Regular Session - March 13, 2024
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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 13, 2024
11 3:10 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR JEREMY A. COONEY, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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21
22
23
24
25
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: 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 COONEY: 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 COONEY: Reading
14 of the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Tuesday,
16 March 12, 2024, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, March 11,
18 2024, was read and approved. On motion, the
19 Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: 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 Jackson
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1 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Cities,
2 Assembly Bill Number 8876 and substitute it for
3 the identical Senate Bill 8216A, Third Reading
4 Calendar 378.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: 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: Good afternoon,
15 Mr. President. Let's begin by taking up
16 previously adopted Resolution 1871, by
17 Senator Kennedy, read its title and recognize
18 Senator Kennedy.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1871, by
22 Senator Kennedy, honoring St. Patrick and all
23 persons of Irish descent upon the occasion of the
24 2024 celebration of St. Patrick's Day on Sunday,
25 March 17, 2024.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
2 Kennedy to be heard on the resolution.
3 SENATOR KENNEDY: Thank you very
4 much, Mr. President.
5 Good afternoon, everybody. It is a
6 great day here in the Senate chamber. It's a
7 great day to be Irish. And it's a great day to
8 celebrate Irish Heritage Month here in the State
9 of New York.
10 I want to thank our leader for
11 bringing this resolution to be adopted. And I
12 just want to say a few words about this month
13 that we celebrate the great Irish Heritage. This
14 weekend, Sunday, March 17th, we'll celebrate
15 St. Patrick's Day. St. Patrick, one of the
16 patron saints of Ireland. We all know what
17 St. Patrick's Day means on that day and how all
18 communities across the country -- really, across
19 the globe -- that share in this wonderful Irish
20 tradition come together in revelry and in spirit.
21 But St. Patrick's Day is much more
22 than just celebrating being Irish on one day.
23 Quite frankly, it's about celebrating Irish
24 traditions that brought us here to America and to
25 the tens of millions of Irish diaspora across the
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1 globe.
2 And one word that I believe really
3 encapsulates the Irish spirit more than any other
4 is perseverance -- perseverance through the most
5 difficult days of oppression, of injustice, and
6 on to greater days of victory and celebration.
7 So when we think about celebrating
8 together with family and friends and community in
9 national recognition of this wonderful day -- as
10 President Biden on Sunday will accept a
11 traditional bowl of shamrocks from the Irish
12 Taoiseach, the leader of Ireland, as he does on
13 an annual basis going back decades here in this
14 country -- we're reminded that this country's
15 foundation is built on the leadership and the
16 blood of the Irish, off the boat, hundreds of
17 years ago, that helped to create this amazing
18 democracy that shines as a beacon of hope and
19 light of freedom across the world.
20 And you think about how these values
21 we stand for as a nation and espouse to, and the
22 incredible American tradition, are based in
23 humanity. And one thing that I hold near and
24 dear to my heart is oftentimes the reminder of
25 where I come from. As we often say -- not just
1254
1 myself and the folks that are of the Irish
2 tradition, but I think each and every one of us,
3 regardless of our own heritage -- is we're all
4 immigrants and descendants of immigrants in this
5 great country. You never forget where you come
6 from.
7 Well, on St. Patrick's Day we're
8 reminded that we, the Irish, come from just about
9 3200 miles across the Pond, over the Atlantic.
10 You know, back in the 1840s there was a potato
11 blight, An Gorta Mór, the Great Hunger, the
12 famine that led to a third of the population of
13 the island of Ireland starving to death; another
14 third of the population of Ireland fleeing for
15 opportunity and refuge elsewhere, and freedom
16 elsewhere. At the same time that that Great
17 Hunger took over the land, there were food --
18 fresh food and supplies that were sent out of the
19 island of Ireland to other places.
20 It was a forced starvation. We were
21 forced from our land. We came here to seek
22 refuge on the shores of this incredible great
23 Empire State of New York and other areas across
24 the Eastern Seaboard, in every part of the
25 country of the United States of America and up
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1 into Canada and, again, all across the globe.
