Regular Session - April 9, 2024
2215
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
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3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 April 9, 2024
11 11:21 a.m.
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13
14 REGULAR SESSION
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18 SENATOR JAMAAL T. BAILEY, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: 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 BAILEY: Chaplain
9 Major David Reyes, of the 2nd Regiment of the
10 United States Corps of Cadets, will deliver
11 today's invocation.
12 Chaplain Major.
13 CHAPLAIN MAJOR REYES: Please join
14 me in prayer.
15 O God our Father, searcher of human
16 hearts, I come before You today to give thanks
17 for this Senate and its relationship with the
18 United States Military Academy.
19 May Your blessing rest on both
20 institutions as sources for wise governance and
21 producing leaders of character. May they both
22 exemplify the exhortation in Colossians,
23 Chapter 3, which reminds us to set our minds on
24 things above -- or, in other words, to pursue
25 that which is Excelsior.
2217
1 All of which I ask in the name of
2 the Great Friend and Master of all.
3 Amen.
4 (Response of "Amen.")
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Reading
6 of the Journal.
7 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Monday,
8 April 8, 2024, the Senate met pursuant to
9 adjournment. The Journal of Sunday, April 7,
10 2024, was read and approved. On motion, the
11 Senate adjourned.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Without
13 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
14 Presentation of petitions.
15 Messages from the Assembly.
16 The Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Senator Addabbo
18 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
19 Agriculture, Assembly Bill Number 6947A and
20 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
21 6796A, Third Reading Calendar 749.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: So
23 ordered.
24 Messages from the Governor.
25 Reports of standing committees.
2218
1 Reports of select committees.
2 Communications and reports from
3 state officers.
4 Motions and resolutions.
5 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
7 Mr. President.
8 Good morning. Let's begin --
9 because we have our special guests here today,
10 let's take up previously adopted Resolution 1972,
11 by Senator Skoufis. Let's read that resolution's
12 title and recognize Leader Stewart-Cousins on
13 that resolution.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
15 Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Senate Resolution
17 1972, by Senator Skoufis, memorializing
18 Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim April 9, 2024,
19 as West Point Day in New York State.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Leader
21 Andrea Stewart-Cousins on the resolution.
22 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: Thank you
23 so much, Mr. President.
24 And I am so proud to rise today and
25 to acknowledge the presence of West Point's
2219
1 cadets, its leadership.
2 Thank you, Major Reyes, for your
3 beautiful prayer, what you talked about is what
4 we aspire to on a day-to-day basis -- wisdom and
5 leadership and the ability to really continue to
6 move not only the state forward but to serve as a
7 beacon of light for our nation and beyond.
8 And that's why this day is so
9 important. It's our 72nd annual recognition of
10 West Point. And the relationship, as has been
11 stated, is strong between the military and the
12 Legislature.
13 I also want to say to you that last
14 week we honored Korean veterans. We honored, the
15 week before, Vietnam veterans. We as a body
16 believe that it is so important to honor the
17 heroes of our past, but we also know it is
18 important to honor the heroes of our present and
19 future. And that's where you come in.
20 My wonderful colleagues will talk
21 about the influence of George Washington, of the
22 wonderful deeds of Eisenhower and Patton. And I
23 do want to recognize Senator Scarcella-Spanton,
24 who heads our Veterans Committee, as well as
25 Senator Skoufis, who will also talk about the
2220
1 importance that West Point is in the district.
2 And you'll hear from many of us today.
3 But I want to say that when we see
4 you, we know that the future is in great hands.
5 We know, as we look at the conflicts all over the
6 world, and conflicts right here, when we have a
7 member, our Senator Walczyk, who was called up to
8 active duty, that leadership, real leadership is
9 required.
10 We can all raise our hands. But
11 when we get to that battlefield, when we get to
12 that place of conflict, when we get to that fork
13 in the road where decisions are required, we need
14 leaders. We need leaders with integrity. We
15 need leaders of courage. We need leaders who are
16 unequivocal. And we need leaders who are
17 fearless.
18 The fact that you as cadets -- and
19 frankly, I've got to tell you, an amazing
20 reflection of our state in its diversity -- but
21 you as cadets know what it is in some way that
22 you will be facing.
23 Nobody actually knows; I mean, if
24 you ask any Senator, none of us actually knew
25 what the Senate was really going to present. But
2221
1 what we knew is that it was going to be an
2 opportunity to serve. We're not in the military.
3 We're not being called to face unknown conflicts.
4 We're not being called to put our lives on the
5 line. You all are. Which means that you are
6 fearless. And when you are fearless, you can do
7 anything.
8 And your presence here, because we
9 know that you are fearless, inspires us. Which
10 is why, every year, we look forward to this
11 day -- to applaud you, to thank you, to take
12 pictures with you, to congratulate you, to feed
13 you, to pray with you. Because we are inspired
14 by you.
15 So yes, Excelsior. Yes, onward and
16 upward. But yes, know that this legislative body
17 and the entire State of New York embraces you and
18 knows that our future, our future of democracy
19 and freedom and fearlessness, courage and
20 integrity, are in very, very good hands.
21 Thank you so much, Mr. President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
23 you, Madam Leader.
24 Senator Skoufis on the resolution.
25 SENATOR SKOUFIS: Thank you very
2222
1 much, Mr. President.
2 And I certainly want to welcome in
3 the warmest possible terms our cadets, our
4 officers, all of our esteemed guests. And it's a
5 testament to your importance and the admiration
6 that we all have that amidst ongoing -- now, we
7 would have preferred, certainly, to be done with
8 the budget by now. But amidst ongoing budget
9 negotiations -- over $200 billion, the
10 second-largest state budget in the country -- we
11 are breaking from that to honor you all. And
12 rightfully so. Something we do every year.
13 And the Majority Leader's words are
14 deeply felt. And I'm grateful for all of our
15 being able to honor you today.
16 And so on the resolution,
17 Mr. President, it's my great honor and privilege
18 to rise today as the Senator from the
19 42nd District, home to the United States
20 Military Academy, on this 72nd anniversary of
21 West Point Day, a cherished tradition we have
22 here in the halls of our capital and a morning of
23 great pride to both all of my current colleagues
24 as well as our past Senators over that time,
25 including my predecessor, Senator and
2223
1 Colonel Bill Larkin.
2 The vision of West Point belonged to
3 President George Washington -- the Majority
4 Leader's prediction was correct, we'd be talking
5 about George Washington a little bit today. It
6 was his vision. He sought to establish an
7 institution devoted to the development of
8 Army officers and engineers at that time.
9 The Academy's location along the
10 Hudson River, as we all know, had strategic
11 importance, a fact realized by both the Americans
12 and the British during the revolution.
13 Despite attempts -- including the
14 famous one by Benedict Arnold, and his
15 betrayal -- West Point was never captured by the
16 British and is today the oldest continuously
17 occupied Regular Army post in the United States.
18 The Academy's long and unbroken
19 record as an American symbol of fidelity is
20 captured in both the pride we take in its history
21 and the hope we derive as we look to the future
22 at the leaders and defenders of American
23 democracy who are trained in its halls every day,
24 some of whom sit amongst us now.
25 It's impossible to walk the halls of
2224
1 that institution without feeling the presence of
2 the past. I feel it whenever I myself visit or
3 see it there perched atop the west bank of the
4 Hudson River.
5 Yes, it is a garrison. But more
6 than that, it is a beacon to the very values
7 emblazoned in the school's coat of arms: Duty,
8 Honor, Country. A reminder to all who will seek
9 it of the work and sacrifice of those men and
10 women who built this country and threw their lot
11 in on the great democratic experiment.
12 While the weight of this history
13 might be intimidating to some, I also know that
14 there is so much left to be written of the
15 American story, and it will be written by the
16 future leaders who sit with us today.
17 Democracy is a perpetual process
18 rather than a one-time achievement. It is
19 something that we must continue to earn,
20 persisting as our predecessors persisted, facing
21 challenges with the grit and determination that
22 forged this country and our audacious system of
23 government.
24 What's needed to do this is the kind
25 of spirit that pushes one to the edge of our
2225
1 capabilities and then some more. This is not
2 something most endure. But the cadets who sit
3 here today have this quality embedded in their
4 DNA, and it's what brought them to West Point.
5 To our cadets. By pursuing your
6 education in the Academy's hallowed halls and
7 your accompanying commitment to protect our
8 nation and the republic we hold so dear, you've
9 become part of West Point's history. What lies
10 after is a chapter that is yet to be written for
11 our nation, one whose outcome your actions and
12 your choices will help determine.
13 My colleagues and I are honored that
14 you have joined us today. We are humbled by your
15 determination and your willingness to serve,
16 defending, protecting and uplifting our nation
17 with your dedication.
18 Thank you for the opportunity,
19 Mr. President. And of course, last but not
20 least: Go Army, beat Navy!
21 (Laughter.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
23 you, Senator Skoufis.
24 Minority Leader Ortt on the
25 resolution.
2226
1 SENATOR ORTT: Thank you,
2 Mr. President.
3 I rise to I think obviously echo the
4 comments made by my colleagues. I want to thank
5 Majority Leader Cousins for her comments;
6 certainly the sponsor for bringing this
7 resolution today.
8 West Point is a unique place because
9 it of course really belongs to all of us, every
10 American who pledges allegiance to that flag.
11 The Academy at West Point produces not just
12 soldiers, not just veterans. It produces the
13 future leaders of America. It produces the
14 future leaders of the United States Army.
15 Specifically, yes, it was the vision
16 of our first president, George Washington, who
17 not only saw the need for a professional military
18 academy, but obviously saw the strategic vantage
19 point, the strategic benefit of West Point. But
20 of course it was founded and ultimately brought
21 into reality by our third president,
22 Thomas Jefferson.
23 And it was brought into being to
24 create the leadership, the professional
25 leadership of the United States Army
2227
1 specifically, and in some ways, by extension, the
2 United States military.
3 I think it's great and very humbling
4 for us to have you here today. But I think it's
5 important that you're here because there's an
6 important role between the military and the
7 elected government in a republic, in the United
8 States of America.
9 We have a civilian-led military. In
10 spite of all the experience, certainly, of our
11 Joint Chiefs of Staff, generals in the Army,
12 generals in other branches -- in spite of that,
13 it is a civilian-led military. Our
14 Commander-in-Chief is the President of the
15 United States, and ultimately decisions regarding
16 war, funding, you know, where we're going to put
17 investment in future weapons systems, where we're
18 going to -- where you may find yourselves, those
19 are all decisions that are ultimately made by
20 people that sit in chairs like us.
