Regular Session - May 22, 2019
4059
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 May 22, 2019
11 11:35 a.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR BRIAN A. BENJAMIN, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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21
22
23
24
25
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: 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 BENJAMIN: The
9 Right Reverend Dr. Isaac Mar Philoxenos, Bishop
10 of the Mar Thoma Church Diocese of North America
11 and Europe in Merrick, New York, will deliver
12 today's invocation.
13 Bishop Philoxenos.
14 BISHOP PHILOXENOS: Respected
15 Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and
16 members of the New York State Senate.
17 It's a historic day for the
18 Malayalis and the Mar Thoma community in the
19 State of New York. We are delighted to have this
20 occasion of recognizing the presence of the
21 Malayali community and the Mar Thoma Church in
22 the State of New York and in this country.
23 I, on behalf of our community,
24 express our appreciation to this august body in
25 recognizing the presence of Keralites and of the
4061
1 Mar Thoma Church in the State of New York. The
2 presence of the Malayali community in
3 North America proves its commitment to assimilate
4 to the culture and ethos of the nation and carry
5 on its vision to keep the values in the life of
6 the community.
7 Let us look to the Lord in prayer.
8 I'll start the prayer in Malayalam -- that is the
9 language of Kerala -- and then continue with
10 English.
11 {In Malayalam.} Eternal God, the
12 source of everything, we thank and praise You for
13 Your presence and guidance in all our life.
14 Grant Your grace to continue the creative and
15 transformative mission that You have entrusted to
16 humanity.
17 We pray for all the people and
18 communities to live in peace and harmony. We
19 seek Your wisdom to be bestowed on all who are in
20 governance and are taking care of the people and
21 the world that You have created.
22 Help everyone to bring glory to Your
23 holy name. Amen.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 reading of the Journal.
4062
1 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Tuesday,
2 May 21, 2019, the Senate met pursuant to
3 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, May 20,
4 2019, was read and approved. On motion, Senate
5 adjourned.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Without
7 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
8 Presentation of petitions.
9 Messages from the Assembly.
10 The Secretary will read.
11 THE SECRETARY: On page 45,
12 Senator Stavisky moves to discharge, from the
13 Committee on Judiciary, Assembly Bill Number 215
14 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
15 3987, Third Reading Calendar 702.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
17 substitution is so ordered.
18 THE SECRETARY: On page 48,
19 Senator Myrie moves to discharge, from the
20 Committee on Finance, Assembly Bill Number 7123
21 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
22 5129, Third Reading Calendar 736.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
24 substitution is so ordered.
25 THE SECRETARY: On page 51,
4063
1 Senator Serrano moves to discharge, from the
2 Committee on Children and Families, Assembly Bill
3 Number 29A and substitute it for the identical
4 Senate Bill 3563A, Third Reading Calendar 816.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
6 substitution is ordered.
7 THE SECRETARY: On page 51,
8 Senator Salazar moves to discharge, from the
9 Committee on Health, Assembly Bill Number 3840
10 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
11 4181, Third Reading Calendar 820.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
13 substitution is so ordered.
14 THE SECRETARY: On page 52,
15 Senator Martinez moves to discharge, from the
16 Committee on Local Government, Assembly Bill
17 Number 6665 and substitute it for the identical
18 Senate Bill Number 5409, Third Reading Calendar
19 823.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
21 Substitution so ordered.
22 Messages from the Governor.
23 Reports of standing committees.
24 Reports of select committees.
25 Communications and reports from
4064
1 state officers.
2 Motions and resolutions.
3 Senator Gianaris.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: On
5 behalf of Senator Metzger, on page 50 I offer the
6 following amendments to Calendar 762, Senate
7 Print 5186, and ask that said bill retain its
8 place on the Third Reading Calendar.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 amendments are received, and the bill shall
11 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
13 Senator Persaud, on page 21 I offer the following
14 amendments to Calendar 210, Senate Print 1054,
15 and ask that said bill retain its place on the
16 Third Reading Calendar.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
18 amendments are received, and the bill shall
19 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
21 Senator Sanders, I move to amend Senate Bill
22 Number 3222A by striking out the amendments made
23 on May 7th and restoring it to its original print
24 number, 3222.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: It is
4065
1 so ordered.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
3 up previously adopted Resolution 1515, by Senator
4 Kevin Thomas, read that resolution's title only,
5 and recognize Senator Thomas.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senate
9 Resolution 1515, by Senator Thomas, commemorating
10 the 183rd Anniversary of the Malankara Mar Thoma
11 Syrian Church of New York.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
13 Thomas on the resolution.
14 SENATOR THOMAS: Thank you,
15 Mr. President.
16 It is with immense pride that I rise
17 to talk about this resolution today commemorating
18 the 183rd anniversary of the Mar Thoma Church
19 since its reformation.
20 What you just heard a few minutes
21 ago from my bishop was the South Indian dialect
22 of Malayalam. I'm proud to say that I belong to
23 this church and take part in worship service at
24 the St. John's Mar Thoma Church in Queens.
25 We have with us today the bishop of
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1 the Mar Thoma Church for North America and
2 Europe, who gave the opening prayer; the bishop's
3 secretary, Reverend Manoj Idiculla; and Reverend
4 Mathew Varghese, from my home parish of
5 St. John's Mar Thoma Church in Queens. We also
6 have several members of the church that are here
7 today.
8 Thank you so much for the prayer and
9 gracing the Senate with your presence today,
10 Bishop.
11 Christianity in India is older than
12 the Catholic Church in Rome. Christianity
13 actually arrived in India in A.D. 52, when
14 St. Thomas the Apostle set foot in Kerala. He
15 traveled the region, winning over substantial
16 sections of people with the Gospel. He
17 established seven churches in Kerala, and over
18 time a proud Christian community evolved in the
19 region.
20 The Mar Thoma Church is engaged in
21 evangelism, education, technical training and
22 medical work. It participates actively in the
23 society. Its members contribute to the social
24 and cultural advancement of the nation. The
25 church maintains good relations with all
4067
1 religious groups.
2 Issues like poverty, unemployment,
3 injustice and violence have been taken up
4 seriously for study and action. The church has a
5 particular concern for marginalized groups and is
6 working for their empowerment. It runs
7 orphanages, homes for the destitute, hospices and
8 schools for the handicapped.
9 With over one million followers and
10 hundreds of churches in every part of the world,
11 it is one of the biggest churches and a big
12 player in social change.
13 As we celebrate the 183rd
14 anniversary of the Mar Thoma Church this year,
15 let us all pray for more success for this church
16 in years ahead.
17 Thank you.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Mayer on the resolution.
20 SENATOR MAYER: Thank you,
21 Mr. President.
22 I rise and I want to commend my
23 colleague Senator Thomas for ensuring and for the
24 entire Malayali community to be here today.
25 As a representative of the City of
4068
1 Yonkers and parts of Westchester with a very
2 active community, it's been my honor and pleasure
3 to attend church, to attend cultural occasions,
4 and to celebrate with this community their
5 enormous contributions to our country, to our
6 state, and to our communities.
7 Its such a pleasure today to see so
8 many folks here, to remember and acknowledge how
9 important you are into our lives in each of our
10 communities. And again I want to thank
11 Senator Thomas for this very important resolution
12 and for remembering that your contributions are
13 ones that we need to publicly acknowledge and
14 celebrate together.
15 Thank you, Mr. President.
16 (Applause from the gallery.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
18 Carlucci on the resolution.
19 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I too want to thank Senator Thomas
22 for bringing this important resolution to the
23 floor and echo the words of my colleague Senator
24 Mayer.
25 We're so fortunate in Rockland
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1 County and in Westchester County to have one of
2 the largest Malayali populations in the state and
3 in the nation, and it's one of the vibrant,
4 growing communities in Rockland County.
5 And we're so fortunate that today in
6 the gallery we have Aney Paul, who's a county
7 legislator in Rockland and the first Indian
8 American female elected to a county legislature
9 in New York and around the country.
10 So we have a proud history. We're
11 blazing a path forward. It's so great to have
12 her in our presence. And all people from the
13 Malayali Association throughout the state, thank
14 you for being here.
15 Thank you, Senator Thomas, for this
16 resolution. Look forward to celebrating with
17 you.
18 Thank you.
19 (Applause from the gallery.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 resolution was previously adopted on May 14th.
22 To our guests from the Malayali
23 group, I welcome you on behalf of the Senate, we
24 extend to you all the privileges and courtesies
25 of this house. Please rise and be recognized.
4070
1 (Lengthy standing ovation.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
3 Gianaris.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
5 up previously adopted Resolution 1518, also by
6 Senator Thomas, read that resolution's title
7 only, and recognize Senator Thomas.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
9 Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
11 1518, by Senator Thomas, memorializing
12 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2019 as
13 Malayali Heritage Month in the State of New York,
14 in conjunction with the observance of National
15 Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage
16 Month.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
18 Thomas on the resolution.
19 SENATOR THOMAS: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 Again, I am incredibly proud to
22 stand up here to talk about the second resolution
23 I have. I was raised to be proud of my Malayali
24 heritage, and here we are today with a gallery
25 full of people to celebrate and promote the
4071
1 Malayali community here in New York by asking
2 Governor Cuomo to proclaim the month of May as
3 Malayali Heritage Month.
4 Celebrating this heritage keeps our
5 communities together, passes on values,
6 traditions and meanings throughout different
7 generations. By designating the month of May as
8 Malayali Heritage Month, my hope is to continue
9 to acknowledge the contributions made by
10 Malayalis in New York and how it makes the state
11 so great.
