Regular Session - March 5, 2026
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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 5, 2026
11 11:37 a.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR ANTONIO DELGADO, President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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25
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 THE PRESIDENT: The Senate will
3 come to order.
4 Everyone please rise and recite the
5 Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 THE PRESIDENT: In the absence of
9 clergy, please bow your heads in a moment of
10 silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 THE PRESIDENT: Reading of the
14 Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate,
16 Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Senate met pursuant
17 to adjournment. The Journal of Tuesday, March 3,
18 2026, was read and approved. On motion, the
19 Senate adjourned.
20 THE PRESIDENT: Without objection,
21 the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 The Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: Senator Sepúlveda
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1 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Codes,
2 Assembly Bill Number 6338 and substitute it for
3 the identical Senate Bill 5041, Third Reading
4 Calendar 276.
5 Senator Harckham moves to discharge,
6 from the Committee on Environmental Conservation,
7 Assembly Bill Number 8515A and substitute it for
8 the identical Senate Bill 2292B, Third Reading
9 Calendar 376.
10 Senator Salazar moves to discharge,
11 from the Committee on Women's Issues,
12 Assembly Bill Number 4591A and substitute it for
13 the identical Senate Bill 1305A, Third Reading
14 Calendar 406.
15 THE PRESIDENT: So ordered.
16 Messages from the Governor.
17 Reports of standing committees.
18 Reports of select committees.
19 Communications and reports from
20 state officers.
21 Motions and resolutions.
22 Senator Gianaris.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good morning,
24 Mr. President.
25 THE PRESIDENT: Good morning.
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1 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time I
2 move to adopt the Resolution Calendar, with the
3 exception of Resolution 1677.
4 THE PRESIDENT: All those in favor
5 of adopting the Resolution Calendar, with the
6 exception of Resolution 1677, please signify by
7 saying aye.
8 (Response of "Aye.")
9 THE PRESIDENT: Opposed, nay.
10 (No response.)
11 THE PRESIDENT: The Resolution
12 Calendar is adopted.
13 Senator Gianaris.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: We're going to
15 begin with Resolution 1677, by Senator Cooney.
16 Please read its title and recognize
17 Senator Cooney.
18 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary will
19 read.
20 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1677, by
21 Senator Cooney, celebrating Holi, an ancient
22 Hindu Spring Festival.
23 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Cooney on
24 the resolution.
25 SENATOR COONEY: Thank you,
1109
1 Mr. President.
2 It's my pleasure to speak in support
3 of the resolution recognizing and celebrating
4 Holi.
5 Holi, known as the Festival of
6 Colors, signals the coming of spring. It
7 celebrates vibrancy, promise, and the possibility
8 that the season brings.
9 Holi is celebrated worldwide,
10 including here in New York. And as many of you
11 know, our AAPI community is the fastest-growing
12 population in the state and throughout our
13 nation, meaning more and more South Asians and
14 Hindus are choosing New York to call home.
15 Today's resolution is about marking
16 the progress of that growth and celebrating the
17 love, happiness and freedom that Holi represents
18 to all those celebrating worldwide.
19 It's a holiday that holds special
20 significance for me. As an immigrant from
21 Calcutta, India, Holi is one of the times of year
22 that makes me feel more connected to my heritage
23 and to my culture.
24 I hope that everyone who has
25 celebrated a joyous, colorful holiday with
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1 friends and family -- and with so much negativity
2 in our world, celebrations like these are needed
3 more than ever, to remember the positive parts of
4 our lives and the people that gather around us,
5 especially our loved ones.
6 Happy Holi, Mr. President.
7 I vote aye. Thank you.
8 Holi hai!
9 THE PRESIDENT: Holi hai!
10 The question is on the resolution.
11 All those in favor please signify by saying aye.
12 (Response of "Aye.")
13 THE PRESIDENT: Opposed, nay.
14 (No response.)
15 THE PRESIDENT: The resolution is
16 adopted.
17 Senator Gianaris.
18 SENATOR GIANARIS: Okay. At this
19 time there's a privileged resolution at the desk,
20 Resolution 1701, by Leader Stewart-Cousins.
21 Let's take that up, read its title
22 only, and recognize Senator Webb to speak on that
23 resolution, please.
24 THE PRESIDENT: There is a
25 privileged resolution at the desk.
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1 The Secretary will read.
2 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1701, by
3 Senator Stewart-Cousins, memorializing
4 Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2026 as
5 Women's History Month in the State of New York,
6 honoring the extraordinary innovation,
7 resilience, and contributions of women who have
8 shaped New York and the nation.
9 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Webb.
10 SENATOR WEBB: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 It is my great honor to rise today
13 on behalf of our esteemed Majority Leader,
14 Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to speak on this
15 resolution memorializing Governor Hochul to
16 proclaim March 2026 as Women's History Month in
17 the State of New York.
18 This presents us with an opportunity
19 to be clear -- not just in the month of March,
20 but every day -- to recognize the invaluable
21 contributions of women in every aspect of history
22 and most certainly our present and future.
23 Women's History Month is a time for
24 us to reflect on the monumental impact that women
25 have made to our communities and continue to make
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1 not only to our communities, our state, and our
2 nation. It is an opportunity to recognize the
3 leadership and determination of the women who
4 broke barriers -- often those barriers were glass
5 ceilings, and in other cases brick ceilings --
6 and paved the way for future generations, and
7 those who work tirelessly every day that may not
8 have public or very wide public acclaim, but
9 their influence is felt and appreciated
10 nonetheless.
11 Mr. President, throughout history
12 women have expanded opportunities in education,
13 healthcare, all workplaces, led movements for
14 justice, and strengthened our families and
15 communities. Many of the rights and
16 opportunities that we benefit from today exist
17 because women like us in this chamber and in our
18 communities refused to accept inequality and
19 instead chose to stand up, advocate, establish
20 programs, lead policy, start businesses, and so
21 much more.