21 And so it is humbling to know that
22 this generation continues to produce Americans
23 who willingly serve. You're born into, or you
24 live in, the wealthiest country in the world,
25 where there are options in front of all of you,
2228
1 certainly. You can be what you want to be. You
2 can do what you want to do. And yet you're
3 choosing to serve this country. You're choosing
4 to potentially, some of you, put yourselves
5 directly in harm's way.
6 And for that, we commend you. I am
7 always in awe of young Americans. Combat is a
8 young person's endeavor. I don't want to say
9 young person's game, because it's certainly not a
10 game. But it is a young person's exercise.
11 Having been there in combat at the ripe old age
12 of 29, I can tell you I was an old man in a lot
13 of ways over in Afghanistan. It is a young
14 person's endeavor.
15 And to have young people like
16 yourselves, who already know, who already
17 understand, who believe that there is something
18 bigger than all of you, who believe that you have
19 all these freedoms and opportunities because
20 other people came before you and sacrificed and
21 fought to make them so -- and those need to be
22 protected and safeguarded into the future.
23 Every generation needs to do its
24 part to defend liberty. Every generation needs
25 to do its part to defend our way of life, our
2229
1 values, and our interests, be they here at home
2 or abroad. And so I commend you for that.
3 But I would also say, you -- you're
4 all leaders. You're all aspiring leaders, I'll
5 put it that way. You're leaders-in-training
6 right now. You're getting a crash course in
7 leadership. I will tell you that you will find
8 out, as you go off into the world -- maybe not
9 always in the military, but certainly in the
10 civilian world, leadership is a lost art.
11 There's not enough people who actually know how
12 to lead. Everybody wants to lead, or at least a
13 lot of people want to lead. But how to lead.
14 And of course to lead, you need to be able,
15 first, to serve.
16 And that's what you're doing. And
17 that's what you're being trained, to lead under
18 fire, to lead when things are not going well.
19 But you also deserve leaders. You deserve
20 leaders on the elected side, be they in
21 Washington, D.C., or at the statehouses, who
22 understand what you're doing and who make
23 decisions in the best interest of each and every
24 one of you.
25 Leaders who do not waste your
2230
1 talents, who do not waste your service, who do
2 not waste your sacrifice. Leaders who understand
3 the impact of our decisions upon all of you and
4 your families.
5 You deserve that from us. You
6 deserve leaders who get that, who get our part in
7 that arrangement that we have that I talked
8 about, the civilian-military arrangement in this
9 country that is unique. It is unique in America,
10 and it is important that we continue to protect
11 it. But we need leaders on both sides of that
12 equation who have the same goals and have the
13 same understanding, both of history and where the
14 world is going.
15 And I hope, I hope that we continue
16 to have those leaders on the civilian side as
17 well as the military side.
18 At this time I want to ask Jake
19 Wesley, on your feet.
20 So I do not have a constituent here
21 today who is a cadet. In fact, I've been here
22 for 10 years and I've never, from the
23 62nd District -- in spite all the best parts of
24 it, we've never had a cadet from West Point here
25 on West Point Day.
2231
1 However, as was mentioned,
2 Senator Mark Walczyk from the North Country --
3 Senator Walczyk is currently deployed. He is a
4 member of the New York Army National Guard, and
5 he is deployed at this time. And as a result, he
6 is not with his wife and his children, and he is
7 not here doing the business that he was elected
8 to do. Because his service not only extends to
9 this room, but it extends to the military, to the
10 New York National Guard.
11 However, Jake Wesley is his
12 constituent, and he is here. I want to read a
13 little bit about Jake. Jake is -- his intended
14 branch is Signal. He is in Delta-1 Company. His
15 major is military history. And he belongs to the
16 Hunting Club and to company athletics. In fact,
17 he already has an associate's degree. And he
18 would like to return, possibly, to the U.S.
19 Military Academy at West Point to teach military
20 history in the future.
21 Jake, it is great to have you with
22 us, along with the rest of you cadets. I only
23 wish Senator Walczyk was here to recognize you.
24 But I am honored to be able to recognize you, on
25 behalf of him. And I thank you for your
2232
1 willingness to serve.
2 I thank all of my colleagues for
3 supporting this resolution -- Jake, you can sit
4 down now, I'm sorry.
5 (Laughter.)
6 SENATOR ORTT: But, Mr. President,
7 I want to thank all my colleagues for supporting
8 this resolution. I want to thank the cadets who
9 are here for your willingness to serve this
10 country, for your willingness to be leaders for
11 this country, not only in the U.S. Army, but
12 we're going to ask you to be leaders for the rest
13 of your lives in whatever endeavor you choose.
14 And I look forward to the fact that
15 this generation is producing such fine young men
16 and women who are here with us today.
17 Mr. President, thank you for your
18 indulgence.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
20 you, Senator Ortt.
21 It is now my honor to introduce
22 Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland, the
23 61st Superintendent of the United States
24 Military Academy at West Point.
25 Lieutenant General.
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1 WEST POINT SUPERINTENDENT GILLAND:
2 Thank you, sir, I appreciate it.
3 (Standing ovation.)
4 WEST POINT SUPERINTENDENT GILLAND:
5 Good morning. Good morning. You are all too
6 kind.
7 Leader Stewart-Cousins, Leader Ortt,
8 members of this distinguished Senate, good
9 morning and thank you so very much for having us
10 here today.
11 And on behalf of our amazing team at
12 the United States Military Academy, we thank you
13 for this recognition and the many kind words that
14 have been stated today. It is an absolute honor
15 for us to be here with you.
16 Leader Stewart-Cousins, ma'am, thank
17 you for the opportunity to address this chamber.
18 Senator Skoufis, sir, thank you for
19 the opportunity today to come up here and for
20 your hosting us.
21 And to Senator Scarcella-Spanton,
22 ma'am, thank you for you and your committee, for
23 all you do for our veterans and our
24 servicemembers in this great state.
25 I am joined today by our
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1 First Captain, Martayn Van de Wall, who sits down
2 here to my left, and these 13 cadets,
3 representing the 274 men and women of the
4 United States Corps of Cadets, who hail from all
5 corners of the Empire State -- from Brewster to
6 Buffalo, from the boroughs of New York City to
7 the towns and hamlets of the Adirondacks. One
8 thing they all have in common is their desire to
9 be of service to their nation as leaders of
10 character.
11 This year marks the 80th anniversary
12 of Operation Overlord, better known in history as
13 D-Day. In the early morning hours of June 6,
14 1944, American and allied paratroopers landed on
15 the beaches of Normandy, France, followed by tens
16 of thousands more troops in what would become the
17 largest amphibious assault in history.
18 It was a pivotal day -- to some
19 historians, referred to as the beginning of the
20 end of World War II -- a day where devotion to
21 duty and skill in battle were in no short supply.
22 Some 73,000 American troops were
23 among the 156,000-strong Allied forces that would
24 storm those beaches in northern France, to
25 include many from the great New York State.
2235
1 West Point graduates like Brooklyn-born
2 General Jumpin' Jim Gavin; Clarke Fales, from
3 Niagara County; and Frank Colacicco, of Utica --
4 fighting alongside many others, like
5 Binghamton native Frank Lillyman, the first
6 Allied paratrooper to land in France, and
7 1st Sergeant Ed Sowa, from Goshen, who gave the
8 last full measure of devotion that day as a
9 member of Rudder's Rangers at Pointe du Hac.
10 Devoted to duty, skilled in battle,
11 heroes who helped liberate Europe and end a war.
12 And while that battle raged on, on the other side
13 of the Atlantic another group of New York
14 natives -- about 37 in all -- stood in formation
15 on the Plain of West Point with more than 400 of
16 their classmates, preparing to receive their
17 diplomas, graduate, and commission as Army
18 officers -- a year early, to meet the demands of
19 the war. All of them keenly aware of the events
20 taking place half a world away. All of them
21 knowing they would soon join the fight. And all
22 of them, I am sure, wondering what duty would
23 demand of them.
24 So as we reflect on the events of
25 eight decades ago, we think of those who fought
2236
1 on D-Day, particularly the sons of the
2 Empire State. We think of those who laid down
3 their lives for the cause of freedom, and we
4 think of the countless New Yorkers in the years
5 before and the years since who donned the cloth
6 of our nation to serve, as soldiers or citizen
7 soldiers of the National Guard or the
8 Army Reserve.
9 And of course we think of our Army
10 veterans and retirees, our soldiers for life, who
11 continue to serve in various ways beyond the
12 Army. And we think of the next generation,
13 represented by these 13 outstanding young men and
14 women assembled here today, who will soon assume
15 the mantle of service and leadership as Army
16 officers, prepared to carry on the legacy of
17 excellence set by those who have come before
18 them. Leaders of character bound by a common
19 devotion to duty, a commitment to honor and a
20 desire to selflessly serve their country.
21 Our mission at the United States
22 Military Academy is to develop those leaders of
23 character for our Army and our nation, leaders
24 prepared to support and defend the Constitution
25 and to serve and protect the United States of
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1 America. That's what we owe you, the citizens of
2 our nation.
3 That mission would not be possible
4 without the tremendous support of our state
5 leaders here in Albany, as well as from our
6 neighbors throughout New York, Orange County, and
7 the Hudson Valley region.
8 So on behalf of the West Point
9 community, we greatly appreciate that support.
10 At West Point we say it takes village to develop
11 leaders. And we are honored to be part of your
12 village.
13 Likewise, as good neighbors, we
14 welcome the opportunities to be a part of your
15 village, so to speak, to connect and build
16 relationships, both locally and statewide, to
17 work together to enhance the leader development
18 experience and benefit our communities.
19 We're honored to be here, and we are
20 proud to be part of New York's legacy of service.
