Regular Session - May 30, 2019
4213
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 May 30, 2019
11 12:00 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18
19 SENATOR BRIAN A. BENJAMIN, Acting President
20 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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22
23
24
25
4214
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 recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: In the
9 absence of clergy, let us bow our heads in a
10 moment of silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
14 reading of the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate,
16 Wednesday, May 29, 2019, the Senate met pursuant
17 to adjournment. The Journal of Tuesday, May 28,
18 2019, was read and approved. On motion, Senate
19 adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Without
21 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 The Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: On page 33,
4215
1 Senator Antonacci moves to discharge, from the
2 Committee on Corporations, Authorities and
3 Commissions, Assembly Bill Number 6869 and
4 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 4518,
5 Third Reading Calendar 561.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
7 Substitution so ordered.
8 THE SECRETARY: On page 34,
9 Senator Jacobs moves to discharge, from the
10 Committee on Local Government, Assembly Bill
11 Number 3629 and substitute it for the identical
12 Senate Bill 1735, Third Reading Calendar 564.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
14 Substitution so ordered.
15 THE SECRETARY: On page 49,
16 Senator Carlucci moves to discharge, from the
17 Committee on Local Government, Assembly Bill
18 Number 1112 and substitute it for the identical
19 Senate Bill 5265, Third Reading Calendar 800.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
21 Substitution so ordered.
22 THE SECRETARY: On page 51,
23 Senator Parker moves to discharge, from the
24 Committee on Higher Education, Assembly Bill
25 Number 4064 and substitute it for the identical
4216
1 Senate Bill 4558, Third Reading Calendar 828.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 substitution is so ordered.
4 Messages from the Governor.
5 Reports of standing committees.
6 Reports of selection committees.
7 Communications and reports from
8 state officers.
9 Motions and resolutions.
10 Senator Gianaris.
11 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
12 on behalf of Senator Hoylman, on page 37 I offer
13 the following amendments to Calendar Number 619,
14 Senate Print 1471, and ask that said bill retain
15 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
17 amendments are received, and the bill shall
18 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
19 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
20 Senator Thomas, on page 41, I offer the following
21 amendments to Calendar 691, Senate Print 5598,
22 and ask that said bill retain its place on the
23 Third Reading Calendar.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 amendments are received, and the bill shall
4217
1 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
3 Senator Griffo.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
5 Griffo.
6 SENATOR GRIFFO: Mr. President, how
7 are you?
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: I'm
9 good.
10 SENATOR GRIFFO: I wish to call up
11 Senate Print Number 2906, recalled from the
12 Assembly, which is now at the desk, on behalf of
13 myself.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
15 Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 227, Senate Print 2906, by Senator Griffo, an act
18 to amend the Executive Law.
19 SENATOR GRIFFO: Mr. President, I
20 move that we reconsider the vote by which the
21 bill was passed.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 Secretary will call the roll on reconsideration.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 55.
4218
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 bill is restored to its place on the Third
3 Reading Calendar.
4 SENATOR GRIFFO: I now offer the
5 following amendments, Mr. President.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 amendments are received.
8 Senator Gianaris.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
10 just to give my colleagues a sense of the day's
11 activity, there will be several committee
12 meetings called off the floor. We have several
13 nominations to take up today, in addition to the
14 work of the calendar and the Rules Committee, so
15 I would ask the members to stay alert and stay
16 close throughout the day.
17 We are going to begin by calling
18 simultaneously a meeting of the Committee on
19 Rules in Room 332 and a meeting of the Committee
20 on Health in Room 124.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: There
22 will be an immediate meeting of the
23 Rules Committee in Room 332 and an immediate
24 meeting of the Health Committee in Room 124.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: And I now move
4219
1 to adopt the Resolution Calendar.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: All in
3 favor of adopting the Resolution Calendar please
4 signify by saying aye.
5 (Response of "Aye.")
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
7 Opposed, nay.
8 (No response.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 Resolution Calendar is adopted.
11 Senator Gianaris.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
13 up previously adopted Resolution 834, by
14 Senator Little, read its title only, and
15 recognize Senator Little.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
17 Secretary will read.
18 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
19 834, by Senator Little, congratulating the
20 Glens Falls High School Boys Varsity Basketball
21 Team upon the occasion of capturing the 2019
22 New York State Public High School Athletic
23 Association Basketball Class B Championship on
24 March 16, 2019.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4220
1 Little on the resolution.
2 SENATOR LITTLE: Thank you,
3 Mr. President.
4 I'm really pleased to have the
5 Glens Falls High School Basketball Team here with
6 us today, and welcome them, as well as to
7 recognize them for their athletic achievements
8 this past year.
9 I would note Glens Falls High School
10 also won the Class B Football Championship in the
11 Carrier Dome; some of these players were also on
12 that team as well. But we're on to basketball
13 today.
14 So in the state championship, which
15 was in Binghamton this year -- it returns to
16 Glens Falls next year -- I wanted to talk about
17 the final game with Lowville, which was a very,
18 very close game and a very exciting, very
19 competitive game between two competitive teams.
20 The game was tied in the last
21 30 seconds and went into overtime. And within
22 the last three seconds, a two-point shot by
23 Joseph Girard put them ahead by one point, to win
24 the game 75 to 74. And as you can imagine, that
25 was a pretty exciting event.
4221
1 This resolution we passed on
2 March 16th, immediately following their state
3 championship. However, they went on to the
4 Federation Tournament, which was held in
5 Glens Falls on March 23rd, and in the very first
6 game, Glens Falls beat South Bronx Prep from the
7 Public School Athletic League -- and in a very
8 tight game, but pulled it off in the end.
9 And then the next day -- by the way,
10 at the Federation game on March 23rd, over
11 6,000 people were in the Cool Insuring
12 Civic Center to watch that game. And the next
13 day, they beat Cardinal O'Hara, of the
14 Catholic High School Athletic League, 88 to 79.
15 So for the first time ever,
16 Glens Falls High School won a state basketball
17 championship, and for the first time ever, a
18 local team in Section 2 went on to win the
19 Class B Federation Tournament.
20 This is a group of young men and
21 their coaching staff, their managers and all, who
22 have worked so hard together on their record of
23 29 wins with one loss -- which certainly
24 motivated them, that one loss, and they went on
25 to continue to win.
4222
1 But their dedication and their
2 attitude of "we can do this," working really
3 hard, always pulling it together, coming to some
4 very close games when you wondered if they were
5 going to be able to pull it together -- and yet
6 they did. So my congratulations are to them.
7 But I also want to mention one of
8 their players, Joseph Girard III, who has been
9 here before. He sat up in this gallery with his
10 father and grandfather when he was 11 years old
11 and he was the National Foul Shooting Champion.
12 He was also here last year, as we recognized him
13 for his achievements in football and in
14 basketball.
15 But this year Joseph has -- and he
16 is a team leader. He's not a one-person team, as
17 you might guess when you look at the statistics.
18 Because he really works very hard, he passes, he
19 does rebounds, he does the whole thing.
20 But he also scores. He has averaged
21 over 50 points per game this year, had one game
22 where he broke a record and scored 69 points. He
23 now holds the all-time high school career record,
24 8th grade to senior year, scoring 4,763 points in
25 his high school career, breaking Lance
4223
1 Stephenson's record of 2,946 points by almost
2 2,000 more points.
3 He's had 1,189 points from the
4 free-throw line as a career 88 percent free-throw
5 shooter. For two consecutive years, Joseph
6 Girard was named Class B Player of the year by
7 the New York State Sportswriters Association. He
8 is the 2019 Mr. New York State Basketball.
9 I bet you can guess who he is, but
10 I'm going to ask Joseph to stand just while we
11 get some of these stats.
12 And he was the Gatorade Player of
13 the Year in New York, as well as USA Today's
14 New York Player of the Year, among numerous other
15 honors.
16 But when he was named
17 Mr. Basketball, a quotation in the paper of his
18 said: "This is an individual award. Of course
19 I'll remember it forever. But there are a lot
20 more team awards I'd rather have."
21 Joseph was recruited by 25
22 Division I schools. And Senator DeFrancisco
23 isn't here anymore, but last year
24 Senator DeFrancisco suggested that he go to
25 Syracuse. I think there was more than his
4224
1 suggestion that played into this, but Joseph has
2 chosen Syracuse to attend, so he will be wearing
3 orange from now on.
4 But I really -- we honor him because
5 it's unbelievable achievements that he has
6 achieved as well as being a good student in
7 school, everything else that you can ask for.
8 And a leader of the team, because his teammates
9 have worked so well with him.
10 And they've all played a role in
11 some of these games. In the Federation game we
12 really had to have, you know, some extra help,
13 and Trent Girard was there to help out at the
14 very end with some unbelievable shots.
15 So I would like to acknowledge and,
16 if I may, read the names of the team players who
17 are here, as well as those on the team, as well
18 as their coach, Rob Girard, who I have to say
19 played ball with my son and was a very good
20 friend of his.
21 But the players are Carter Jackson,
22 Noah Balcom, David Barclay, Zach Bren,
23 Joseph Girard III, Trenton Girard, Connor Girard,
24 Rece McClements, Nick Danahy, Brendan Quirk and
25 Kyle Vachon. Head Coach Robert Girard and
4225
1 Assistant Coaches Dan Hall, Camden Girard,
2 Sonny McTiernan and Sonny Gooden.
3 Congratulations on such a wonderful season, as
4 well as to the managers, Tyrell Gooden and
5 Logan Drino.
6 So I would like to ask you to
7 acknowledge them. Glens Falls is very proud of
8 this team, and they've had tremendous support
9 from the community and worked very hard. And
10 obviously I'm very proud of them as well.