12 In order to fully understand what
13 this means, let me give you a brief history of
14 Malayalis and where they come from. Malayalis
15 come from a land found by the Arabian Sea on the
16 southern tip of India known as Kerala. Since
17 biblical times, men came in search of this land,
18 enriching it with wealth, fame and culture.
19 Kerala was known for its multiculturalism and
20 flourished as an exceptional realm of liberty and
21 peace.
22 Kerala has a rich cultural heritage.
23 Its diverse culture is influenced by Hinduism,
24 Christianity, Islam, and even Judaism, as well as
25 influence from the Chinese, the Portuguese, Dutch
4072
1 and British. These influences are in the food,
2 architecture, exquisite sculptures, music and
3 dance forms.
4 Kerala is also known for its
5 festivals, like the Thrissur Pooram, considered
6 one of the greatest gatherings in Asia, and Onam,
7 which is a harvest festival celebrated by
8 everyone in Kerala, and even here in
9 North America.
10 So it should come as no surprise
11 that here in New York, where Malayalis live, work
12 and raise families, that they will bring this
13 heritage with them. Malayalis in America tend to
14 be more Malayali here than they are in Kerala
15 because they miss their roots.
16 Malayalis are the success story in
17 the Asian community. They are our doctors, our
18 lawyers, our scientists, our nurses, our
19 accountants, our teachers, members of the
20 military, members of law enforcement,
21 entrepreneurs, and most importantly our friends
22 and neighbors.
23 We have many organizations with us
24 today that promote the Kerala heritage and its
25 leaders. We have the group from Fokana; we have
4073
1 the president, Mr. Madhavan Nair. We have the
2 Fomaa secretary, Mr. Jose Abraham. The Indian
3 Overseas Congress president, Mrs. Leela Marett.
4 Kerala Cultural Association president, Mr. Ajit
5 Abraham. World Malayali Council vice president,
6 Mr. Thomas Mottackal. Kalavedi International
7 chairman, Mr. Sibi David. Kerala Center. Indo
8 American Malayali Association of Long Island
9 president, Mr. Mathew Thomas. Mahima
10 ex-president, Mr. Raghunathan Nair. Indian
11 Nurses Association of New York, Mrs. Mary Philip.
12 Honorable Dr. Aney Paul, our Rockland County
13 legislator. Nair Benevolent Association
14 president Mr. Ramdas Kochuparambil. Westchester
15 Malayali Association president, Mr. Joy Ittan.
16 Kerala Samajam of -- even -- New Jersey
17 secretary, Mr. Geo Joseph. Indo American Press
18 Club founder and chairman, Mr. Ginsmon Zachariah.
19 Attorney Mr. Biju Koshy, a district leader in
20 Staten Island, District 63. Justice for All
21 chairman, Mr. Thomas Koovalloor. Kerala Samajam
22 of New Jersey, Mr. Shaju Sam. ECHO, Enhance
23 Community through Harmonious Outreach directors,
24 Mr. Biju Chacko and Mr. Sabu Lukose. New York
25 South Asian Chamber of Commerce vice president,
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1 Mr. Jose Jacob. Capital District Malayali
2 Association Albany president, Mrs. Milan Susan
3 Babu.
4 And we have clergy with us as well:
5 Reverend Santhosh Joseph and Reverend Dr. James
6 Jacob. And entrepreneurs like Mrs. Annie George
7 Kolath of the hotel industry and Mr. Abraham
8 Puthusseril of Maharaja Group.
9 And lots of media: Kalavedi Online,
10 Kris Thoppil; Shijo Paulose of Asianet; George
11 Joseph of Emalayalee Online; and Moideen
12 Puthenchira of Malayalam Daily News.
13 In closing, Mr. President, I just
14 want to say that this is a group that has worked
15 so hard. Immigrants really know that if they
16 work hard, it's eventual that they will be
17 successful. And having this month as Malayali
18 Heritage Month basically shows that we have
19 actually made it, we are successful.
20 Thank you, Mr. President.
21 (Applause from the gallery.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
23 Gaughran on the resolution.
24 SENATOR GAUGHRAN: I just want to
25 rise to congratulate and to thank the Malayali
4075
1 community for being here, for all that they do
2 for this state.
3 There are, I know, a number of
4 constituents of mine who are here. And I can
5 tell you, in the short time I have served here in
6 the State Senate, I have learned much from them
7 about their heritage and certainly their
8 contributions to our communities and to this
9 state.
10 But I also want to say that I'm very
11 proud of the sponsor of this resolution, very
12 proud to have the opportunity to learn from him
13 and to serve with him.
14 So I very proudly vote in the
15 affirmative, Mr. President. Thank you.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
17 Kaplan on the resolution.
18 SENATOR KAPLAN: Thank you,
19 Mr. President.
20 I also rise to thank Senator Thomas
21 for this resolution and to congratulate the
22 Malayali community for being here.
23 Welcome to Albany. Welcome to the
24 Capitol. And I too want to thank you for all
25 your hard work and your contribution to our
4076
1 communities and to states.
2 Thank you.
3 (Applause from the gallery.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
5 resolution was previously adopted on May 14th.
6 Senator Gianaris.
7 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
8 can we now move to previously adopted
9 Resolution 197, by Senator Jordan, read its title
10 only, and recognize Senator Jordan.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
12 Secretary will read.
13 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
14 197, by Senator Jordan, congratulating the
15 Shenendehowa High School Girls Varsity Swimming
16 and Diving Team upon the occasion of being ranked
17 No. 1 in New York State by the National
18 Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
20 Jordan on the resolution.
21 SENATOR JORDAN: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 I actually have three resolutions
24 today, all pertaining to Shenendehowa High School
25 swimming and diving. So before I get into each
4077
1 one, I'd just like to make a few remarks that
2 apply to all of them.
3 It gives me great pride and joy to
4 have both the Shenendehowa Girls Swimming and
5 Diving Team here, and the boys team as well. The
6 girls' season is a fall sport, and the boys'
7 season is a winter sport. So it is quite
8 remarkable that both teams have achieved the
9 ranking of number one in New York State on their
10 own. It's the first time in Shenendehowa history
11 that this has happened. Each team has earned
12 number-one status before, but never at the same
13 time.
14 Though the teams are separate, just
15 about every swimmer up here -- and that includes
16 the Niskayuna team that's here today too, to be
17 recognized -- also participates in USA Swimming
18 through a club year-round. The boys and girls
19 then train together.
20 Some here are on the same club team,
21 and some compete against their fellow
22 Shenendehowa teammates on other club teams.
23 Nevertheless, they are all one big swim family.
24 I'm so proud to be part of that
25 family, as a swim mom of two Shen swimmers, one
4078
1 who graduated eight years ago and one who is
2 going to graduate this year.
3 Also I've been on deck with these
4 swimmers from the time many of them were six
5 years old, as a USA Swim official for their club
6 meets, a YMCA meet official, and a USA observer
7 for their high school invitationals and
8 sectionals. Along with their parents, I have
9 watched them develop into top-notch swimmers, and
10 it has been quite an exciting journey.
11 These kids work so hard. Swimming
12 is a grueling sport. Their practices are
13 typically three hours long, with a half-hour of
14 dry land, which could be lifting weights, yoga,
15 or other exercises. They swim thousands of yards
16 each day, practicing both distance and sprints in
17 any of the four strokes: Butterfly, back stroke,
18 breast stroke and freestyle.
19 Technique is so important. It's
20 what's done underwater that makes the difference,
21 along precise starts off the blocks and turns at
22 the wall -- and all doing it legally, so some
23 swim official doesn't disqualify you.
24 Now, on to my resolution
25 congratulating the Shenendehowa Girls Varsity
4079
1 Swimming and Diving Team on being ranked number
2 one in New York State by the National
3 Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
4 They were ranked number one out of
5 21 schools in New York State in the large school
6 category. During the 2018 season, the
7 Shenendehowa High School Girls Varsity Swimming
8 and Diving Team scored 5,386 points to earn their
9 ranking, a total of 159 more points than the
10 second-place team. That's a huge margin.
11 The Shen ladies ended their season
12 with an impressive overall record, including
13 winning the Section II Division I swimming and
14 diving championship. Scoring 441 points, the
15 Shenendehowa ladies beat out Niskayuna
16 High School by 34 points on Saturday, November 3,
17 2018.
18 Prior to capturing the Section II
19 Division I championship, they also won the Ninth
20 Annual Shenendehowa Breast Cancer Awareness
21 Invitational, where schools from all over the
22 state compete. They also qualified 12 swimmers
23 and divers for the New York State Public High
24 School Athletic Association Swim Meet.
25 In addition, the Shenendehowa High
4080
1 School Girls Varsity Team received the Team
2 Scholar Athlete Award, with 24 students holding a
3 GPA of 90 or above, and all members held a GPA of
4 85 or above. Given the immense physical demands
5 of their sport, attaining and keeping those GPAs
6 is quite an accomplishment.
7 Along with the team's impressive
8 academic records, two seniors and two sophomores
9 broke the school record in the 400 freestyle
10 relay.