21 Thank you for honoring West Point and our cadets
22 today. On behalf of the United States Army, we
23 thank you for your continued help and support in
24 inspiring a renewed call to service in our young
25 people, to help them see the Army as a life
2238
1 accelerator and a place where they can be all
2 they can be.
3 Thank you for your continued
4 support. And Go, Army!
5 (Cheers, applause.)
6 (Extended standing ovation.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:
8 Lieutenant General, thank you for your speech and
9 your service.
10 Senator Scarcella-Spanton on the
11 resolution.
12 SENATOR SCARCELLA-SPANTON: Thank
13 you, Mr. President.
14 And thank you, Lieutenant General,
15 for your very inspiring words this afternoon.
16 Especially thank you to
17 Senator Skoufis, for all the work you have done
18 to ensure that our State Senate recognizes the
19 historic institution of West Point.
20 This prestigious institution has
21 produced a long line of military officers who
22 have served our nation with distinction and
23 honor. But West Point is more than just a
24 training ground for future leaders of the U.S.
25 Army. It is an institution that instills in its
2239
1 cadets a deep sense of duty, honor and country.
2 It is my privilege to recognize one
3 of West Point's most outstanding individuals from
4 my district who is with us today, Cadet Olivia
5 Raykhman.
6 Olivia's determination to serve her
7 country stems from her family's experiences in
8 the Soviet Union. Inspired by her parents'
9 harrowing escape from life-threatening
10 antisemitism in the Soviet Union and their
11 journey to establish a new life here in the
12 United States, Olivia has been driven to pursue a
13 path of service.
14 Within the corps, Olivia fulfills
15 the role of squad leader in Company H-3, and she
16 is slated to assume the position of summer leader
17 as an experienced platoon leader this upcoming
18 summer.
19 Olivia has founded and leads the
20 cadet ambassador program, holds the role of
21 assistance cadet in charge of terrorism studies,
22 serves as viewpoint at the Jewish chapel, and
23 holds the esteemed position of senior fellow at
24 the Mounger Writing Center.
25 Motivated by the threat of
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1 internet-enabled terrorism, she aspires to serve
2 as an Army cyber officer after graduation.
3 Olivia and her fellow peers at West Point
4 represent some of the most talented and dedicated
5 individuals our nation has to offer. They come
6 from all corners of the country to New York
7 State, united by a shared commitment to serving
8 their country and protecting our freedoms.
9 As we recognize West Point Day, let
10 us also recognize the sacrifices that cadets make
11 to attend this prestigious university. Each
12 cadet has answered a call to service and
13 willingly committed to risking their lives to
14 defend our liberties, a decision many would not
15 make.
16 Thank you so much to all the cadets
17 for joining us today, and especially Olivia, a
18 proud Manhattan Beach resident and current
19 West Point cadet. We are all incredibly proud of
20 you and we're happy to have you celebrating here
21 in the Capitol today.
22 Thank you.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
24 you, Senator Scarcella-Spanton.
25 Senator Skoufis.
2241
1 SENATOR SKOUFIS: Thanks very much
2 again, Mr. President.
3 I rise because I have the distinct
4 privilege of welcoming and introducing some of
5 our West Point leaders who are here, the
6 leadership team, as well as some of the support
7 personnel.
8 First and foremost, who we just
9 heard from, Lieutenant General Steven W. Gilland,
10 the 61st Superintendent at West Point, who is a
11 phenomenal leader not only for the Academy but
12 also a trusted partner in the broader community.
13 With him is Colonel Terrence M.
14 Kelley, director of public affairs and
15 communications. Welcome.
16 Lieutenant Colonel Ashley Ritchey,
17 executive officer.
18 Major Andrew S. Rodriguez, aide to
19 the Superintendent.
20 Also accompanying the Superintendent
21 is Staff Sergeant German Morales.
22 Mentioned before, and I'll mention
23 again, Cadet Martayn Van de Wall, First Captain
24 within the Corps of Cadets.
25 Then our support personnel who are
2242
1 here: Major David Reyes, the chaplain, who
2 opened up today's session. Thank you for your
3 words before.
4 Mr. Jim Fox, USMA Public Affairs
5 Office, community engagement.
6 Mr. Matthew Hintz, USMA public
7 affairs office, community engagement. And
8 special thanks to him for being a point person on
9 coordinating today's events.
10 And Mr. Jorge Garcia, USMA Public
11 Affairs Office, command information, who's
12 helping with some of the media from West Point
13 today.
14 And last but not least, just a few
15 thanks. First and foremost, to our
16 Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for
17 always making today possible and the time
18 possible for today amidst a very busy time of
19 year.
20 Senator and Chair Jessica
21 Scarcella-Spanton, who we just heard from.
22 The entire floor team, as well as
23 Jordine Jones and the Senate Services Team; Shane
24 Jones, Senate Events Team; certainly Ale Paulino,
25 Secretary of the Senate.
2243
1 And last but certainly not least, my
2 entire staff, and particularly Nicole Clarke.
3 There's a lot that goes into today's events, and
4 I want to thank everyone who helped put this on,
5 and certainly welcome everyone who's here from
6 West Point.
7 Thank you, Mr. President.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
9 you, Senator Skoufis.
10 Senator Palumbo on the resolution.
11 SENATOR PALUMBO: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 I rise today to speak on the
14 resolution, to thank the superintendent, all the
15 senior officers, and of course our cadets, all of
16 you as a whole, for your tremendous service to
17 our communities, this great state, and of course
18 this great nation.
19 And I've had, I think, in my
20 11 years in the Legislature, I've only had one
21 cadet. And today I have two, from both ends of
22 Senate District 1.
23 I'm going to start with Cadet
24 Edmundo Porras. Edmundo, please rise.
25 Edmundo's from Coram. He's assigned
2244
1 to Company B-4. He intends to branch out into
2 the Air Defense Artillery. He's studying
3 kinesiology. His clubs and sports are combatives
4 and paint ball. He's air assault qualified. So
5 he of course chooses to jump out of perfectly
6 well-working helicopters. We appreciate that.
7 And he was inspired to serve because his father's
8 service in the Army was as an enlisted soldier,
9 and this is his opportunity to give back to this
10 country.
11 Upon graduating from West Point,
12 Edmundo plans on attending Baylor Physical
13 Therapy Program, and until then he plans on
14 serving in the Air Defense Artillery Corps and
15 traveling.
16 So, Edmundo, thank you so much for
17 your service. And welcome, my friend.
18 I also have Cadet Clare Gabriele,
19 who's a team leader. Clare, please rise.
20 Clare's from Southampton, New York, on the other
21 end of the district, the eastern end. She's
22 assigned to Company Bravo-1. She intends to
23 branch into the Medical Service Corps. She's
24 studying law and legal studies. So we always
25 need more lawyers -- I'm one myself, Clare. So
2245
1 keep up the good work.
2 She participates in company
3 athletics. She plans on attending air assault
4 this summer, so she too wants to jump out of
5 perfectly good-working helicopters.
6 Her father is a grad of West Point,
7 1988. And her brother, as well, graduated last
8 year. Is that correct, Clare? So this is a long
9 family legacy of service. Both of her parents
10 serve the community in the field of
11 law enforcement. And she's grateful for the
12 opportunity, of course, to give back.
13 And when she graduates from
14 West Point, she plans to branch into the
15 Medical Service Corps and hopes to be able to
16 travel to interesting places throughout her time
17 in the Army.
18 So Clare, thank you as well for your
19 service. It's great to have you here.
20 And, Mr. President, to all of our
21 other cadets and members here from West Point, we
22 just thank you profusely. Without being too
23 repetitive -- but it bears repeating -- without
24 you, I can't stand here on this floor and say,
25 within reason, just about whatever I want to say.
2246
1 (Laughter.)
2 SENATOR PALUMBO: So this country
3 is what it is because of our military.
4 So thank you, Mr. President.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
6 you, Senator Palumbo.
7 Senator Stavisky on the resolution.
8 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 And thank you to all those who have
11 been mentioned.
12 I'm delighted to welcome a
13 constituent, Cadet Chen, Tracy Chen. She has a
14 twin sister who's in the corps. She's attending
15 classes today. So that must be a remarkable
16 family for parents who came to this country, who
17 instilled in their children the idea of service,
18 of patriotism, of love of country.
19 And the -- we're really honoring the
20 two Chen sisters for their commitment to service,
21 their commitment to helping others. And Tracy
22 hopes to join the Air Corps and become a pilot.
23 So to all of the cadets, you are
24 receiving a wonderful education. And I say that
25 as chairperson of the Senate Committee on
2247
1 Higher Education. However, we have no
2 jurisdiction over you.
3 So the federal government has to
4 continue to provide the funds to make the
5 West Point cadets and the other service academies
6 continue the excellence that we have here in
7 New York State in our higher education system.
8 And again, we welcome you and we
9 thank you -- not for what you've done, but what
10 you're going to be doing in the future.
11 Thank you, Mr. President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
13 you, Senator Stavisky.
14 Senator Rhoads on the resolution.
15 SENATOR RHOADS: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 You know, I've had the honor of
18 being in this chamber for about 16 months at this
19 point. And there are plenty of good days here,
20 but the one date, every time we get the calendar,
21 that you sort of circle is the day that we have
22 the opportunity to honor West Point and have you
23 here, in our chamber, to give you thanks for
24 everything you do for our country.
25 And it's a great reminder to every
2248
1 one of us to count our blessings. Because every
2 single -- throughout our history, from the Battle
3 of Lexington and Concord and to dozens of places
4 across the world today, every generation has
5 produced men and women of courage and character
6 who have agreed to wear the uniform and serve in
7 defense of freedom, both here at home and across
8 the world.
9 And what we have in you today is a
10 representation of that amazing tradition in this
11 generation of Americans. Young men and women who
12 are willing to step forward, not only to serve
13 our country but to be leaders of the most elite
14 military force that exists in the world today.
15 And that is what you represent, as being
16 West Point cadets.
17 And so it's a tremendous honor not
18 only for me, but for all of us, to welcome you
19 here, to thank you for your passion and your
20 dedication and your commitment to our country, to
21 its founding ideals, and to preserving that for
22 future generations.
23 And of course the leadership at
24 West Point, thank you for everything that you do,
25 not only in your own service, but to mold these
2249
1 future leaders as you are displaying incredible
2 leadership yourselves. Thank you.