11 But Mr. President, if you would
12 offer them the courtesies of the house.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Before
15 we do that, flash photography is not permitted in
16 this chamber, so please do not use that
17 mechanism.
18 Senator Antonacci on the resolution.
19 SENATOR ANTONACCI: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I'll see if I can pick up where
22 Senator DeFrancisco left off.
23 I met with the team earlier. Just
24 to reiterate, I am from Syracuse, New York. I
25 went to Syracuse University. It's technically
4226
1 not in my district, but certainly very important
2 to the 50th District.
3 I'm also a high school boys'
4 basketball official, refereeing for 29 years. I
5 had the privilege of refereeing the 2011 state
6 championship game in Glens Falls.
7 I know that hosting that
8 championship is a source of great pride. I know
9 that it went to Binghamton last year; maybe it
10 will come back soon --
11 SENATOR LITTLE: It is.
12 SENATOR ANTONACCI: It is coming
13 back soon. That's good. It's a great place to
14 watch high school basketball.
15 I also know how tough it is to win a
16 football championship -- and not only a New York
17 State Public High School Basketball Championship,
18 but then to win the Federation. Because as we
19 officials know, the Federation is where you're
20 playing teams from the rest of the state. So
21 that is indeed an accomplishment.
22 I know that, Joe, you've been the
23 leader of this team, but I've met you and I've
24 also talked to some of my fellow officials around
25 the state that have come in contact with you.
4227
1 You are a humble person. You're a team leader.
2 And I know that you couldn't have done it without
3 the rest of your players.
4 In closing, I just want to say that
5 we are as excited as all heck to have you at
6 Syracuse University. Welcome to Syracuse. If
7 there's anything I can do for you while you're
8 there, please call me. I'm sure I'll see you on
9 the court. And congratulations to you and your
10 teammates on one heck of year.
11 Thank you, Mr. President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To the
13 Glens Falls High School Basketball Team, I
14 welcome you on behalf of the Senate. We extend
15 to you all of the privileges and courtesies of
16 this house.
17 Please rise and be recognized.
18 (Standing ovation.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 resolution was previously adopted on March 26th.
21 Senator Serrano.
22 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you very
23 much, Mr. President.
24 At this time I ask that we take up
25 previously adopted Resolution 1560, by
4228
1 Senator Jacobs. Please read the title only, and
2 then call on Senator Jacobs.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4 Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
6 1560, by Senator Jacobs, mourning the death of
7 Ezra Castro, ardent Buffalo Bills fan and devoted
8 family man.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
10 Jacobs on the resolution.
11 SENATOR JACOBS: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 I have the great honor of
14 representing Orchard Park, New York. And
15 Orchard Park, New York, is where the Bills'
16 stadium is, the Buffalo Bills.
17 So Senator Kennedy's often mentioned
18 how Western New York has the only team in
19 New York State, only professional football team.
20 Well, I guess I'm the only Senator with a
21 professional football team in New York State.
22 But, Mr. President, I'm proud and
23 honored to be here -- unfortunately, today, on a
24 sad occasion for this resolution on the passing
25 of Ezra Castro.
4229
1 For every Western New Yorker who
2 recognizes the name Ezra Castro, you will find
3 ten more who are immediately familiar with the
4 costumed Buffalo Bills super-fan persona that he
5 created called Pancho Billa.
6 Ezra Castro -- Pancho Billa -- was a
7 very special person in relation also to his
8 relationship with Western New York. The most
9 dedicated of Buffalo Bills fans, Pancho Billa was
10 a native Texan who, as a young boy, was told by
11 his father he should pick a favorite professional
12 football team. He was so proud of his Mexican
13 American heritage that, unlike his father and
14 brother, he shunned the Dallas Cowboys -- first
15 good move -- and instead chose the Buffalo Bills
16 because of their colors, that they were closest
17 to the red, white, and green of the Mexican flag.
18 And so began for Ezra Castro a
19 lifelong love affair with the Buffalo Bills. And
20 during that time, the team and the city they
21 called home loved him right back.
22 Ezra developed the character of
23 Pancho Billa, a play on the name of the famous
24 Mexican revolutionary general Francisco Pancho
25 Villa, and he created a very intricate costume
4230
1 that included a broad sombrero with a leather
2 luchador mask, a serape poncho, and a bandolier
3 and leather arm guards, all in red, white and
4 blue, and adorned with the Bills buffalo and his
5 catchphrase, "Viva Los Bills."
6 He obviously stood out at games and
7 was such a rabid fan that he attracted the
8 support of so many Bills fans and the
9 appreciation of the players, coaches and
10 management. He attended so many Bills games,
11 home and away, over the years that many people
12 assumed he was a native Buffalonian.
13 He was the president of the Bills
14 Backers clubs in Dallas and Fort Worth, and if he
15 wasn't in the stands for the opening kickoff, he
16 would be leading the cheering at the Hideaway Bar
17 & Grill in Dallas or Buffalo Bro's in Fort Worth.
18 Pancho Billa became such a notable
19 figure that he developed countless friendships
20 and personal relationships with Bills fans across
21 Western New York and around the country,
22 including players, coaches, and management.
23 Oftentimes we see that sports can
24 mirror life. The proud past history of greatness
25 and challenges and struggles, and now this
4231
1 resurgence and bright future that the Buffalo
2 Bills share with the City of Buffalo and Western
3 New York community, were all embraced by Ezra
4 Castro. He recognized those things, he could
5 relate to those things, and in many ways he was
6 the embodiment of the past, those struggles, and
7 the bright future.
8 Knowing this history, we can
9 understand why his devastating cancer diagnosis
10 more than two years ago was felt beyond Ezra and
11 his immediate family. And we understand why so
12 many fans and friends were there for him and
13 walked with him during this journey.
14 Sadly, when the journey came to an
15 end earlier this month, the team and its fans and
16 its city mourned Pancho Billa's death and shared
17 in the grief with the Castro family.
18 So tight were the bonds with this
19 one fan and the team and the city that he loved
20 that he chose to postpone his initial cancer
21 surgery so he could take his young son to a Bills
22 game in San Diego. He had passed his love for
23 the Bills on to his son, and he wanted to make
24 sure he could share that experience with him
25 before his disease denied him that opportunity.
4232
1 As he courageously battled his
2 cancer, the Bills cheered him on and gave him
3 something to strive for by selecting him to lead
4 their delegation of fans in the 2018 NFL draft.
5 He was even called onto the stage to announce
6 their draft choices.
7 And so close were the personal
8 relationships that he developed with his fellow
9 fans that some of them traveled to Texas to be
10 with him to spend time with him and help care for
11 him. When the cancer prevented him from taking
12 part in this year's NFL draft in person, Bills
13 Manager Brandon Bean called him in the hospital
14 room so he could relay the choices on this year's
15 draft.
16 There is so much more about Ezra
17 Castro -- Pancho Billa -- as a father, a son, a
18 brother, and a beloved longtime companion to the
19 mother of his son and daughter. But I think it
20 suffices to say, Mr. President, that in his
21 all-too-short 39 years of life, he touched and
22 inspired so many, in and out of sports, with his
23 love and courage and devotion. The Buffalo Bills
24 and Bills fans everywhere will be honoring
25 Pancho Billa on opening day of the NFL season
4233
1 this fall.
2 I am honored to have the opportunity
3 to pay tribute to him by sponsoring this
4 resolution.
5 Thank you for recognizing me,
6 Mr. President.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
8 Kennedy on the resolution.
9 SENATOR KENNEDY: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 I'm going to thank the sponsor of
12 this resolution for bringing forward such a
13 meaningful picture to the family of Ezra Castro,
14 one that depicts an individual who was such an
15 inspiration to so many people -- not just Buffalo
16 Bills fans, but people, fans across the NFL.
17 He exemplified what it meant to be
18 someone who fought against the odds. And he used
19 this opportunity in his life, as he fought
20 against cancer, to express his gratitude for life
21 and his excitement for his beloved Buffalo Bills.
22 Now, I know we're all Buffalo Bills
23 fans in this room, we established that
24 yesterday -- the only New York State team. And
25 Ezra Castro -- Pancho Billa -- he took it to
4234
1 another level of being a Bills fan. Down in
2 Texas, whether it was Dallas or Fort Worth,
3 700 people would gather because of him and his
4 leadership each and every Sunday.
5 Once he got diagnosed with Stage IV
6 cancer, he would take his Pancho Billa mask that
7 made him so famous to all of his chemotherapy
8 treatments, and he said that that mask gave him
9 strength. And he epitomized the heart and soul
10 of what it means to be a Buffalo Bills backer, a
11 Buffalo Bills fan. He was an individual of grit,
12 determination and heart, and he will certainly be
13 missed by the Buffalo Bills family, by our
14 community in Western New York, by our state, and
15 I would say by any lover of sports and any lover
16 of humanity.
17 He leaves behind two children. And
18 certainly, in his own words, as we walk into the
19 mini camp and soon to be the new season where the
20 Bills are going to go to the Super Bowl this
21 year -- because in Buffalo, hope springs
22 eternal -- we'll all be cheering on our Bills and
23 thinking of Pancho Billa and saying his famous
24 words: Viva Los Bills.