11 Head Coach Sandy Stanislowsky,
12 Dive and Strength Coach Dennis Hogan,
13 Assistant Coaches Ryan Gordon and Alyssa DiFabio,
14 and Yoga Coach Amy Stoup have successfully built,
15 motivated and led this team. They are here today
16 with the members of the Shenendehowa High School
17 Girls Varsity Swimming and Diving Team in our
18 Senate.
19 Girls, I'm so proud of you. Your
20 coaches are so proud. Your parents are beyond
21 proud. Always cherish your experience, your
22 victories, and each other. Your team experience
23 is a bond you'll always have. Remember that your
24 hard work and commitment achieve top results, and
25 that can be carried through with anything you
4081
1 would like to achieve in your future.
2 Congratulations again on being
3 ranked number one in New York State.
4 Thank you, Mr. President and my
5 colleagues.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To all
7 of our athletes from the Shenendehowa High
8 School, I welcome you on behalf of the Senate.
9 We extend to you all of the privileges and
10 courtesies of this house. Please all rise and be
11 recognized at this time.
12 (Standing ovation.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
14 resolution was previously adopted on
15 January 23rd.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
18 up previously adopted Resolution 987, by
19 Senator Tedisco, read its title only, and
20 recognize Senator Tedisco.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
22 Secretary will read.
23 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
24 987, by Senator Tedisco, congratulating the
25 Niskayuna Boys Swimming and Diving Team and
4082
1 Head Coach Dan Tanski on capturing the New York
2 State Public High School Athletic Association
3 Championships.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
5 Tedisco on the resolution.
6 SENATOR TEDISCO: Thank you so
7 much, Mr. President.
8 I'm going to take a step back and
9 talk a little bit about both of these outstanding
10 schools and these outstanding teams, because I
11 actually represent both Niskayuna and
12 Shenendehowa High Schools in the 49th Senatorial
13 District. And you are why I say all good things
14 emanate from the 49th Senatorial District. And
15 it just happens to be my senatorial district,
16 shared with Senator Daphne Jordan.
17 I don't know if we realize it, all
18 of us who are in this beautiful building, this
19 beautiful room here, that in this room right now,
20 upstairs here, looking down on us, is what I
21 would call the elite of the elite, the best of
22 the best -- not only in this region, not only for
23 these two schools, not only for the capital here,
24 but in the State of New York and across the State
25 of New York. So myself and Senator Jordan are
4083
1 extremely proud of both of these two teams.
2 You know, I told some of the
3 individuals from these teams that I had --
4 jokingly, of course -- a real job at one time. I
5 was an educator, a teacher, a guidance counselor,
6 an athletic director, but also an athletic coach.
7 And I had a little experience in playing sports.
8 I played at Union College, played basketball.
9 Now, some people would say, well,
10 swimming -- you know, there was a joke way back
11 by one of the comedians, who said, Well, swimming
12 isn't a sport, is it? It's just something you do
13 so you don't drown.
14 Well, we know that's not the case.
15 Every individual here has put in unbelievable
16 work, day in and day out, lap after lap, hour
17 after hour, dive after dive, to be the best of
18 the best. And you are the elite here today
19 throughout the State of New York. And I don't
20 think -- the Senator and I and all of us in this
21 room couldn't be prouder.
22 We always like competition, and I
23 know you two teams compete a little bit with each
24 other. But I know you both respect each other
25 too and have some friendships on both sides of
4084
1 the schools, and that's a good thing also.
2 I also mentioned to some of the
3 group that having some experience as an athlete,
4 Union College was a great academic school. I'd
5 advise anybody to go there. I don't know if
6 they're as good enough a swim team to attract
7 some of you. But I learned a lot in the
8 classroom, but maybe the most important lesson I
9 learned was with the team activity that I
10 participated in. And I think your coaches have
11 imparted that to you. Because you're not only
12 great individuals, you're a great team.
13 And what you found out is probably
14 what's so important for us in this room, on the
15 other side in the Assembly, from the second
16 floor -- and that is if the individual doesn't
17 care who gets the credit, the team and the
18 individual can achieve unbelievable successes.
19 You have proven through your coaches and their
20 outstanding efforts that you fully understand
21 that, and your coaches fully understand that, and
22 the people that love you most understand that --
23 your parents, who have come here, many of them
24 with you, to enjoy this recognition that you're
25 receiving.
4085
1 So I want to congratulate the girls
2 and the boys from Shenendehowa. And now I'd like
3 to say a little bit about these guys from
4 Niskayuna. I'm honored to present to you them,
5 who have also achieved unprecedented successes in
6 the areas of diving and swimming.
7 The Niskayuna Boys Swimming and
8 Diving Team, under the leadership of Head Coach
9 Dan Tanski, captured the New York State High
10 School Athletic Association championship at the
11 Nassau County Aquatic Center in East Meadow on
12 March 2, 2019. The team secured their crown with
13 a 189-183 victory over Great Neck South, and have
14 now won their second New York State team
15 championship. Their first took place in 2005.
16 The events these outstanding young
17 men excelled in include the 200-yard medley
18 relay, the 400-yard freestyle relay, many diving
19 competitions. But I believe you were the
20 champions in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
21 The Silver Warriors finished the
22 season with an impressive dual meet record of 7
23 and 1, and won seven of 12 events at the
24 Section II championship meet.
25 Now, they didn't get a seat today,
4086
1 and I was going to ask them to stand up, but
2 they're already standing. They're all those in
3 the middle and the top row there. There's only
4 seven. But seven mighty warriors who did an
5 unbelievable job to make us proud here in the
6 Capital Region and our 49th Senatorial District.
7 And I'd like to just introduce you
8 to them before you honor them: Cameron
9 Goodspeed -- raise your hand, Cameron, so we know
10 who you are -- Scott Ward, Bryan Liu, Mark
11 Lipkin, Victor Schingo, Matt Chao, Conor Compton,
12 and their outstanding coach, Dan Tanski. I think
13 they have some proud parents with them today.
14 Today we honor all of you, and we
15 all the Shen students. And I think, as you're a
16 great team, I think we have a great team here,
17 and I call it Beauty and Smarts and the Beast.
18 (Laughter.)
19 SENATOR TEDISCO: Mr. President, I
20 wish you would welcome them and thank them for
21 visiting and congratulate them for all the
22 success they've had.
23 (Standing ovation.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 resolution was previously adopted on April 9th.
4087
1 Senator Gianaris.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
3 up previously adopted Resolution 1037, by Senator
4 Helming, read its title only, and recognize
5 Senator Helming.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
9 1037, by Senator Helming, congratulating Jace
10 Schafer upon the occasion of capturing the
11 99-pound Division II wrestling title at the
12 New York State Public High School Athletic
13 Association Wrestling Championships on
14 February 23, 2019.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
16 Helming on the resolution.
17 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 I rise proudly today to welcome to
20 this chamber Jace Schafer, from Palmyra-Macedon,
21 his athletic director, Tom Schmandt, and
22 Head Wrestling Coach John Burgess.
23 Jace, welcome. I'm so proud and
24 it's such an honor to have you here today.
25 It's my understanding, in reading
4088
1 about your success on the team, that it was right
2 here in Albany in front of a capacity crowd that
3 you earned a decisive win over your opponent,
4 which led you to capturing the 99-pound New York
5 State Division II wrestling title.
6 Congratulations to you on that impressive win.
7 It's my understanding also that this
8 is only your second season on the varsity team.
9 And your record speaks for itself. It's
10 incredibly impressive, a record of 58 and 3,
11 making it one of Pal-Mac's most impressive and
12 best overall records.
13 Jace, I also understand that you
14 excel off the mats as well, that you're an
15 outstanding scholar with an academic average of
16 93. And I want to congratulate you on your hard
17 work, not only on the mat but also in the
18 classroom. That's very impressive and will take
19 you very, very far down your career path.
20 I want to also just recognize and
21 thank your coach, John Burgess, and your father,
22 your assistant coach, for them helping you not
23 only hone your skills but also teaching you about
24 lessons which will prove invaluable both on and
25 off the mat.
4089
1 It's again an honor to recognize you
2 today, and I again commend you on your dedication
3 and your determination and your commitment to
4 teamwork. I understand this past fall you also
5 helped lead your team to a Section V -- your
6 soccer team to a Section V championship. So
7 congratulations on that as well.
8 And I will also quickly mention that
9 you've been named the Team MVP and also Section V
10 and Wayne-Finger Lakes League Champion. So
11 congratulations on all of your success. I again
12 congratulate you, and I welcome you to this body.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To Jace
15 Schafer and team, I welcome you on behalf of the
16 Senate. We extend to you all the privileges and
17 courtesies of this house. Please rise and be
18 recognized.
19 (Standing ovation.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 resolution was previously adopted on April 9th.
22 Senator Gianaris.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now let's take
24 up previously adopted Resolution 1065, by Senator
25 Serino, read its title only, and recognize
4090
1 Senator Serino.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 Secretary will read.
4 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
5 1065, by Senator Serino, commending the Kuttruf
6 Family upon the occasion of their designation as
7 recipient of a Liberty Medal, the highest honor
8 bestowed upon an individual by the New York State
9 Senate.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
11 Serino on the resolution.
12 SENATOR SERINO: Thank you,
13 Mr. President.
14 The New York Liberty Medal is the
15 highest honor that we can bestow on civilians
16 here in the state, and it is awarded to those who
17 demonstrate exceptional, heroic or humanitarian
18 acts on behalf of their fellow New Yorkers.
19 I rise today, Mr. President, to
20 recognize the Kuttruf family -- and most notably
21 their son, Zachary Kuttruf -- who truly embody
22 the spirit of this distinguished award.
