Regular Session - May 1, 2025
2272
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 May 1, 2025
11 11:34 a.m.
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13
14 REGULAR SESSION
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16
17
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: In the
9 absence of clergy, let us bow our heads in a
10 moment of silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Reading
14 of the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate,
16 Wednesday, April 30, 2025, the Senate met
17 pursuant to adjournment. The Journal of Tuesday,
18 April 29, 2025, was read and approved. On
19 motion, the Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Without
21 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 Messages from the Governor.
25 Reports of standing committees.
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1 Reports of select committees.
2 Communications and reports from
3 state officers.
4 Motions and resolutions.
5 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good morning,
7 Mr. President.
8 On behalf of Senator Webb, on
9 page 32 I offer the following amendments to
10 Calendar Number 381, Senate Print 2280, and ask
11 that said bill retain its place on Third Reading
12 Calendar.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
14 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
15 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: There will be an
18 immediate meeting of the Committee on Rules in
19 Room 332.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There
21 will be an immediate meeting of the
22 Rules Committee in Room 332.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: The Senate will
24 stand at ease.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
2275
1 Senate stands at ease.
2 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
3 at 11:36 a.m.)
4 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
5 11:42 a.m.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
7 Senate will return to order.
8 Senator Gianaris.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
10 there's a report of the Rules Committee at the
11 desk. Can we take that up, please.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
13 Secretary will read.
14 THE SECRETARY: Senator
15 Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules,
16 reports the following bills:
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18
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25
2276
1 Senate Print 7620, by
2 Senator Martinez, an act to authorize certain
3 healthcare professionals licensed or certified by
4 a foreign government or by another state to
5 provide professional services in connection with
6 the 2025 Ryder Cup;
7 Senate Print 7623, by
8 Senator Serrano, an act in relation to
9 authorizing certain medical professional
10 certified by a foreign government or another
11 state to provide medical services during the
12 FIFA Club World Cup 2025;
13 Senate Print 7636, by Senator C.
14 Ryan, an act in relation to authorizing certain
15 healthcare professionals licensed to practice in
16 other jurisdictions to practice in this state in
17 connection with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympic
18 Games;
19 Senate Print 7707, by
20 Senator Krueger, an act making appropriations for
21 the support of government.
22 All bills reported direct to third
23 reading.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
25 the report of the Rules Committee.
2277
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: All those
2 in favor of accepting the report of the
3 Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
4 (Response of "Aye.")
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
6 nay.
7 (No response.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
9 report of the Rules Committee is accepted.
10 Senator Gianaris.
11 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's take up
12 the supplemental calendar, please.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
14 Secretary will read.
15 There's a substitution at the desk.
16 The Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Senator Krueger
18 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
19 Assembly Bill Number 8115 and substitute it for
20 the identical Senate Bill 7707, Third Reading
21 Calendar 912.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
23 substitution is so ordered.
24 The Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
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1 912, Assembly Bill Number 8115, by
2 Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making
3 appropriations for the support of government.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there a
5 message of necessity and appropriation at the
6 desk?
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There is
8 a message of necessity and appropriation at the
9 desk.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
11 the message.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: All those
13 in favor of accepting the message please signify
14 by saying aye.
15 (Response of "Aye.")
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
17 nay.
18 (No response.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
20 message is accepted, and the bill is before the
21 house.
22 SENATOR LANZA: Lay it aside.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Lay it
24 aside.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's move on to
2279
1 the supplemental calendar, please -- the
2 controversial calendar, please.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
4 Secretary will ring the bell.
5 The Secretary will read.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 912, Assembly Bill Number 8115, by
8 Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making
9 appropriations for the support of government.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
11 O'Mara, why do you rise?
12 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
13 Mr. President.
14 I'm wondering if Senator Krueger
15 would yield for a question or two.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
17 Krueger, do you yield?
18 SENATOR KRUEGER: Yes, I do.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
20 Senator yields.
21 SENATOR O'MARA: Good morning,
22 Senator.
23 Here we are on Thursday, apparently
24 ready to break for the weekend. The Governor is
25 running around the state talking about this
2280
1 budget deal that's all done, yet I haven't seen
2 any budget bills come forward.