3 And I want to now -- with apologies
4 to Leader Ortt, who's apparently had no cadets in
5 10 years, so I'm two for two. So I'm pretty
6 excited about that. And I want to recognize a
7 cadet from my hometown in Wantagh, Carly Woelfel.
8 And Carly, if you'll please stand.
9 Carly is an amazing representation
10 of what it means to serve. And she talks about
11 her passions. She has a passion for engineering,
12 she has a passion for loving life which brought
13 her to West Point. But she has a passion for
14 serving her country, which is a passion I think
15 that is shared by every one of the cadets that is
16 sitting here today as representatives of the
17 200-some-odd cadets that we have over in
18 West Point.
19 She's a local runner. She is an
20 engineer for the Steel Bridge Competition Team,
21 an avid reader. And while away, she frequents
22 Jones Beach, I'm sure, which is right in our
23 hometown of Wantagh, cooks and gardens with
24 family.
25 She is a major in mechanical
2250
1 engineering, and upon her graduation from
2 West Point she plans to be an engineer at
3 Fort Lewis in Washington. But she also wants to
4 go on to attend graduate school for engineering
5 work as a bridge engineer and wants to teach at
6 the high school level. And ultimately would love
7 to be a New York State park ranger, which I'm
8 sure some of us in this chamber might be able to
9 help her with, no question about it.
10 But to Carly and to all of our
11 cadets, thank you. Thank you for being here.
12 Thank you for reminding us of our responsibility
13 in this partnership. As you agree to go and
14 serve and defend freedom, it's our responsibility
15 in this chamber to take the freedom that you've
16 secured for all of us and make sure that we're
17 promoting issues and causes that keep our
18 communities safer, that keep our communities more
19 prosperous, and that keep our communities free.
20 So thank you for reminding us of our
21 responsibilities as we celebrate you as you
22 undertake the responsibilities that you've
23 undertaken as being cadets at West Point.
24 God bless each of you. Thank you
25 for your service. And God bless America.
2251
1 I proudly vote aye on this
2 resolution.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
4 you, Senator Rhoads.
5 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
7 Mr. President.
8 Among all the well-deserved thanks
9 and gratitude we've been expressing today were
10 the leaders of West Point who have joined us.
11 But we neglected to recognize Seth Gianessi,
12 who's also with us. He is the company tactical
13 officer for Company A-4. And so we certainly
14 don't want to leave any of the brave men and
15 women who have joined us today to go
16 unrecognized.
17 So thank you, Mr. Gianessi, as well.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
19 you, Senator Gianaris.
20 Senator Tedisco on the resolution.
21 SENATOR TEDISCO: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 As we thank and welcome all of our
24 cadets and show our appreciation for your service
25 to this great nation, it's my special honor to
2252
1 welcome, from the 44th Senate District, Cadet
2 Micaela Choi, of Burnt Hills.
3 Cadet Choi is majoring in systems
4 engineering at West Point. She is the Officers'
5 Christian Fellowship Worship Leader, a member of
6 the Army Tae Kwon Do Club, and Club Beyond Young
7 Life Leader.
8 As a child of two West Point
9 graduates, Cadet Choi was able to see firsthand
10 the type of outstanding individuals the Army and
11 especially West Point produces. Cadet Choi wants
12 nothing more than to be more like the caring
13 leaders of character that her parents were and
14 are.
15 This, paired with Cadet Choi's
16 desire to serve our country in a serious time of
17 need, greatly influenced her decision to go to
18 the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
19 So we welcome you. We show our
20 appreciation. And we thank you for being a part
21 of the best, the brightest, most courageous and
22 compassionate fighting force for good in the
23 whole world, the men and women of the
24 United States Armed Forces.
25 God bless you, and thank you.
2253
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
2 Weber on the resolution.
3 SENATOR WEBER: Thank you,
4 Mr. President.
5 I want to thank the sponsor for
6 continuing this great tradition of West Point Day
7 here in the Senate chamber. And thank you to
8 Leader Cousins for really continuing this great
9 tradition. It's something that I know my
10 colleagues here have said earlier: It's one of
11 the best days of the session days. So I thank
12 you for continuing that tradition.
13 And to all the leadership at
14 West Point, thank you, thank you, thank you, for
15 everything that you do for keeping us, our
16 nation, safe.
17 You know, the one thing I noticed
18 when speaking to some of the cadets is not only
19 how old I feel, but how young they are. And I
20 think that's a great reminder for not only
21 presidents now, but future presidents. That the
22 people that go off to war, the soldiers that go
23 off to war are usually the younger generation,
24 young kids, as I call them. And it should be a
25 reminder that, you know, we always need to make
2254
1 sure that that's in the back of our minds when
2 that time calls.
3 You know, the 38th District in
4 Rockland County is lucky enough to have two
5 cadets here today. So the first cadet is Ella
6 St. Louis. Would you rise?
7 Ella is a Clarkstown South
8 graduate -- right? Clarkstown South graduate.
9 She's from Company G-3, and she's from New City,
10 New York.
11 You know, I got a chance to talk to
12 her earlier, and she has a brother, right, a
13 brother that was a graduate of West Point as
14 well. She's in her freshman year. She's in
15 Company G-3. And when she's done, when she
16 graduates, she wants to go into computer science.
17 But before then, she wants to go and be stationed
18 in Okinawa, which is exciting.
19 So congratulations. And thank you.
20 Thank you for doing what your generation has
21 always done, and that's stepped up and be the
22 next future leaders in our country. So thank you
23 for being here today.
24 The other cadet we have here today
25 is Christina Vozzo. Christina, stand, please?
2255
1 Christina's from Valley Cottage,
2 New York, a graduate of Nyack High School. She's
3 in Company F-4. And again, she comes from a line
4 of West Point graduates. Her father graduated
5 from West Point in 1974.
6 And she wants to be a PA, get a PA
7 after she graduates, but also wants to serve and
8 be stationed in Fort Drum. And I know that's
9 exciting. I know we had Fort Drum Day here I
10 think last year sometime, and we recognized a lot
11 of the soldiers and institution there as well.
12 So, listen, our country is in great
13 hands with not only yourself, your colleagues,
14 but all of the cadets here. We thank you for
15 your service. We thank you for being the future
16 leaders of this country.
17 And I vote, proudly vote aye on this
18 resolution today. Thank you.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
20 Harckham on the resolution.
21 SENATOR HARCKHAM: Thank you very
22 much, Mr. President.
23 First I want to thank
24 Senator Skoufis for the resolution; the
25 Majority Leader -- Madam Leader, thank you for
2256
1 keeping this tradition alive. The
2 Minority Leader, thank you for your comments
3 every year as well.
4 I grew up in -- just a couple of
5 miles away from West Point as a young person.
6 And so West Point had an outsized influence in my
7 life. My father served in combat in France and
8 Germany in World War II, and he was an enlistee.
9 And he said there was always a marked difference
10 between the officers who are from West Point
11 versus the other commissioned officers who are
12 not from West Point.
13 And so, you know, I hope you take
14 that responsibility with you, that you will be
15 recognized for your leadership, but also there's
16 a higher bar for you to live up to.
17 But growing up near West Point as a
18 youth, West Point to me was football games, it
19 was the parade of the cadets, it was the museum,
20 it was the history, it was the monuments. And it
21 wasn't until later in life that I got to
22 appreciate the leadership.
23 And we want to thank all of you who
24 are charged with shaping leaders, and those of
25 you who have chosen this pathway and this life.
2257
1 And while I don't have cadets here, I had the
2 chance to meet Ella and Christina, coincidentally
3 from where I grew up and where my grandparents
4 lived in Rockland County.
5 And the point I want to make is that
6 we are in a very cynical world, a very cynical
7 political climate. And too often I've been to
8 events where there's some old grouch, you know,
9 lamenting the state of youth of today.
10 You know, shut up. Enough. I look
11 at you and your commitment to this country, to
12 our ideals, to our values, and I am really
13 confident we're in a good place.
14 Thank you. God bless you.
15 (Laughter.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
17 you, Senator Harckham.
18 Senator Weik on the resolution.
19 SENATOR WEIK: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I am so grateful to have the guests
22 that we have here today. Thank you to the
23 superintendent and the leadership from West
24 Point.
25 West Point is such a respectable,
2258
1 honorable institution. And I'd like to say that
2 point I have a cadet here today who's not the
3 first that I've represented. And Long Island has
4 a strong representation in West Point, and we're
5 very proud of that.
6 I have the great honor today to
7 recognize Cadet Navroop Singh. Excuse me, I'm
8 sorry. Thank you so much.
9 Cadet Singh is a mechanical
10 engineering student. He's a member of the
11 Finance Club. And Cadet Singh and I got to chat.
12 He's also a participant in the Ski Patrol, and
13 that has allowed him the opportunity to travel
14 and experience a lot of new and different
15 opportunities.
16 And he was talking so much about
17 what a great institution West Point is, and what
18 it serves to really create the opportunities that
19 well-rounded individuals who will become the
20 leaders of our nation have. And so we thank you
21 for that opportunity to create and to really form
22 and mold our young generation.
23 Cadet Singh was inspired by family
24 who also served in the military. He wanted to be
25 part of something bigger than himself and to push
2259
1 beyond the limits of what you think you can do.
2 And that's a great thing that he put out there,
3 because individuals who aspire to be leaders are
4 what we need for today.
5 And having children the same age, I
6 have to say I'm so proud of you. As we chatted,
7 he is a bright, intelligent, articulate
8 individual who is respectful and definitely the
9 makings of a leadership for the future. So I
10 thank you so much.
11 God bless all of you. Thank you.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
13 you, Senator Weik.
14 Senator Martins on the resolution.
15 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 I too rise to salute the Academy, to
18 thank the leadership for being here today and to
19 provide the guidance forward for our cadets as we
20 continue the great tradition of honor, duty and
21 country that has been the hallmark of the
22 Military Academy for all these years.
23 Mr. President, this is one of the
24 highlights of the year where we actually get to
25 look at the future leadership of our country and
2260
1 of our state and agree, both sides of the aisle,
2 to a person, that the future indeed looks bright.