23 Back in January, Brendan Foran was
24 riding his ATV on Lake Oscawana in Putnam Valley
25 when his ATV plunged through the ice. Upon
4091
1 hearing cries for help, Zachary, who is a
2 Sheriff's Cadet and Boy Scout, immediately
3 responded to the scene and ran out to the road to
4 flag down the first responders.
5 When first responders arrived, Foran
6 had already been in the frigid waters for over
7 10 minutes. But Zachary and his parents,
8 Jennifer and Bruce, worked tirelessly to
9 coordinate a rescue effort and assist those
10 responders.
11 After multiple attempts and
12 dangerous conditions on unstable ice,
13 Jennifer Kuttruf ultimately retrieved an
14 extension cord from her home, which the team of
15 people used together to successfully pull Foran
16 out of the water. And thankfully he survived the
17 harrowing incident.
18 Deputy Jonathan Bradley was the
19 first responder on the scene, and when his
20 sergeant commented that his quick thinking
21 ultimately saved Foran's life, Bradley gave most
22 of the credit to the young cadet, Zachary
23 Kuttruf, for flagging him down and helping to
24 coordinate the rescue effort.
25 Zachary is only 14 years old, but
4092
1 his quick thinking and dedication to service made
2 him and his parents true heroes that day.
3 And if you're not familiar with
4 Putnam County, it's really sparse. Senator
5 Harckham would know. And in this particular
6 lake, there was only the one home. And as
7 Zachary's mom mentioned, they didn't have the TV
8 going, it was quiet in the house. It was 7:30 at
9 night on a winter night. So thank God they were
10 able to hear.
11 So thank you, Mr. President, for
12 allowing me the opportunity to recognize them
13 here on the floor of the Senate. It is our hope
14 that their story of selflessness and their
15 willingness to act in the face of danger can
16 inspire other New Yorkers to come together and
17 act in times of trouble.
18 To the Kuttrufs and to Zachary, we
19 thank you. And I ask you, Mr. President, to
20 extend to them the privileges of the house.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To the
22 Kuttruf family, I welcome you on behalf of the
23 Senate. We extend to you all of the privileges
24 and courtesies of this house. Please rise and be
25 recognized.
4093
1 (Standing ovation.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 resolution was previously adopted on April 30th.
4 Senator Gianaris.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let us now take
6 up previously adopted Resolution 1391, by
7 Senator Jordan, read its title only, and
8 recognize Senator Jordan.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 Secretary will read.
11 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
12 1391, by Senator Jordan, congratulating the
13 Shenendehowa High School Boys Varsity Swimming
14 and Diving Team upon the occasion of being ranked
15 No. 1 in New York State by the National
16 Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
18 Jordan on the resolution.
19 SENATOR JORDAN: Thank you,
20 Mr. President. I'm also going to speak on my
21 next resolution too, which is the 400 Freestyle
22 Relay Team.
23 So the first resolution
24 congratulates the Shenendehowa High School Boys
25 Varsity Swimming and Diving Team on being ranked
4094
1 number one out of 22 schools in New York State in
2 the large school category.
3 During the 2018-2019 season, the
4 Shenendehowa High School Boys Varsity Swimming
5 and Diving Team broke school records in the
6 200 Medley Relay, the 400 Freestyle Relay, and
7 won the Watkins Glen Invitational. The Shen
8 Plainsmen went on then to end their regular
9 season with a perfect record of 11-0.
10 A perfect season is incredibly hard
11 to attain, but they did it. Countless hours of
12 practice, discipline and drive are required to be
13 successful in both swimming and diving. These
14 awesome student athletes exhibited those
15 qualities.
16 Head Coach Chuck Dunham, Diving
17 Coach Dennis Hogan, and Assistant Swim Coach Ryan
18 Gordon, who are with us here today, have done an
19 outstanding job in leading and motivating this
20 team.
21 Being on deck and officiating, I've
22 been privy to listening in on some of the
23 motivational speeches that Coach Chuck has given.
24 They've never been about winning, but rather
25 getting into the pool, whether it's swimming or
4095
1 diving, working hard, and executing what each
2 swimmer had been prepared all season to do.
3 Preparation and execution are key to
4 your success in life. Make those lessons from
5 Coach Chuck a part of your DNA, and you will
6 continue on as champions.
7 I'm so proud of the champions you
8 are, as are your coaches. Your parents are
9 ecstatic, and rightfully so. As I said to the
10 girls' team, cherish your experience, your
11 victories, and each of your teammates. Your team
12 experience is a bond you will always have.
13 I'd also like to talk about four
14 boys that won the state championship in the
15 400 Freestyle Relay. That was done on March 2nd
16 at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in East
17 Meadow, New York.
18 I had the privilege of attending
19 this very exciting event, as the Shen Plainsmen
20 defeated second-place and local rival Niskayuna
21 High School by .23 hundredths of a second -- less
22 than the time that it takes to snap your
23 fingers -- to capture that championship. They
24 did an outstanding job with a superfast time of
25 3 minutes, 8.93 seconds, earning All-American
4096
1 consideration while breaking the Section II
2 record. These are incredible accomplishments.
3 Before I have the whole team stand
4 up, I'd like the four boys, the superfast boys of
5 the Shenendehowa High School Boys 400 Freestyle
6 Relay Team, to stand. The team includes Kaleb
7 Hotaling, Alexander Fabris, Jackson Homan, and my
8 son James Jordan, who's mortified that I'm saying
9 that.
10 (Laughter.)
11 SENATOR JORDAN: Thank you. It's a
12 tremendous accomplishment that the four of you
13 have achieved.
14 And now if the whole boys' team would
15 stand up so that you can be recognized, we'd be
16 honored.
17 (Standing ovation.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 resolution was previously adopted on May 7th.
20 Senator Gianaris.
21 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now can we
22 please take up previously adopted Resolution
23 1495, by Senator Liu, read its title only, and
24 recognize Senator Liu.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4097
1 Secretary will read.
2 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
3 1495, by Senator Liu, memorializing Governor
4 Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 22, 2019, as
5 Taiwan Heritage Day in the State of New York.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
7 Liu on the resolution.
8 SENATOR LIU: Thank you,
9 Mr. President, for the opportunity to talk about
10 Taiwan heritage. It's something that I'm rather
11 proud of, being a native of Taiwan myself. I am
12 an immigrant, came at the age of five. But if
13 you check the back of my neck, it is still
14 proudly stamped "Made in Taiwan."
15 (Laughter.)
16 SENATOR LIU: And today we have a
17 very distinguished delegation, both from Albany
18 and New York City, of proud Taiwanese Americans,
19 Americans who are proud of their Taiwanese
20 heritage, culture, tradition and histories.
21 And they are led by the
22 distinguished Ambassador Lily Hsu. Ambassador
23 Hsu, could you please stand. Thank you very much
24 for joining us today.
25 Ambassador Hsu has been an -- oh.
4098
1 Please relax and have a seat, Ambassador.
2 (Laughter.)
3 SENATOR LIU: She has been an
4 incredible leader in the community and worldwide,
5 having commenced her foreign service in Taiwan
6 33 years ago. She started at the age of 6, as
7 you can see.
8 (Laughter.)
9 SENATOR LIU: And she really has
10 been representing Taiwan here in the New York
11 metropolitan area with our admiration for a great
12 long time.
13 And so it is my pride to welcome her
14 and the entire delegation, including our monk
15 from the Buddhist Light International
16 Association, as well as Ming Chiang, kind of like
17 our next-generational leaders in the Taiwanese
18 American community.
19 Taiwan is a great place. I know
20 many of you have been there already, and I hope
21 to invite you to come back to Taiwan many, many
22 times, as well as other Senators who might be
23 interested in what this dynamo of an economy and
24 democracy has shown the world that it's capable
25 of.
4099
1 Taiwan is a place of great culture,
2 and of course you don't want to miss any
3 Taiwanese food. So I know we have 32 bills to
4 vote on. If we can get through them efficiently,
5 Mr. President, there will be enough time for
6 everybody to get down to the Well and enjoy the
7 best food there is in the world, Taiwanese
8 cuisine.
9 Thank you, Mr. President.
10 (Applause from the gallery.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
12 Rivera on the resolution.
13 SENATOR RIVERA: Thank you,
14 Mr. President.
15 So I had the opportunity to travel
16 to Taiwan last year. I certainly want to thank
17 Senator Sepúlveda for facilitating this trip.
18 And it was an incredible trip. We were there for
19 about seven days, and we traveled all across the
20 country, from the capital of Taipei down to the
21 southern city of Kaohsiung. And I'm sure I'm
22 going to pronounce these incorrectly, so I'm just
23 telling you ahead of time.
24 (Laughter.)
25 SENATOR RIVERA: But we had -- it
4100
1 was an amazing trip, whether it was the Ministry
2 of Transportation and Commerce -- and
3 Communications, apologies -- whether it was
4 meeting with the governing party or the
5 opposition party, technology companies. We
6 visited research laboratories. I'm not sure if
7 folks are aware that Taiwan actually has five
8 branches of government. This was unknown to me.
9 This was very interesting. They have five
10 branches, not three.
11 But talking to folks that run the
12 national health insurance plan -- because, yes,
13 they have a single-payer system in Taiwan that
14 only has existed since the mid-'90s. So I was
15 very happy to talk to them about some of the
16 technicalities involved in that.