22 Mr. President, as we take up this
23 resolution today I want to lift up the words of
24 the civil rights leader and fighter for women's
25 rights, Coretta Scott King. I am inspired by her
1113
1 call for freedom and justice. As she shared,
2 "Freedom and justice cannot be parceled out in
3 pieces to suit political convenience. I don't
4 believe you can stand for freedom for one
5 group and deny it to others."
6 These words are very relevant and
7 prominent today as we gather our collective
8 strength to face new and continued challenges as
9 a nation and as a state. Right here in New York
10 we stand on the shoulders of extraordinary
11 trailblazers like Susan B. Anthony and
12 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who helped lead the fight
13 for women's suffrage.
14 Trailblazers like Shirley Chisholm,
15 the first Black woman elected to the
16 United States Congress and the first Black woman
17 to seek the nomination for president of the
18 United States.
19 Trailblazers like Dr. Hazel Dukes,
20 former national president and New York State
21 president of the NAACP.
22 Both she and Shirley Chisholm were
23 members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.,
24 which played a pivotal role in the women's
25 suffrage movement, making its first action by
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1 marching in the 1913 Women's Suffrage Procession
2 in Washington, D.C., just months after its
3 founding.
4 And we celebrate abolitionists like
5 Sojourner Truth, and women of color past and
6 present who continued fighting to ensure justice
7 and dignity for all women.
8 We celebrate trailblazers like
9 Ella Baker. And for those who may not be
10 familiar with Ella Baker, she was a prominent
11 civil and human rights leader with SCLC and SNCC,
12 who fought for social, economic and racial
13 equality and mentored leaders like Diane Nash,
14 Stokely Carmichael, Bob Moses and also worked
15 alongside leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois,
16 Thurgood Marshall, A. Philip Randolph, and
17 countless other leaders.
18 We also think about leaders like
19 Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the first Jewish woman to
20 serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, and
21 Sonia Sotomayor, a Bronx native -- I know
22 Bronx Day is coming up next week -- who became
23 the first Latina and the third woman appointed to
24 the Supreme Court.
25 We also have leaders like right here
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1 in our state capital, Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, the
2 first Black women to ever serve as the mayor of
3 the City of Albany, and Sharon Owens, the first
4 Black woman to serve as mayor of Syracuse.
5 The courage that these women display
6 has transformed our democracy and continues to
7 inspire all of us to step forward as leaders.
8 Women's History Month also reminds
9 us that history is not only made by those whose
10 names appear in textbooks, it is made by the
11 mothers, the teachers, the caregivers, the
12 entrepreneurs and community leaders who work
13 every day to build stronger communities across
14 our state.
15 I would be remiss if I didn't
16 mention the amazing women leaders and
17 trailblazers right here in this chamber.
18 Mr. President, as a woman serving in this chamber
19 I was proud to be elected to this body
20 three years ago as part of our first ever
21 all-women incoming class, the first in the
22 history of the New York Senate. And we have the
23 great privilege of serving under the leadership
24 of Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who is
25 the first Black woman to ever lead the New York
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1 State Senate.
2 The women of New York are strong and
3 ready for this fight. We will follow in the
4 footsteps of the sheroes who paved the way for
5 all of us -- working together to meet the
6 challenges of not only today, but we are endowed
7 with the strength of all the powerful women who
8 came before us.
9 Let us celebrate the women who
10 shaped our past, uplift the women who are leading
11 today, and continue working toward a future where
12 every woman and girl has the opportunity to reach
13 her full potential.
14 I proudly vote aye, and I encourage
15 my colleagues to do the same.
16 Thank you, Mr. President.
17 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
18 Senator Webb.
19 Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.
20 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
21 Thank you, Mr. President.
22 I too want to thank the
23 Majority Leader for bringing this important
24 resolution to the floor.
25 I think every woman in this chamber
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1 is very confident in their abilities. And if you
2 ask any of the Senators here, you would know that
3 they feel confident that they take care of their
4 families, they can serve as a Senator, and we
5 know that we can do the job.
6 And I am so proud that every day I
7 have -- I'm an example to my three daughters that
8 anything is possible, regardless of where you
9 come from. I've been very blessed by having
10 parents that never treated me and my two sisters
11 any differently than my three brothers. And in
12 my hometown, we've had the fortune of having
13 trailblazer mayors like Cathy Hunt, who was the
14 first woman elected, and Patti McDonald, who is a
15 dear friend and served for 12 years as mayor.
16 So I've been lucky and blessed in my
17 life that I've been surrounded by women who have
18 never shied away from achievement or reaching for
19 the next star.
20 I think it's important to pause and
21 think about the women who were examples that
22 broke the barriers and allowed us to serve in
23 this chamber. But I think it's also important
24 that we think about the next step.
25 And while I know that we all speak
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1 to our daughters and our sisters about the fact
2 that they can do anything, it's incumbent on us
3 to make sure our sons know that difference as
4 well. Because they will be the ones that treat a
5 woman differently or say that you should not have
6 the job simply because you're a woman.
7 So I submit to you that not only are
8 we examples to our daughters, but we must be a
9 good example to all of our sons to make sure that
10 they know that we are capable, we are bright, and
11 we do it with heart and with compassion, and we
12 should serve in every level of government, every
13 level of business the same way that men have had
14 those opportunities.
15 Thank you, Mr. President. I proudly
16 vote aye.
17 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
18 As the father of two boys, that
19 resonates. I really appreciate you sharing that.
20 Now, Senator Comrie.
21 SENATOR COMRIE: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 I rise to support the resolution. I
24 want to thank our leader for bringing this
25 forward.
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1 I want to thank all of the women in
2 my life, because I would not be here today
3 without the leadership, the perseverance, and the
4 vision of the women in my life.
