Regular Session - January 31, 2022

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 1                NEW YORK STATE SENATE

 2                          

 3                          

 4               THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD

 5                          

 6                          

 7                          

 8                          

 9                  ALBANY, NEW YORK

10                  January 31, 2022

11                      3:06 p.m.

12                          

13                          

14                   REGULAR SESSION

15  

16  

17  

18  SENATOR ROXANNE J. PERSAUD, Acting President

19  ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary

20  

21  

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25  


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 1                P R O C E E D I N G S

 2                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   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 PERSAUD:   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 PERSAUD:   The 

14    reading of the Journal.

15                 THE SECRETARY:   In Senate, Sunday, 

16    January 30, 2022, the Senate met pursuant to 

17    adjournment.  The Journal of Saturday, 

18    January 29, was read and approved.  On motion, 

19    Senate adjourned.

20                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   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:   Senator Gaughran 


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 1    moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules, 

 2    Assembly Bill Number 8779 and substitute it for 

 3    the identical Senate Bill 7778, Third Reading 

 4    Calendar 149.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   So 

 6    ordered.

 7                 Messages from the Governor.

 8                 Reports of standing committees.

 9                 Reports of select committees.

10                 Communications and reports from 

11    state officers.

12                 Motions and resolutions.

13                 Senator Gianaris.

14                 SENATOR GIANARIS:   Madam President, 

15    amendments are offered to the following 

16    Third Reading Calendar bills, both by 

17    Senator Rivera:  Page 11, Calendar Number 113, 

18    Senate Print 1578A; and page 23, Calendar Number 

19    275, Senate Print 5024C.

20                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The 

21    amendments are received, and the bills will 

22    retain their place on the Third Reading Calendar.

23                 SENATOR GIANARIS:   Let's take up 

24    the reading of the calendar now, please.

25                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The 


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 1    Secretary will read.

 2                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 31, 

 3    Senate Print 7703, by Senator Bailey, an act to 

 4    amend the Correction Law and the Mental Hygiene 

 5    Law.

 6                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

 7    last section.

 8                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 6.  This 

 9    act shall take effect immediately.

10                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

11    roll.

12                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

13                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

14    the results.

15                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

16    Calendar 31, those Senators voting in the 

17    negative are Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, 

18    Helming, Jordan, Lanza, Martucci, Mattera, 

19    Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rath, Ritchie, Serino,  

20    Stec and Tedisco.

21                 Ayes, 47.  Nays, 16.

22                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

23    is passed.

24                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 62, 

25    Senate Print 7734, by Senator Skoufis, an act to 


                                                               457

 1    amend the Public Officers Law and the 

 2    Civil Rights Law.

 3                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

 4    last section.

 5                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 4.  This 

 6    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

 7    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

 8                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

 9    roll.

10                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

11                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

12    the results.

13                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

14    Calendar Number 62, those Senators voting in the 

15    negative are Senators Akshar, Borrello, Griffo, 

16    Helming, Lanza, Oberacker, O'Mara, Rath, Tedisco 

17    and Weik.

18                 Ayes, 53.  Nays, 10.

19                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

20    is passed.

21                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

22    149, Assembly Print Number 8779, by 

23    Assemblymember Thiele, an act to amend the 

24    Public Authorities Law.

25                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 


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 1    last section.

 2                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

 3    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

 4    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

 6    roll.

 7                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 8                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

 9    the results.

10                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

11    Calendar Number 149, those Senators voting in the 

12    negative are Senators Griffo, Helming, Jordan and 

13    Oberacker.

14                 Ayes, 59.  Nays, 4.

15                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

16    is passed.

17                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

18    164, Senate Print 7798, by Senator Hinchey, an 

19    act to amend the Public Health Law.

20                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

21    last section.

22                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 5.  This 

23    act shall take effect immediately.

24                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

25    roll.


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 1                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 2                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

 3    the results.

 4                 THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 63.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

 6    is passed.

 7                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 8    167, Senate Print 7801, by Senator Jackson, an 

 9    act to amend the Real Property Law.

10                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

11    last section.

12                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

13    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

14    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

15                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

16    roll.

17                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

18                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

19    the results.

20                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

21    Calendar Number 167, those Senators voting in the 

22    negative are Senators Akshar, Borrello, Boyle, 

23    Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Jordan, Lanza, 

24    Martucci, Mattera, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, 

25    Palumbo, Rath, Ritchie, Serino, Stec, Tedisco and 


                                                               460

 1    Weik.

 2                 Ayes, 43.  Nays, 20.

 3                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

 4    is passed.

 5                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 6    169, Senate Print 7803, by Senator Skoufis, an 

 7    act to amend the Public Officers Law.

 8                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

 9    last section.

10                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

11    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

12    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

13                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

14    roll.

15                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

16                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

17    the results.

18                 THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 63.

19                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

20    is passed.

21                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

22    174, Senate Print 7808, by Senator Hoylman, an 

23    act to amend the Civil Rights Law.

24                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

25    last section.


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 1                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 5.  This 

 2    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

 3    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

 4                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

 5    roll.

 6                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 7                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

 8    the results.

 9                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

10    Calendar Number 174, those Senators voting in the 

11    negative are Senators Akshar, Borrello, Boyle, 

12    Felder, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Jordan, Lanza, 

13    Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rath, Ritchie, Serino, 

14    Stec, Tedisco and Weik.

15                 Ayes, 45.  Nays, 18.

16                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

17    is passed.

18                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

19    178, Senate Print 7814, by Senator Hinchey, an 

20    act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.

21                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

22    last section.

23                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

24    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

25    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.


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 1                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

 2    roll.