25 Thank you, Mr. President. I vote
4235
1 aye.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 resolution was previously adopted on May 21st.
4 Senator Serrano.
5 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you very
6 much, Mr. President.
7 At this time I ask that we take up
8 previously adopted Resolution 1151, by
9 Senator Parker. I ask that you read the title
10 only and call on Senator John Liu.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
12 Secretary will read.
13 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
14 1151, by Senator Parker, memorializing
15 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim May 2019 as
16 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in the
17 State of New York.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Liu on the resolution.
20 SENATOR LIU: Thank you,
21 Mr. President, for the opportunity to speak on
22 this important resolution.
23 I want to thank Senator Kevin Parker
24 for introducing this resolution.
25 The month of May has for decades now
4236
1 been proclaimed by the United States president to
2 be Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. This
3 is a month that is important to not only
4 recognize the contributions of Asian Pacific
5 Americans to this country and to the State of
6 New York, but it's also a month where we have
7 many numerous events not only celebrating Asian
8 Americans but also for people to understand what
9 our history has been.
10 And when I say history I don't mean
11 the history of China, history of Korea or
12 Philippines or Vietnam or whatever. I mean Asian
13 American history, which starts with the railroad
14 workers connecting the East and west coasts of
15 this great nation via the railroad, to a host of
16 other issues, both positive and not so positive,
17 that have endured through the history of this
18 country.
19 And without going into every
20 specific issue, let me just say that that's what
21 this month is about. It's an opportunity to
22 learn more about what Asian Pacific
23 Americans are, an identity that is distinct from
24 the various ethnic backgrounds that we may all
25 have.
4237
1 We certainly are Asian. We have
2 lots of guests here today who are with us in the
3 gallery; I know the president will recognize them
4 shortly. But they, like me, are Asians. We have
5 been Asians our entire lives and will remain as
6 such. And therefore, that's why they made the
7 trip up here to Albany, to help us celebrate
8 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.
9 We do have an event in the Well, and
10 I hope that you will join us. Of course there
11 will be good food. But Asians aren't just about
12 food. There are very important points in
13 American history that specifically have to deal
14 with Asian Pacific Americans.
15 And with that, thank you,
16 Mr. President, and I hope you will recognize our
17 guests.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Parker on the resolution.
20 SENATOR PARKER: Thank you very
21 much, Mr. President.
22 I rise to celebrate Asian Pacific
23 American Month. The month of May was
24 specifically chosen to commemorate the immigrants
25 of Japan who first came to the United States on
4238
1 May 7, 1847, and really to also mark the
2 anniversary of the completion of the
3 Transcontinental Railroad.
4 As you heard from Senator Liu,
5 North American history is replete and has been
6 shaped by immigration, but particularly those
7 from Asia. The Pacific and the native peoples of
8 the Pacific Islands also have made a significant
9 contribution to the history, the culture, and the
10 development of our great nation but also of our
11 great state.
12 With the current exclusionary
13 immigration policies -- not just what we're
14 seeing now, but even early America, early Asian
15 Americans, despite that, successfully built
16 ethnic enclaves throughout the United States.
17 There are currently over 20 million people of
18 Asian or Pacific Island descent who live in the
19 United States. And what started out as a
20 seven-day observance has turned -- you know,
21 first designated by Congress -- has turned and
22 evolved into a month-long celebration of the
23 pride, the remembrance of Asian Pacific American
24 communities in the United States, and their
25 involvement in our culture and their
4239
1 contributions to U.S. history.
2 There are, in -- you know, as you
3 may have heard, I represent the People's Republic
4 of Brooklyn, 318,000 people there, and there are
5 over 200,000 Asian and Pacific American
6 constituents living right in Brooklyn. We have
7 actually probably the largest population of Asian
8 and Pacific Islander folks living in Brooklyn
9 than anyplace else in the United States.
10 Twenty-four percent of the city's Asian
11 population lives in Brooklyn.
12 And folks come from countries like
13 Bangladesh, Cambodia, Timor, India, Indonesia,
14 China, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal,
15 North Korea, Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore,
16 South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and
17 Vietnam. Also not to forget the folks from
18 Hawaii, Guam, the French Polynesia and Cook
19 Islands, New Zealand, New Guinea, and the Solomon
20 Islands, all represented in our great state.
21 And so today we thank them and we
22 remember them, and we also remember those folks
23 who have traveled from those places to other
24 places. In my district I represent the largest
25 concentration of Caribbean immigrants outside of
4240
1 the Caribbean in the world. And so you find lots
2 of people who are of Asian descent and Pacific
3 Island descent who have gone to places like
4 Guyana and then have come to the U.S., have gone
5 to places like Trinidad, have gone to place like
6 Jamaica and then have emigrated. So even in the
7 context of the Caribbean community, we find a
8 great deal of those cultures and those
9 contributions.
10 And so, Mr. President, I thank you
11 to allow us to pause in our deliberations to
12 recognize this month and these folks and their
13 great contributions to our state and our nation.
14 Thank you.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
16 Serrano.
17 SENATOR SERRANO: Mr. President,
18 thank you for allowing me to interject.
19 I just wanted to mention that there
20 will be an immediate meeting of the Finance
21 Committee in Room 332. All members are invited
22 to attend as the committee considers nominations.
23 Let's now return back to the
24 resolution and Senator Stavisky.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: There
4241
1 will be an immediate meeting of the Finance
2 Committee in Room 332.
3 Senator Stavisky on the resolution.
4 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 And I welcome our friends on, in
7 many cases, your return to Albany.
8 As I've said many times, I represent
9 a community made up of many people from the Asian
10 Pacific Islander community. We celebrate your
11 accomplishments both from where you came but,
12 more importantly, your contributions here in the
13 United States.
14 And we can't emphasize enough how
15 important the relationship is. It was
16 mentioned -- the Continental Railroad, and the
17 fact that it's the 150th anniversary of the
18 connection between the East Coast and the
19 West Coast, was due largely to the immigrant
20 population from China who helped complete the
21 railroad.
22 But to me, it's more important than
23 just two railroads coming together, it's a
24 combination of cultures, of bonding of people
25 from other parts of the world. We have that
4242
1 particularly in Queens County, and we welcome the
2 connection, global connection, of the
3 transcontinental concept that we are one nation
4 with friends from all over the world.
5 So I thank you, Mr. President.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 resolution was previously adopted on April 30th.
8 So to our guests, I welcome you on
9 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you all the
10 privileges and courtesies of this house.
11 Please rise and be recognized.
12 (Standing ovation.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
14 Serrano.
15 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 At the request of the sponsors, all
18 of today's resolutions are open for
19 cosponsorship.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
22 you choose not to be a cosponsor of the
23 resolutions, please notify the desk.
24 Senator Serrano.
25 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
4243
1 Mr. President.
2 At this point we can stand at ease
3 while the Finance Committee meets.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
5 Senate will stand at ease.
6 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
7 at 12:32 p.m.)
8 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
9 12:33 p.m.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 Senate will return to order.
12 Senator Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
14 we can return to reports of standing committees.
15 I believe there's a report of the
16 Rules Committee at the desk.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
18 Returning to reports of standing committees,
19 there is a report of the Rules Committee at the
20 desk.
21 The Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Senator
23 Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules,
24 reports the following bills:
25 Senate Print 179, by
4244
1 Senator Serrano, an act to amend the
2 Education Law;
3 Senate Print 222B, by
4 Senator Benjamin, an act to amend the
5 Social Services Law;
6 Senate Print 1652A, by
7 Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Public
8 Health Law and the Penal Law;
9 Senate Print 1658A, by
10 Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the
11 Education Law;
12 Senate Print 1867, by
13 Senator Stavisky, an act to amend the
14 Education Law;
15 Senate Print 2248, by
16 Senator Sanders, an act to create a veterans'
17 mental health and suicide prevention task force;
18 Senate Print 2424, by
19 Senator Kaplan, an act to amend the Tax Law;
20 Senate Print 2659, by
21 Senator Savino, an act to amend the
22 Social Services Law;
23 Senate Print 2724, by
24 Senator Krueger, an act to amend the
25 Agriculture and Markets Law;
4245
1 Senate Print 2792A, by
2 Senator Comrie, an act to amend the Vehicle and
3 Traffic Law;
4 Senate Print 3059, by
5 Senator Addabbo, an act to amend the
6 Alcoholic Beverage Control Law;
7 Senate Print 3420, by
8 Senator Savino, an act to amend the
9 Social Services Law;
10 Senate Print 3655B, by
11 Senator Salazar, an act to amend the
12 Multiple Dwelling Law;
13 Senate Print 3669, by
14 Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Public
15 Authorities Law;
16 Senate Print 3672, by
17 Senator Bailey, an act to amend the County Law;
18 Senate Print 3804A, by Senator May,
19 an act to amend the State Finance Law and the
20 Tax Law;
21 Senate Print 4172, by
22 Senator Martinez, an act to amend the
23 Public Authorities Law;
24 Senate Print 4339, by
25 Senator Salazar, an act to amend the
4246
1 Social Services Law;
2 Senate Print 4363, by
3 Senator Gaughran, an act to amend the
4 Highway Law;
5 Senate Print 4490, by
6 Senator Gounardes, an act to amend the
7 Public Authorities Law;
8 Senate Print 4577, by
9 Senator Martinez, an act to amend the
10 Agriculture and Markets Law;
11 Senate Print 4583, by
12 Senator Sanders, an act to amend the
13 Public Health Law;
14 Senate Print 4650, by
15 Senator Sanders, an act to amend the
16 Mental Hygiene Law;
17 Senate Print 4802, by
18 Senator Martinez, an act to amend the
19 Agriculture and Markets Law;
20 Senate Print 5066A, by
21 Senator Krueger, an act to amend the
22 Education Law;
23 Senate Print 5286, by
24 Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the
25 Retirement and Social Security Law;
4247
1 Senate Print 5807, by
2 Senator Martinez, an act to amend the
3 Agriculture and Markets Law; and
4 Senate Print 6208, by
5 Senator Jackson, an act to amend the
6 Education Law.
7 All bills ordered direct to third
8 reading.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
10 the report of the Rules Committee.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: All in
12 favor of accepting the report of the
13 Rules Committee signify by saying aye.
14 (Response of "Aye.")