5 And I want to start with my woman,
6 my wife, that has been putting up with me for
7 35 years. I've known her for 39 years, and I
8 don't know why she puts up with me. I just want
9 to thank her publicly for, you know, making sure
10 that I'm a better person.
11 When she first met me, I was wearing
12 sweatshirts with holes in them and spots on them.
13 (Laughter.)
14 SENATOR COMRIE: And she's cleaned
15 me a little bit better. I'm still not there yet,
16 in her eyes, but I'm trying to get there. I'm
17 trying to get there.
18 But with all due respect, you know,
19 women across our nation are leading in every
20 sector of society, in every part of democracy.
21 They are educators shaping the minds of the next
22 generation, entrepreneurs building economic
23 opportunity, healthcare professionals protecting
24 the well-being of our families, and advocates
25 ensuring that every voice is heard.
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1 Their leadership is not only visible
2 in positions of power but in the everyday work of
3 building stronger communities and supporting one
4 another.
5 In my district I have been fortunate
6 to witness the impact of women who have dedicated
7 their time, talents and expertise to improving
8 the lives of others, and for guiding me
9 throughout my life.
10 Whether throughout community
11 organizations, faith institutions, small business
12 or public service, women continue to play a
13 critical role in advancing opportunity and
14 creating pathways for future generations.
15 Women's History Month is also a time
16 to acknowledge that progress does not happen by
17 accident. The rights and opportunities many
18 enjoy today were secured through the courage and
19 determination of women who challenged injustice,
20 demanded fairness, and worked tirelessly to open
21 doors that have been long closed.
22 As we celebrate the achievements of
23 women throughout history, we must also remain
24 committed to supporting policies and initiatives
25 that expand opportunity, strengthen health
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1 outcomes, promote economic mobility, and to
2 ensure that all women and young women have the
3 resources they need to succeed.
4 The story of Women's History Month
5 is written every day, and many of the women
6 shaping that story are right here in our
7 communities, right here in our body.
8 I've said it in conference, I've
9 said it in public: Andrea Stewart-Cousins is the
10 strongest leader that I've ever worked with
11 throughout my time in the state, throughout my
12 time in the City Council, throughout my time in
13 the school board, throughout my time in my
14 Democratic club. Andrea Stewart-Cousins stands
15 head above all. I just want to pay that respect
16 to her during Women's History Month.
17 All the women in this body have been
18 enlightening, informing, and also contributing
19 greatly to our society. But we also have to
20 remember and realize that there are a lot more
21 attacks on women.
22 Now more than ever, we need to
23 combat that and utilize our legislative authority
24 to help with domestic violence, to help with
25 disrespect of women, to make sure that women get
1122
1 equal pay, to make sure that women get respected
2 at a higher level. Because whatever's going on
3 in the world, the numbers are not improving but
4 are becoming worse.
5 So we need to make sure that we're
6 doing everything we can to make sure that the
7 extraordinary contributions of women, that their
8 ideas, that their passions are respected,
9 nurtured and honored.
10 And finally I just want to say happy
11 birthday to Shelley Mayer tomorrow -- another
12 extraordinary woman in our body -- while I take
13 that moment to give her a happy birthday.
14 (Applause.)
15 SENATOR COMRIE: Thank you for your
16 indulgence, Mr. President, and thank you for
17 allowing me to speak.
18 Thank you.
19 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
20 Senator Fernandez.
21 SENATOR FERNANDEZ: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 Thank you, Senator Webb, for that
24 wonderful speech on Women's History Month. And
25 representing the Bronx, you mentioned Bronx Day
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1 in Albany. It's Tuesday, March 10th, so mark
2 your calendars.
3 But I am the only woman Senator
4 representing the Bronx, so I feel compelled to
5 stand here and speak up for the women of the
6 Bronx and Westchester.
7 I'm very fortunate that in my
8 district there's majority women partners. In the
9 Southeast Bronx of Parkchester and Castle Hill,
10 Soundview, the entire slate is women from top to
11 bottom, all levels of government are represented
12 by women. And that's the first time ever that's
13 happened in Bronx history.
14 The contributions of women in
15 New York State are monumental. And I'm so proud
16 to say I'm a woman from New York because we
17 started the women's suffrage movement. We helped
18 lead the way to make sure that this country is
19 recognizing and respecting and protecting women.
20 And I ask all of you as we continue
21 to live this life, make sure you do stand up and
22 speak up for your friend, your mother, your
23 sister, your neighbor, your colleague. Because
24 we do make a difference. You know we make that
25 difference. But together we can make the
1124
1 ultimate difference.
2 So thank you for this resolution.
3 Thank you for New York, for being its great self
4 and setting the standard of women in leadership
5 and women in the rooms and at the table.
6 And happy Women's History Month!
7 Thank you.
8 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
9 Senator Martins.
10 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you,
11 Mr. President.
12 I also rise in support of this
13 resolution. I want to thank the sponsor.
14 You know, as the father of four
15 daughters, Mr. President, I know all too well
16 what it's like to grow up in a household
17 surrounded by women. People tell me all the time
18 that I'm outnumbered, and I remind them that I
19 was outnumbered when it was just Paula and I.
20 And I have no illusions about where I stand in
21 the pecking order.
22 For anyone who has had a daughter
23 and has a daughter or a niece, you know very
24 quickly that when that daughter turns two or
25 three, they're running the household. There's no
1125
1 doubt about it, the strength that they have at a
2 young age. You can't say the same thing about
3 your sons. Well-meaning, they're doing very
4 well. But there's something about women as they
5 grow up and become strong, independent women.
6 But yes, I want to echo some of the
7 sentiments of some of my colleagues that we're
8 not there yet. We're certainly not there yet.
9 When we're still talking about, in this chamber,
10 pay equity and equity in the workplace, when
11 we're talking about reproductive rights and the
12 rights of women to have and enjoy all of the same
13 rights that we expect from anyone in society --
14 folks, we're not there.
