to go offer him a tip to thank
21 him, he said: "No, thank you, sir, I'm a Scout.
22 This is my good turn."
23 And he was so taken by that example
24 that he came back to the United States and he
25 started what became the Boy Scouts of America.
925
1 So as you all go into your scouting
2 careers, and whether you are just starting out as
3 a Tenderfoot Scout or you're working on the trail
4 to Eagle or you've even achieved Eagle Scout
5 already and now you're serving the scouting
6 program in other roles and other capacities,
7 always ask yourself how you can be like that
8 Scout in the fog, helping other people find their
9 way.
10 Maybe it's helping someone who's
11 homeless or down on their luck, on the subway or
12 on the train or in our communities. Maybe it's
13 standing up for someone who's being faced with
14 antisemitism or Islamophobia or bigotry or being
15 made fun of or teased or picked on because of the
16 way they look or because of who they love or
17 whatever it might be. Or maybe it's just
18 standing up and doing what's right because it's
19 the right thing to do.
20 That is the charge that we all as
21 Scouts, boy Scouts and girl Scouts, in this day
22 and age have placed upon us when we wear that
23 uniform and when you wear those patches proudly.
24 So congratulations to each and every
25 one of you. I salute you all as one of your own.
926
1 Thank you for being here. Thank you for all the
2 great work you do.
3 And thank you, Senator Savino, for
4 introducing this resolution.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
6 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
7 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
8 Mr. President.
9 I too thank Senator Savino for this
10 excellent move that she's made.
11 I stand as a Scout saluting Scouts.
12 Some of my fondest moments were in the Ten-Mile
13 River Scout Camp, where I learned many different
14 things of survival and how to do it. It aided me
15 well when I went into the Marine Corps. It was
16 not as difficult, because I went through the
17 Boy Scouts.
18 It's also aiding me well here. I
19 remember certain principles that we try to
20 remember and keep: To leave a thing better than
21 we found it, to stand for certain principles
22 that -- of which you are taught every day. And
23 it will help you a great deal with your life
24 wherever it takes you.
25 So again, I want to thank you and I
927
1 want to thank you all for making this country so
2 much better just by being who you are. Thank you
3 very much.
4 And thank you, Mr. President. You
5 look good up there.
6 (Laughter.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Thank
8 you.
9 Senator Hoylman on the resolution.
10 SENATOR HOYLMAN: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 I wanted to welcome the Scouts here
13 and thank Senator Savino for this resolution.
14 I'm an Eagle Scout, like Senator
15 Gounardes, and I still have a scar on my index
16 finger from carving a merit -- a neckerchief
17 holder. So I wear that proudly too every day.
18 I just wanted to say that scouting
19 is about public service, and you really represent
20 the finest aspirations to that. I am a
21 State Senator, I think, because I was initially a
22 Boy Scout.
23 And I wanted to also mention that
24 the Scouts are evolving in so many ways that we
25 should commend them for -- for starters, for
928
1 accepting kids of all genders, as Senator Savino
2 mentioned, for lifting the ban on openly LGBTQ
3 members and gay Scout leaders. We should commend
4 them for that.
5 And a young woman in my district
6 named Sydney Ireland, from Peter Cooper-
7 Stuyvesant Village, is an unofficial member of
8 Scouts BSA Troop 414. She took it upon herself
9 to organize her Eagle Scout project, where she
10 helped veterans in the district. She has been
11 writing op-eds and campaigning for gender
12 equality in the Scouts, so the announcement
13 earlier this week was partly due to her effort.
14 And we're trying to get Sidney recognized as an
15 Eagle Scout right away so she doesn't have to
16 wait the full 18 months in order to do so.
17 So congratulations to Sidney
18 Ireland, and congratulations to all of you.
19 Thank you, Mr. President.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Thank
21 you.
22 Senator Little on the resolution.
23 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you,
24 Mr. President.
25 I too would like to join my
929
1 colleagues in congratulating and thanking the
2 Scouts who are here today and the leaders who
3 have put in so much time and effort with these
4 young men and women today.