3 We have men and women who frankly
4 could have gone anywhere for college, sought all
5 kinds of opportunities in the world -- and sought
6 service as the primary focus for their academic
7 years, and continued service to country and to
8 family and to community as they go forward.
9 So I rise to salute the institution.
10 I rise to salute the Senate's continued
11 commitment to West Point Day and to maintaining
12 that relationship between this great institution
13 and our service academy.
14 I too have the privilege of having
15 two members and two cadets here today from the
16 7th Senate District in Nassau County on
17 Long Island. It really is a privilege to have
18 spent a few moments speaking to both of them
19 earlier today.
20 But the focus of these young adults,
21 the commitment to accountability -- I guarantee
22 you that they don't miss appointments. I
23 guarantee that they don't show up late to things.
24 And I guarantee you if there is something on
25 their schedule that they have to get done by a
2261
1 certain date, they don't miss that date.
2 Mr. President, I guarantee you that
3 our future is indeed bright, and I want to take a
4 moment to highlight the two cadets who are here
5 from my district.
6 First I'd like to ask Cadet Jacob
7 Crossman if he would stand for a moment.
8 Cadet Crossman is a team leader as
9 well. He is in Echo-3 Company, and he hails from
10 Jericho, New York, having attended and graduated
11 from Jericho High School.
12 He participates in Future Applied
13 Systems Team and Society of American military
14 engineers. He's also on the company soccer and
15 grappling team. So he is a well-rounded
16 individual, as we would expect from anyone who
17 graduated from Jericho High School.
18 He was inspired to serve his country
19 in part because of some interactions with
20 Navy SEALS and his work with the Naval Sea Cadet
21 Corps.
22 He's passionate about his work in
23 Future Applied System, where he develops tactics
24 and implements drones in infantry operations.
25 Mr. President, as a young adult he
2262
1 sees the opportunity not only to participate but
2 to excel and to contribute, which is what we
3 would expect from anyone, and takes great pride
4 in that.
5 He is the co-cadet in charge of the
6 Society of American Military Engineers, where he
7 connects cadets to local engineering
8 opportunities. And he's a Stokes Fellow in the
9 Mounger Writing Center.
10 Upon graduating from West Point, he
11 wants to continue in service. He wishes to be
12 assigned to the 11th Cyber Battalion in
13 Fort Eisenhower in Georgia -- we wish you would
14 stay in New York, but we do admire your
15 commitment to service in this country and
16 certainly understanding where your talents lie --
17 and hopes to pursue a path in Army Acquisitions,
18 where he will develop the technology that equips
19 soldiers for future battlefields in the hopes of
20 keeping them safe so that they can come home
21 safely.
22 We salute you, Cadet Crossman, and
23 thank you very much for being here.
24 Mr. President, I also have the
25 privilege of introducing Cadet Daniel Chan.
2263
1 Cadet Chan also hails from the 7th Senate
2 District. He's a graduate of Syosset High
3 School, and he is a member of Foxtrot-1 Company.
4 He intends to pursue I guess service
5 in the Medical Corps. He hopes to be a doctor,
6 an orthopedic surgeon. He has participated in
7 Premed Society, Domestic Affairs Forum, and
8 tutors as well as participating in the club flag
9 football program.
10 He's always wanted to serve his
11 country, and so this is just one step along the
12 way. Cadet Chan is passionate about his service.
13 He is currently the cadet in charge of CH-101
14 tutoring and involved in research about
15 bio-bandages through a cadet-run group.
16 He hopes to be assigned to the
17 Medical Corps and continue his service to the
18 country. Again, nothing new for a graduate of
19 Syosset High School and a great member of our
20 community.
21 Cadet Chan, thank you very much for
22 being here. Congratulations. And thank you for
23 your service.
24 Mr. President, I'll just wrap up by
25 saying we have hope in this great state when we
2264
1 look at the cadets here, the service that they
2 have committed to, and the leadership that they
3 bring. And we look at the leadership here on the
4 other side of the chamber, inspired to provide
5 those cadets with the guidance and structure that
6 they need.
7 As long as we have a commitment in
8 our country and in this state to this military
9 academy and to the best and the brightest
10 continuing to serve, continuing to serve, we
11 indeed have a bright future.
12 I'm proud to vote aye.
13 Thank you, Mr. President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
15 you, Senator Martins.
16 Senator Mattera on the resolution.
17 SENATOR MATTERA: Thank you,
18 Mr. President.
19 And thank you to
20 Leader Stewart-Cousins for this very, very
21 important resolution. I thank you. This is my
22 fourth year, and this is just so, so important.
23 And to thank Lieutenant General
24 Gilland and all officers. We had such a great
25 conversation before. It was an inspiration to me
2265
1 as being a leader. You know, getting into the
2 apprenticeship program, we were having the
3 discussion that we had the Helmets to Hard Hats
4 program with the United Association of Plumbers
5 and Pipefitters.
6 And I was explaining to the
7 Lieutenant General that, in other words, the
8 cadets -- I know they're going through a lot
9 right now. And when they do become veterans,
10 that I would love, if they wanted to get into the
11 trades with the Helmets to Hard Hats program, we
12 have that with the building trades. So we're
13 here.
14 But this is to all of our cadets,
15 all the cadets, to say thank you. You are the
16 elite. You are the elite for the future, to
17 protect our country from harm's way.
18 You know, the commitment to serve is
19 unprecedented in all ways. So if we did have any
20 kind of, God forbid, a conflict, I know you'd be
21 there to protect all Americans.
22 You know, we have a lot of leaders
23 in this room, we have a lot of military people
24 that I'm so proud to be in this chamber with that
25 are Senators, and how important it is. And
2266
1 that's where I love to see more military people
2 to come into this chamber for the future.
3 You know, just like our leader
4 Rob Ortt, Senator Ortt, he is our leader. There
5 he is. He's a 1st Lieutenant with the Army. He
6 is a Bronze Star recipient. And you know what,
7 never really talks about it. But it means a lot
8 to me as a leader for what he has done for our
9 country.
10 And I'm hearing the story with our
11 leader when those towers went down, he went right
12 away after college and he went and enlisted for
13 our country. And I just know what all our
14 military does for us to protect us from harm's
15 way. And I am dedicated, and all of us in this
16 chamber.
17 So I'm not going to continue because
18 I like to run on. But I'm just so proud to be
19 here today. I'm proud of West Point Day. Again
20 to our Leader Stewart-Cousins, thank you very
21 much.
22 So I just want to say God bless our
23 military. God bless all of our cadets. And
24 especially God bless the United States of
25 America.
2267
1 Thank you.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
3 Ashby on the resolution.
4 SENATOR ASHBY: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 Unfortunately I do not have a cadet
7 here today, but I do want to thank the leadership
8 and all that they do each and every day.
9 And I did want to highlight one
10 cadet here today who has been mentioned already,
11 from Senator Stavisky's district, Cadet Chen. We
12 may know in this chamber that you need a
13 congressional nomination in order to go to
14 West Point, but there is another way to do this.
15 You can also apply and go through as an enlisted
16 member. And this is what Cadet Chen has done.
17 And in my limited time in the
18 United States Army, I -- I would not be here with
19 you today, I probably would not be alive without
20 the help of enlisted members and NCOs.
21 It's a harder way to do it, but the
22 knowledge and the leadership that they display
23 each and every day benefits our officer corps,
24 benefits it in a way that I think -- it's not
25 directly applicable, but you think about what the
2268
1 staff provide here? You think about how
2 influential that can be. Magnify that times 100,
3 and that's what our enlisted and our NCO corps
4 does for our officers.
5 So Cadet Chen, I want to thank you
6 for your decision to serve twice -- as an
7 enlisted member, and now in the officer corps --
8 that no doubt will have an incredible benefit on
9 the United States Army and the leadership of our
10 country in the future.
11 Thank you, Mr. President.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
13 you, Senator Ashby.
14 Senator Breslin to close.
15 SENATOR BRESLIN: Thank you,
16 Mr. President.
17 As I sit here for a long period of
18 time, and I've served here for many, many years,
19 I've concluded that we look at you, and you --
20 you're looking up to us as Senators. The fact is
21 that we're intimidated by you.
22 (Laughter.)
23 SENATOR BRESLIN: We respect you to
24 a degree that you can't imagine. You are doing
25 what many of us dreamt about doing, and you are
2269
1 achieving goals that many of us failed to
2 conclude.
3 And as I look at you and chat with
4 you, I'm so impressed with the quality of the
5 continued leadership brought on by our leaders
6 from West Point.
7 And I think about when I was growing
8 up and spending my freshman year in high school,
9 I had a brother who was a senior in high school,
10 who was president of his class, and he was I
11 think number one academically, was voted the
12 outstanding football player in the area,
13 basketball player and baseball player. And where
14 did he end up? West Point. To the total delight
15 of my parents. I did not.
16 And my brother ended up staying in
17 service, being a company commander with the
18 82nd Airborne in Vietnam. Ending up as a
19 27-year-old major with a number of medals coming
20 back from Vietnam, and then going on to teach
21 counterinsurgency at the College of the Americas.
22 Counterinsurgency -- I think that's a warm way of
23 saying teaching them to be as violent as they're
24 being violent to us.
25 But each year I look forward to this
2270
1 date because I meet so many future leaders of our
2 country, and I go home smiling. I go home
3 saying, Don't believe what you see on the news,
4 believe what you see with your own eyes. See
5 those leaders who will make a difference and will
6 lead this country the way it should be led.
7 And I'm blessed to be here with you
8 and your officers to celebrate West Point Day.
9 And in particular, I'm here to finally celebrate
10 somebody from Albany, the Gateway to the West,
11 the lawmaker, the Empire State. And that's
12 Daniel Pollydore.
13 Daniel, will you stand up?
14 Daniel is a graduate of Albany High
15 here in Albany. We visited together a couple of
16 years back, and I hope we continue to visit in
17 the future. Daniel wants to be in ordinance.
18 He'd like to end up Korea after. But he was
19 fortunate enough to already spend a semester in
20 France. Which is different than a lot of the
21 officers who'd remember the academic -- the
22 academics that you learned 40 years ago. They
23 didn't include trips to other countries to study.