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
16 Opposed, nay.
17 (No response.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 Rules Committee report is accepted.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now take
21 up the reading of the calendar.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 Secretary will read.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 205, Senate Print 2859, by Senator Flanagan, an
4248
1 act in relation to authorizing the Town of
2 Smithtown, County of Suffolk.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: There
4 is a home-rule message at the desk.
5 Read the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. 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 Flanagan to explain his vote.
13 SENATOR FLANAGAN: Thank you,
14 Mr. President.
15 This is a local bill for the
16 communities that I represent. Seemingly
17 innocuous, it's actually incredibly important to
18 the communities in the Second Senate District.
19 It's a parkland alienation bill, but it's tied
20 directly to $40 million in money heretofore
21 appropriated for sewers -- boring, technical, but
22 exceedingly important.
23 This is a bill that we have passed
24 before, working on it now, fortunately are in the
25 throes of having very productive conversations
4249
1 with the Assembly. We have every expectation and
2 hope that they will see fit to pass this bill,
3 which should be passed.
4 I have an article right here from
5 Newsday talking about local businesses having
6 problems with the EPA because of cesspools. If
7 this bill gets passed -- and it's only about a
8 small piece of parkland, but it has big
9 ramifications and it will go a long way toward
10 making life better, the environment safer, our
11 water cleaner.
12 And I appreciate the support of my
13 colleagues in not only moving this out of the
14 respective committees but bringing it to the
15 floor today. I vote in the affirmative.
16 Thank you.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
18 Flanagan to be recorded in the affirmative.
19 Announce the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
22 bill is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 305, Senate Print 3337C, by Senator Gaughran, an
25 act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
4250
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:
9 Announce the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
12 bill is passed.
13 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
14 461, Senate Print 769A, by Senator Breslin, an
15 act to amend the Insurance Law.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
17 the last section.
18 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. 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, 57.
4251
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 bill is passed.
3 There is a substitution at the desk.
4 The Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: On page 32,
6 Senator Skoufis moves to discharge, from the
7 Committee on Consumer Protection, Assembly Bill
8 Number 4421B and substitute it for the identical
9 Senate Bill 1627B, Third Reading Calendar 545.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 substitution is so ordered.
12 The Secretary will read.
13 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
14 545, Assembly Print 4421B, by Assemblymember
15 Zebrowski, an act to amend the General Business
16 Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
18 the last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
20 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
21 shall have become a law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
23 the roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4252
1 Skoufis to explain his vote.
2 SENATOR SKOUFIS: Thank you very
3 much, Mr. President.
4 This bill is named after Harper
5 Fried, a three-year-old girl from the Hudson
6 Valley. In November of 2016, when playing in her
7 bedroom one morning, Harper tragically lost her
8 life after a piece of children's furniture
9 accidentally tipped over and fell on her.
10 Harper's parents' worst nightmare came true that
11 day.
12 Harper's family is here with us
13 today, and I'm honored to have them in our
14 chamber while we pass lifesaving legislation in
15 honor of their beloved daughter and family
16 member: Aaron and Erica Fried, her parents, and
17 Kaylee Fried, her sister.
18 Alison Garcia, a friend and board
19 member of Harper Smiles, a foundation that was
20 set up in Harper's honor, is also here.
21 Your advocacy for this bill and
22 education to other families on home safety has
23 gotten us to where we are today. You've gone
24 above and beyond, creating the foundation
25 Harper Smiles, dedicated to spreading awareness
4253
1 about child safety hazards. New York's children
2 will now be safer because of each of you and your
3 selfless work, despite experiencing the greatest
4 tragedy of all.
5 According to the U.S. Consumer
6 Product Safety Commission, there are an average
7 of 33,100 annual emergency room injuries treated
8 due to furniture tip overs, as well as one death
9 resulting from this type of accident every two
10 weeks. These tragedies often involve young
11 children, typically under the age of 6.
12 This bill will require retailers
13 that sell certain new furniture to only sell
14 furniture that complies with federal or industry
15 standards that require furniture to contain a tip
16 restraint device and permanent warning label. We
17 do this today in honor of Harper Fried.
18 Thank you, Mr. President. I vote in
19 the affirmative.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
21 Skoufis to be recorded in the affirmative.
22 Senator Carlucci to explain his
23 vote.
24 SENATOR CARLUCCI: Thank you,
25 Mr. President.
4254
1 I want to thank Senator Skoufis for
2 putting this legislation forward.
3 And most importantly, like Senator
4 Skoufis, I want to thank Erica and Aaron Fried
5 and their daughter Kaylee for their tireless work
6 and advocacy in putting this issue forward and
7 taking the darkest time in their life and turning
8 it around and making sure that Harper's memory
9 lives on and is a wake-up call to all of us.
10 I have two young boys, one's 3,
11 one's 5½, my older son just two months older than
12 Harper. And until this tragedy happened, as a
13 young parent I had no idea how serious this was.
14 As we heard from Senator Skoufis,
15 the Consumer Product Safety Commission tells us
16 over 30,000 emergency visits each year. Every
17 two weeks someone dies from something as
18 innocuous as this. And that's why this effort
19 has to be put forward.
20 Aaron and Erica put together
21 Harper Smiles, a nonprofit organization that
22 works tirelessly to advocate to make sure that
23 parents and guardians know the risks associated.
24 Aaron and Erica talk about how, as young parents,
25 you know, they did what they thought they needed
4255
1 to do. They had the safety covers over the
2 outlets, they had the baby gate -- the things
3 that we all think about. Never did they imagine
4 such a tragedy could happen.
5 And that's the wake-up call for all
6 of us. And I'm just grateful to them, to their
7 family, for pushing this issue forward. How hard
8 it must be to talk about this issue. But they
9 talk about their experience to make sure that
10 other families don't have to experience this
11 tragedy.
12 So I am grateful to you and grateful
13 to my colleagues for supporting this legislation.
14 This will do a lot of good and will keep our
15 children safe.
16 So Mr. President, I'll be voting in
17 the affirmative. Thank you.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Carlucci to be recorded in the affirmative.
20 Announce the results.
21 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
22 Calendar Number 545, those Senators voting in the
23 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci
24 and Jordan.
25 Ayes, 53. Nays, 4.
4256
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 bill is passed.
3 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4 561, Assembly Print Number 6869, substituted
5 earlier by Assemblymember Hunter, an act to amend
6 the Not-For-Profit Corporation Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
8 the last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
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: Ayes, 57.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
18 bill is passed.
19 Senator Gianaris.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
21 Senator Griffo for an announcement.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
23 Griffo.
24 SENATOR GRIFFO: Thank you,
25 Mr. President.
4257
1 We'd like to acknowledge that that
2 was Senator Bob Antonacci's first bill passed
3 here in the Senate.
4 Congratulations, Senator Antonacci.
5 (Standing ovation.)
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 564, Assembly Print 3629, substituted earlier by
8 Assemblymember Schimminger, an act to amend the
9 General Municipal 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: Senator
18 Antonacci to explain his vote.
19 SENATOR ANTONACCI: Yes, I'm a
20 little out of order. I just wanted to say thank
21 you to all my colleagues, Floor Leader Senator
22 Gianaris, Senator Griffo. It's been an
23 interesting four months.
24 The bill that I passed I'm very
25 proud of. It's actually from my hometown fire
4258
1 department in my hometown where I live. It's a
2 good bill that will encourage fire departments to
3 go and recruit.
4 So, Mr. President, thank you for the
5 indulgence.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
7 Antonacci to be recorded in the affirmative.
8 Senator Jordan to explain her vote.
9 SENATOR JORDAN: I'm going back to
10 1735, Senator Jacobs' bill.
11 This is the fourth such bill that
12 we're passing this year for individual school
13 districts. I'm aware that there are six
14 additional such bills in the Local Government
15 Committee for six more individual school
16 districts.
17 I believe that allowing school
18 districts to establish insurance reserve funds is
19 crucial in this day and age when health insurance
20 costs are so high and costing more each year.
21 For a school district to be able to
22 self-insure -- which, by the way, would save
23 taxpayers money -- an insurance reserve fund is
24 necessary.
25 I sponsor Senate Bill 2067B, which
4259
1 authorizes school districts to establish an
2 insurance reserve fund in an amount and manner to
3 be determined by a qualified and independent
4 actuary certified by the American Academy of
5 Actuaries to be reasonable and necessary.
6 This bill would end the piecemeal
7 legislation for each school district. It seems
8 rather silly that the Legislature even votes on
9 these, as we don't know the particular financials
10 of each school district that comes before us.
11 My bill would allow a district to
12 move ahead on its own with the financial
13 oversight of an actuary and someone who would
14 actually know the particular financials involved
15 and would be able to protect the taxpayers and
16 ultimately be able to save the districts money.