3 What is the status of the eight
4 remaining bills of this budget?
5 SENATOR KRUEGER: I would like to
6 offer as an explanation something that I hope is
7 humorous. And if you don't think it's humorous,
8 you're showing your history.
9 There's a Monty Python movie called
10 The Holy Grail, and in The Holy Grail there's a
11 scene involving the Black Plague in Europe, and
12 they're pushing around barrels and yelling "Bring
13 out your dead. Bring out your dead." And
14 suddenly a body is thrown in, and you hear the
15 voice: "Not quite dead yet."
16 (Laughter.)
17 SENATOR KRUEGER: I'm so glad
18 everyone appreciated that, because I really
19 thought hard about saying it.
20 So "not quite done yet" is the
21 answer for the day, despite some people's
22 linguistic interpretation that it is done. But
23 it's not quite done.
24 But I feel, despite the Monty Python
25 reference, that we could be voting on bills
2281
1 starting very early next week.
2 SENATOR O'MARA: Through you,
3 Mr. President, if the Senator will yield.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Will the
5 sponsor yield?
6 SENATOR KRUEGER: I will.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
8 sponsor yields.
9 SENATOR O'MARA: What's your
10 favorite color?
11 (Laughter.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
13 O'Mara is not germane.
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank God we have
16 all not lost our senses of humor yet. Thank you.
17 But the answer is purple. I love
18 purple.
19 SENATOR O'MARA: Purple, huh?
20 SENATOR KRUEGER: Purple, yes, sir.
21 SENATOR O'MARA: Don't change your
22 mind, or they'll throw you off the edge.
23 (Laughter.)
24 SENATOR O'MARA: Well, thank you,
25 Senator.
2282
1 Mr. President, if the Senator will
2 continue to yield.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Will the
4 Senator continue to yield?
5 SENATOR KRUEGER: I will.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
7 Senator yields.
8 SENATOR O'MARA: Do you think we'll
9 have budget bills come next Monday that we can
10 starting acting on?
11 SENATOR KRUEGER: I so want to be
12 able to say yes. So I'm going to say I really,
13 really hope yes. That's the best I can offer.
14 SENATOR O'MARA: Well, I hope so
15 too. For our sakes and for the sakes of all
16 New Yorkers, frankly. This needs to get wrapped
17 up.
18 And that's all I have for today,
19 Mr. President.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
21 you, Senator O'Mara.
22 Senator Helming, why do you rise?
23 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
24 Mr. President.
25 If the -- if Senator Krueger would
2283
1 yield for a couple of questions.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Will the
3 sponsor yield?
4 SENATOR KRUEGER: Absolutely.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
6 sponsor yields.
7 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
8 Senator Krueger.
9 So just so I'm clear, you're
10 reporting to us that there is no agreement at
11 this point, that next week we may have budget
12 bills or we may not.
13 SENATOR KRUEGER: The negotiations
14 on the budget continue. Hence, there are no
15 bills in print. We are continuing to negotiate
16 despite the perception that it's done. I know
17 our staffs would be thrilled if it was done,
18 actually, but it's not.
19 So it is quite conceivable we will
20 have budget bills as early as Monday or soon
21 after that next week.
22 SENATOR HELMING: Through you,
23 Mr. President, if the sponsor will continue to
24 yield.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Will the
2284
1 sponsor yield?
2 SENATOR KRUEGER: Yes.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
4 sponsor yields.
5 SENATOR HELMING: Senator Krueger,
6 in your conference discussions have you come to a
7 consensus or an agreement with the Governor on
8 granting the Governor the powers necessary to
9 make future adjustments to the budget?
10 Unilateral decision-making?
11 SENATOR KRUEGER: Through you, I
12 believe the Senator is referencing a proposal by
13 the Governor to allow in certain scenarios where
14 the deficit -- we end up with a deficit because
15 revenues coming in are less than we expected and
16 if we come to an agreement about the handling of
17 that situation. Is that the question?