17 Overall, it was an amazing trip.
18 And one thing that kept coming up in all the
19 business that we made and the conversations that
20 I had, one word keeps coming up, and that is
21 vibrancy. I was telling the ambassador a little
22 bit earlier that if the point of these trips is
23 to demonstrate the vibrancy of that country --
24 the vibrancy of its culture, of its politics, of
25 its technology, of its people -- that they did an
4101
1 amazing job.
2 And it was -- and I just wanted to
3 stand up and say not only thank you for giving me
4 the opportunity to visit your wonderful country,
5 but to meet so many Taiwanese people who are here
6 in New York that make an important -- that are
7 such an important part of communities here in
8 New York. I welcome them to the State Capitol.
9 But most importantly, thank you so
10 much for having me in your wonderful country.
11 And I certainly say that you will have a friend
12 for life.
13 Thank you so much, Mr. President.
14 (Applause from the gallery.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
16 Sepúlveda on the resolution.
17 SENATOR SEPÚLVEDA: Thank you,
18 Mr. President, for allowing me to speak on this
19 resolution.
20 I couldn't agree more with my
21 colleagues John Liu and Senator Rivera about the
22 wonderful country that Taiwan is. I went to
23 visit there a couple of years ago, and we can
24 only envy the infrastructure that they have
25 there. They have universal health care, and it's
4102
1 very successful and everybody there is happy. So
2 that's something that we should try to emulate.
3 But, you know, Taiwan has had a
4 strong relationship with the United States for
5 many, many years. It's been one of our strongest
6 partners in that region. It is also, I believe,
7 anywhere between our fifth and sixth largest
8 trading partner, which makes it the sixth largest
9 trading partner with New York State.
10 And we've worked closely with the
11 wonderful organization called TECO. And I'm also
12 proud to acknowledge the presence of Ambassador
13 Hsu from TECO. She is a wonderful leader, a
14 great person. And I encourage all of you, before
15 you leave, to take a few minutes to talk to her.
16 We're also lucky to have
17 Ming Chiang, who's the president of the Taiwanese
18 Chamber of Commerce, and who's established a
19 network of Taiwanese Americans here in New York.
20 We also have the Taiwanese American
21 Culture of the Capital District here, and several
22 other cultural organizations.
23 The fact that we have a strong
24 working relationship with Taiwan should not be
25 ignored, because the Taiwanese government
4103
1 indirectly or directly is responsible for about
2 anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 jobs in New York
3 State, something that we encourage all
4 governments to invest in the State of New York.
5 We celebrate their culture, we
6 celebrate their society, and their contributions
7 to American history can never be denied,
8 especially out in the West Coast. They helped
9 develop this country, make it the powerful force
10 that it is today.
11 This past year we had the Year of
12 the Woman in electoral politics, where so many
13 women were elected to positions here in the
14 country and in New York State. But Taiwan beat
15 us by a couple of years on that front. The BBC
16 mentioned that year that the place to be in
17 politics if you're a woman is Taiwan.
18 So listen to these numbers. The
19 parliament is made up of about 38 percent women.
20 Women must get about 50 percent of the at-large
21 seats in the legislature and 25 percent of the
22 seats at local council elections. This is
23 mandatory. The president of Taiwan, President
24 Tsai Ing-wen, first female president of Taiwan.
25 But again, they beat us to that here in this
4104
1 country.
2 And you can see when you travel
3 there as I did, when you visit and speak with the
4 people, that people there are extremely happy
5 with their country. Of course there are some
6 issues, but the level of happiness there is
7 something that I envy. People there are very
8 kind, very generous, very forthcoming.
9 And I remember the first morning I
10 got there, there was a group of people at a park
11 dancing the tango and salsa. And they invited me
12 to come over, and they put me to shame. But it
13 was one of the many beautiful experiences I had
14 in Taiwan.
15 So I want to thank the ambassador
16 for being here today. I want to thank the people
17 of Taiwan, Taiwanese Americans, John Liu, and
18 everyone else who's participating in this
19 resolution. Thank you very much, and God bless
20 Taiwan.
21 (Applause from the gallery.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
23 Sanders on the resolution.
24 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
25 Mr. President.
4105
1 I too have had the opportunity to
2 visit Taiwan. But the growing importance of Asia
3 to the U.S. economy is becoming more and more
4 well-known. What is less known is the importance
5 of Taiwan in that equation, that the Taiwanese
6 economy is one of the strongest in what is called
7 the dragons of -- the dragons of that part of
8 Asia.
9 As the stablest democracy in the
10 region, the Taiwanese-U.S. friendship is very
11 important, a friendship that has been tried over
12 time and it's going to be tried in the days to
13 come. This is a very important friendship that
14 the U.S. needs to maintain.
15 I want to welcome the ambassador and
16 her entourage here and just say that in New York
17 we understand the importance of Taiwan and we
18 will try to ensure that the rest of this great
19 nation understands that importance also.
20 Thank you very much. And thank you,
21 Mr. President. And thank you for having this
22 great day, Senator Liu.
23 (Applause from the gallery.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
25 Stavisky on the resolution.
4106
1 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
2 Mr. President. And thank you, Senator Liu.
3 I know that Senator Liu was born in
4 Taiwan. However, I represent many of the people
5 who live there. And I must tell you I enjoy our
6 relationship. It's one that's based on respect
7 and appreciation of your rich cultural heritage.
8 And many of my colleagues have
9 spoken about their visits to Taiwan. I was there
10 on two occasions. And Senator Rivera mentioned
11 some of the areas that he visited, and I want to
12 add a couple because I found them to be really,
13 really interesting.
14 For one thing, we went from Taipei,
15 the capital in the north, down to Kaohsiung in
16 the south by high-speed rail, an amazing
17 experience. And as we were riding, I kept saying
18 to myself, boy, this would be good between Albany
19 and New York. But unfortunately we are nowhere
20 near that position.
21 While I was in Kaohsiung I visited
22 Sun Yat-sen University, an institution run by the
23 government, as they have many governmental
24 institutions of both higher education and
25 obviously pre-K through 12. We also visited
4107
1 factories and schools and so on.
2 But let me mention a couple of
3 things that have not been mentioned. For one
4 thing, we just celebrated the 150th anniversary
5 of the completion of the Transcontinental
6 Railroad, which is extremely important in the
7 Chinese community, because many people from China
8 came to the United States to work on the Central
9 Pacific Railroad line, which started in the West
10 and joined with the Southern Pacific at
11 Promontory Point in Utah. And it was the Chinese
12 people, the immigrants, who were able to complete
13 the railroad. They were largely responsible, and
14 quite frankly had a terrible time during the
15 winters with all of the bad weather and the
16 difficulties in drilling through mountains and so
17 on. And yet they helped make America what it is
18 today.
19 And I think symbolically it's a
20 connection between the East and the West of the
21 United States, but also of our world. The people
22 from Taiwan have made a very significant impact
23 in New York City, but particularly in Queens
24 County with all of the investment, both financial
25 but also a personal investment. They live in the
4108
1 community, they participate in our community
2 activities. They are gaining elective office.
3 And we are so grateful that they chose to come to
4 the United States.
5 One of the interesting aspects of
6 Taiwan, I must say, is the fact that they have a
7 literacy rate of 97 percent. That's enough said.
8 And lastly, let me welcome
9 Ambassador Hsu and her folks from the Taiwan
10 TECO, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. They
11 have an office in my district, but they are
12 based, obviously, in Manhattan. And we welcome
13 them, and we welcome the representatives from the
14 Buddha Light organization.
15 And I am always struck -- we
16 recently celebrated the birthday of Buddha. And
17 the three good deeds or the three words of
18 inspiration, they call it the Three Acts of
19 Goodness, and let us remember that: Say good
20 words, do good deeds, and think good thoughts.
21 So we welcome you with good deeds
22 and actions and thoughts, and I hope you find
23 your experience here in Albany fruitful.
24 Thank you.
25 (Applause from the gallery.)
4109
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
2 Skoufis on the resolution.
3 SENATOR SKOUFIS: Thank you very
4 much, Mr. President.
5 For the past number of years I've
6 had the delight to welcome the ambassador in the
7 Assembly when she came down the hallway. And I'm
8 equally delighted now to join my colleagues here,
9 especially the sponsors of this day, Senators
10 Liu, Sepúlveda and Stavisky, in welcoming her and
11 the entire delegation to the State Senate here in
12 the Capitol.
13 I had the wonderful experience to
14 visit Taiwan. As was noted, there is so much
15 that we can learn from your great country. But
16 here we celebrate, really, the relationship that
17 you represent, Ambassador, between our two
18 countries, and even more so the bond that Taiwan
19 has with New York State specifically and the
20 contributions that are to be had here that we
21 reap the benefits of.
22 And so I'm thankful for your
23 presence, and more importantly I'm thankful for
24 all that you represent and your country.
25 (Applause from the gallery.)
4110
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To our
2 guests from Taiwan, I welcome you on behalf of
3 the Senate. We extend to you all of the
4 privileges and courtesies of this house.
5 Please -- well, you're already risen.
6 (Laughter.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Please
8 be recognized at this time.
9 (Standing ovation.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 resolution was previously adopted on May 14th.
12 Senator Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
14 all of today's resolutions are open for
15 cosponsorship.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: All of
17 the resolutions are open for cosponsorship.
18 Should you choose not to be a cosponsor of the
19 resolutions, please notify the desk.