17 My bill sits stagnant in the Local
18 Government Committee, even though multiple
19 requests have been made to move it out. I would
20 hope that leadership would take a look at this
21 commonsense legislation and move it forward.
22 As this is so important to the
23 school district at hand, I will be voting yes on
24 this bill.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4260
1 Jordan to be recorded in the affirmative.
2 Announce the results.
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
5 bill is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 693, Senate Print 3539A, by Senator Rivera, an
8 act to amend the Education Law.
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, 57.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 694, Senate Print 3661, by Senator Gounardes, an
23 act to amend the Education Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
25 the last section.
4261
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. 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, 57.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 697, Senate Print 5162, by Senator Stavisky, an
13 act to amend the Education 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:
22 Announce the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
24 Calendar Number 697, voting in the negative:
25 Senator Ortt.
4262
1 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
3 bill is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 703, Senate Print 4903, by Senator Ranzenhofer,
6 an act to amend the Surrogate's Court Procedure
7 Act.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
9 the last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
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: Ayes, 57.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 bill is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 704, Senate Print 5512, by Senator Hoylman, an
22 act to amend the Surrogate's Court Procedure Act.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
24 the last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 7. This
4263
1 act shall take effect on the first of January.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
3 the roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
6 Announce the results.
7 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
9 bill is passed.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 735, Senate Print 5049, by Senator Comrie, an act
12 to amend the Public Authorities Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
14 the last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
16 act shall take effect immediately.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
18 the roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
21 Announce the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
24 bill is passed.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4264
1 792, Senate Print 4196, by Senator Jackson, an
2 act to amend the General Municipal Law and the
3 New York State Financial Emergency Act for the
4 City of New York.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
6 the last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. 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: In relation to
15 Calendar 792, those Senators voting in the
16 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci,
17 Flanagan, Helming, Jordan, O'Mara, Ortt, Robach
18 and Serino.
19 Ayes, 48. Nays, 9.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
21 bill is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 793, Senate Print 4197A, by Senator Jackson, an
24 act to amend the Local Finance Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
4265
1 the last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 10. 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: In relation to
10 Calendar 793, those Senators voting in the
11 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci,
12 Flanagan, Griffo, Helming, Jordan, Ortt, O'Mara
13 and Serino.
14 Ayes, 48. Nays, 9.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
16 bill is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 797, Senate Print 5233, by Senator Breslin, an
19 act in relation to permitting Mount Moriah
20 Baptist Church to file an application for a real
21 property tax exemption.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
23 the last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
4266
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
2 the roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
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: In relation to
10 Calendar 797, those Senators voting in the
11 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci and
12 O'Mara.
13 Ayes, 54. Nays, 3.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
15 bill is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 798, Senate Print 5234, by Senator Breslin, an
18 act in relation to permitting the Church of
19 Jesus Christ to file an application for a real
20 property tax exemption.
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
4267
1 the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
4 Announce the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
6 Calendar 798, those Senators voting in the
7 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci and
8 O'Mara.
9 Ayes, 54. Nays, 3.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
11 bill is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 800, Assembly Print 1112, substituted earlier by
14 Assemblymember Jaffee, an act in relation to
15 authorizing Hatzoloh EMS Inc. of Monsey to file
16 an application for a real property tax exemption.
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.
4268
1 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
2 Calendar Number 800, those Senators voting in the
3 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci and
4 O'Mara.
5 Ayes, 54. Nays, 3.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 801, Senate Print 5445, by Senator Skoufis, an
10 act to amend the General Municipal 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: Senator
19 Antonacci to explain his vote.
20 SENATOR ANTONACCI: Thank you,
21 Mr. President.
22 I will be voting in the affirmative,
23 and I think this is a very good bill when you
24 talk about accountability and transparency,
25 especially at the local level.
4269
1 As many of my colleagues may know, I
2 was a former county comptroller in the County of
3 Onondaga and had many high-profile disputes with
4 local government agencies that had control of
5 generally 501(c)(3)s or 501(c)(6) where
6 significant government business was being
7 conducted, so to speak, off-book. In addition to
8 saying that these organizations were not subject
9 to FOIL, they certainly refused repeatedly audits
10 of both my office and the State Comptroller.
11 I think this is a good step giving
12 the State Comptroller the ability to go in and
13 look at these organizations. I like the language
14 of the bill. There has to be some type of
15 government function. I think that we will see
16 significant audits and a lot more findings at
17 these local government entities. I appreciate
18 the sponsor bringing it forward.
19 Thank you.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
21 Antonacci to be recorded in the affirmative.
22 Announce the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 bill is passed.
4270
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 827, Senate Print 4035, by Senator Bailey, an act
3 to amend the Education Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
5 the last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 14. This
7 act shall take effect 18 months after it shall
8 have become a law.
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, 57.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
16 bill is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 828, Assembly Print Number 4064, substituted
19 earlier by Assemblymember Hyndman, an act to
20 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
4271
1 the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
4 Announce the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
7 bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 829, Senate Print 4695, by Senator Persaud, an
10 act to amend the Education Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
12 the last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 12. This
14 act shall take effect 18 months after it shall
15 have become a law.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
17 the roll.
18 (The Secretary called the roll.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
20 Announce the results.
21 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 bill is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 833, Senate Print 5692, by Senator Rivera, an act
4272
1 to amend the Education Law.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
3 the last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
6 shall have become a law.
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, 57.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
14 bill is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 840, Senate Print 5605, by Senator Rivera, an act
17 to amend the Public Health Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
19 the last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
21 act shall take effect on the first of January.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
23 the roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
4273
1 Announce the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4 bill is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 841, Senate Print 5779, by Senator Serrano, an
7 act to amend Chapter 192 of the Laws of 2011.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
9 the last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
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: Ayes, 57.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 bill is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 853, Senate Print 854, by Senator Montgomery, an
22 act to amend the Executive Law and the State
23 Finance Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
25 the last section.
4274
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, 57.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
10 bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 862, Senate Print 4208A, by Senator Metzger, an
13 act to amend the Executive 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:
22 Announce the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
25 bill is passed.
4275
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 879, by Senator Carlucci, Senate Print 5772, by
3 Senator Carlucci, an act to amend the Mental
4 Hygiene Law and the Executive Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
6 the last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
8 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
9 shall have become a law.
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, 57.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
17 bill is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 880, Senate Print 2590, by Senator
20 Stewart-Cousins, an act to amend the
21 Executive Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Read
23 the last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
4276
1 shall have become a law.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Call
3 the roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
6 Announce the results.
7 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
9 bill is passed.
10 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
11 reading of today's calendar.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
13 can we return to motions and resolutions.
14 On behalf of Senator Skoufis, on
15 page 47 I offer the following amendments to
16 Calendar 786, Senate Print 1662, and ask that
17 said bill retain its place on the Third Reading
18 Calendar.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
20 amendments are received, and the bill shall
21 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
22 Senator Gianaris.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
24 Senator Carlucci, on page 86 I offer the
25 following amendments to Calendar 878, Senate
4277
1 Print 5637, and ask that said bill retain its
2 place on Third Reading Calendar.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
4 amendments are received, and the bill shall
5 retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Can we now
7 proceed to the reading of the supplemental
8 calendar, please.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
10 Secretary will read.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 991, Senate Print 179, by Senator Serrano, an act
13 to amend the Education Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
24 Calendar 991, voting in the negative: Senator
25 Griffo.
4278
1 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 992, Senate Print 222B, by Senator Benjamin, an
6 act to amend the Social Services Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
10 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
11 shall have become a law.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
16 Benjamin to explain his vote.
17 SENATOR BENJAMIN: Thank you,
18 Madam President.
19 I want to thank our leader,
20 Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for helping to
21 bring this bill to the floor.
22 I also want to thank Senator
23 Velmanette Montgomery for bringing this to her
24 committee.
25 There are a couple of activists I
4279
1 want to thank who played an important role in
2 this bill coming to the floor today: New
3 Sanctuary Coalition and Executive Director Ravi
4 Ragbir; Interfaith Center of New York and
5 Executive Director Dr. Chloe Breyer; New York
6 State Council of Churches and Executive Director
7 Peter Cook; Union Seminary and Jonathan Soto;
8 Park Avenue Christian Church and Senior Minister
9 Pastor Kaji Dousa; Micah Institute and Dr. Diane
10 Steinman; Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness &
11 Housing, Executive Director Marc Greenberg; Meryl
12 Lynn Ranzer, from the New Sanctuary Coalition;
13 Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, who's carrying this
14 in the Assembly; Judson Memorial Church and
15 Senior Minister Donna Schaper; Rabbi Josh
16 Stanton, senior rabbi at East End Temple; and
17 Mary-Elizabeth Dooner, from the Junior League of
18 New York.
19 As you can see, there are a number
20 of activists who have been a part of helping
21 bring this bill to the floor.
22 You know, I got involved in this
23 conversation because last year it came to my
24 attention that a nine-month-old young boy was
25 sent from the border at Texas, forcibly separated
4280
1 from his parents, put on a bus and sent to my
2 district. Forcibly separated from his parents at
3 the age of nine months.
4 I have a five-month-old, many of us
5 have young children. There's nothing we wouldn't
6 do for our young children. Unfortunately for
7 these immigrants, they left terror in Honduras
8 and came to some form of terror here.
9 And, you know, today we are saying
10 in New York State we are going to hold any
11 administration accountable for kids who are
12 separated at the border, forcibly, and brought
13 here.