24 And Daniel has done an amazing job
25 at West Point. You'll continue to do that. I
2271
1 look forward to having a relationship with you
2 when you're back in the Albany area.
3 And you are a credit to Albany, the
4 State of New York, and to our country.
5 God bless each and every one of you.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
7 you, Senator Breslin.
8 To our incredible, brave,
9 hope-providing leaders now and future leaders,
10 our guests, I welcome you on behalf of the
11 Senate. We extend to you all of the privileges
12 and courtesies of this house.
13 Please rise and be recognized.
14 (Lengthy standing ovation.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
16 resolution was adopted on March 19th.
17 Senator Gianaris.
18 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
19 let me remind our colleagues that there will be a
20 reception in honor of our guests from West Point
21 at 1:00 p.m. And be mindful, it has been
22 relocated from last year to the fourth floor of
23 the Capitol, just upstairs from the chamber.
24 And with that, this resolution is
25 open for cosponsorship, Mr. President.
2272
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There
2 will be a reception in honor of our guests from
3 West Point upstairs on the fourth floor at
4 1:00 p.m.
5 The resolution is open for
6 cosponsorship.
7 Senator Gianaris.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this point
9 we're going to continue with motions and
10 resolutions. But I want to simultaneously call
11 an immediate meeting of the Finance Committee in
12 Room 124 of the Capitol.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There
14 will be an immediate meeting of the Finance
15 Committee in Room 124 in the Capitol.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
18 Senator Serrano, I wish to call up Senate Bill
19 724, recalled from the Assembly, which is now at
20 the desk.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
22 Secretary will read.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 336, Senate Print 724, by Senator Serrano, an act
25 to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.
2273
1 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to
2 reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
4 Secretary will call the roll on reconsideration.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
8 is restored to its place on the Third Reading
9 Calendar.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: I offer the
11 following amendments.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
13 amendments are received.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: Moving on, I
15 move to adopt the Resolution Calendar, with the
16 exception of Resolution 2211.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: All those
18 in favor of adopting the Resolution Calendar,
19 with the exception of Resolution 2211, please
20 signify by saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
23 nay.
24 (No response.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
2274
1 Resolution Calendar is adopted.
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now let's take
4 up Resolution 2211, by Senator Webb, read its
5 title and recognize Senator Webb to speak on the
6 resolution.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
8 Secretary will read.
9 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 2211, by
10 Senator Webb, commending Delta Sigma Theta
11 Sorority, Inc., upon the occasion of its
12 Annual Delta Day at the Capitol in Albany,
13 New York, on April 9, 2024.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
15 Webb on the resolution.
16 SENATOR WEBB: Thank you,
17 Madam President.
18 I proudly rise today to support this
19 resolution proclaiming April 9, 2024, as Annual
20 Delta Day in the State of New York.
21 This declaration is a testament to
22 our collective recognition and appreciation of
23 the impactful work carried out by Delta Sigma
24 Theta Sorority, Inc., an organization that has
25 been at the forefront of social change,
2275
1 education, and community service for over
2 111 years, of which I am a proud member of, and
3 the first New York State Senator who is a member
4 of this prestigious organization, along with my
5 colleagues in the Assembly, Assemblymember
6 Rodneyse Bichotte-Hermelyn and of course
7 Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, who's here with us
8 today in the chamber.
9 Founded in 1913 by 22 visionary
10 women on the campus of Howard University,
11 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., has committed
12 itself to promoting academic excellence,
13 providing scholarships, supporting the
14 underserved, and actively participating in the
15 establishment of positive public policy.
16 Their relentless dedication to
17 educating and promoting participation in our
18 democracy and addressing community issues through
19 thoughtful solutions has been instrumental in
20 fostering social change.
21 The annual Delta Days, established
22 by the National Social Action Commission in 1989,
23 symbolizes the sorority's proactive engagement in
24 the national public policy-making process. It is
25 a time when members from across this great state
2276
1 gather at our State Capitol, underscoring the
2 significance of collective action and civic
3 engagement in advancing the well-being of our
4 communities.
5 With over 350,000 members worldwide,
6 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., implements its
7 mission through a five-point programmatic thrust
8 addressing economic development, educational
9 development, international awareness and
10 involvement, physical and mental health, and
11 political awareness and involvement. The impact
12 of these initiatives is a testament to the power
13 of unity and dedication in creating sustainable
14 change.
15 One of the first public acts of
16 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was marching in
17 the women's suffrage march in Washington, D.C.,
18 on March 3, 1913 -- keeping in mind that this was
19 during a time of significant racial segregation
20 and injustice.
21 The legacy of the sorority is also
22 marked by distinguished leaders, including
23 Dorothy Height, who was a beacon of civil rights
24 whose leadership and advocacy have paved the way
25 for future generations.
2277
1 I am continually inspired by the
2 examples of these dynamic women and its countless
3 members, including notable New Yorkers like the
4 late great United States Representative Shirley
5 Chisholm, who was the founding member of the
6 Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus;
7 also, former New York State Assembly Deputy
8 Speaker Earlene Hooper; former New York State
9 Assemblywoman Annette Robinson; former New York
10 State Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright; and former
11 Queens Borough President Helen M. Marshall.
12 These women, and countless others, have used
13 their voices and platforms to advocate for
14 justice and equality.
15 Celebrating Annual Delta Days at the
16 Capitol is not only a recognition of the
17 sorority's past and most certainly present
18 achievements, but also a commitment to its future
19 endeavors. It reaffirms our dedication to the
20 principles of service, leadership and advocacy
21 that Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., embodies.
22 This resolution acknowledges the
23 vital role that the sorority plays in fostering
24 community well-being, advocating for social
25 justice, and empowering individuals to lead and
2278
1 serve.
2 And in closing, as a member of Delta
3 Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., I am reminded of the
4 strength that is found in our collective efforts
5 and enduring impact of our work. Together we
6 continue to strive towards a more equitable,
7 justice and compassionate society.
8 I am profoundly grateful to my
9 Senate colleagues for their support of this
10 resolution. I also want to thank our New York
11 State Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Social
12 Action Coordinators Donna and Michelle for your
13 continued service to Delta and, of course,
14 New York State.
15 Madam President, I proudly vote aye,
16 and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
17 Thank you.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
19 Senator Webb.
20 Leader Stewart-Cousins on the
21 resolution.
22 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: Thank
23 you, Madam President.
24 And I just want to thank you,
25 Senator Webb, for bringing this annual resolution
2279
1 forward and certainly for representing the Deltas
2 so well.
3 And I also want to acknowledge my
4 friend Assemblywoman Hyndman, who also is proudly
5 representing the Deltas, and send my regards also
6 to Rodneyse.
7 But (waving to gallery) you know I
8 had to do that because I missed you all this
9 morning. Hey! But I didn't want to miss saying
10 hello to you today.
11 And obviously this is a very special
12 day because it's West Point Day. But, you know,
13 when we think about service and really applauding
14 service and selflessness, we have to acknowledge
15 that there are sororities such as the Delta that
16 have -- Deltas have spent over a hundred years
17 doing service for our communities.
18 Senator Webb talked about the
19 principles that inspire you to do the work. But
20 I want to stand as somebody who has had the
21 opportunity to work with you and to be part of
22 your constant push towards education and
23 involvement. You're reminding people that it is
24 okay to ask questions about how to get involved,
25 because you set such a high example of how this
2280
1 happens -- with dignity, with integrity, with
2 intelligence, and with the eye towards just
3 making sure that the legacy of those great women
4 who came before you are being fulfilled every
5 day.
6 In February, I was able to join you
7 here in the Capitol where there was a huge
8 symposium on maternal health. The questions that
9 were asked, the answers that came forward, the
10 stories that were told -- our conference room was
11 converted into a place where hundreds of women --
12 well, you know, I don't want to act like we broke
13 any fire rules or anything. Maybe not hundreds.
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: But it
16 felt like hundreds of women and men who were
17 there taking part in this very, very educational
18 forum about maternal health with top-level, you
19 know, experts in the field.
20 And then in March I was able to join
21 you, the Westchester Alumnae Chapter -- yay, I
22 know -- as part of a panel: "Unbossed,
23 Unbought." And even in that, it's the political
24 ramifications of your involvement and how do you
25 really make sure that, again, the legacy and the
2281
1 service of the Deltas is transforming us all
2 today.
3 And as I told them, since the first
4 act that the Deltas really did officially was to,
5 you know, work towards women's suffrage, that
6 they understand the power of the vote. And that
7 power is as powerful today as it has ever been,
8 and it is important today that we remember it is
9 because of that power that people like me, and
10 certainly my colleagues here, are able to sit
11 here in service.
12 So again, welcome to the Capitol for
13 Delta Days, and thank you so much for all that
14 you do.
15 And thank you, Senator Webb, for
16 bringing this resolution.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
18 Leader Stewart-Cousins.
19 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
20 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
21 Madam President.
22 You may be wondering, why am I in
23 this seat.
24 (Laughter.)
25 SENATOR BAILEY: Why is my mic not
2282
1 on? Because even the camera person is not used
2 to me being in this seat.
3 But if I gave the Deltas my back --
4 my seat is right there -- I would never hear the
5 end of it.
6 But you know who always has our
7 back? Delta Sigma Theta. Even though they may
8 not tell me when it's Delta Day and I wear the
9 wrong color.
10 (Laughter.)
11 SENATOR BAILEY: But those of you
12 from my district, you know that's something -- if
13 the AKA is doing something, I'm wearing red. If
14 it's Delta Day, I'm wearing blue.
15 But the Deltas are incredibly
16 amazing and powerful, not just in my district but
17 well beyond. Senator Webb is the first member of
18 DST to be a Senator. So like the old Apple
19 commercial said that there's an app for that;
20 well, there's a Delta for that. If you want a
21 Senator, there's a Lea for that. If you want an
22 Assemblymember, there's an Alicia for that. If
23 you want a City Councilmember, there's a Lisa for
24 that. If you want a mayor, there's a Shawyn for
25 that.
2283
1 And if you want a member who is
2 civically engaged, if you want someone who stands
3 up for their community, if you want someone who
4 gives a damn when it's not just election time but
5 every time, there's a Delta for that.