2 And that perseverance helped to
3 bring us to where we are today. In the
4 traditions of the Irish spirit through Irish
5 enclaves in every corner of this state, from
6 Long Island to Woodlawn in the Bronx to
7 South Buffalo, New York, to Tipperary Hill in
8 Syracuse, to Troy in the great Capital Region, to
9 the Hudson Valley, to the Southern Tier, to the
10 North Country, the Irish spread out and built
11 this state and built this nation, both in the
12 infrastructure and the foundation and in what we
13 stand on today, the history we stand on today --
14 but also in the impact that we had on our people
15 and the impact that we had on our laws.
16 So I mentioned the fight for
17 democracy. When George Washington was fighting
18 the English in the Revolutionary War, he was
19 surrounded by the Irish. And when you fast
20 forward to all of the wars that this country has
21 fought, both foreign and domestic, the Irish
22 stood as champions for what was right.
23 And as we all remember where we come
24 from and we think about those that persevered
25 through the most difficult days in human history,
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1 to come to celebrate and champion what is right.
2 In every facet of society, from government to law
3 enforcement to public service to healthcare to
4 human services in every aspect that we all depend
5 upon to make society function, the Irish have
6 been at the tip of the sword in doing what is
7 right for this great nation and all of our
8 communities.
9 So this weekend in Buffalo, I'll be
10 at the Irish Luncheon at the Irish Center,
11 celebrating our heritage. On Saturday I'll be in
12 the Old First Ward in the Old Neighborhood
13 parade, a parade that goes back over a century.
14 And then on Sunday, people will revel in
15 St. Patrick's and all the green and libations and
16 pomp and circumstance and dancing and music and
17 fun. And we say everybody's Irish today,
18 everybody's Irish on St. Patrick's Day.
19 What I say to you, Mr. President
20 Cooney, is everybody's a little bit Irish every
21 day, because of who we are, where we come from,
22 and the impact that we have had on the global
23 community -- a small little island off the coast
24 of Western Europe in the Atlantic that is the
25 heartbeat of it all across the globe.
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1 I'm proud to be Irish. I'm proud of
2 where I come from. I'm proud of those whose
3 shoulders I stand on, and we stand on, that have
4 made our communities, our state and our nation,
5 and the global community what it is today.
6 Now, I know many of you have been
7 here for my long, prolonged, extensive speeches
8 about the Irish.
9 (Laughter.)
10 SENATOR KENNEDY: I'm going to
11 leave you with this today.
12 (Laughter.)
13 SENATOR KENNEDY: Thank you,
14 Mr. President. Thank you to each and every one
15 of you for your indulgence, not just today but
16 over the years.
17 Because I know all of you understand
18 the importance of St. Patrick's Day and
19 celebrating the Irish heritage as we do every
20 single year in this auspicious chamber. And I'm
21 proud to be a part of it.
22 And with that, Mr. President,
23 God bless the Irish and God bless America.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank you
25 Senator Kennedy, who never forgets where he comes
1258
1 from.
2 (Laughter.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: We now
4 recognize Senator Weber to speak on the
5 resolution.
6 SENATOR WEBER: Thank you,
7 Mr. President.
8 Thank you, Senator Kennedy, for this
9 great resolution today.
10 You know, you wouldn't think someone
11 with the name William Weber whose baptismal cake
12 actually had "Wilhelm Weber" on it would be
13 Irish, but my mother's grandparents emigrated
14 from Ireland in the early 1900s. My mother, last
15 name McHugh {ph}, Patty McHugh, from Brooklyn.
16 Moved to Pearl River, New York, in
17 1969. I looked it up recently and don't think
18 it's any surprise to anyone, but according to
19 IrishCentral, Pearl River has the most Irish than
20 any town in New York State. It's actually not a
21 town, it's a hamlet, but it has the most Irish
22 per capita of any town, hamlet, in New York
23 State. An area where traditional Irish Catholic
24 values are embraced, whether it's at the Rockland
25 GAA, at the AOH, whether it's last weekend going
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1 to the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick event where
2 hundreds of proud Irishmen came together.
