Regular Session - February 11, 2019
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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
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4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 February 11, 2019
11 3:39 p.m.
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14 REGULAR SESSION
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18 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR KATHLEEN C. HOCHUL, President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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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: In the absence of
9 clergy, I ask that everyone bow their head in a
10 moment of silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 THE PRESIDENT: The reading of the
14 Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Sunday,
16 February 10, 2019, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Saturday,
18 February 9, 2019, was read and approved. On
19 motion, Senate adjourned.
20 THE PRESIDENT: Without objection,
21 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 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 On behalf of Senator Montgomery, I
9 move the following bill be discharged from its
10 respective committee and recommitted with
11 instructions to strike the enacting clause:
12 Senate Bill Number 777.
13 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
15 Senator Rivera, I move the following bill be
16 discharged from its respective committee and
17 recommitted with instructions to strike the
18 enacting clause: Senate Bill 1394.
19 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move that the
21 following bills be discharged from their
22 respective committees and recommitted with
23 instructions to strike the enacting clause:
24 Senate Bills 2673 and 691.
25 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
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1 SENATOR GIANARIS: And on behalf of
2 Senator Persaud, on page 9 I offer the following
3 amendments to Calendar 52, Senate Print 1082, and
4 ask that said bill retain its place on Third
5 Reading Calendar.
6 THE PRESIDENT: The amendments are
7 received, and the bill shall retain its place on
8 the Third Reading Calendar.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can you please
10 call on Senator LaValle.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Senator LaValle.
12 SENATOR LaVALLE: Madam President,
13 on behalf of Senator Little, I move that the
14 following bill be discharged from its respective
15 committee and be recommitted with instructions to
16 strike the enacting clause: Senate Bill Number
17 1940.
18 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
19 SENATOR LaVALLE: On behalf of
20 Senator Robach, I move the following bill be
21 discharged from its respective committee and be
22 recommitted with instructions to strike the
23 enacting clause: Senate Bill Number 674.
24 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
25 Senator Gianaris.
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1 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
2 can we now please take up previously adopted
3 Resolution 324, by Senator Monica Martinez, read
4 that resolution's title only, and recognize
5 Senator Martinez on the resolution.
6 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary will
7 read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
9 324, by Senator Martinez, congratulating Ahmad
10 Perez upon the occasion of his designation as a
11 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
12 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Martinez on
13 the resolution.
14 SENATOR MARTINEZ: Thank you, and
15 good afternoon.
16 It is my honor and privilege to
17 stand here today to recognize Brentwood High
18 School student Ahmad Perez for qualifying as a
19 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.
20 Finalists for this prestigious award include our
21 country's most promising young scientists, and
22 Ahmad was one of only 40 students from across the
23 country to be selected from a pool of 2,000
24 highly qualified applicants.
25 As a result of working at the
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1 Suffolk County Legislature, I was able to secure
2 a $150,000 grant for this to happen. Students
3 both in the Brentwood and Central Islip area were
4 able to participate in science-based research
5 opportunities such as these.
6 For those of you who do not know the
7 communities of Brentwood and Central Islip, these
8 two communities have tended to be overlooked,
9 sometimes underfunded. And this is a clear
10 indication of what can happen when we invest in
11 our students and in our education.
12 Ahmad's work examined the
13 degradation over time of two Long Island salt
14 marshes: Crab Meadow in Northport and
15 Timber Point in Great River. He researched and
16 presented a method of restoration by
17 investigating soil additives that could be used
18 to restore plant life.
19 Ahmad's hard work did not go
20 unnoticed, and he received honors for this
21 project focused mainly on the erosion that is
22 occurring at these salt marshes caused by too
23 much nitrogen loading from cesspools and
24 fertilizer. His proposed solution utilizes two
25 items that are commonly found in food -- xanthan
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1 gum and guar gum -- which, through his research,
2 he determined can strengthen and regenerate the
3 marsh.
4 We also must recognize Ahmad's
5 mentors, Dr. Rebecca Grella, the science research
6 director at Brentwood High School, and
7 Sherif Abdelaziz, an assistant professor in civil
8 engineering at Stony Brook University. Their
9 support and dedication made this possible.
10 Ahmad is proof that if a student
11 remains dedicated and steadfast in pursuit of
12 your goals, anything is possible. I look forward
13 to seeing what the future holds for Mr. Perez.
14 Thank you.
15 THE PRESIDENT: The resolution was
16 previously adopted.
17 Senator Gianaris.
18 SENATOR GIANARIS: At the request
19 of Senator Martinez, that resolution is open for
20 cosponsorship.
21 THE PRESIDENT: The resolution is
22 open for cosponsorship. Should you choose not to
23 be a cosponsor of the resolution, please notify
24 the desk.
25 Senator Gianaris.
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1 SENATOR GIANARIS: May we now take
2 up the noncontroversial reading of the calendar,
3 please.
4 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary will
5 read.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 21,
7 by Senator Breslin, Senate Print 642, an act to
8 amend the Insurance Law.
9 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
10 section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
16 results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
18 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 42,
20 by Senator LaValle, Senate Print 2040, an act to
21 amend the Public Authorities Law.
22 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
23 section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect on the same date and in the
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1 same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2018.
2 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
5 results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
7 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 54,
9 by Senator Brooks, Senate Print 1643, an act to
10 amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
12 section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
18 results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
20 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 60,
22 by Senator Gianaris, Senate Print 1832, an act to
23 amend the New York City Civil Court Act.
24 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
25 section.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
2 act shall take effect on the first of January
3 next succeeding the date on which it shall have
4 become a law.
5 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
8 results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
10 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number 63,
12 by Senator Addabbo, Senate Print 1978, an act in
13 relation to establishing the legislative task
14 force.
15 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
16 section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
18 act shall take effect immediately.
19 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
22 results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59. Nays, 1.
24 Senator Akshar recorded in the negative.
25 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
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1 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
2 noncontroversial reading of today's calendar.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Okay,
4 Madam President. Is there any further business
5 at the desk?
6 THE PRESIDENT: There is no further
7 business at the desk.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: That being the
9 case, I move to adjourn until tomorrow, Tuesday,
10 February 12th, at 11:00 a.m.
11 THE PRESIDENT: On motion, the
12 Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday,
13 February 12th, at 11:00 a.m.
14 (Whereupon, at 3:47 p.m., the Senate
15 adjourned.)
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