14 And so what this bill would do, the
15 SCAR Act, it will basically make sure that any
16 children who are in the custody of a facility
17 that's licensed by OCFS, that we can get some
18 basic information on how many children are here,
19 how many were forcibly separated from their
20 parents, how many were returned, and some other
21 basic information.
22 This is not to get into any
23 particulars, because we understand with federal
24 contracts you have to be very careful about
25 particulars as relates to names and addresses.
4281
1 This is not about that. This is really about
2 making sure that we can hold the federal
3 government accountable for decisions it's making
4 in other states.
5 Recently the former Secretary of DHS
6 was either fired or left, I don't know exactly
7 what happened, but she was considered to be weak
8 on immigration and weak on the border. That is
9 the reason why she was fired. This was the same
10 Secretary, Mrs. Nielsen, who oversaw and has
11 overseen this federal policy.
12 And so the bottom line is we need
13 this protection. I think this bill will do that.
14 I am honored to be carrying this bill. I'm
15 honored to be in New York State where we think
16 it's important to fight for those who cannot
17 fight for themselves. And I proudly vote aye.
18 Thank you, Madam President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
20 Benjamin to be recorded in the affirmative.
21 Senator Ortt to explain his vote.
22 SENATOR ORTT: Thank you,
23 Madam President.
24 I just rise to -- I too support this
25 bill, probably for some different reasons than my
4282
1 colleague. But I think it is important that we
2 are able to quantify children who are coming
3 across unaccompanied or children who are coming
4 to our country who end up in federal custody,
5 because I believe those numbers will be helpful
6 to bring some metrics to the crisis that is
7 happening at our southern border. And it is a
8 crisis.
9 And so for those reasons I think
10 data actually will be a good thing, and I think
11 it actually helps buttress the arguments by the
12 administration in Washington and by others who
13 live along our southern border to identify the
14 crisis that is happening on our southern
15 border when you have children coming across with
16 parents and in many cases coming across illegally
17 and ending up on our shores.
18 So for that reason, I support this
19 measure.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
21 Ortt to be recorded in the affirmative.
22 Announce the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
24 Calendar Number 992, those Senators voting in the
25 negative are Senators Akshar, Antonacci, Griffo
4283
1 and Jordan.
2 Ayes, 53. Nays, 4.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 993, Senate Print 1652A, by Senator Skoufis, an
7 act to amend the Public Health Law and the
8 Penal Law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
10 last section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
14 roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
17 the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
20 is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 994, Senate Print 1658A, by Senator Skoufis, an
23 act to amend the Education Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
25 last section.
4284
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
3 shall have become a law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
8 the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
10 Calendar Number 994, those Senators voting in the
11 negative are Senators Flanagan and Jacobs.
12 Ayes, 55. Nays, 2.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
14 is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 995, Senate Print 1867, by Senator Stavisky, an
17 act to amend the Education Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
19 last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
21 act shall take effect on the first of September.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
4285
1 the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
3 Calendar Number 995, voting in the negative:
4 Senator Ortt.
5 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 996, Senate Print 2248, by Senator Sanders, an
10 act to create a veterans' mental health and
11 suicide prevention task force.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
13 last section.
14 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
15 act shall take effect on the 60th day after it
16 shall have become a law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
21 the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
24 is passed.
25 There is a substitution at the desk.
4286
1 The Secretary will read.
2 THE SECRETARY: Senator Kaplan
3 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
4 Assembly Bill Number 2493 and substitute it for
5 the identical Senate Bill 2424, Third Reading
6 Calendar 997.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
8 substitution is so ordered.
9 The Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 997, Assembly Print 2493, by Assemblymember
12 Lavine, an act to amend the Tax Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
16 act shall take effect immediately.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
21 the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
24 is passed.
25 There is a substitution at the desk.
4287
1 The Secretary will read.
2 THE SECRETARY: Senator Savino
3 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
4 Finance, Assembly Bill Number 4268 and substitute
5 it for the identical Senate Bill 2659, Third
6 Reading Calendar 998.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
8 substitution is so ordered.
9 The Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 998, Assembly Print Number 4268, by
12 Assemblymember Hevesi, an act to amend the
13 Social Services Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
18 shall have become a law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
23 Ortt to explain his vote.
24 SENATOR ORTT: Yes, thank you,
25 Madam President.
4288
1 I'm going to be voting no on this
2 bill. And I know some people would look at this
3 and think, what's wrong with this?
4 The challenge right now we have in
5 our direct service professional community is one
6 of retention. You already have folks who are
7 significantly underpaid in most areas, and my
8 concern is adding an additional training
9 requirement that's fairly significant is going to
10 further hurt retention.
11 However noble the goal may be, I
12 believe the effect will be less people wanting to
13 do these jobs, making it more difficult for
14 service providers to employ qualified individuals
15 and thus making it sort of moot, because you'll
16 have less people, fewer people who are able to
17 provides these services to our most vulnerable
18 populations in this state.
19 So at this current time, with all of
20 the significant challenges facing providers and
21 the DSP community, that is the reason,
22 Madam President, I will be voting nay.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
24 Ortt to be recorded in the negative.
25 Announce the results.
4289
1 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
2 Calendar Number 998, those Senators voting in the
3 negative are Senators Jacobs, O'Mara and Ortt.
4 Ayes, 54. Nays, 3.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 999, Senate Print 2724, by Senator Krueger, an
9 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
11 the day.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
13 is laid aside for the day.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 1000, Senate Print 2792A, by Senator Comrie, an
16 act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
18 last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
20 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
21 shall have become a law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
4290
1 the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
3 Calendar 1000, voting in the negative: Senator
4 Akshar.
5 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 1001, Senate Print 3059, by Senator Addabbo, an
10 act to amend the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.
11 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
12 the day, please.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
14 is laid aside for the day.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 1002, Senate Print 3420, by Senator Savino, an
17 act to amend the Social Services Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
19 last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
21 act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
4291
1 the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
4 is passed.
5 There is a substitution at the desk.
6 The Secretary will read.
7 THE SECRETARY: Senator Salazar
8 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
9 Housing, Construction and Community Development,
10 Assembly Bill Number 5841A and substitute it for
11 the identical Senate Bill 3655B, Third Reading
12 Calendar 1003.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:
14 Substitution so ordered.
15 The Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 1003, Assembly Print 5841A, by Assemblymember
18 Glick, an act to amend the Multiple Dwelling Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
24 roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4292
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
2 Gianaris to explain his vote.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
4 Madam President.
5 The sponsor of this bill -- oh, has
6 just arrived. I was going to speak on her behalf
7 on this important piece of legislation that is
8 going to provide protections for numerous people
9 who are facing evictions as we speak. It is a
10 critically important step we're taking to help
11 preserve people's homes.
12 And seeing that Senator Salazar is
13 now here, I will vote in the affirmative and
14 allow her to speak further on the bill.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
16 Gianaris to be recorded in the affirmative.
17 Senator Salazar to explain her vote.
18 SENATOR SALAZAR: Thank you,
19 Madam President.
20 I first just want to thank Senator
21 Kavanagh, who couldn't be here today because he's
22 attending a funeral of a dear friend back in the
23 city. Senator Kavanagh and Senate counsel
24 dedicated exceptional time and effort to this
25 legislation with me over the last several months.
4293
1 I also want to thank the many
2 community members in North Brooklyn who
3 deliberated over the Loft Law issue extensively,
4 including the many loft tenants who have spent
5 years fighting to stay in their homes and to
6 secure rights for other tenants as well.
7 Together we've sought to finally
8 address a problem that has seemed intractable at
9 times, in an effort to protect tenants while also
10 preserving our communities.
11 The work is still incomplete, but
12 I'm looking forward to continuing to fight
13 alongside our community and with these tenants.
14 And I proudly vote aye.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
16 Salazar to be recorded in the affirmative.
17 Announce the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
19 Calendar 1003, those Senators voting in the
20 negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore, Antonacci,
21 Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Jacobs,
22 Jordan, O'Mara, Ortt, Ranzenhofer, Robach and
23 Serino. Also Senator Tedisco.
24 Ayes, 42. Nays, 15.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
4294
1 is passed.
2 (Applause, cheering from the
3 gallery.)
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 1004, Senate Print 3669, by Senator Gianaris, an
6 act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
15 the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar Number 1004, those Senators voting in
18 the negative are Senators Akshar, Amedore,
19 Antonacci, Flanagan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming,
20 Jacobs, Jordan, Ortt, O'Mara, Ranzenhofer,
21 Robach, Serino and Tedisco.
22 Ayes, 42. Nays, 15.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
24 is passed.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4295
1 1007, Senate Print 4172, by Senator Martinez, an
2 act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
4 the day.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
6 is laid aside for the day.
7 There is a substitution at the desk.
8 The Secretary will read.
9 THE SECRETARY: Senator Salazar
10 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
11 Social Services, Assembly Bill Number 4258 and
12 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 4339,
13 Third Reading Calendar 1008.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
15 substitution is so ordered.
16 The Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 1008, Assembly Print 4258, by Assemblymember
19 Hevesi, an act to amend the Social Services Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
25 roll.
4296
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar 1008, voting in the negative: Senator
6 Akshar.
7 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
9 is passed.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 1009, Senate Print 4363, by Senator Gaughran, an
12 act to amend the Highway Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is a
14 home-rule message at the desk.
15 Read the last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
25 is passed.