3 You know, my sister's husband is
4 from Killarney, and I had the honor of going to
5 Ireland a number of years ago to celebrate
6 traditional Irish weddings. There was a funeral
7 thrown in the middle. But it was a great country
8 to visit, a country that was great to see where
9 my mother's side of the family came from.
10 You know, back in the early 1980s my
11 mother would take in two children every year from
12 Belfast through Project Children, kids that
13 weren't going through and weren't having that
14 great childhood experience in at the time
15 war-torn Belfast. And I remember keeping in
16 touch with a lot of those kids, and they still
17 keep in touch with my mother and are thrilled
18 that they had the opportunity to come and spend a
19 little time in at that time Pearl River, really
20 getting out of an area that was in distress.
21 You know, St. Patrick's Day is a big
22 day in Pearl River. I believe it's one of the
23 largest parades on the East Coast. We average
24 about 50,000 spectators at the parade. I'll be
25 there marching on the Avenue with thousands of my
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1 friends and neighbors this Sunday, down
2 the Avenue. If you haven't been there, it starts
3 at 1:30. We line up at the Pfizer Laboratory
4 headquarters. Everyone's welcome. Everyone's
5 Irish today.
6 Thank you, Senator Kennedy, for
7 bringing the resolution.
8 Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone.
9 Thank you.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
11 you, Senator.
12 Senator Myrie on the resolution.
13 SENATOR MYRIE: Thank you,
14 Mr. President.
15 And let me first thank
16 Senator Kennedy for his steadfast dedication to
17 introducing this resolution every single year.
18 I proudly represent Windsor Terrace
19 in Brooklyn, a predominantly Irish neighborhood
20 with a rich Irish history. And I only rise to
21 bring up something that I get to talk about when
22 I'm in Windsor Terrace, and that is the
23 relationship in history between Black people and
24 the Irish people.
25 In fact, I think it's a little known
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1 fact that Frederick Douglass made a pilgrimage to
2 Ireland, and there he met someone who was called
3 the Irish Liberator, Daniel O'Connell, someone
4 who was against slavery and the enslavement of
5 human beings, and someone who Frederick Douglass
6 looked up to and said that he was inspired by.
7 And so the relationship between our
8 peoples goes back centuries. And I think it's
9 important certainly in these times, where we find
10 things to easily divide us, that we think about
11 the things that unite us.
12 And so I am proud to represent
13 Windsor Terrace in the State Senate, and I'm
14 proud to have colleagues upholding the rich
15 history that we share in this country.
16 I vote aye. Thank you.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
18 you, Senator Myrie.
19 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
20 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
21 Mr. President.
22 I know what you're thinking. Last
23 name Bailey: Irish. It's actually a Scottish
24 last name. And within the ancestry DNA that I've
25 done, I am sad to report that it did not find any
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1 actual evidence of Irish blood. But I think that
2 Senator Kennedy alluded to it; I think we all
3 have a little bit of the Irish spirit in us.
4 And I represent the neighborhood of
5 Woodlawn in the Bronx, which is a significantly
6 Irish population. Incredible folks there that do
7 incredible work.
8 But I rise to salute two members of
9 our body who this will be their last
10 St. Patrick's Day in this chamber, both by their
11 own choosing. First you heard from Senator
12 Kennedy, who at the end of the month of April
13 will be going on to greener pastures. Greener,
14 no pun intended. Or maybe it was intended.
15 (Laughter.)
16 SENATOR BAILEY: But either way, we
17 will miss your steadfast support and deference
18 for your community, which is our community.
19 And Neil Breslin, a steadfast
20 Irishman when it wasn't popular. He stood up for
21 folks.
22 And the third, also going to be
23 going on to greener pastures, the Mannion
24 himself, John Mannion.
25 And so I don't know who's going to
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1 carry this resolution next year, Mr. President.
2 (Laughter.)
3 SENATOR BAILEY: I think it might
4 have to be you.
5 (Laughter.)
6 SENATOR BAILEY: It might have to
7 be a Bailey.