6 As you know, I like to joke about
7 it, I like to joke about me being a member of
8 WDP, We Didn't Pledge, Inc.
9 (Laughter.)
10 SENATOR BAILEY: But you should
11 know that the cofounder of WDP, my friend Joy
12 Knight, is now a Delta.
13 (Laughter.)
14 SENATOR BAILEY: So I just really
15 want to thank the members of Delta Sigma Theta
16 and all the members of the Divine Nine for all of
17 the great work that you do in our communities to
18 uphold what we do in this chamber. It truly is
19 an honor and a blessing to be able to work with
20 you on so many issues of importance -- maternal
21 health. You also stand with the fellas as well.
22 When there's a fatherhood event, the Deltas are
23 there.
24 And I want us to make sure that we
25 understand and appreciate, our sisters, the work
2284
1 that you do for us and the work that you do in
2 all of our communities throughout -- not just
3 throughout New York State, but through the entire
4 country and anywhere where a Delta may be.
5 Thank you, Senator Webb, for this
6 resolution, and I proudly vote aye.
7 And I thank you, and I apologize for
8 throwing up the Rockefeller sign when I was in
9 college. I didn't know any better. I should
10 have known better.
11 (Laughter.)
12 SENATOR BAILEY: I vote aye,
13 Madam President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
15 Senator Bailey.
16 Senator May on the resolution.
17 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
18 Madam President.
19 And I also want to thank
20 Senator Webb for this resolution, and the
21 Majority Leader for supporting it.
22 Because I would be lost without the
23 wisdom and the dedication and the incredible hard
24 work of my constituent services director,
25 Tatiana Parker, who I know gets a lot of her
2285
1 energy and her determination to do the great work
2 she does for my district from her identity as a
3 Delta soror.
4 And I have attended a number of
5 Delta events with her and seen where that energy
6 comes from and just how much they all do -- she
7 does in her work, but also outside of her work
8 for our community. And I couldn't be more
9 grateful.
10 So thank you, all of you. And thank
11 you, Senator Webb, for representing this
12 wonderful organization.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
15 Senator May.
16 Senator Comrie, I neglected to see
17 you were in a different seat as well.
18 Senator Comrie on the resolution.
19 SENATOR COMRIE: Thank you,
20 Madam President.
21 Since Senator Bailey moved, I figure
22 I'd better honor the Deltas by moving also.
23 Thank you, Senator Webb, for
24 bringing this yearly resolution for Delta Day.
25 I'm very pleased that the Deltas are
2286
1 continuing to come up to Albany to advocate for
2 issues. They're up here advocating for the
3 Childcare Privacy Act, among other things.
4 The Deltas have been such a powerful
5 group, along with the entire Divine Nine. But
6 the Delta Sigma Theta -- which I have many Deltas
7 that are leaders in my community, not just
8 Assemblymember Hyndman, but City Councilmembers
9 Selvena Brooks-Powers and Nantasha Williams,
10 City Councilmembers that are active Deltas. I
11 have District Leader Roslin Spigner, who's part
12 of the Social Club.
13 And, you know, I can say that the
14 Deltas are a group that are all women that are
15 focused on making things happen. One of the
16 biggest scholarship events that happen in my
17 district are through Delta Sigma Theta. They
18 have yearly healthcare symposiums. As the leader
19 said, they have opportunities -- I've worked with
20 Deltas where they tutored young people in the
21 basement of my office so that they could pass the
22 SAT exams, that they could learn how to do
23 everything from how to present themselves at a
24 formal dinner to going on trips.
25 The Deltas and all of the
2287
1 Divine Nine have been focused on paying it
2 forward, giving people opportunities, teaching
3 people about issues, helping young people become
4 orientated to the idea of going to college, how
5 to get there, and how to present themselves as
6 powerful young women.
7 I want to thank the Deltas for
8 everything that you do to continuously push all
9 of us elected officials to make sure that we're
10 aware of the issues that are critical, that we're
11 fighting for homeowners that need help, that
12 we're doing things for young people within our
13 house, and for continuing to be a thorn in our
14 sides when necessary. You know, we appreciate --
15 I appreciate everything that you do to make sure
16 that people are informed, aware, and given those
17 opportunities too.
18 So thank you for being here. Thank
19 you for continuing to lobby. Thank you for
20 everything that you're trying to do to make sure
21 that we pay it forward and make sure that our
22 next generations can be smart, viable people that
23 we can all be proud of.
24 Thank you.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
2288
1 Senator Comrie.
2 Senator Scarcella-Spanton on the
3 resolution.
4 SENATOR SCARCELLA-SPANTON: Thank
5 you so much, Madam President.
6 And thank you, Senator Webb, for
7 introducing Delta Day.
8 So I too -- Senator Bailey inspired
9 me to move my seat over today so that my back
10 wasn't faced towards some of my favorite
11 constituents, including Michelle Akyempong up
12 there.
13 But I just wanted to say that the
14 Deltas are incredibly integral to everything we
15 do in our district, whether it's a back-to-school
16 event, a community fair, a Healthy Heart Day --
17 you name it, they are at the forefront of
18 everything we do in the community.
19 And we partner with them on
20 everything they do, because they do amazing work
21 to make sure our mothers are kept healthy, our
22 babies have what they need, our fathers have what
23 they need. And I just can't thank you enough.
24 And I'm honored to represent you and
25 honored to have my constituent here up in the
2289
1 house, in the gallery.
2 So thank you so much. And
3 Happy Delta Day, everyone!
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
5 Senator Cleare on the resolution.
6 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 I want to first congratulate
9 Senator Webb on bringing this very important
10 resolution.
11 I often talk about, in my district,
12 how we can't do this work alone and we have to
13 have partners in the community to do this work.
14 The Deltas have been a great partner to all of us
15 across this city. I've attended many, many
16 events that you have put forward, whether it's
17 health, whether it's social justice. Whatever it
18 is, y'all are always there. Education.
19 And I echo all the words that were
20 said before, but I want to emphasize and
21 highlight one thing that's really so important to
22 me. Each of you could have come out from your
23 schools and done great things in this world that
24 highlighted yourselves. But you all looked back,
25 and you give back. And it's so important for
2290
1 people to see that, to see you give back. You
2 don't have to, but you do.
3 And I thank you for that because it
4 means so much to our younger people. It means so
5 much in our communities to see you. And you're
6 just a wonderful gift. And I'm glad to be here
7 today honoring you.
8 Thank you. And Happy Delta Day!
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
10 Senator Cleare.
11 To our guests, our friends from
12 Delta who are here for Delta Day, we welcome you
13 on behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
14 privileges and courtesies of the house.
15 It's my honor to recognize you.
16 Please rise and be recognized.
17 (Standing ovation.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
19 question is on the resolution. All in favor
20 signify by saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
23 nay.
24 (No response.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
2291
1 resolution is adopted.
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
4 let me just say I think it's great that our
5 colleagues want to be seen by the people they're
6 recognizing and introducing, but let me remind
7 them if they're going to move their seats, please
8 let the floor team know so we can make sure that
9 the desk recognizes the right location for them.
10 This resolution is open for
11 cosponsorship, at the request of Senator Webb.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
13 resolution is open for cosponsorship. Should you
14 choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify the
15 desk.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Please
18 take up the calendar, Mr. President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 457, Senate Print 4133A, by Senator Mannion, an
23 act to amend the Highway Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
25 last section.
2292
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
2 act shall take effect immediately.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 536, Senate Print 3302, by Senator Sepúlveda, an
13 act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
17 act shall take effect one year after it shall
18 have become a law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 Sepúlveda to explain his vote.
24 SENATOR SEPÚLVEDA: Thank you,
25 Mr. President, for allowing me to express my
2293
1 vote.
2 We have a major problem with some of
3 the animals that will be protected under this
4 piece of legislation. We only have about
5 415,000 African elephants left in the world. We
6 have 20,000 African lions left in the wild,
7 18,000 white rhinos left in the wild,
8 700,000 African leopards, 5,500 black rhinos, and
9 69,000 giraffes left in the wild. If we don't
10 protect the species, these animals are going to
11 disappear.
12 And so it's critical that we in
13 New York State, we have to take the lead to make
14 sure that individuals that bring, for example,
15 ivory here and sell ivory for about $100,000,
16 when it's illegal -- luckily this individual was
17 convicted of violating the law. But we need
18 additional protections to make sure that these
19 animals continue to exist during our lifetime.
20 And if we don't, then I'm afraid that they're
21 going to face extinction.
22 Thank you. I vote aye.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
24 Sepúlveda to be recorded in the affirmative.
25 Senator Cleare to explain her vote.
2294
1 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
2 Mr. President.
3 I want to thank Senator Sepúlveda
4 for bringing this very important bill to the
5 floor.
6 And it's very fitting that we take
7 it up after a successful Animal Advocacy Day
8 yesterday. Africa has been pillaged for
9 centuries. And even in the year 2024, people
10 still travel to the continent to hunt
11 endangered species that are considered trophies
12 by some.
13 This sickening practice has no place
14 in Africa or in New York State, and this bill
15 wisely recognizes that principle by banning the
16 importation, transportation and/or possession of
17 those so-called trophies.
18 This bill is similar to a ban that
19 is already on the books with respect to ivory and
20 rhinoceros horns and is clearly the humane,
21 respectful and compassionate thing to do. We
22 have to preserve these endangered species for
23 future generations to enjoy.
24 I thank you again,
25 Senator Sepúlveda, and I proudly vote aye.
2295
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
2 Cleare to be recorded in the affirmative.
3 Announce the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar Number 536, those Senators voting in the
6 negative are Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo,
7 Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt and Stec.
8 Ayes, 54. Nays, 7.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 540, Senate Print 6211C, by Senator Martinez, an
13 act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
24 Calendar 540, those Senators voting in the
25 negative are Senators Lanza, O'Mara and Ortt.
2296
1 Also Senator Oberacker.
2 Ayes, 57. Nays, 4.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 590, Senate Print 485B, by Senator Comrie, an act
7 to amend the Public Authorities Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect on the first of January.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 701, Senate Print 3117A, by Senator Mannion, an
22 act to amend the Workers' Compensation Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 7. This
2297
1 act shall take effect on the 120th day after it
2 shall have become a law.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 739, Senate Print 253A, by Senator Serrano, an
13 act to amend the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect on the 120th day after it
18 shall have become a law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 Serrano to explain his vote.