 3                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 4                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Senator 

 5    Borrello to explain his vote.

 6                 SENATOR BORRELLO:   Thank you very 

 7    much, Madam President.  

 8                 First of all I'd like to thank the 

 9    sponsor, Senator Hinchey, for this bill.  I think 

10    the idea of having a database, a searchable 

11    database for farms and farm products is a noble 

12    effort.

13                 Unfortunately, after recent events 

14    there's going to be a lot less information in 

15    that database because of a devastating blow that 

16    was paid to our farmers by the unelected Wage 

17    Board, the Farm Labor Wage Board.  

18                 These three unelected people had 

19    determined that they're going to do something 

20    that no other state around us has done, and that 

21    is to lower the threshold on overtime from 

22    60 hours eventually down to 40 hours.  

23                 Not only is this a problem for 

24    farmers, it's actually a problem for farmworkers, 

25    the people that they are supposedly trying to 


                                                               463

 1    benefit.  But after hours and hours of testimony, 

 2    we heard from farmers, farmworkers, people in 

 3    agriculture that this will be bad.  That the 

 4    farmworkers, the guest workers that come into our 

 5    country legally from other countries will choose 

 6    other states instead of New York State.  And 

 7    farmers, already under a lot of pressure from bad 

 8    policy in New York State and forces that they 

 9    don't control, like the price that they get for 

10    their product, have told us that they will get 

11    out of the business.  

12                 So unfortunately, this database 

13    could be really, really small in not a very long 

14    period of time.

15                 So I call on all of my colleagues to 

16    push back against this.  Because this is still 

17    something that was only a recommendation, a 

18    recommendation to the Department of Labor and to 

19    our Governor.  Reject this recommendation.  

20    Because the only person that voted against it was 

21    the only person on that three-person Wage Board 

22    that actually is in agriculture.

23                 This is clearly rigged, and that's 

24    going to be an issue that is going to create a 

25    devastating impact on New York agriculture.


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 1                 So, Madam President, I'm in favor of 

 2    this bill, but in the greater picture I am very 

 3    troubled for the future of New York agriculture.

 4                 Thank you.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Senator 

 6    Borrello to be recorded in the affirmative.

 7                 Announce the results.

 8                 THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 63.

 9                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

10    is passed.

11                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

12    180, Senate Print 7816, by Senator Kaminsky, an 

13    act to amend the Public Service Law and the 

14    Public Authorities Law.

15                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

16    last section.

17                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 4.  This 

18    act shall take effect immediately.

19                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

20    roll.

21                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

22                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

23    the results.

24                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

25    Calendar Number 180, those Senators voting in the 


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 1    negative are Senators Akshar, Borrello, Griffo, 

 2    Helming, Jordan, Martucci, Oberacker, O'Mara, 

 3    Ortt, Rath and Stec.

 4                 Ayes, 52.  Nays, 11.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

 6    is passed.

 7                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 8    198, Senate Print 7840, by Senator Rivera, an act 

 9    to amend the Public Health Law and the 

10    Education Law.

11                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

12    last section.

13                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 5.  This 

14    act shall take effect immediately.  

15                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

16    roll.

17                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

18                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

19    the results.

20                 THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 63.

21                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

22    is passed.

23                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

24    282, Senate Print 7770, by Senator Gaughran, an 

25    act to amend the Real Property Law.


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 1                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

 2    last section.

 3                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

 4    act shall take effect immediately.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

 6    roll.

 7                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 8                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

 9    the results.

10                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

11    Calendar Number 282, those Senators voting in the 

12    negative are Senators Lanza and Ortt.

13                 Ayes, 61.  Nays, 2.

14                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

15    is passed.

16                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

17    284, Senate Print 7782, by Senator Kavanagh, an 

18    act to amend a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

19                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

20    last section.

21                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

22    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

23    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.  

24                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

25    roll.


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 1                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

 2                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

 3    the results.

 4                 THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 63.

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

 6    is passed.

 7                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 8    285, Senate Print 7790, by Senator Brisport, an 

 9    act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.

10                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

11    last section.

12                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

13    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

14    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

15                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

16    roll.

17                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

18                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

19    the results.

20                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

21    Calendar Number 285, voting in the negative:  

22    Senator Lanza.  

23                 Ayes, 62.  Nays, 1.

24                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

25    is passed.


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 1                 THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 2    286, Senate Print 7792, by Senator Parker, an act 

 3    to amend the Real Property Actions and 

 4    Proceedings Law.  

 5                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Read the 

 6    last section.

 7                 THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

 8    act shall take effect on the same date and in the 

 9    same manner as a chapter of the Laws of 2021.

10                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Call the 

11    roll.

12                 (The Secretary called the roll.)

13                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   Announce 

14    the results.

15                 THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 

16    Calendar Number 286, those Senators voting in the 

17    negative are Senators Akshar, Borrello, Boyle, 

18    Gallivan, Griffo, Jordan, Lanza, Martucci, 

19    Mattera, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rath, 

20    Ritchie, Serino, Stec, Tedisco and Weik.

21                 Ayes, 44.  Nays, 19.

22                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   The bill 

23    is passed.

24                 Senator Gianaris, that completes the 

25    reading of today's calendar.


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 1                 SENATOR GIANARIS:   Is there any 

 2    further business at the desk?

 3                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   There is 

 4    no further business at the desk.

 5                 SENATOR GIANARIS:   I move to 

 6    adjourn until tomorrow, Tuesday, February 1st, at 

 7    3:00 p.m.

 8                 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD:   On 

 9    motion, the Senate stands adjourned until 

10    Tuesday, February 1st, at 3:00 p.m.

11                 (Whereupon, at 3:21 p.m., the Senate 

12    adjourned.)

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