20 Senator Gianaris.
21 SENATOR GIANARIS: Okay, let us
22 take up the reading of the calendar at this time.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
24 Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4111
1 270, Senate Print 2125, by Senator Griffo, an act
2 to amend the Public Officers Law.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4 the last section.
5 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
6 act shall take effect immediately.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
8 the roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
11 Announce the results.
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
14 bill is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 475, Senate Print 2935A, by Senator Kaminsky, an
17 act to amend the Education Law and the Public
18 Service Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
20 the last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
22 act shall take effect 18 months after it shall
23 have become a law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
25 the roll.
4112
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
3 Announce the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
6 bill is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 501, Senate Print 4978, by Senator Little, an act
9 to amend the Public Officers Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
11 the last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
15 the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
18 Announce the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 bill is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 537, Senate Print 3834, by Senator Metzger, an
24 act to amend the Public Health Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4113
1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
5 the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
8 Metzger to explain her vote.
9 SENATOR METZGER: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 I'm very, very pleased to be able to
12 sponsor this legislation today.
13 This bill recognizes that summer
14 camp is an important time of transition and
15 emotional development for many children, and that
16 children's physical and mental health needs are
17 not seasonal. It allows summer camps, including
18 camps for children with developmental
19 disabilities and for children who have
20 experienced trauma, to hire social workers,
21 healthcare providers and other licensed
22 professionals to provide the full range of
23 services that kids may need to thrive.
24 At a time when we are increasingly
25 aware of the long-term impacts of physical and
4114
1 emotional trauma on children, it's important that
2 children who receive services have access to
3 trained professionals while at summer camp.
4 And I'm very pleased to vote aye.
5 Thank you very much.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
7 Metzger to be recorded in the affirmative.
8 Announce the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 bill is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 541, Senate Print 4841, by Senator Rivera, an act
14 to amend the Public Health Law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
16 the last section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 38. This
18 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
19 shall have become a law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
21 the roll.
22 (The Secretary called the roll.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
4115
1 Calendar Number 541, those Senators voting in the
2 negative are Senators Antonacci, Felder, Jacobs
3 and Jordan.
4 Ayes, 56. Nays, 4.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
6 bill is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 543, Senate Print 3186, by Senator Kennedy, an
9 act in relation to establishing Brendan's Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
11 the last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
13 act shall take effect 24 months after it shall
14 have become a law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
16 the roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
19 Announce the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar Number 543, those Senators voting in the
22 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci,
23 Gallivan, Jacobs, O'Mara and Ortt.
24 Ayes, 54. Nays, 6.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4116
1 bill is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Also Senator
3 Ranzenhofer.
4 Ayes, 53. Nays, 7.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
6 bill is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 614, Senate Print 2680, by Senator Mayer, an act
9 to amend the Election Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
11 the last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect on the 60th day after it
14 shall have become a law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
16 the roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Mayer to explain her vote.
20 SENATOR MAYER: Thank you,
21 Mr. President.
22 And I want to thank my colleagues
23 for supporting this important bill. It really
24 moves us ahead in ensuring that young parents --
25 like yourself, Mr. President -- have the
4117
1 opportunity to participate in our electoral
2 system.
3 By codifying the advisory opinion of
4 the New York State Board of Elections into law,
5 we are clearly stating that campaign funds can be
6 used for childcare expenses, thus allowing young
7 parents particularly to do the things that we all
8 know are necessary to run, to go out in the
9 evening, to go out on the weekends, to go out
10 when you don't have traditional childcare.
11 So I want to give special credit to
12 Liuba Grechen Shirley, from Long Island, when she
13 was a congressional candidate, who made this a
14 really national issue, getting the Federal
15 Elections commission to revisit its position.
16 And today we are stepping forward into that space
17 by saying welcome, young parents, into the world
18 of elections and our civic life by ensuring they
19 can use campaign funds for these expenses.
20 Thank you, and I'll be voting in the
21 affirmative.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
23 Mayer to be recorded in the affirmative.
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
4118
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 bill is passed.
3 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4 629, Senate Print 5024A, by Senator Parker, an
5 act to amend the Social Services Law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
7 the last section.
8 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
9 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
10 shall have become a law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
12 the roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
15 Announce the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar Number 629, those Senators voting in the
18 negative are Senators Akshar, Helming, Jordan,
19 Ortt and Robach.
20 Ayes, 55. Nays, 5.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
22 bill is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 655, Senate Print 1975, by Senator Addabbo, an
25 act to amend the Racing, Pari-Mutuel Wagering and
4119
1 Breeding Law.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
3 the last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
7 the roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
10 Announce the results.
11 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
13 bill is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 663, Senate Print 1603, by Senator Breslin, an
16 act to amend the Insurance Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
18 the last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
20 act shall take effect immediately.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
22 the roll.
23 (The Secretary called the roll.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
25 Announce the results.
4120
1 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 bill is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 689, by Senate Print 4019, by Senator Thomas, an
6 act to amend the General Business Law and the
7 Personal Property Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
9 the last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
11 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
12 shall have become a law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
14 the roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
17 Announce the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 702, Assembly Print Number 215, substituted
23 earlier by Assemblymember Braunstein, an act to
24 amend the Real Property Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4121
1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
5 the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
8 Announce the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 bill is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 705, Senate Print 5513, by Senator Hoylman, an
14 act to amend the Estates, Powers and Trusts Law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
16 the last section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
18 act shall take effect immediately.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
20 the roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
23 Announce the results.
24 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4122
1 bill is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 706, Senate Print 5515, by Senator Montgomery, an
4 act to amend the Family Court Act and the
5 Domestic Relations Law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
7 the last section.
8 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
9 act shall take effect immediately.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
11 the roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
14 Announce the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
17 bill is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 708, Senate Print 4166, by Senator Addabbo, an
20 act to amend the Education Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
22 the last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
4123
1 the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
4 Announce the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 727, Senate Print 4009, by Senator Mayer, an act
10 to amend the Education Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
12 the last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
16 the roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
19 Announce the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
22 bill is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 730, Senate Print 4521, by Senator Kaplan, an act
25 to amend the Retirement and Social Security Law.
4124
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
2 the last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
4 act shall take effect immediately.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
6 the roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
9 Kaplan to explain her vote.
10 SENATOR KAPLAN: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 As lawmakers we have a solemn duty
13 to ensure that we take every step necessary to
14 ensure the safety of our children in our
15 communities. And the tragic reality is that our
16 world has changed these past few years, our
17 schools have changed, so we are called upon to do
18 more to ensure their safety. We owe it to our
19 kids to do everything we can to help them stay in
20 a safe environment.
21 This bill is very simple, and it is
22 something that several local schools in my
23 district have requested. It will remove
24 roadblocks that currently prevent schools from
25 hiring former law enforcement officers as school
4125
1 safety professionals. Our schools want to hire
2 the best talent available to keep our kids safe,
3 and we shouldn't be standing in their way in
4 doing so.
5 This bill will give them the option
6 to do what's best for their particular needs.
7 And I'm proud to sponsor this legislation and
8 cast my vote in the affirmative.
9 Thank you.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
11 Kaplan to be recorded in the affirmative.
12 Senator Harckham to explain his
13 vote.
14 SENATOR HARCKHAM: Thank you,
15 Mr. President. I too will be voting in the
16 affirmative.
17 I want to thank my colleague Senator
18 Kaplan for bringing this important legislation to
19 the floor.
20 As was mentioned, it's critical that
21 our schools today have the best talent and the
22 highest-trained school resource officers that we
23 can provide. But sometimes in government when we
24 solve one problem, there are unintended
25 consequences on the other side.
4126
1 For those of us who represent small
2 municipalities, rural municipalities who have
3 small part-time police departments, they use
4 retired police officers at a ceiling of $30,000 a
5 year. And I know this chamber and the other
6 chamber have been trying to deal with that issue
7 for years.
8 And now by creating a standard of
9 65,000, it's going to be challenging for officers
10 to continue to work for those police departments
11 when they know they can go to work for a school
12 district for significantly more money -- in fact,
13 35,000 more.
14 So we're working on legislation
15 collaboratively in this house, with staff, to
16 address that so that our small part-time police
17 departments can continue to compete in the
18 marketplace for retired officers, and hope
19 colleagues will support that effort as well.
20 Thank you, Mr. President.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
22 Harckham to be recorded in the affirmative.
23 Announce the results.
24 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4127
1 bill is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 736, Assembly Print Number 7123, substituted
4 earlier by Assemblymember Jacobson, an act to
5 amend the Election Law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
7 the last section.
8 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
9 act shall take effect immediately.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
11 the roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
14 Announce the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
16 Calendar Number 736, those Senators voting in the
17 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
18 Boyle, Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming,
19 Jacobs, Jordan, Lanza, LaValle, Little, O'Mara,
20 Ortt, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Serino,
21 Seward and Tedisco.
22 Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
24 bill is passed.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4128
1 749, Senate Print 3964, by Senator Gounardes, an
2 act to amend the Retirement and Social Security
3 Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
5 the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
9 the roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
12 Little to explain her vote.
13 SENATOR LITTLE: Right. Senate
14 3665, correct? I've got the wrong bill, I'm
15 sorry.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
17 Announce the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 768, Senate Print 218B, by Senator Benjamin, an
23 act to amend the Public Health Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
25 the last section.