24 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you very
25 much, Mr. President.
2298
1 The arts are transformative. They
2 provide opportunities for education,
3 entertainment, and are therapeutic in so many
4 ways. The arts are also a major economic engine
5 for our state.
6 S253 is a bill that requires
7 New York State, via the New York State Council on
8 the Arts and Empire State Development, to develop
9 programmatic criteria and an application process
10 through which to approve and certify local arts
11 districts. By applying and being approved to
12 become a cultural district, the municipality
13 would be eligible for state assistance in the
14 form of technical assistance in applying for
15 grants, marketing expertise guidelines for state
16 and other resources, increased tourism
17 opportunities, and other development
18 opportunities.
19 Cultural districts empower local
20 arts and cultural organizations to become
21 stakeholders in the development of our
22 neighborhoods and will highlight their
23 communities. We see the success of cultural
24 districts in other states. And New York has the
25 tools to continue to foster the arts and cultural
2299
1 sector as an economic engine.
2 I thank my colleagues for supporting
3 this legislation. Thank you.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
5 Serrano to be recorded in the affirmative.
6 Senator Cleare to explain her vote.
7 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
8 Mr. President.
9 I rise -- as a proud member of the
10 Senate Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and
11 Recreation Committee -- to explain my vote.
12 I want to thank our chair for
13 advancing this bill and reporting it out.
14 This bill will establish statewide
15 guidelines and criteria for the establishment and
16 designation of arts and cultural districts.
17 Certainly many areas of my Senate district,
18 including Harlem and East Harlem, are rich in
19 culture, tradition and impact. From the
20 multifaceted Harlem Renaissance to the vibrant
21 arts of El Barrio, I am confident we will shortly
22 have a number of arts and cultural districts in
23 our neighborhoods.
24 I thank you again, and I proudly
25 vote aye.
2300
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
2 Cleare to be recorded in the affirmative.
3 Senator May to explain her vote.
4 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 I also rise to thank the sponsor for
7 this legislation.
8 I know we're familiar with Broadway
9 as a cultural district, or Harlem. But as the
10 chair of the Cities 2 Committee, I also want to
11 say all of our smaller cities around the state
12 have vibrant arts and cultural areas that are
13 very important engines of economic development
14 and job creation, as well as defining the quality
15 of life in those communities.
16 And so for the sake of our smaller
17 cities all over the state, I think this is really
18 important legislation. I hope that our Assembly
19 colleagues will agree this year and pass it as
20 well, so that we can move this along. Thank you
21 for bringing this forward.
22 I vote aye.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
24 May to be recorded in the affirmative.
25 Announce the results.
2301
1 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 744, Senate Print 142, by Senator Gianaris, an
6 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
11 shall have become a law.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 745, Senate Print 761, by Senator Krueger, an act
22 to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
23 SENATOR LANZA: Lay it aside.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Lay it
25 aside.
2302
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 746, Senate Print 3431A, by Senator Skoufis, an
3 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
7 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
8 shall have become a law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
13 the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
15 Calendar 746, voting in the negative:
16 Senator Brisport.
17 Ayes, 60. Nays, 1.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 747, Senate Print 5325, by Senator Martinez, an
22 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
2303
1 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
2 shall have become a law.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
9 Calendar 747, voting in the negative:
10 Senator Brisport.
11 Ayes, 60. Nays, 1.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
13 is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 748, Senate Print 6365, by Senator Hinchey, an
16 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
18 last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
20 act shall take effect immediately.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
22 roll.
23 (The Secretary called the roll.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
25 the results.
2304
1 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 749, Assembly Print Number 6947A, by
6 Assemblymember Pretlow, an act to amend the
7 Agriculture and Markets Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
21 reading of the noncontroversial calendar.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Please
23 recognize Senator Cleare for an introduction.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
25 Cleare for the purposes of an introduction.
2305
1 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
2 Mr. President.
3 Today we are joined in the gallery
4 by a group from Harlem that includes Ms. Tameka
5 Silva and her mom.
6 Tameka is the founder and owner of
7 Heaven's Tiny Tots Daycare and Family Learning
8 Center, which is a family-run small business that
9 serves children from the ages of two to five and
10 provides a vast array of enriching programs
11 tailored to each child's social, emotional,
12 physical and cognitive development.
13 Dozens of Heaven's Tiny Tots have
14 come to Albany today because there is an illegal
15 smoke shop that is trying to locate right next to
16 their home. I think we can all agree that
17 logically it makes absolutely no sense for a
18 community hub that serves hundreds of children at
19 their most formative age to be located right next
20 to a smoke shop.
21 So we are using this opportunity to
22 educate Heaven's Tiny Tots about the legislative
23 process in Albany, and they have come to add
24 their faces and voices to the collective cry from
25 many of our neighborhoods to protect them and all
2306
1 other similarly situated childcare providers from
2 the intrusion by inappropriate institutions that
3 may have a place somewhere in society, but not in
4 proximity to prekindergarten children.
5 I hope that we will have an
6 opportunity to pass legislation soon in this
7 chamber that protects them.
8 But for now, Mr. President, please
9 welcome this conscientious Harlem entrepreneur,
10 her staff -- our young advocates are here, but
11 they're having lunch right now -- and their
12 families with open arms.
13 Thank you.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
15 you, Senator Cleare.
16 To our guests, we welcome you on
17 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you all the
18 privileges and courtesies of this house.
19 Please continue to rise and be
20 recognized.
21 (Standing ovation.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 Gianaris.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's take up
25 the controversial calendar at this time.
2307
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
2 Secretary will ring the bell.
3 The Secretary will read.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 745, Senate Print 761, by Senator Krueger, an act
6 to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
8 Lanza, why do you rise?
9 SENATOR LANZA: Mr. President, I
10 believe there's an amendment at the desk. I
11 waive the reading of that amendment and ask that
12 you recognize Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
14 you, Senator Lanza.
15 Upon review of the amendment, in
16 accordance with Rule 6, Section 4B, I rule it
17 nongermane and out of order at this time.
18 SENATOR LANZA: Accordingly,
19 Mr. President, I appeal the ruling of the chair
20 and ask that Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick be
21 heard on that appeal.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
23 appeal has been made and recognized, and
24 Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick may be heard.
25 Senator.
2308
1 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
2 Thank you, Mr. President.
3 I rise to appeal the ruling of the
4 chair. The proposed amendment is germane to the
5 bill at hand because this bill protects animals
6 by changing the aggravated animal cruelty statute
7 to make it easier to prosecute animal abusers.
8 The proposed amendment and the bill at hand
9 affect the same statute.
10 While I support this legislation and
11 recognize the importance of protecting animals,
12 we cannot adequately do so unless we increase
13 penalties for those who harm animals, including
14 repealing the disastrous cashless bail reform
15 laws that have made all New Yorkers, including
16 our beloved animals, less safe.
17 We know that horrific crimes against
18 animals are often a warning sign. And innocent
19 animals, including our pets, rely on us to
20 protect them. Our broken bail system requires
21 that anyone arrested for harming an animal --
22 even those charged with felony aggravated animal
23 cruelty -- be released immediately without bail.
24 This includes a person who intentionally engages
25 in conduct which is intended to cause extreme
2309
1 physical pain to an animal or intentionally
2 injures an animal in an especially depraved or
3 sadistic manner.
4 It is unfathomable that we have a
5 system that allows the offenders who harm our
6 pets in this way to go back out into their
7 communities where they can hurt more innocent
8 animals. We continue to see story after story of
9 individuals being released and rereleased due to
10 the state's bail laws, despite repeatedly and
11 even violently breaking the law.
12 Yesterday was Animal Advocacy Day,
13 and I offer this amendment to advocate for our
14 companion animals to ensure that someone who
15 commits the crimes laid out in this legislation
16 is not simply free to do so immediately after
17 being processed.
18 Further, in addition to protecting
19 animals, my amendment will protect New Yorkers as
20 well. One study found that 75 percent of abused
21 women who have a companion animal report a
22 history of their companion animal being
23 threatened or harmed by their partner. And
24 90 percent of the time it was done with children
25 being present and witnessing the violence.
2310
1 Study after study has linked animal
2 abuse with other forms of violence, especially
3 domestic violence.
4 New Yorkers continue to suffer the
5 consequences of our bail laws, while criminals
6 continue to benefit from them. Judges have been
7 handcuffed as our laws prevent them from setting
8 bail unless a criminal is charged with an offense
9 that falls within the limited class of
10 bail-eligible crimes. And even when a crime is
11 bail-eligible, judges are not able to consider
12 the danger of a person who poses a danger to our
13 communities, to our citizens, to our pets when
14 making a custody decision.
15 We must change the laws that are
16 harming our communities and hurting New Yorkers.
17 Our conference will continue prioritizing the
18 safety of the innocent and vulnerable over the
19 criminals that victimize them. And that includes
20 increased penalties against those who harm
21 innocent animals.
22 For these reasons, Mr. President, I
23 strongly urge you to reconsider your ruling.
24 Thank you.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
2311
1 you, Senator.
2 I want to remind the house that the
3 vote is on the procedures of the house and the
4 ruling of the chair.
5 Those in favor of overruling the
6 chair, signify by saying aye.
7 (Response of "Aye.")
8 SENATOR LANZA: Show of hands.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: A show of
10 hands has been requested and so ordered.
11 Announce the results.
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 20.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
14 Gianaris.
15 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
16 we've agreed to restore the bill-in-chief to the
17 noncontroversial calendar.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 will be restored to the noncontroversial
20 calendar.
21 Read the last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
25 roll.
2312
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar 745, voting in the negative:
6 Senator Brisport.
7 Ayes, 60. Nays, 1.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
9 is passed.
10 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
11 reading of today's calendar.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
13 further business at the desk?
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There is
15 no further business at the desk.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to adjourn
17 until Thursday, April 11th, at 12:00 p.m.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: On
19 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
20 Thursday, April 11th, at 12:00 p.m.
21 (Whereupon, at 1:03 p.m., the Senate
22 adjourned.)
23
24
25