8 But rest assured, gentlemen, that
9 the work that you have done in your respective
10 communities is not lost on us, and that it is
11 appreciated.
12 And I know on Sunday, while I will
13 not be outside in the street -- full disclosure,
14 I'll be at home -- just know that my heart is
15 with you celebrating.
16 Erin Go Bragh. Happy St. Patrick's
17 Day.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
19 you, Senator Bailey.
20 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
21 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 I would be remiss if I did not speak
24 up for the incredible Irish population that I
25 have in The Rockaways, Queens, where we had one
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1 of the greatest St. Patrick's Day marches,
2 parades there. I was blessed to be part of that
3 roughly two weeks, or so it seems. What a great
4 population. What a great parade that we had.
5 Anyone who cannot make the later
6 parade, I always invite them to the one in
7 The Rockaways. We seem to do that first. Maybe
8 it's because we're closer to Ireland than many
9 other places, right across the water.
10 We too will miss Senators Kennedy
11 and Breslin. But I assure both of them that the
12 spirit that they have left here will be the talk
13 for generations. We will be speaking of the
14 great but brief speeches that our colleagues have
15 been giving. All too brief. All too brief. But
16 we'll be speaking of them in reverent tones that
17 I cannot do justice to here today.
18 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
19 Thank you.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
21 you, Senator Sanders.
22 Senator Breslin on the resolution.
23 SENATOR BRESLIN: Thank you very
24 much, Mr. Chairman.
25 And after the comments by my dear
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1 friend Senator Kennedy, I felt obligated to
2 stand, as this might be one of the last times I
3 will be able to do that.
4 And for some of you who don't know,
5 I grew up in the heart of Albany in a very
6 diverse neighborhood. My house -- next door was
7 the Catholic grade school, and on the other side
8 were the Breslins and then the Mannings, then the
9 Quinns, then the Brennans, then the Hogans.
10 (Laughter.)
11 SENATOR BRESLIN: And the wonderful
12 Slattery family. And the McCloskeys. And we
13 had -- and it gets more diverse as we go along.
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR BRESLIN: And we mentioned
16 Dan O'Connell, the Great Liberator from Ireland.
17 He was also a great liberator in Albany, as he
18 was the Democratic chairman for almost 40 years.
19 And I might add, again, there was
20 that ethnic and political diversity. From 1921
21 to 1960, there was never anyone but a Democrat
22 elected in the City of Albany. And there was
23 never a primary. That's the diversity we're all
24 looking for.
25 (Laughter.)
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1 SENATOR BRESLIN: But fortunately
2 it's a diversity neither party will have any time
3 in the near future.
4 So I will miss this place. I will
5 miss being reduced -- reducing the number of
6 Irish that speak in this hall. And before I say
7 any more, I don't want to catch up to the time
8 that's been allotted to me -- part of which I
9 gave to Senator Kennedy --
10 (Laughter.)
11 SENATOR BRESLIN: -- but I wish you
12 a wonderful Happy St. Patrick's Day.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
14 you, Senator Breslin.
15 Senator Liu on the resolution.
16 SENATOR LIU: Mr. President --
17 Senator Cooney -- Happy St. Patrick's Day to you
18 and to all fellow New Yorkers.
19 Oh, and Senator Sanders wanted to
20 mention he would miss John Mannion also.
21 (Laughter.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
23 you, Senator Liu.
24 Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.
25 The resolution was adopted on
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1 March 5th.
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
4 Mr. President.
5 Lest anyone be concerned about this
6 resolution next year, I think Senator Brian
7 Kavanagh and Senator Sean Ryan can figure out
8 which of them wants to carry it. I know
9 Gallivan's going to get it in on it too. We have
10 plenty of Irish remaining in the Senate chamber.
11 Can we now move on to previously
12 adopted Resolution 1841, by Senator Hinchey, read
13 that resolution's title and recognize
14 Senator Hinchey.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1841, by
18 Senator Hinchey, commending New York Maple
19 Producers during the Annual Maple Weekends on
20 March 16 and 17, 2024, and March 23 and 24, 2024.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
22 Hinchey on the resolution.
23 SENATOR HINCHEY: Thank you,
24 Mr. President.
25 New York has a rich agricultural
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1 history, and farmers love to share their
2 traditions and their products. From farm tours
3 to agritourism to "pick your own" and tastings,
4 there are great ways to visit with local
5 agriculture.