15 But as the Reverend Martin Luther
16 King said, the arc of justice bends towards the
17 future, but it bends towards justice. And we
18 expect that it's going to actually get there
19 eventually if we continue to work in the same
20 place.
21 I am heartened by the sentiment in
22 this room and by all of the consensus we have
23 here. Let's make that consensus policy as we
24 move forward.
25 To Senator Mayer, happy birthday.
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1 And to all of our colleagues here, something to
2 celebrate this year. This month, wonderful that
3 we have a month. But let's remember it
4 throughout the year as we go forward and set
5 policy and prioritize the equity that we all talk
6 to -- workplace, pay equity, protecting women
7 from domestic violence, all of those policies
8 that should be front of mind as we go forward and
9 do the good work we do here in this chamber.
10 Thank you, Mr. President.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
12 Senator Krueger.
13 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank you very
14 much. I want to thank the sponsor of this
15 resolution.
16 And I have to say I think I've been
17 standing up for the 24 years I've been here,
18 reminding everyone that whenever we do
19 resolutions in honor of Women's Month or
20 something specific for women, I personally
21 believe every day is Women's Day. We deserve
22 equal rights and respect every day, 365 days a
23 year. And I think we are moving closer and
24 closer to that.
25 But I must remind everyone when the
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1 president of the United States took office not
2 that long ago, one of the first acts he did was
3 require that the word "women" be struck from all
4 federal websites. Women, the word "women" be
5 struck from federal websites.
6 There are a bunch of other words he
7 also required be struck, but since we're talking
8 about women today ...
9 So have no illusions, we aren't
10 there yet.
11 And on behalf of Leroy's wife, who I
12 have not had the privilege to meet, it made me
13 realize I wanted to stand up and say, as a woman
14 who's also been married 36 years -- and many of
15 us have, raise your hands -- you men are a pain
16 in the ass.
17 (Laughter.)
18 SENATOR KRUEGER: So it's wonderful
19 that there are so many of us who will put up with
20 you that long.
21 So I just thought I'd share
22 publicly. Thank you so much.
23 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
24 Senator Bailey.
25 SENATOR BAILEY: Wow.
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1 (Laughter.)
2 SENATOR BAILEY: Timing is
3 certainly something that women possess. They
4 possess the ability to give life. Which is --
5 sometimes I don't know if we understand the
6 actual gravity of what that means. I don't think
7 that anyone in this room would be here if not for
8 a woman. I don't think that we understand the
9 depths of that statement.
10 So to the women in this room, thank
11 you for doing things that we can't do as men,
12 many things that we can't do as men. But for
13 giving and preserving life -- life as we know it
14 and life as we need it to be.
15 Esteemed hip-hop artist Nasir Jones
16 said in his song "Daughters": "For my brothers
17 with daughters, I call this. Not saying that our
18 sons are less important."
19 I started out my career as a
20 father -- the best job I'll ever have -- with two
21 daughters, Giada and Carina. And they run the
22 show, Mr. President. Not only do they run the
23 show, they have shown me what life -- coming back
24 to life, what life actually means. And if not
25 for my amazing wife Giamara, we don't get to have
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1 two daughters.
2 Now, me and my son Julian, you know,
3 it's a three-on-two fast break every day. We're
4 losing every time. We know our role in the
5 house. Sometimes it's four on one, frankly,
6 when, you know, they -- you know.
7 But I am eternally grateful and
8 honored to be a girl dad. And I know, fellas,
9 sometimes you try to take me out of the girl dad
10 club because I have a son. It doesn't work like
11 that. I'm girl dad emeritus.
12 But I don't think that we truly
13 understand the gravity of what women do and what
14 they mean to our society until we don't have them
15 around.
16 Senator Fernandez mentioned
17 correctly that she's the only female Senator from
18 the Bronx. But outside of the building I wear a
19 different hat as the chair of the Bronx party,
20 being mindful of my nomenclature on the floor of
21 the Senate. And we have helped more women
22 advance to the judiciary than ever before. And
23 this is making sure that women belong every and
24 anywhere that a man belongs.
25 So to Senator Webb, thank you for
1130
1 this resolution. Thank you for your leadership
2 on the Women's Issues Committee. Happy Birthday
3 to Shelley Mayer. You've got to make sure you
4 shout out Shelley.
5 But I'll end with this,
6 Mr. President. My birthday is August 26th -- and
7 I'm not saying this because I want anything from
8 you. But I am telling you that I was born on
9 Women's Equality Day. And so it is my job to
10 make sure that my birthday -- even though I don't
11 get a cake --
12 SENATOR PERSAUD: Oh, Lord.
13 (Laughter.)
14 SENATOR BAILEY: Roxie, you can
15 give me a cake.
16 (Laughter.)
17 SENATOR BAILEY: Even though I
18 don't get a cake, that we make sure that we cut a
19 cake in celebration for everything that women do,
20 that they've done, and that they will do. May
21 you continue to be strong and blessed and
22 incredible.
23 Happy Women's History Month.
24 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you,
25 Senator Bailey.
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1 Senator Liu.
2 SENATOR LIU: Thank you,
3 Mr. President.
4 I want to thank Senator Lea Webb for
5 this resolution.
6 Happy Birthday, Shelly.
7 And bless you, Marcia Comrie.
8 Thank you.
9 (Laughter.)
10 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Chan.
11 SENATOR CHAN: Thank you,
12 Mr. President.
13 I rise to give thanks to our
14 Senator Webb for this resolution.
15 And I just want to bring a little
16 ordinary life into the Senate floor. I want to
17 give a special shout-out to my wife and my two
18 daughters. I am a girl dad.
19 I may be a Senator here; in the
20 police department in the past I might have been a
21 supervisor and told men and women what to do.
22 But I just want to let everybody know that at
23 home, I'm just the guy that takes out the garbage
24 and fixes the leaky faucets.
25 (Laughter.)