18 Or are we asking something else?
19 I'm sorry.
20 SENATOR HELMING: Through you,
21 Mr. President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 Helming, you may respond.
24 SENATOR HELMING: My response is on
25 the Governor's website the Governor says that
2285
1 there has been an agreement made -- the title is
2 "Governor Hochul Announces Agreement on
3 Fiscal Year 2026 State Budget." Not a conceptual
4 agreement, not a tentative budget, but announces
5 an agreement.
6 And then it goes through the things
7 that have been supposedly, I guess, agreed upon,
8 which we're hearing the exact opposite in here,
9 that there really aren't agreement on some of
10 these things.
11 And one of those items is that
12 "grants the Governor the powers necessary to make
13 future adjustments."
14 And I -- through you, Mr. President,
15 I would like to go on the bill, if that's okay.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
17 Helming on the bill.
18 SENATOR HELMING: So --
19 SENATOR KRUEGER: You don't want me
20 to answer?
21 SENATOR HELMING: No.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
23 you, Senator Krueger.
24 Senator Helming on the bill.
25 SENATOR HELMING: We've been
2286
1 through this rodeo before with our former
2 governor. I think everyone -- mostly everyone in
3 this room probably remembers giving unilateral
4 authority to Governor Cuomo during COVID. And we
5 saw how that worked out. Right?
6 We saw what happened with people's
7 lives in nursing homes based on decisions that
8 were made. We saw in a recent report that came
9 out in April from the Comptroller about the
10 disgusting, disgusting supplies that were never
11 given out to people in need during that period,
12 and now they're just sitting in warehouses across
13 the state expiring.
14 So I, for one, will not be
15 supporting anything -- any language, whether it's
16 in the budget bill, an extender, wherever it
17 is -- that gives a governor a unilateral
18 authority to make decisions.
19 We have three distinct branches of
20 government -- the executive, the legislative and
21 the judiciary -- because we all have jobs to do.
22 We all need to weigh in. And something as
23 important as giving a governor -- a consideration
24 to give a governor unilateral authority needs to
25 be discussed in the open, in front of the public.
2287
1 I have voted yes on every extender
2 before us because I'm very concerned about
3 funding getting out to organizations like the
4 veterans' agencies that pay for shelter for our
5 veterans. I'm going to continue voting yes on
6 the extenders.
7 But I am hopeful that Monday we will
8 have more clear guidance and somebody will -- I
9 guess the best way to say this -- come clean.
10 Like the Governor's saying that there's an
11 agreement, and then the Majority saying there's
12 not an agreement. Like who's telling the truth
13 here?
14 Thank you, Mr. President.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
16 you, Senator Helming.
17 Are there any other Senators wishing
18 to be heard?
19 Seeing and hearing none, debate is
20 closed. The Secretary will ring the bell.
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.
2288
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
3 Rhoads to explain his vote.
4 SENATOR RHOADS: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 Here we are, our state budget was
7 due 30 days ago, a month ago, and we are no
8 closer, I don't believe, to having any answers.
9 The people of this state deserve those answers.
10 Nineteen and a half million New Yorkers are
11 reading in the paper bits and pieces.
12 Legislators in this chamber are
13 finding out what's in the budget through rumors,
14 innuendo, not being able to get confirmation on
15 the floor as to what actually is in this budget
16 while we have a Governor running around the state
17 indicating that there is a budget deal.
18 There are joint bipartisan budget
19 subcommittees, nine of them -- 10 of them,
20 actually -- that have not met in over 45 days.
21 March 18th was the last meeting of these joint
22 subcommittees, Mr. President.
23 Those are members of both houses,
24 members of both parties that are supposed to be
25 meeting and sitting down and discussing and
2289
1 debating the issues that are involved. But
2 that's not what we have.
3 We don't have an open process. We
4 don't have public accessibility. We don't have
5 transparency. We literally have representatives
6 of the majorities in each house and the
7 Governor's office sitting behind closed doors
8 negotiating major issues involving this state.
9 A budget that will be over a quarter
10 of a trillion dollars, that will contain a
11 massive $68 billion MTA capital plan, that will
12 contain, from what we're hearing, horrific MTA
13 payroll taxes on job creation in this state.
14 Discussions regarding discovery laws, mask
15 mandates, involuntary commitment.