6 Another one is statewide Maple
7 Day. The first ever Maple Day was a single day in
8 1995 known as Maple Sunday. Since then, it has
9 grown tremendously. And now in 2024, in its 28th
10 year, the event spans two weekends and four days,
11 which is an incredible show and testament to the
12 support that our maple producers have across the
13 State of New York.
14 New York is the second-largest maple
15 producer in the country. We are also the
16 fastest-growing in specialty crops for maple.
17 And we are home to more than 2,000 maple sugar
18 makers.
19 If you happen to be across the
20 Hudson Valley during Maple Weekends, if you
21 happen to find yourself in Ulster County, make
22 sure to check out Platte Creek Maple Farm in
23 Saugerties or New Beginnings Farmstead in
24 Kingston, or even Corey's Sugar Shack in
25 Highland.
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1 If you find yourself in Columbia
2 County, Maple Leaf Sugaring in Ghent is a great
3 place to visit.
4 And in Dutchess County, Soukup Farms
5 in Dover Plains will be celebrating these
6 weekends.
7 I know I am incredibly excited to
8 celebrate Maple Day over these two weekends, and
9 knowing that it is St. Patrick's Day, maybe we
10 should all grab a Guinness and celebrate maple in
11 the State of New York as we celebrate
12 Maple Weekends.
13 Thank you very much, Mr. President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
15 you, Senator Hinchey.
16 Senator Borrello on the resolution.
17 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
18 Mr. President. I want to thank Senator Hinchey
19 for bringing this resolution and recognizing that
20 New York State is one of the largest -- the
21 second-largest maple producer in the nation.
22 But it's not just about maple syrup.
23 There are many other products produced with
24 maple: Maple candy, maple ice cream. I know
25 you're nodding your head; we've all tried it. So
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1 many other things. Even coffee that is made with
2 maple.
3 Experience it. This is the time.
4 These weekends are the time to do this. You can
5 go to Mapleweekend.com and find all locations
6 throughout New York State, including the
7 57th Senate District, where we have many places
8 and lots of maple trees. Experience one of the
9 best products, one of the best agricultural
10 products that comes out of New York State. These
11 two weekends are the time to do it.
12 I am proud to be the ranking member
13 of the Ag Committee and proud to represent
14 thousands of farmers in my district and
15 throughout New York State. New York State is an
16 ag state, and this is your time to see how sweet
17 it is.
18 Thank you, Mr. President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
20 you, Senator Borrello.
21 Senator May on the resolution.
22 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
23 Mr. President.
24 I want to just make sure that my
25 colleagues understand what maple syrup is.
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1 Because the sap that comes out of a maple tree is
2 96 percent water, and you have to boil off almost
3 all of that water in order to get something that
4 tastes like maple syrup.
5 When I was in my twenties, I had a
6 friend who had a farm and I used to go and help
7 with the maple sugaring. And it involved lugging
8 heavy buckets of sap and then lots and lots and
9 lots of wood to burn to burn off the water in the
10 maple sap to get down to maple syrup. It was
11 fun, but it was really hard work.
12 Well, I visited Dutch Hill Maple
13 Farm in my district last week, and they now use
14 reverse osmosis that takes about 90 percent of
15 the water out. And so it's made it far more
16 efficient in terms of the amount of wood or fuel
17 you have to burn in order to get it down to
18 actual maple syrup. And they've also maintained
19 the delicious flavor and the high quality of
20 maple syrup in the process.
21 So maple syruping is not what it
22 used to be, but maple syrup is what it used to
23 be. And I hope people will be able to enjoy it
24 this weekend.
25 Thank you.
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
2 you, Senator May.
3 Senator Oberacker on the resolution.
4 SENATOR OBERACKER: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 Thank you to Senator Hinchey for
7 bringing this resolution to the floor.