1132
1 SENATOR CHAN: And to my daughters,
2 I'm just the guy that works their bake sales in
3 school and drives them to school every day.
4 And, you know, my district is full
5 of women, Asians, Chinese from China. And I want
6 to give them special acknowledgment because many
7 of them have endured many decades of the
8 repression of the China government, who they were
9 forced to have abortions, they were told that
10 they can't be moms, and they suffered this
11 repression. And I want to acknowledge them for
12 making a sacrifice so overwhelming.
13 So I absolutely support this
14 resolution and I encourage my colleagues to do
15 the same.
16 Thank you very much.
17 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
18 Senator Mattera.
19 SENATOR MATTERA: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 You know, I just want to thank
22 Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and Senator Webb
23 for this very, very important Women's Month.
24 It's just so important to me.
25 You know, I'd just like to first,
1133
1 you know, thank my mother, which I have to thank
2 somebody that is just so important in my life.
3 My mom, she's down -- yes, she's down in Naples,
4 Florida. But I always say this. I look like my
5 father, may he rest in peace, but I am my mother.
6 Yes, she's a Leo like myself. We're
7 very, very strong. And she's definitely wisdom
8 to me over the years.
9 And I love women in politics. I
10 think it's very, very important. And I want to
11 thank all the women that are in this great
12 chamber for all your hard work.
13 To my beautiful sister Mary, that is
14 a single mom, and what she has done, what she has
15 accomplished in life. She's an amazing woman.
16 What she has done to raise my nephew. And she's
17 a business -- she's a businesswoman. She is a
18 tough woman, boy. Beautiful, tough, stands up
19 for herself. And I really don't even -- she's on
20 steroids compared to me, my sister Mary.
21 My beautiful daughters. Like with
22 Senator Martins, we have -- we have it tough. We
23 have, you know, the daughters, and they have
24 their little clique. My beautiful wife Terry and
25 the girls. Even my dogs are female, my golden
1134
1 retrievers.
2 (Laughter.)
3 SENATOR MATTERA: But all I can say
4 is this. My daughters are doing unbelievable,
5 because they're a product of our environment.
6 And I'm very, very proud of them, what direction
7 they're taking right now in their lives. Yes, I
8 do say my daughter Jessica, she's 27, maybe she's
9 going on 18. And my daughter Jayme, 23, I'll
10 say, you know, 16.
11 But you know what, they're amazing.
12 They're amazing young women. Respectful. And
13 I'm so proud of that.
14 And to my beautiful wife Terry, my
15 worst critic. Every time I get up and speak,
16 even at home, she's like this (gesturing at
17 throat), she cuts me off. But I've got to tell
18 you, somebody that went through something in life
19 with a medical situation, she -- she kept on
20 strong. It's amazing. Yeah, women give birth,
21 we know that men can't. But she can do
22 everything possible.
23 But I'm going to tell you, she's
24 just an amazing person. At home, when I'm not
25 home, she holds down the fort. She's at
1135
1 Enterprise Car Rental for 33 years, she's
2 operations manager, facilities manager, opens up
3 every office. Dealing with construction workers,
4 and straightens them right out. Because you
5 know, why? Because she's tough. She's tough and
6 she knows when she's right. And she doesn't put
7 up with anything.
8 So I am just so proud of this --
9 this bill, and I am so proud, Mr. President, to
10 be voting yes.
11 Thank you.
12 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
13 The question is on the resolution.
14 All those in favor please signify by
15 saying aye.
16 (Response of "Aye.")
17 THE PRESIDENT: Opposed, nay.
18 (No response.)
19 THE PRESIDENT: The resolution is
20 adopted.
21 Senator Gianaris.
22 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
23 the sponsors of today's resolutions would like to
24 open them up for cosponsorship.
25 THE PRESIDENT: The resolutions are
1136
1 open for cosponsorship. Should you choose not to
2 be a cosponsor, please notify the desk.
3 Senator Gianaris.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
5 the reading of the calendar.
6 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary will
7 read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 155, Senate Print 8830, by Senator Cleare, an act
10 to amend the General Business Law.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
12 section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
18 results.
19 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
20 Calendar 155, voting in the negative are
21 Senators Borrello, Lanza, Oberacker, Ortt, Stec
22 and Walczyk. Also Senator O'Mara.
23 (Pause.)
24 THE SECRETARY: So in relation to
25 Calendar 155, voting in the negative are
1137
1 Senators Borrello, Lanza, Mattera, Oberacker,
2 O'Mara, Ortt, Stec and Walczyk.
3 Ayes, 50. Nays, 8.
4 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 162, Senate Print 3569, by Senator Cleare, an act
7 to amend the Public Housing Law.
8 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
9 section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
15 results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar 162, voting in the negative are
18 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
19 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins,
20 Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt,
21 Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber
22 and Weik.
23 Ayes, 37. Nays, 21.
24 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
25 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
1138
1 177, Senate Print 3665, by Senator Hinchey, an
2 act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.
3 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
4 section.
5 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
6 act shall take effect one year after it shall
7 have become a law.
8 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
11 results.
12 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
13 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 214, Senate Print 1783B, by Senator Hinchey, an
16 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
17 SENATOR LANZA: Lay it aside.
18 THE PRESIDENT: Lay it aside.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 246, Senate Print 2261, by Senator Cooney, an act
21 to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
22 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
23 section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
25 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
1139
1 shall have become a law.
2 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
5 results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
7 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 256, Senate Print 678A, by Senator Martinez, an
10 act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
12 section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
15 shall have become a law.
16 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
19 results.
20 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
21 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 268, Senate Print 115A, by Senator Cleare, an act
24 to amend the Arts and Cultural Affairs Law.
25 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
1140
1 section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
7 results.