4129
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
2 act shall take effect immediately.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
4 the roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
7 Announce the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 769, Senate Print 3665, by Senator Gianaris, an
13 act to amend the Labor Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
15 the last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
19 the roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
22 Little to explain her vote.
23 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you,
24 Mr. President.
25 I'm really supportive of flexible
4130
1 hours for employees, and certainly there are
2 many, many situations that demand flexible hours.
3 But I am not supportive of putting another
4 restriction, another regulation, another thing
5 that businesses in New York State have to do.
6 They're having a hard time running a business in
7 New York State now.
8 And one more thing. It's
9 unnecessary. I think most, if they can do it, do
10 offer flexible hours.
11 So I appreciate that, and I vote no.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
13 Little to be recorded in the negative.
14 Senator Gianaris to explain his
15 vote.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
17 Mr. President.
18 I'm very happy that this bill is
19 passing the house today. And just to be clear,
20 this is the most basic, simple requirement that
21 an employer simply has to accept a request of an
22 employee for a flexible time, consider it, and
23 respond to the employee.
24 So one can't say they support the
25 idea of flex time but then not provide a
4131
1 mechanism for that to occur. The only thing this
2 bill would require is that an employer have the
3 conversation with the employee and provide an
4 answer to the employee whether they're allowed to
5 do it or not.
6 And so if someone says they support
7 the idea of flex time, this is the minimum we can
8 do to make sure that it's a reality as opposed to
9 something theoretical.
10 So I want to thank my colleagues for
11 their support of this important bill and look
12 forward to providing this important protection
13 for the workforce. Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
15 Gianaris to be recorded in the affirmative.
16 Senator Ramos to explain her vote.
17 SENATOR RAMOS: Yes, thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 There are many reasons why there's
20 such a huge disparity among salaries between CEOs
21 and workers. American workers are working more,
22 longer hours -- more jobs, often. And this is
23 particularly prevalent in retail, fast food and
24 in many other industries of the ilk.
25 The fact of the matter is we need
4132
1 workers to be able to spend more time with their
2 families, be able to attend graduations,
3 parent-teacher nights, go to doctor's
4 appointments with their kids.
5 Being able to ask your boss to
6 reshuffle your shift, especially at a time when
7 workers get their shift schedules at such a
8 last-minute is not only critical, but fair. It's
9 okay to ask.
10 This is not a hit on big business in
11 any way. It's fairness for the American worker.
12 And that's why I'll be voting in the affirmative.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
15 Ramos to be recorded in the affirmative.
16 Announce the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
18 Calendar Number 769, those Senators voting in the
19 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
20 Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Jacobs,
21 Jordan, Lanza, Little, O'Mara, Ortt, Ranzenhofer,
22 Ritchie, Serino, Seward and Tedisco.
23 Ayes, 42. Nays, 18.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 bill is passed.
4133
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 771, Senate Print 5690, by Senator Sanders, an
3 act to amend the New York State Urban Development
4 Corporation Act.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
6 the last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect immediately.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
10 the roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
13 Announce the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
16 bill is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 773, Senate Print 5937, by Senator Kaminsky, an
19 act to amend Chapter 330 of the Laws of 2014.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
21 the last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
25 the roll.
4134
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
3 Announce the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar Number 773, those Senators voting in the
6 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Gallivan,
7 Griffo and Ritchie.
8 Ayes, 55. Nays, 5.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 814, Senate Print 753A, by Senator Montgomery, an
13 act to direct the Office of Children and Family
14 Services to examine, evaluate and make
15 recommendations on the availability of child
16 daycare.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
18 the last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
20 act shall take effect immediately.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
22 the roll.
23 (The Secretary called the roll.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
25 Montgomery to explain her vote.
4135
1 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Yes, thank
2 you, Mr. President.
3 I just want to thank the Majority
4 Leader for bringing this bill forward on my
5 behalf. As we all know, childcare is probably
6 one of the most if not the most expensive aspects
7 of a family's budget, other than their mortgage
8 and perhaps their car payments.
9 And so this bill -- childcare
10 subsidies are intended to help low-income
11 families pay for childcare, yet less than
12 one-quarter of eligible families are actually
13 receiving subsidies.
14 With the recent implementation of
15 the Childcare Availability Task Force, this
16 legislation that we are voting for today will
17 require the Office of Children and Family
18 Services to provide much-needed data to help
19 inform the task force and the Legislature of the
20 childcare needs of families in our state.
21 The bill directs the Office of
22 Children and Family Services to establish an
23 inventory of child daycare for working families
24 in our state. The bill requires that OCFS
25 examine the possibility of implementing a
4136
1 standard family-share percentage for the cost of
2 childcare in our state.
3 Each local social services district
4 is to submit to OCFS information on the number of
5 families -- denied families that received
6 assistance and the income levels of those
7 families. We expect that this information will
8 help us to plan for how we support families in
9 our state with their needs for childcare.
10 Mr. President, I'm happy to vote for
11 this bill, and I thank my colleagues for
12 supporting it also.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
15 Montgomery to be recorded in the affirmative.
16 Announce the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 bill is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 816, Assembly Print Number 29A, substituted
22 earlier by Assemblymember Rosenthal, an act to
23 amend the Social Services Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
25 the last section.
4137
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
3 shall have become a law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
5 the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
8 Serino to explain her vote.
9 SENATOR SERINO: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 I have to apologize to Senator
12 Serrano, because I had questions that I was going
13 to ask yesterday, but the meeting was the same
14 time as the Veterans Hall of Fame.
15 And I understand the intent of the
16 bill, because child safety is our top priority.
17 I was actually a daycare provider many years ago.
18 It was in my home, so it was a little bit
19 different.
20 But the way the bill is written,
21 it's kind of broad. So, you know, when kids are
22 taking a nap, you could have cribs and if you
23 move them around, that could fall under large
24 furniture, right? So they also have wheels on
25 them. In case of an emergency, you can use those
4138
1 to take children out of a situation.
2 So I think that there, you know,
3 needs to be some amendments made, and that was
4 going to be my suggestion yesterday. And also to
5 include the child daycare providers in the
6 conversation.
7 So that's going to be the reason why
8 I'm going to vote no on it today. But like I
9 said, I definitely understand the intent of the
10 bill. So thank you.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
12 Serino to be recorded in the negative.
13 Announce the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
15 Calendar Number 816, those Senators voting in the
16 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
17 Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Jordan, Little, Ortt,
18 Ranzenhofer, Serino and Seward.
19 Ayes, 48. Nays, 12.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 bill is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 817, Senate Print 3788A, by Senator Carlucci, an
24 act to amend the General Business Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4139
1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect on the 60th day after it
4 shall have become a law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
6 the roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
9 Carlucci to explain his vote.
10 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 As a parent, I know we try to do
13 everything we can to protect our children, to
14 keep them safe. And crib bumpers, it's in our
15 instinct, we think, okay, this is something that
16 can help keep our infants safe. Unfortunately,
17 that is untrue.
18 There's been no data to show that
19 crib bumpers prevent injury. In fact, the
20 Consumer Product Safety Commission calls crib
21 bumpers "deadly clutter." And it's been backed
22 up by the Journal of Pediatric Medicine that has
23 shown that the leading cause of injury and death
24 for our infants in the United States is
25 accidental suffocation. And 70 percent of those
4140
1 cases are directly linked to soft bedding like
2 crib bumpers.
3 We know the Consumer Product Safety
4 Commission has put out a recent report that has
5 shown that over a hundred infants have passed
6 away in the last 15 years directly associated
7 with crib bumpers. That's why this legislation
8 is so important: To ban the sale of these crib
9 bumpers, to make sure we take it out of the
10 equation. Because unfortunately many parents
11 aren't equipped with that information to know how
12 to prevent sudden infant death syndrome.
13 But we do know, and that's why we're
14 taking action. We've been equipped with the
15 reports. The medical community tells us that
16 there is no purpose for these crib bumpers.
17 Let's follow the lead of what Maryland and Ohio
18 have done. Maryland was the first state to ban
19 the sale of crib bumpers, and they have seen
20 their infant mortality rate decrease. Now, in
21 Baltimore, it's the lowest levels they've ever
22 seen.
23 And that's what we need to strive
24 for. And that's what this whole package of
25 legislation is doing today.
4141
1 So I'm extremely grateful to all my
2 colleagues here, to Majority Leader
3 Stewart-Cousins for pushing this package of
4 bills. Many of them might seem innocuous.
5 However, we know, and the data is backing it up,
6 that these steps that we're taking today will
7 save lives, will keep our children safe and make
8 a step forward in lowering the infant mortality
9 rate here in New York State.
10 So I will be supporting this
11 legislation and encourage my colleagues to do the
12 same.
13 Thank you, Mr. President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
15 Carlucci to be recorded in the affirmative.
16 Announce the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 bill is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 818, Senate Print 3904, by Senator Martinez, an
22 act in relation to entitling Robert V. Vassallo,
23 Sr. to reapply for a disability retirement from
24 the New York State Police.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4142
1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
5 the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
8 Announce the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 bill is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 819, Senate Print 4165, by Senator Addabbo, an
14 act to amend Chapter 288 of the Laws of 2014
15 amending the Environmental Conservation Law.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
17 the last section.
18 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
19 act shall take effect immediately.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
21 the roll.
22 (The Secretary called the roll.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 bill is passed.