4297
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 1010, Senate Print 4490, by Senator Gounardes, an
3 act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
8 shall have become a law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
13 Antonacci to explain his vote.
14 SENATOR ANTONACCI: Thank you,
15 Madam President.
16 I vote yes not because I live in
17 Brooklyn or take the bridge, but because I have a
18 similar situation in my district. Between Exit
19 34A and Exit 39 in Syracuse, it's heavily
20 commuted by local residents that need toll
21 relief.
22 Unfortunately, a couple of years ago
23 when this body passed a bill similar to this, the
24 Governor vetoed it. I would urge my colleagues
25 to stay vigilant on this issue, make sure it's in
4298
1 the budget, make sure we allocate the funds
2 necessary for local toll relief across the
3 state -- not just in New York City, not just in
4 Syracuse or Buffalo -- because our local people
5 need to use these roads without the burdensome
6 tolls.
7 So I will be voting yes. Thank you,
8 Madam President.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
10 Antonacci to be recorded in the affirmative.
11 Senator Gounardes to explain his
12 vote.
13 SENATOR GOUNARDES: Thank you.
14 This is my bill, and I am incredibly proud that
15 it's coming up to the floor today for a vote.
16 You know, the Verrazano Bridge is
17 the most expensive toll bridge in the country.
18 We just raised the toll to $19, cash toll.
19 My district abuts the Verrazano
20 Bridge, and many, many, many of my constituents
21 who don't work in Manhattan and don't work in
22 other parts of the city, who don't go to school
23 in Manhattan or other parts of the city or the
24 borough, they have to travel that bridge every
25 single day to go to school, to go to work, to go
4299
1 visit family members. And every time they cross,
2 they get hit with a $19 cash toll every single
3 time they go across. Or if they have E-ZPass,
4 they get a slight discount.
5 We have a discount program for
6 residents on Staten Island who have to leave the
7 island to come to Brooklyn or other parts of the
8 city, but we don't have any reciprocity going the
9 other way. That's why this bill is so important
10 to the residents of my district and the residents
11 of all of New York City, frankly, who are subject
12 to that really outrageously, criminally high
13 toll.
14 Thank you, Senator Antonacci. I
15 agree with you, we need to keep focused on this.
16 We need to find toll relief. We need to make
17 sure that we find the funds that we can make sure
18 that we give our residents, our constituents toll
19 relief. Nineteen dollars is highway robbery, and
20 it's time that we fixed that.
21 Thank you.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
23 Gounardes to be recorded in the affirmative.
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
4300
1 Calendar Number 1010, those Senators voting in
2 the negative are Senators Griffo and Ortt.
3 Ayes, 55. Nays, 2.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
5 is passed.
6 There is a substitution at the desk.
7 The Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Senator Sanders
9 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Health,
10 Assembly Bill Number 407 and substitute it for
11 the identical Senate Bill 4583, Third Reading
12 Calendar 1012.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
14 substitution is so ordered.
15 The Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 1012, Assembly Print Number 407, by
18 Assemblymember Cahill, an act to amend the
19 Public Health Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
24 shall have become a law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
4301
1 roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
4 the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
7 is passed.
8 There is a substitution at the desk.
9 The Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Senator Sanders
11 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
12 Finance, Assembly Bill Number 1068 and substitute
13 it for the identical Senate Bill 4650,
14 Third Reading Calendar 1013.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
16 substitution is so ordered.
17 The Secretary will read.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 1013, Assembly Print Number 1068, by
20 Assemblymember Rosenthal, an act to amend the
21 Mental Hygiene Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
23 last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
4302
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
5 the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
8 is passed.
9 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
10 1015, Senate Print 5066A, by Senator Krueger, an
11 act to amend the Education Law.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
13 last section.
14 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
15 act shall take effect immediately.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
17 roll.
18 (The Secretary called the roll.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
20 the results.
21 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
23 is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 1016, Senate Print 5286, by Senator Skoufis, an
4303
1 act to amend the Retirement and Social Security
2 Law.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
4 last section.
5 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
6 act shall take effect on January 1, 2020.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
8 roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
11 the results.
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 57.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
14 is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 1018, Senate Print 6208, by Senator Jackson, an
17 act to amend the Education Law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
19 last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
21 act shall take effect immediately.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
4304
1 Jackson to explain his vote.
2 SENATOR JACKSON: Thank you,
3 Madam President and my colleagues. I rise in
4 order to explain my vote for this bill.
5 For 30 years, starting in 1979,
6 employee protection provisions, commonly referred
7 to as EPPs, were a standard provision of New York
8 City Department of Education school bus
9 contracts. These EPPs gave priority to hiring
10 school bus drivers and bus attendants whose bus
11 companies had lost DOE contract work, and
12 mandated rehiring them at the same wage and
13 benefits they had enjoyed previously.
14 In 2011 a court ruling invalidated
15 EPPs. In response, school bus workers held a
16 strike in early 2013, and further labor unrest
17 rocked New York's school bus service in 2017.
18 This bill will put to rest a dispute
19 over EPPs by enshrining them into law. The New
20 York City Department of Education will be
21 required to include EPPs in all contracts with
22 school bus workers.
23 These hardworking men and women are
24 often the first people outside their home to
25 greet our school-age children. They are the ones
4305
1 who make sure our kids make it back home safely
2 at the end of the school day. They deserve the
3 dignity that EPPs afford.
4 Our mayor, Mayor de Blasio, supports
5 this measure. Chancellor Carranza supports it.
6 And I am proud to support it before you today.
7 We have the opportunity this afternoon to protect
8 an experienced and vital workforce of bus drivers
9 and bus attendants, and I hope you will do the
10 same by joining me by voting aye.
11 Thank you, Madam President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
13 Senator Jackson to be recorded in
14 the affirmative.
15 Announce the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar Number 1018, voting in the negative:
18 Senator Jacobs.
19 Ayes, 56. Nays, 1.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
21 is passed.
22 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
23 reading of today's calendar.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
25 can you please call an immediate meeting of the
4306
1 Committee on Labor in Room 124.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There will
3 be an immediate meeting of the Labor Committee in
4 Room 124.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: And can you now
6 recognize Senator Jordan for an introduction.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
8 Jordan for an introduction.
9 SENATOR JORDAN: Yes, hi. Thank
10 you, Madam President.
11 I'm very happy to introduce a
12 special group of school students that are here
13 today visiting. They're the fourth grade from
14 the Walter B. Howard Elementary School in the
15 New Lebanon School District.
16 They are fortunate to live close to
17 Albany, as are most of the students in my 43rd
18 Senate District, that they are able to come and
19 visit the Capitol and see the Senate and the
20 Assembly and ask questions of their legislators.
21 I get several schools every week
22 coming to visit, and they ask good questions.
23 And I'm anxious to talk to these students after
24 we get out of here today. They are very
25 inquisitive, and most of them are interested in
4307
1 serving their government someday.
2 So welcome.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
4 To our students up there in the
5 gallery, welcome to the Senate. Thank you for
6 waving at us. We extend to you the privileges
7 and courtesies of this house. Please rise and be
8 recognized.
9 (Standing ovation.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
11 Gianaris.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
13 returning to motions, on behalf of Senator
14 Krueger, on page 1 I offer the following
15 amendments to Calendar 999, Senate Print 2724,
16 and ask that said bill retain its place on
17 Third Reading Calendar.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
19 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
20 its place on Third Reading Calendar.
21 SENATOR GIANARIS: Also on behalf
22 of Senator Krueger, on page 21 I offer the
23 following amendments to Calendar 219, Senate
24 Print 2455, and ask that said bill retain its
25 place on Third Reading Calendar.
4308
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
2 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
3 its place on Third Reading Calendar.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time,
5 Madam President, the Senate is going to stand at
6 ease pending the return of the Finance Committee,
7 at which time we will take up the nominations
8 that they will be moving to the floor.
9 So to my colleagues, please stay and
10 in and around the chamber.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
12 will stand at ease pending the return of the
13 Finance Committee.
14 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
15 at 1:25 p.m.)
16 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
17 2:05 p.m.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
19 Senate will return to order.
20 Senator Serrano.
21 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 Would you please call on
24 Senator Montgomery for an introduction.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4309
1 Montgomery for an introduction.
2 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: Thank you,
3 Mr. President.
4 I am very, very proud today to have
5 a group of young women who are visiting their
6 Capitol to see what happens in the City of
7 Albany, which is the capital of New York State.
8 These young women are from the --
9 what I consider the Women's Building in Brooklyn.
10 It's the YWCA of Brooklyn. So we are joined by
11 those young women who come in and out of that
12 building every day, as many of us who are now in
13 various places in government grew up, sort of, in
14 that building politically. So this is the next
15 generation of women who are going to be the
16 ones -- the leadership group in our state.
17 We're joined by the executive
18 director of the Women's Building, the YWCA of
19 Brooklyn. Martha Kamber, who is the CEO, is here
20 today with us.
21 And we're also happily joined by
22 Yvette Buckner, who is one of the state board
23 members of the YWCA. Thank you, Ms. Buckner, for
24 being with us today.
25 And someone who is just certainly a
4310
1 busy, busy, unbelievably great person who works
2 with these young women, who has brought them here
3 today -- Rolanda Telesford is also with us today.
4 So we thank you. We thank you, the
5 leaders who have made it possible for us to enjoy
6 seeing these young women and hosting them today,
7 and certainly those young people who are in the
8 balcony now. We expect that one day you will be
9 sitting down here on the floor in one of these
10 chairs with your name on the back and the number
11 of your district in front of your desk. That's
12 what happens here.