8 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
9 Calendar 268, voting in the negative are
10 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
11 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Murray,
12 Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco,
13 Walczyk and Weik.
14 Ayes, 41. Nays, 17.
15 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 276, Assembly Bill 6338, by Assemblymember
18 Walker, an act to amend the Executive Law.
19 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
20 section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
1141
1 results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
3 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 279, Senate Print 29, by Senator Harckham, an act
6 to amend the Public Health Law.
7 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
8 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 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
15 results.
16 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
17 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 295, Senate Print 51, by Senator Comrie, an act
20 to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.
21 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
22 section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
1142
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
3 results.
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
5 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 303, Senate Print 1225, by Senator Rivera, an act
8 to amend the Social Services Law.
9 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
10 section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
16 results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
18 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 322, Senate Print 2555, by Senator Comrie, an act
21 to amend the Public Authorities Law.
22 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
23 section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
1143
1 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
4 results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
6 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 367, Senate Print 1285A, by Senator Persaud, an
9 act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.
10 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
11 section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
13 act shall take effect on the 120th day after it
14 shall have become a law.
15 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
18 results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
20 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 376, Assembly Bill Number 8515A, by
23 Assemblymember Kassay, an act to amend the
24 Environmental Conservation Law.
25 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
1144
1 section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
3 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
4 shall have become a law.
5 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
8 results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
10 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 406, Senate Print 4591A, by Senator Jackson, an
13 act to amend the Public Health Law.
14 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
15 section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect on the first of January.
18 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
21 results.
22 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
23 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 428, Senate Print 933, by Senator Gonzalez, an
1145
1 act to amend the State Technology Law.
2 THE PRESIDENT: Read the last
3 section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
5 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
6 shall have become a law.
7 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 THE PRESIDENT: Announce the
10 results.
11 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
12 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
13 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
14 reading of today's calendar.
15 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's move on to
16 the controversial calendar now.
17 THE PRESIDENT: The Secretary will
18 ring the bell.
19 The Secretary will read.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 214, Senate Print 1783B, by Senator Hinchey, an
22 act to amend the Agriculture and Markets Law.
23 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Borrello,
24 why do you rise?
25 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
1146
1 in the spirit of Women's History Month, would the
2 sponsor yield for questions?
3 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
4 yield?
5 SENATOR HINCHEY: I will yield,
6 Mr. President.
7 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
8 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
9 Mr. President. Through you, Mr. President.
10 So can you please explain to me, in
11 subdivision 13, what is the purpose of this
12 particular language? "The fiscal impact of being
13 compliant with any governmental, regulatory or
14 environmental requirement shall not be borne by
15 liquefied petroleum gas consumers and shall not
16 be added to the bills rendered by a company
17 selling liquefied petroleum gas, provided,
18 however, that the subdivision shall not limit the
19 per-gallon price charged by sellers or prohibit
20 collection of any tax allowable under state law."
21 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
22 Mr. President. Thank you, Senator Borrello, for
23 the question.
24 Taking a step back on this bill, the
25 whole bill is to help drive down costs for
1147
1 consumers and for our constituents.
2 We hear a lot about affordability
3 when we're out in our communities. This bill
4 actually came when I was knocking on doors in my
5 communities, checking on my constituents, and
6 they had complained very clearly about a number
7 of fees that were being put upon them by their
8 petroleum company that were, quite frankly,
9 inappropriate for our customers -- for their
10 customers and for our constituents.
11 And so this is actually lowering
12 costs for them and for customers. And for that
13 subdivision C, it's really compliance costs.
14 Fossil fuels -- as you know and as
15 we've talked a lot about in this chamber, but as
16 we know from science -- have driven up costs for
17 everyone who lives in our communities. Fossil
18 fuel companies are creating lots of damage. And
19 so these are compliance costs that should be
20 borne by the company, not by the -- our
21 constituents and consumers themselves.
22 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
23 will the sponsor continue to yield.
24 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
25 yield?
1148
1 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
2 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
3 SENATOR BORRELLO: Well, it says
4 governmental and regulatory or environmental
5 requirements. But isn't this really essentially
6 a tax, and we don't want them to tell the
7 consumers that they're paying a tax to the
8 government which is actually added to the costs
9 that we're trying to drive down?
10 (Pause.)
11 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
12 Mr. President. To clarify, taxes are still able
13 to be passed on. These are regulatory fees.
14 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
15 will the sponsor continue to yield.
16 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
17 yield?
18 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
19 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
20 SENATOR BORRELLO: Well, I mean,
21 where I come from -- because I've also spoken to
22 my constituents, many of which use, you know,
23 propane as well as other bottled gases. But, you
24 know, I mean, a fee is a tax, right? The
25 government is imposing it.
1149
1 So you can call it what you want,
2 but at the end of the day we're telling them that
3 this is a fee being charged by the government
4 which is going to actually increase the cost of
5 propane, is it not?
6 (Pause.)
7 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
8 Mr. President. The bill says that these cannot
9 be passed on to the customer. So no matter what
10 happens, this bill is actually keeping rates
11 lower for our constituents.
12 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
13 will the sponsor continue to yield?
14 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
15 yield?
16 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
17 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
18 SENATOR BORRELLO: So, you know,
19 this bill is about transparency, right? So
20 therefore, in the spirit of transparency, would
21 these companies be allowed to line-item the costs
22 of complying with the CLCPA and these other
23 requirements on the bill, so people understand
24 clearly how much is going to the gas company and
25 how much is actually going to the government?
1150
1 (Pause.)
2 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
3 Mr. President. Twofold. One, these would not be
4 borne by the consumer and by their customers, so
5 I'm confused as to why we would be lining that
6 out on the consumer's bill.
7 But in practice today, these
8 companies are driving up costs based on their
9 being fossil fuel companies and by the challenges
10 that they've had generally to our environment.
11 Those are not being lined out today either.
12 But again, this is for what
13 customers would pay. This has nothing to do
14 with -- this is not passing on costs to them at
15 all.
16 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
17 will the sponsor continue to yield.