16 And meanwhile, we're sitting here
17 today passing the 10th budget extender.
18 Six percent of the entire state's budget is being
19 passed not by an actual budget, but by extender.
20 Over 15 --
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
22 Rhoads, we've reached the two-minute vote
23 explanation. How do you vote?
24 SENATOR RHOADS: Over a $15 billion
25 budget --
2290
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
2 Rhoads, how do you vote?
3 SENATOR RHOADS: I will vote in the
4 affirmative --
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
6 Rhoads to be voted in the affirmative.
7 SENATOR RHOADS: -- not because of
8 the confirmations process --
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
10 May to explain her vote.
11 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 I want to thank Senator Helming for
14 her comments and say I agree. And I think
15 everybody here agrees that the last thing we as a
16 Legislature want to do is give a -- the Executive
17 unilateral power.
18 But I do have to say the only reason
19 it's even under discussion at this moment is
20 because there may be an emergency brought on by a
21 president who has been given unilateral power by
22 a completely cowardly Congress and is using that
23 power to wreck the economy as we speak, just like
24 in front of our eyes, for no good reason.
25 And if we have an emergency -- we
2291
1 started in January with great optimism about this
2 year's budget. If we face an emergency, it will
3 be because of unilateral power given by one party
4 to one man in Washington. And we should all be
5 angry about that.
6 I vote aye.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
8 May to be recorded in the affirmative.
9 Senator Lanza to explain his vote.
10 SENATOR LANZA: Mr. President, I'm
11 going to vote down on this extender because I
12 think as we vote to extend, we actually vote to
13 enable the Governor not to -- if she hasn't
14 agreed, if she hasn't nailed this down, we
15 continue to enable that.
16 And if we're going to talk about
17 Washington and President Trump, let's talk about
18 President Biden. I didn't hear anything, any
19 complaints, as the cost of everything in this
20 state for four years -- because of ridiculous,
21 radical, leftist, inhumane, inconsiderate
22 policies drove up the cost of food, of clothing,
23 of energy, of gasoline. Inflation went up
24 35 percent under President Biden and his
25 colleagues on the left in Congress under his
2292
1 administration. And not a word. Not a word.
2 And now, a couple of months in, all
3 of a sudden we're going to hear about how
4 President Trump might do something, he may do
5 something. Well, you know, if he does, it's the
6 prerogative of this Majority in the Senate to
7 come back and address it. As opposed to, in
8 advance of the asteroid that may or may not hit,
9 in advance giving unilateral power to a governor
10 and abdicate the responsibility of the
11 legislative branch.
12 I vote no.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
14 Lanza to be recorded in the negative.
15 Senator Gianaris to explain his
16 vote.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: I want to remind
18 my colleagues that what we're voting on today is
19 a bill to keep government open for a few days.
20 There is nothing in here about the Governor
21 having unilateral or checked or other powers.
22 I understand you want to get ahead
23 of yourselves. Next week hopefully we'll be able
24 to have lengthy debate on whatever ends up being
25 in the printed budget bills.
2293
1 And as for Senator Lanza's comments,
2 2018 was a great year in this state. We took the
3 Majority, thanks to the fact that Donald Trump
4 was sitting in the Oval Office. I expect 2026 is
5 going to be another great year.
6 So the people will decide,
7 ultimately, on what direction they want to go. I
8 have confidence in the people of New York State
9 to do the right thing once again.
10 I vote yes, Mr. President.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
12 Gianaris to be recorded in the affirmative.
13 Announce the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
15 Calendar 912, voting in the negative are
16 Senators Borrello, Lanza, Ortt and Weik.
17 Ayes, 50. Nays, 4.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
21 reading of the controversial supplemental
22 calendar.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
24 further business at the desk?
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There is
2294
1 no further business at the desk.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to adjourn
3 until Monday, May 5th, at 3:00 p.m., with
4 intervening days being legislative days.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: On
6 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Monday,
7 May 5, at 3:00 p.m., with the intervening days
8 being legislative days.
9 Knicks in 6!
10 (Whereupon, at 11:57 a.m., the
11 Senate adjourned.)
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