5 I am the proud grandmother of two
6 Eagle Scouts, and I attended an Eagle Scout
7 ceremony recently. And one of the things that I
8 told them is I was talking to a gentleman, and I
9 think it was in a bigger city, but he was telling
10 me about how he had a big negotiation to do for
11 his business and he was meeting another
12 businessman who he was really nervous about
13 trying to negotiate some contract. But when the
14 other guy came in and sat down in the office, he
15 noticed he had his Eagle Scout pin on. He knew
16 then this was an honest man of integrity, good
17 character, trustworthy, and someone he could
18 respect. And they settled their contract thing.
19 So I also told them that you can
20 never say "I was an Eagle Scout," because you are
21 Eagle Scouts for life. You are Eagle Scouts.
22 And as you can see, just your
23 leadership skills you can see how many people
24 here and in other bodies of legislatures are
25 former Eagle Scouts, because it's a great
930
1 preparation for this role that we have.
2 But it's also a great start on
3 volunteer service. And I am sure that your
4 project was a volunteer service, but you will
5 have many, many, many volunteer projects as you
6 go through life.
7 Thank you for all your efforts, and
8 congratulations.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
10 question is on the resolution. All in favor
11 signify by saying aye.
12 (Response of "Aye.")
13 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
14 Opposed?
15 (No response.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
17 resolution is adopted.
18 Senator Gianaris.
19 SENATOR GIANARIS: At the request
20 of Senator Savino, the resolution is open for
21 cosponsorship.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
23 resolution is open for cosponsorship. Should you
24 choose not to be a cosponsor of the resolution,
25 please notify the desk.
931
1 Senator Gianaris.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
3 up the noncontroversial reading of the calendar,
4 please.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
6 Secretary will read.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 22,
8 by Senator Brooks, Senate Print 1634, an act to
9 amend the Insurance Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Read
11 the last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
15 the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
18 Announce the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Those recorded in
20 the negative on Calendar Number 22 are
21 Senators Akshar, Antonacci and Helming.
22 Ayes, 59. Nays, 3.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
24 bill is passed.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 29,
932
1 by Senator Metzger, Senate Print 1012, an act to
2 amend the General Municipal Law.
3 SENATOR GRIFFO: Lay it aside.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Lay it
5 aside.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 30,
7 by Senator Kennedy, Senate Print 250, an act to
8 establish a private student loan refinance task
9 force.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Read
11 the last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
15 the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
18 Announce the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 62.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
21 bill is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 41,
23 by Senator Seward, Senate Print 2039, an act to
24 amend the Insurance Law and a chapter of the Laws
25 of 2018.
933
1 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Read
2 the last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
4 act shall take effect on the same date and in the
5 same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2018
6 amending the Insurance Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
8 the roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
11 Announce the results.
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 62.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
14 bill is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 49,
16 by Senator Carlucci, Senate Print 521A, an act to
17 amend the Highway Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Read
19 the last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
21 act shall take effect immediately.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
23 the roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
934
1 Senator Carlucci to explain his vote.
2 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
3 Mr. President.
4 I want to thank my colleagues for
5 supporting this legislation. This legislation
6 will rename a portion of Route 17 in Hillburn to
7 be the "Thurgood Marshall Memorial Highway."
8 And Route 17 is the longest state
9 route in the State of New York, 397 miles. And
10 this is really where it starts in New York, when
11 it enters in from New Jersey. And what this
12 legislation is doing is really celebrating the
13 life and legacy of Thurgood Marshall and the work
14 that he did leading up to his appointment to the
15 Supreme Court.
16 In 1943, he came to Hillburn as a
17 lawyer for the NAACP and fought to desegregate
18 the schools in Hillburn. And he was successful
19 in that case, and it's a proud history that
20 really led to, 11 years later, his victorious
21 ruling on Brown vs. Board of Education. This was
22 11 years earlier and really started the trend to
23 finally desegregate our schools in the
24 United States.
25 So it's a proud history that we have
935
1 in Hillburn of Thurgood Marshall's legacy. It's
2 something that's not widely known. That's why
3 this legislation is important; it really
4 recognizes and celebrates the significance that
5 Thurgood Marshall had here in New York State and
6 of course throughout the entire United States and
7 the entire world.