18 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
19 yield?
20 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
21 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
22 SENATOR BORRELLO: So obviously
23 they have the right to raise their price. So if
24 they want to raise the price to compensate for
25 that, are you suggesting some kind of price
1151
1 control?
2 How are you going to prevent them
3 from increasing the price of that product so as
4 to not offset those additional government costs
5 and taxes that are being I guess burdened on the
6 company?
7 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
8 Mr. President. We don't believe that the
9 customers and our constituents should have to pay
10 the cost that fossil fuel companies have already
11 done to our planet and continue to do.
12 These companies may be able to find
13 other ways to offset some of their costs. That
14 is something that I know our businesses are
15 looking to do all the time. But this is -- I
16 don't believe that they should -- our customers
17 and our -- their customers and our constituents
18 should be paying that cost.
19 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
20 will the sponsor continue to yield.
21 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
22 yield?
23 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
24 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
25 SENATOR BORRELLO: Well, there's a
1152
1 lot of costs that I think all of us would wish we
2 weren't going to have to pay. I don't like
3 paying tolls when I have to drive on the road
4 that was supposed to be paid for 50 years ago.
5 But these things happen, right, because the
6 government really never lives up to these
7 commitments.
8 So with that being said, I don't
9 understand how we're going to prevent them from
10 passing that cost along. And is there going to
11 be some kind of an audit? Are we going to put in
12 price controls, like I said before?
13 I mean, keep in mind that when the
14 government imposes a tax or a fee, all the
15 companies will be paying it. Therefore,
16 essentially there's no competition. Right?
17 They're going to have to pay more -- everybody's
18 going to have to pay more. Therefore, they can
19 all raise their prices to offset that.
20 I'm not sure how we will control
21 that cost from being passed on to consumers.
22 Unless we're going to institute price controls.
23 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
24 Mr. President, Ag and Markets is responsible for
25 implementing this, and so they will be working
1153
1 with the companies to determine the execution.
2 SENATOR BORRELLO: Last question,
3 Mr. President, through you, if the sponsor would
4 yield.
5 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
6 yield?
7 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
8 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
9 SENATOR BORRELLO: Would this
10 legislation, then, enable price controls as one
11 way to try to control that cost?
12 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
13 Mr. President, this does not regulate commodity
14 prices in any way.
15 SENATOR BORRELLO: Mr. President,
16 on the bill.
17 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Borrello on
18 the bill.
19 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you.
20 Thank you, Senator Hinchey.
21 So look, folks, we're hearing time
22 after time after time that nothing that we're
23 doing here is actually going to increase the cost
24 of energy to our consumers. None of the CLCPA,
25 none of the mandates, none of the additional
1154
1 taxes. Don't worry, folks, it's not going to
2 raise your bill.
3 But then every New Yorker opens
4 their bills and they're seeing higher prices --
5 for everything. Electricity, gas, propane, you
6 name it, prices are going up. Coincidentally, in
7 the same time that we passed the CLCPA. And we
8 told people this wasn't going to impact your
9 bill.
10 So what you're basically saying is
11 don't believe your eyes, folks, believe us.
12 We're not going to raise your costs. There's
13 something else that's happening. Just
14 coincidental it happened to be at the same time
15 as the CLCPA and trying to implement this very,
16 very costly, I guess game-changing tax and -- tax
17 and spend.
18 I know you want to call it
19 cap-and-invest. It's not cap-and-invest, it's
20 cap and tax. Because at the end of the day we
21 all pay that. We all pay the cost of this
22 really, I guess, nonsensical climate bill that in
23 the end is driving more businesses and people out
24 of New York State.
25 But when it comes to propane in
1155
1 particular, these are people that have no other
2 choice. They don't have natural gas
3 infrastructure nearby, typically why you have
4 propane. In some cases they live in remote areas
5 where it's difficult -- sometimes impossible --
6 to deliver that propane. Only at certain times
7 of the year, so they have to make sure that they
8 buy a large quantity of it, a big tank.
9 And we're telling people that we're
10 going to just tell those companies, Don't pass
11 the cost along, even though we're burdening every
12 single company with the same tax, the same
13 compliance cost, and we're expecting they're just
14 going to absorb it. That they're going to
15 continue to deliver a service and make sure that
16 the government is getting the biggest piece of
17 the pie.
18 Because that's what this is really
19 all about. This is about government being the
20 biggest profiteer in the energy game, with taxes
21 like this.
22 Now, you can make all the arguments
23 you want, but people are smart here in New York
24 State. They're opening their electric bills,
25 they're opening their gas bills, they're looking
1156
1 at what it's costing them to just get to work for
2 the day or keep their house warm.
3 And some people, like the very poor
4 people that live in districts like I represent,
5 are choosing between food and medicine and
6 keeping the lights on. And we've done nothing
7 here to make sure that doesn't happen, except
8 saying, Don't worry, folks, we're saving the
9 planet here, you're going to have to help pick up
10 the tab.
11 So I'll be voting no on this.
12 Thank you.
13 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Helming,
14 why do you rise?
15 SENATOR MARTINS: Mr. President, on
16 the bill.
17 SENATOR HELMING: Senator Helming,
18 did you say?
19 THE PRESIDENT: Yes.
20 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you.
21 Mr. President, if the sponsor will
22 yield for a quick question.
23 THE PRESIDENT: Does the sponsor
24 yield?
25 SENATOR HINCHEY: I do.
1157
1 THE PRESIDENT: The sponsor yields.
2 SENATOR HELMING: Senator Hinchey,
3 is there anything in this bill language that
4 would limit how much New York State government
5 can pass on to these small businesses? Taxes,
6 fees, mandated costs, et cetera.
7 SENATOR HINCHEY: Through you,
8 Mr. President. This bill is very simple in being
9 transparent and limiting the fees that these
10 companies can pass on to customers. That's the
11 extent of this bill.