3 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4 820, Assembly Print Number 3840, substituted
5 earlier by Assemblymember McDonald, an act to
6 amend the Public Health Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
8 the last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
10 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
11 shall have become a law.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
13 the roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
16 Announce the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
18 Calendar Number 820, those Senators voting in the
19 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
20 Gallivan, O'Mara and Ortt.
21 Ayes, 54. Nays, 6.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 bill is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 822, Senate Print 4916, by Senator Harckham, an
4144
1 act in relation to granting James G. Lynch
2 retirement from the New York State and Local
3 Employees' Retirement System.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
5 the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
9 the roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
12 Harckham to explain his vote.
13 SENATOR HARCKHAM: Thank you,
14 Mr. President.
15 You know, sometimes government does
16 things that make us scratch our heads, and other
17 times government does things that just really
18 make us outraged, and this is one of those
19 instances.
20 This gentleman worked for the people
21 of New York State for 25 years as an inspector of
22 school buses, keeping our children safe. And he
23 tragically was diagnosed with a terminal illness
24 and in his final days thought he was putting in
25 his retirement papers. There were issues with
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1 those papers, and he passed away before he could
2 correct those clerical errors. He was denied,
3 and his family was denied the pension benefits
4 that he had earned with 25 years of service.
5 I can understand perhaps an
6 ill-guided person making that declaration, but
7 what's more galling is on appeal, somebody else
8 in state government agreed with that assessment
9 that he was not due a pension and his family was
10 not due those benefits.
11 So thankfully, colleagues, this will
12 address that injustice for this one family. But
13 we need to look at, as a body and as a
14 government, why this happens throughout our
15 system, that common sense and basic fairness do
16 not prevail and oftentimes a twisted sense of
17 what the regulations allow rules over what's
18 common sense and what's basic decency.
19 So I thank colleagues today for
20 supporting this, to right this wrong for this
21 family, and I hope we'll be diligent for other
22 families in the future.
23 Thank you, Mr. President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
25 Harckham to be recorded in the affirmative.
4146
1 Announce the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4 bill is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 823, Assembly Print 6665, substituted earlier by
7 Assemblymember Otis, an act to amend Chapter 618
8 of the Laws of 1998.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
10 the last section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
14 the roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
17 Announce the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 60.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 825, Senate Print 6146, by Senator Hoylman, an
23 act to amend the Tax Law and the Administrative
24 Code of the City of New York.
25 SENATOR GRIFFO: Lay it aside.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Lay it
2 aside.
3 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
4 reading of today's calendar.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
6 the reading of the controversial calendar.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
8 Secretary will ring the bell.
9 The Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 825, Senate Print 6146, by Senator Hoylman, an
12 act to amend the Tax Law and the Administrative
13 Code of the City of New York.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
15 Griffo, why do you rise?
16 SENATOR GRIFFO: Mr. President, I
17 believe there's an amendment at the desk. I
18 waive the reading of that amendment and ask that
19 Senator Antonacci be recognized and be heard.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Thank
21 you, Senator Griffo. Upon review of the
22 amendment, in accordance with Rule 6, Section 4B,
23 I rule it nongermane and out of order at this
24 time.
25 SENATOR GRIFFO: That was a quick
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1 ruling. Accordingly, I appeal that ruling,
2 Mr. President, and ask that Senator Antonacci be
3 recognized.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
5 appeal has been made and recognized, and
6 Senator Antonacci may be heard.
7 SENATOR ANTONACCI: Thank you,
8 Mr. President.
9 This amendment is germane because
10 both the amendment and the bill-in-chief amend
11 sections of the Tax Law. And as I like to say,
12 if we're talking tax returns, let's talk tax
13 cuts.
14 Instead of weaponizing the Tax Law
15 against a political enemy, our amendment gets
16 back to state business and would bring real tax
17 relief to everyday New Yorkers by making the real
18 property tax checks permanent and accelerating
19 the middle-class tax cuts by one year and
20 repealing the STAR changes in this year's budget.
21 Voting yes will save property and personal income
22 tax payers billions of dollars.
23 New York is first on many things,
24 our Governor likes to say. Sounds great, right?
25 But not so fast. We are first and worst in
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1 having the highest state and local tax burden.
2 It is not an honor, but something that we must
3 strive to reverse every day in every possible
4 way.
5 While we are talking taxes, I would
6 like to thank the federal government for the tax
7 relief provided by the Trump tax cuts --
8 much-needed relief for middle-class taxpayers.
9 And as we know, the much overblown claims of SALT
10 hurting blue states has proven false.
11 However, as I've said in my
12 district, the claims the SALT reduction would
13 hurt New York State was a cry for help, because
14 New York State taxes are too high. It is a
15 symptom of a disease, the disease of our taxes
16 being too onerous.
17 So today it's New York State's turn.
18 This amendment will make the highly successful
19 and critically needed property tax relief checks
20 permanent. It will save property taxpayers over
21 $5 billion over the next four years.
22 The second part of this amendment
23 will accelerate by one year the phase-in of the
24 historic middle-class tax cuts that were enacted
25 in 2016 at the insistence of the Senate
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1 Republicans. It will put $370 million in the
2 hands of New York's middle class one year
3 earlier.
4 The third part of this amendment
5 would repeal the reduction in STAR benefits that
6 were enacted as part of this year's budget.
7 Seniors and regular STAR recipients will slowly
8 lose the value of their STAR if these provisions
9 are not repealed.
10 Mr. President, my constituents are
11 struggling. They are struggling to pay their
12 bills, their property taxes, and to pay for their
13 children's college. These amendments will go a
14 long way in helping my constituents and all of
15 our constituents by lowering the crushing burden
16 that New York taxes put on them.
17 If we're talking taxes, let's talk
18 tax cuts. Mr. President, I respectfully submit
19 the amendment is germane and I ask my colleagues
20 to support it.
21 Thank you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Thank
23 you, Senator Antonacci.
24 I want to remind the house that the
25 vote is on the procedures of the house and the
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1 ruling of the chair.
2 Those in favor of overruling the
3 chair signify by saying aye.
4 SENATOR GRIFFO: Request a show of
5 hands.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: A show
7 of hands has been requested and so ordered.
8 (Show of hands.)
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 21.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 ruling of the chair stands, and the bill-in-chief
12 is before the house.
13 Senator Gianaris.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: Without
15 objection, can we return this bill to the
16 noncontroversial calendar.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Without
18 objection, so ordered.
19 Read the last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 18. This
21 act shall take effect on the same date and in the
22 same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2019
23 amending the Tax Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
25 the roll.
4152
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
3 Ortt to explain his vote.
4 SENATOR ORTT: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 So today we're amending a bill that
7 we passed in this house about two weeks ago. And
8 we're amending it because some of the problems
9 with the bill were exactly the problems that the
10 Minority laid out that day, and because the bill,
11 as bad as it was, couldn't get by the
12 conservatives in the Assembly. Who wanted to
13 defend the president, obviously, or knew that it
14 was just bad policy.
15 But even though we're amending the
16 bill, I think we're actually narrowing the focus.
17 Before, it applied to all New Yorkers. Now,
18 we're clearly going after the target that it was
19 meant for all along, the president and his
20 family.
21 And I still think this is terrible
22 policy. It actually removes the discretion from
23 the Commissioner of Tax and Finance to redact
24 information that they may deem as an invasion of
25 privacy. So we're removing that completely.
4153
1 So this continues to be an
2 anti-privacy bill. I believe this continues to
3 be a politically motivated bill.
4 The fact that we're talking about
5 taxes in this house is ironic, because we're not
6 talking about the taxes that New Yorkers pay,
7 which are the highest in the nation, we're
8 talking about the president's taxes. Which shows
9 again, Mr. President, that this bill and the
10 Majority completely miss the real issue facing
11 New Yorkers.
12 I vote nay.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
14 Ortt to be recorded in the negative.
15 Senator Jacobs to explain his vote.
16 SENATOR JACOBS: Thank you,
17 Mr. President.
18 Well, we are back here again so soon
19 after the Democrats in this body passed in
20 legislation. And why? Because this first bill
21 that was passed was so legally flawed. The
22 second attempt here today is just as legally
23 flawed, and I believe it will be found to be
24 unconstitutional.
25 This bill is so fundamentally flawed
4154
1 because it is not derived from a legitimate
2 legislative purpose. This is a thinly veiled
3 attempt to target one individual; in this case,
4 the president of the United States. The tax code
5 should not be turned into a weapon, and that is
6 what is happening here today.
7 All New Yorkers should be concerned
8 that their elected representatives are so eager
9 to target one individual like this.
10 Mr. President, this action demeans
11 this institution. I vote no.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
13 Jacobs to be recorded in the negative.
14 Announce the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
16 Calendar Number 825, those Senators voting in the
17 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
18 Boyle, Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming,
19 Jacobs, Jordan, Lanza, LaValle, Little, O'Mara,
20 Ortt, Ranzenhofer, Ritchie, Robach, Serino,
21 Seward and Tedisco.
22 Ayes, 39. Nays, 21.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
24 bill is passed.
25 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
4155
1 reading of today's controversial calendar.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
3 further business at the desk?
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: There
5 is no further business at the desk.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to
7 adjourn until Wednesday, May 29th, at 3:00 p.m.,
8 the intervening days being legislative days.
9 And I'd like to wish everyone a
10 happy Memorial Day.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: On
12 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
13 Wednesday, May 29th, at 3:00 p.m., intervening
14 days being legislative days.
15 (Whereupon, at 1:09 p.m., the Senate
16 adjourned.)
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