8 So on behalf of Thurgood Marshall's
9 legacy, I want to thank my colleagues for
10 supporting this legislation. And I vote in the
11 affirmative.
12 Thank you, Mr. President.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
14 Announce the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 62.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
17 bill is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 50,
19 by Senator Breslin, Senate Print 978, an act to
20 amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Read
22 the last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
24 act shall take effect on the 120th day after it
25 shall have become a law.
936
1 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
2 the roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
5 Announce the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 62.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
8 bill is passed.
9 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
10 noncontroversial reading of today's calendar.
11 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 Can we now go to the controversial
14 reading, please.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
16 Secretary will ring the bell.
17 The Secretary will read.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 29,
19 by Senator Metzger, Senate Print 1012, an act to
20 amend the General Municipal Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
22 Senator Little, why do you rise?
23 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you. Would
24 Senator Metzger answer a few questions in regard
25 to this?
937
1 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
2 Senator Metzger, do you yield?
3 SENATOR METZGER: Yes, I would,
4 Mr. President.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
6 sponsor yields.
7 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you.
8 It appears that this school, the
9 Middletown Central School -- which is a bigger
10 school than many of the schools I represent --
11 however, is leaving their consortium and saving
12 an amount of money of like $3.4 million of the
13 health insurance monies they were paying into the
14 consortium, and wanting to start their own
15 private reserve fund just for their school to
16 self-fund their insurance. Is that correct?
17 SENATOR METZGER: That's correct.
18 SENATOR LITTLE: And do they have
19 money to begin this fund with?
20 SENATOR METZGER: Yes, they do.
21 They actually have -- they have a significant
22 fund balance, and the Comptroller actually
23 directed them to address it by establishing a
24 reserve fund, as one of the measures to address.
25 But I do want to point out that
938
1 there are about a dozen school districts that
2 self-insure, and this body has passed legislation
3 approving reserve funds for a number of schools.
4 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you. Would
5 the sponsor respond to a few other questions?
6 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Does
7 the sponsor continue to yield?
8 SENATOR LITTLE: Yeah, I have no
9 problem with the reserve fund. I actually
10 support legislation that would create --
11 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
12 Senator Little, just wait for her response.
13 Senator, do you continue to yield?
14 SENATOR METZGER: Yes, I do.
15 SENATOR LITTLE: Okay, thank you.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Thank
17 you. My apologies.
18 SENATOR LITTLE: I have no problem
19 with reserve funds. I realize that this school
20 already has 16 reserve funds available to them.
21 And I actually have legislation that
22 proposes a reserve fund for special education so
23 that schools are prepared when someone moves into
24 their district. I have one that would be for
25 paying for teachers' retirement funds they can
939
1 do. And those have not passed yet.
2 However, I just wanted to make sure
3 that this school -- and you seem to have
4 indicated that that's what they're doing. They
5 have been criticized because they were
6 15.36 percent over their unrestricted reserve
7 fund. And they have corrected that; that was in
8 2017-2018. But last year, 2018-2019, they were
9 still 7.11 percent over, and we need to stay at
10 4 percent, according to the Comptroller.
11 So they are putting money from that
12 reserve fund into this new health reserve fund;
13 is that correct?
14 SENATOR METZGER: I believe it's
15 from -- it's coming out of the existing annual
16 budget. But -- and not going from one reserve
17 fund to another, if I understand your question.
18 SENATOR LITTLE: Would the sponsor
19 answer another question?
20 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
21 Senator Metzger, do you continue to yield?
22 SENATOR METZGER: Sure. Yes.
23 SENATOR LITTLE: So this is my main
24 concern, because many of our school districts --
25 and I represent 48 school districts -- are way
940
1 over their 4 percent. The average schools in
2 this state have a reserve fund over 8.65 percent
3 over what their needs are -- over the 4 percent,
4 so -- or over their unrestricted fund.
5 So I'm now confused. Are they going
6 to take this excess of the 7.11 percent reserve
7 fund and use it? Or are you saying they are not
8 going to use that fund?