12 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
13 Mr. President. So on the bill.
14 I'm a propane customer. I have been
15 a long time, probably more than 25 years. I live
16 in the country. It's the only option I have to
17 heat my home. I support more transparency in
18 billing, whether it's with propane companies or
19 any other company.
20 But I think what is wrong with this
21 bill in particular is that the government is
22 saying to these small businesses that so many of
23 us rely on to be able to live in our homes: We
24 can charge you whatever the heck we want in new
25 costs and fees and mandates, but you cannot pass
1158
1 that on to your consumers.
2 How do these small businesses exist?
3 Are we saying we don't want small businesses to
4 be able to make money?
5 Look, I don't want any new costs, I
6 don't want any new fees. But to me, what I want
7 is New York State to stop jamming through all
8 these costly mandates that time after time and
9 report after report shows that are jacking up our
10 costs to heat our homes, to fill our tanks at the
11 gas pumps.
12 Mr. President, I will be voting no
13 on this legislation.
14 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Martins,
15 why do you rise?
16 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you,
17 Mr. President. On the bill.
18 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Martins on
19 the bill.
20 SENATOR MARTINS: You know, a great
21 American statesman once said that taxes on
22 corporations are just a sneaky way for
23 politicians to hide costs.
24 Corporations don't pay taxes,
25 Mr. President, people pay taxes. And so when you
1159
1 have a company like a company that sells propane,
2 they sell propane. And if you add additional
3 costs to that company, they have to increase the
4 cost of the propane in order to actually pay
5 those costs.
6 When policies are passed in this
7 chamber that make those costs higher, the only
8 thing they can do to pay those costs,
9 Mr. President, is to increase the cost of their
10 product -- in this case, propane and what people
11 use to heat their homes across this state.
12 So it's a simple equation. Unless
13 by some miracle the laws of economics don't work
14 in New York, Mr. President -- or maybe not in
15 this chamber, where we can just say they're not
16 going to pass it on to their customers. But
17 that's not the way it works in the real world.
18 When policies are passed in this
19 chamber and those policies lead to increased
20 costs, be it propane or any other product, it
21 gets passed on to our constituents. And we've
22 all heard from our constituents that the cost of
23 energy, heating their homes, electricity across
24 the board is spiking and they are -- they're
25 finding it hard to pay those costs.
1160
1 So to come in here and just say
2 because we say they can't pass it on, that
3 somehow the laws of economics don't work is
4 absurd.
5 When you tax a corporation, they
6 pass it on to the consumer. When you put
7 additional costs on energy providers, whatever
8 energy it is, they pass those costs on to the
9 consumer as well.
10 Our constituents have told each and
11 every one of us that they are paying more than
12 they can afford.
13 I vote no.
14 THE PRESIDENT: Thank you.
15 Are there any other Senators wishing
16 to be heard?
17 Seeing and hearing none, debate is
18 closed.
19 Senator Gianaris.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
21 we've agreed to restore this bill to the
22 noncontroversial calendar.
23 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is
24 restored.
25 Read the last section.
1161
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
3 shall have become a law.
4 THE PRESIDENT: Call the roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Hinchey to
7 explain your vote.
8 SENATOR HINCHEY: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 I'd like to start by saying I too am
11 a propane customer, and I live in the woods. We
12 have a thousand-gallon tank because it's hard to
13 get there, and if there's a snowstorm you can't
14 get there, actually, to deliver the fuel. So
15 this is the world that I'm living in too.
16 But I want to be really clear,
17 because it sounds like a lot of my colleagues are
18 either saying that they do not believe in the
19 climate crisis or they do not care that people
20 and companies that have perpetuated the climate
21 crisis over decades should bear any costs for
22 that responsibility.
23 But the main point about this bill
24 is that it actually lowers the cost for our
25 constituents and for those customers.
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1 For example, a previous fee that was
2 able to be put upon the customer was a fee for
3 liquid petroleum gas that was not actually
4 delivered. The customer had to pay for that.
5 The customer had to pay for a fee
6 that was not disclosed in the contract related to
7 a termination of that service. The customer had
8 to pay for that.
9 The customer had to pay for a
10 special usage fee if they didn't use enough
11 petroleum to get a return on the investment for
12 the customer. The customer had to pay an
13 additional fee for that.
14 The customer also had to pay for the
15 termination of service if they didn't want it.
16 They would have to pay for keeping the tank on
17 their property even when they did terminate the
18 service because the company didn't want to come
19 and pick it up. They had to pay basically a
20 rental fee for that.
21 This bill is making sure that we are
22 lowering the bills that we hear are skyrocketing
23 all the time. This is actually an affordability
24 measure. It is lowering those bills at a time
25 when we also know that renewable energy is
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1 cheaper than fossil fuels. We are shifting in
2 that direction because we care about our
3 constituents and it's what our constituents want.
4 So I thank my colleagues for voting
5 for this bill. I encourage my other colleagues
6 to look around them and talk to their
7 constituents about the impacts that are happening
8 across not just our state but across our country.
9 And I proudly vote aye. Thank you
10 very much.
11 THE PRESIDENT: Senator Hinchey
12 will be recorded in the affirmative.
13 Announce the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
15 Calendar 214, voting in the negative are
16 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
17 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins,
18 Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt,
19 Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk,
20 Weber and Weik.
21 Ayes, 36. Nays, 22.
22 THE PRESIDENT: The bill is passed.
23 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
24 reading of the calendar.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
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1 further business at the desk?
2 THE PRESIDENT: There is no further
3 business at the desk.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to
5 adjourn until Monday, March 9th, at 3:00 p.m.,
6 with the intervening days being legislative days.
7 THE PRESIDENT: On motion, the
8 Senate stands adjourned until Monday, March 9th,
9 at 3:00 p.m., with the intervening days being
10 legislative days.
11 (Whereupon, the Senate adjourned at
12 12:33 p.m.)
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