8 You know, I think many maybe know or
9 don't know about my background in food and food
10 production, being a food scientist and a chef by
11 trade. We've heard how maple is produced. We've
12 heard all the other products that maple goes
13 into. And I would just like to expand upon some
14 of that, uses for maple that some may or may not
15 know.
16 And for those of my colleagues that
17 I know I'm intriguing at this moment across the
18 aisle, I am always open to recipes. And I would
19 be more than happy to extend that during this
20 maple fest that we are seeing. And to that end:
21 A barbecue sauce with maple that I actually have
22 in possession. A recipe for a soft maple
23 Manhattan. In light of it being really close to
24 St. Paddy's Day, it kind of fits in. Or more
25 appropriately, a habanero maple old-fashioned.
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1 And if any of you would care to want
2 to address me on that, I'd be more than happy
3 to -- as we say, in this light of being the Irish
4 of giving, I would be more than happy to extend
5 that to my colleagues from both sides of the
6 aisle.
7 So thank you, Mr. President. Thank
8 you, Senator Hinchey. And let's all -- as the
9 Senator said, the sweetness of maple not to be
10 undone. So thank you.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Thank
12 you, Senator Oberacker. Bipartisanship abound!
13 (Laughter.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The
15 resolution was adopted on February 27th.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: I would like to
18 add to Senator Oberacker's list the maple brown
19 sugar oatmeal I had this morning. It was quite
20 good.
21 (Laughter.)
22 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
23 please recognize Senator Lanza for a motion.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
25 Lanza.
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1 SENATOR LANZA: Yes, Mr. President.
2 On behalf of Senator Stec, I move to
3 recommit Senate Print Number 23, Calendar Number
4 658 on the order of first report, to the
5 Committee on Civil Service and Pensions, with
6 instructions to strike out the enacting clause.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: So
8 ordered.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President, I
10 neglected to indicate that the sponsors wanted
11 the resolutions we took up today open for
12 cosponsorship.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The
14 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
15 you choose not to be a cosponsor on the
16 resolutions, please notify the desk.
17 Senator Gianaris.
18 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now let's take
19 up the calendar, please.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The
21 Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 109, Senate Print 362, by Senator Thomas, an act
24 to amend the General Business Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
1275
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
3 act shall take effect on the 60th day after it
4 shall have become a law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
6 roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
9 the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar 109, those Senators voting in the
12 negative are Senators Borrello, Helming,
13 Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Stec and Tedisco.
14 Ayes, 51. Nays, 7.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 136, Senate Print 1305, by Senator Comrie, an act
19 to amend the Real Property Actions and
20 Proceedings Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
22 last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
1276
1 roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
4 the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
6 Calendar 136, voting in the negative:
7 Senator Lanza.
8 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 159, Senate Print 3236, by Senator Sepúlveda, an
13 act to amend the Executive Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
25 is passed.
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1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 166, Senate Print 3283, by Senator Rivera, an act
3 to amend the Public Health Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 14. This
7 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
8 shall have become a law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
13 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick to explain her vote.
14 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
15 Thank you, Mr. President.
16 The current state of the law right
17 now is that if a hospital can with reasonable
18 efforts ascertain the identity of a parent or a
19 guardian of an emancipated minor, the hospital
20 shall notify the family. It requires them to do
21 so.
22 Public Health Law Section 2994A
23 defines what an emancipated minor patient is. A
24 minor patient is either, number one, the parent
25 of a child -- which in essence is a teenage
1278
1 parent -- or, number two, a 16-year-old or older
2 who is living independently of his or her
3 parents.
4 The current bill before us will
5 prevent -- it does not -- excuse me. It does not
6 require a hospital to seek out and find the
7 parent. It says they need to use diligent
8 efforts. What does that mean? It's not defined.
9 The current law says that with
10 reasonable efforts, if they can find them, they
11 must notify them.
12 In my opinion, this bill is
13 anti-family. It is not supporting -- that if a
14 teenager is a parent of a child, that now the
15 hospital's not required to notify their parent.