9 SENATOR METZGER: So I -- we don't
10 think they're using the excess. But they can
11 contribute up to 5 percent annually to this
12 reserve fund.
13 And from my perspective, just
14 knowing -- from being in local government and
15 also from our school district, health insurance
16 costs are, you know, a driving factor in
17 increasing local property taxes. And this is a
18 tool that school districts can use to address
19 that, and it's been shown to save millions of
20 dollars. And I think it shows fiscal prudence to
21 create a reserve fund. It's essentially if one
22 year they experience unusually high claims. So
23 from my vantage point, this is the fiscally
24 responsible thing to do.
25 And the Middletown School District
941
1 has been budgeting conservatively. That's why
2 they have that fund balance.
3 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you. Would
4 the sponsor respond to another question?
5 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
6 Senator Metzger, do you continue to yield?
7 SENATOR METZGER: Yes.
8 SENATOR LITTLE: When you say this
9 is coming from their budget and that they can do
10 up to 5 percent in a health insurance fund --
11 which is very important. I'm not saying it
12 isn't. But where is that money coming from?
13 SENATOR METZGER: Well, this -- I
14 think the intention is for it to come from the
15 savings that they are earning -- that they are
16 realizing from self-insuring.
17 SENATOR LITTLE: Yeah, but
18 they're -- well, the most important thing that
19 I'm trying to make here is that, you know, school
20 districts get their money from the taxpayers. We
21 have high property taxes in this state. And one
22 thing we're trying to do is trying to lower those
23 property taxes to attract more people to the
24 state and make it more affordable for everyone.
25 Therefore, establishing a reserve
942
1 fund over and above what they really, really need
2 is out of line. And so that's all I'm trying to
3 do is question.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
5 Senator Little, just to clarify. Are you on the
6 bill or are you asking the sponsor to yield to a
7 question?
8 SENATOR LITTLE: I guess I'm on the
9 bill. So thank you.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
11 Senator Little on the bill.
12 SENATOR LITTLE: So it's important
13 that they have the taxpayers in mind and are not
14 reserving more than they already have. They
15 already are way over, 7.11 percent last year.
16 Hopefully they will not be taxing the taxpayers
17 to create an even bigger reserve fund here.
18 Thank you.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Are
20 there any other Senators wishing to be heard?
21 Seeing and hearing none, the debate
22 is closed.
23 The Secretary will ring the bell.
24 Senator Gianaris.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
943
1 without objection, can you please return this
2 bill to the noncontroversial calendar.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
4 Without objection, so ordered.
5 Read the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: Call
9 the roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
12 Senator Akshar to explain his vote.
13 SENATOR AKSHAR: Mr. President,
14 thank you. To explain my vote.
15 Clearly, this is a school district
16 that does not have an issue hoarding taxpayer
17 dollars. It is a school district that has a
18 terrible track record of managing the taxpayer
19 dollar.
20 It was suggested that this school
21 district has so much money in the bank,
22 $58 million by way of 16 reserve funds, because
23 they budget conservatively. I would offer that
24 they don't budget conservatively, they liberally
25 tax the hell out of taxpayers. That's why
944
1 there's so much money in the bank.
2 So I'm voting no. And while it's
3 not my school district, I'm going to stand with
4 the hardworking taxpayers of that particular
5 district and vote no.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA:
7 Senator Akshar in the negative.
8 Announce the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Those recorded in
10 the negative on Calendar Number 29 are
11 Senators Akshar, Antonacci, Boyle, Flanagan,
12 Helming, Jacobs, Jordan, Lanza, Ortt,
13 Ranzenhofer, Robach, Tedisco and Young.
14 Ayes, 49. Nays, 13.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: The
16 bill is passed.
17 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
18 noncontroversial reading of today's calendar.
19 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 Is there any further business at the
22 desk today?
23 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: There
24 is no further business at the desk.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: I then move to
945
1 adjourn until Tuesday, February 5th, at
2 11:00 a.m.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT SEPÚLVEDA: On
4 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
5 Tuesday, February 5th, at 11:00 a.m.
6 (Whereupon, at 4:08 p.m., the Senate
7 adjourned.)
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