13 And as you can see, some of the
14 young men here and women here came through the
15 process that you're engaged in now. So we thank
16 you for taking the time to come. We know it's
17 very difficult for young people to take time out
18 of their lives to come and see older people talk.
19 (Laughter.)
20 SENATOR MONTGOMERY: But just so
21 that you know, so that you know, it is important.
22 Because what goes on here impacts each of your
23 lives. And we are here every day to hopefully be
24 part of building a world that you will be able to
25 take over and continue the work that we have
4311
1 begun here.
2 So thank you, Mr. President. And I
3 would ask my colleagues to join me in really
4 celebrating these young women, if you don't mind.
5 Thank you.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: To our
7 guests from the YWCA of Brooklyn, I welcome you
8 on behalf of the Senate. Please rise and be
9 recognized.
10 (Standing ovation.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
12 Serrano.
13 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
14 Mr. President. Can we stand at ease.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
16 Senate will stand at ease.
17 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you.
18 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
19 at 2:09 p.m.)
20 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
21 4:45 p.m.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 Senate will return to order.
24 Senator Krueger.
25 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank you.
4312
1 Please return to reports of standing
2 committees, as I believe there is a report of the
3 Finance Committee at the desk.
4 We are going take up five of the
5 nominations from that report, so please have the
6 Secretary read these five nominations and
7 recognize me on the nominations.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: We will
9 return to reports of standing committees.
10 There is a report of the Finance
11 Committee at the desk.
12 The Secretary will read.
13 THE SECRETARY: Senator Krueger,
14 from the Committee on Finance, reports the
15 following nomination: Guillermo Linares,
16 president and CEO of Higher Education Services
17 Corporation.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
19 Krueger.
20 SENATOR KRUEGER: Why don't we do
21 all five together.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
23 Secretary will read.
24 THE SECRETARY: Angela Fernandez,
25 commissioner of the Division of Human Rights;
4313
1 Allen Riley, member, State Commission of
2 Correction; Erik Kulleseid, commissioner of
3 State Parks, Recreation and Historic
4 Preservation; Carolyn Pokorny, inspector general,
5 Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
7 Krueger.
8 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank you very
9 much.
10 I'd like to just say, on behalf of
11 the Finance Committee and myself, that we are
12 honored to be taking up these five nominees
13 today. They're all extraordinary candidates for
14 the positions that the Governor has offered them.
15 And that the committees of the topic
16 and the Finance Committee interviewed -- Senator
17 Seward and I each interviewed each individually,
18 and each one of the five people before us today
19 are really extraordinary candidates for the
20 positions they're going to serve in.
21 So I know that many people are at
22 hearings or other places. I would like you to
23 open it up to anyone who would like to speak on
24 any of the nominees. But I will just urge that
25 we move them all through today.
4314
1 Thank you.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
3 Rivera.
4 SENATOR RIVERA: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 Although I am certainly happy that
7 we are having this conversation in the middle of
8 the day and not at 2:00 a.m., it would be better
9 if we had them in a more timely fashion.
10 But regardless, Senator Krueger was
11 absolutely correct, this is an incredible group
12 of people. There are two folks in particular
13 that I'd like to point out. I will be voting up
14 on all these nominations, but two in
15 particular -- Dr. Guillermo Linares, first of
16 all.
17 He was, as many of you know, the
18 first Dominican to be elected to any elected
19 office in the entire country. And he has
20 continued to make the Dominican community proud,
21 the Latino community proud, and New Yorkers
22 proud. And he will certainly continue to make us
23 proud in this position.
24 And second, although I do not see
25 her up there -- oh, she's over there. I'm sorry.
4315
1 Now, it's Dr. Guillermo Linares and Angela
2 Fernandez, Esquire, who is nominated today to be
3 the commissioner for the Division of Human
4 Rights.
5 I have known this lady for over a
6 decade. Her work in the field of law, in the
7 field of advocacy, in the field of education, in
8 the field of immigration rights is second to
9 none. I think that she is a fantastic person to
10 lead this agency.
11 And particularly the fact that she
12 is a woman of color doing so, leading one of the
13 most important agencies in the State of New York,
14 particularly at the time that we are living in
15 right now, it is incredibly -- I'm incredibly
16 proud to be able to know both of these
17 individuals. I'm incredibly proud to have them
18 lead these important agencies in our state. And
19 I proudly vote yes in the affirmative on both of
20 these nominations.
21 Congratulations to everyone, but
22 especially felicitaciones.
23 Thank you, Mr. President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
25 Stavisky on the nomination.
4316
1 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
2 Mr. President.
3 I too want to congratulate the
4 nominees. We do have an unusually qualified and
5 competent group of people ready to lead the
6 various agencies in our state.
7 But I want to single out
8 Dr. Guillermo Linares, as Senator Rivera said.
9 He brings an unusual combination of talents to
10 the position as president and CEO of the Higher
11 Education Services Corporation.
12 Believe it or not, at one time while
13 he was going to school he drove a taxi, which to
14 me qualifies you for almost anything. But he is
15 an educator and an elected official, so he
16 understands both the academic and the practical.
17 And I think the Higher Education
18 Services Corporation has -- although they've been
19 so ably led by Elsa Magee for so many years, they
20 have lacked a chief executive. And I think
21 Dr. Linares is going to take HESC into a new
22 direction, particularly with the new scholarships
23 that have been presented -- the Excelsior, for
24 example -- as well as TAP, but I think a new
25 direction, with creativity and imagination and
4317
1 sensitivity to the needs of our student
2 population.
3 So I congratulate the entire Linares
4 family, who is here, and wish all of the nominees
5 well.
6 Thank you, Mr. President.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
8 May on the nominations.
9 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
10 Mr. President.
11 I just want to congratulate Allen
12 Riley on his nomination for another term as
13 commissioner. He served as sheriff of
14 Madison County and was beloved as the sheriff
15 there. He did a fantastic job. His tenure there
16 didn't overlap with mine as the Senator from
17 Madison County, but I've heard only wonderful
18 things about him.
19 And so I'm very pleased that someone
20 from our neck of the woods is being put in this
21 position. So thank you to the Finance Committee
22 for passing him through, and I wish him the very
23 best.
24 Thank you.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4318
1 Metzger on the nominations.
2 SENATOR METZGER: Yes, I want to
3 congratulate all of our nominees.
4 And I would like to single Erik
5 Kulleseid, who I have known for some time. He
6 has been such a champion of the protection of
7 open space in New York State for so long, has
8 done great work, and really recognizes the
9 incredible importance of our parks system to
10 New York's economy, to the quality of life of
11 New Yorkers, to our health and well-being, to our
12 environment.
13 And I so look forward to working
14 with him in the coming years. Thank you.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
16 Bailey on the nominations.
17 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 As the hour is somewhat late, I just
20 wanted to thank Senator Krueger and the Finance
21 Committee and Senator Seward also for going
22 through the nominees with the appropriate depth
23 with which we must consider the nominees of this
24 gravity.
25 I'd like to thank the Governor for
4319
1 introducing qualified nominees who are
2 reflecting what New York looks like more and more
3 in diversity, in race, creed, color and gender,
4 and also in ability.
5 So thank you all for being great
6 stewards in public service, and I look forward to
7 working with all of you.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
9 Biaggi on the nominations.
10 SENATOR BIAGGI: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 I too rise to congratulate all of
13 our nominees today. And I want to also single
14 out Angela Fernandez, who sat through many of our
15 questions. There were a lot of them. You
16 listened to us, and you answered them in a way
17 that I really feel excited about, actually.
18 So I look forward to working with
19 all of you, especially to Angela, because as we
20 all know, the Division of Human Rights is the
21 agency that will administer the policies and
22 procedures and statutes that are on the subject
23 matter of sexual harassment in the workplace.
24 So thank you all. Congratulations.
25 We all look forward to working with you.
4320
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: The
2 question is on the nominations of Guillermo
3 Linares, as president and CEO of the Higher
4 Education Services Corporation; Angela Fernandez,
5 as commissioner of the Division of Human Rights;
6 Allen Riley, as member of the State Commission of
7 Correction; Erik Kulleseid, as commissioner of
8 State Parks, Recreation and Historic
9 Preservation; Carolyn Pokorny, as inspector
10 general of the Metropolitan Transportation
11 Authority.
12 All in favor say aye.
13 (Response of "Aye.")
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
15 Opposed?
16 (No response.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN:
18 Guillermo Linares, as president and CEO of the
19 Higher Education Services Corporation; Angela
20 Fernandez, as commissioner of the Division of
21 Human Rights; Allen Riley, as a member of the
22 State Commission of Correction; Erik Kulleseid,
23 as commissioner of State Parks, Recreation and
24 Historic Preservation; and Carolyn Pokorny, as
25 inspector general of the Metropolitan
4321
1 Transportation Authority, have been confirmed.
2 (Standing ovation.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: Senator
4 Krueger.
5 SENATOR KRUEGER: Is there any
6 further business at the desk?
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: There
8 is no further business at the desk.
9 SENATOR KRUEGER: I move to adjourn
10 until Monday, June 3rd, at 3:00 p.m., intervening
11 days being legislative days.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BENJAMIN: On
13 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Monday,
14 June 3rd, at 3:00 p.m., intervening days being
15 legislative days.
16 (Whereupon, at 4:55 p.m., the Senate
17 adjourned.)
18
19
20
21
22
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25