16 And we can all think of a fact pattern where a
17 teenager who might not be living at home or is an
18 early parent, that they're not required to find
19 that family. Think about it. A child who's been
20 shot on the street, maybe is on life support, and
21 they don't require them to find that family
22 before they take them off life support.
23 This, to me, is terrible
24 legislation. For that reason, it's anti-family.
25 As a mom of four, I cannot support this because
1279
1 it's just not the way we should be doing things.
2 It should have been considered very strongly that
3 this definition could have disastrous effects.
4 For that reason, Mr. President, I
5 vote nay.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
7 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick to be recorded in the
8 negative.
9 Announce the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar 166, those Senators voting in the
12 negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
13 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Felder, Gallivan, Griffo,
14 Helming, Lanza, Martinez, Martins, Mattera,
15 Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads, Rolison,
16 Skoufis, Stec, Tedisco, Weber and Weik.
17 Ayes, 36. Nays, 22.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 378, Assembly Bill Number 8876, by
22 Assemblymember Pheffer Amato, an act to amend the
23 Civil Service Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
25 last section.
1280
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect immediately.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 388, Senate Print 261, by Senator Serrano, an act
13 to amend the Parks, Recreation and Historic
14 Preservation Law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
16 last section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
18 act shall take effect immediately.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
23 the results.
24 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
1281
1 is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 509, Senate Print 8557, by Senator Jackson, an
4 act to amend the Civil Service Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect immediately.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
13 the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 515, Senate Print 260, by Senator Serrano, an act
19 to amend the Education Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
25 roll.
1282
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
3 Serrano to explain his vote.
4 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 The arts provide a multitude of
7 benefits to our society. The arts, music, really
8 are transformational in so many different ways,
9 but especially when it comes to education. Arts
10 music, theater, dance education has shown to be
11 of tremendous benefit to students across the
12 State of New York and everywhere.
13 But sadly, a lot of data shows that
14 we are not reaching the minimum threshold for
15 arts education in our schools. This bill, S260,
16 will direct the Commissioner of Education to
17 conduct a statewide audit of school districts to
18 ensure that we are at least reaching our minimum
19 standards for arts, music and theater education
20 in our schools.
21 This is an important step in
22 ensuring that we have a robust arts education
23 program in the State of New York. I vote aye.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
25 Serrano to be recorded in the affirmative.
1283
1 Senator May to explain her vote.
2 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
3 Mr. President.
4 I want to applaud Senator Serrano
5 for this bill and his concern for making sure
6 that all of our children get the arts and music
7 education that they deserve.
8 We know that arts and music
9 education help to build character, build whole
10 people, build the whole brain. We find kids who
11 study art and music in school are less likely to
12 have disciplinary problems. They're more likely
13 to graduate, they're more likely to do well on
14 the SATs and get into college.
15 And arts and music education is in
16 regulation in the state, but it is not in
17 statute. And I hope that this is a first step
18 toward getting this in statute. Because we know
19 that when school districts feel the need to cut
20 somewhere, the first thing that goes is arts and
21 music education. And that is not serving our
22 children well.
23 So thank you, Senator Serrano. I
24 vote aye.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Senator
1284
1 May to be recorded in the affirmative.
2 Announce the results.
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
5 is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 590, Senate Print 485A, by Senator Comrie, an act
8 to amend the Public Authorities Law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
10 last section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect January 1, 2024.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Call the
14 roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
17 the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
20 is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 595, Senate Print 6921, by Senator Chu, an act to
23 amend the Railroad Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Read the
25 last section.
1285
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 COONEY: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: Announce
8 the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
10 Calendar 595, voting in the negative:
11 Senator Oberacker.
12 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: The bill
14 is passed.
15 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
16 reading of today's calendar.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
18 further business at the desk?
19 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: There is
20 no further business at the desk.
21 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to adjourn
22 until tomorrow, Thursday, March 14th, at
23 11:00 a.m.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT COONEY: On
25 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
1286
1 Thursday, March 14th, at 11:00 a.m.
2 (Whereupon, at 3:48 p.m., the Senate
3 adjourned.)
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