Regular Session - April 29, 2026
3880
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 April 29, 2026
11 11:40 a.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR SHELLEY B. MAYER, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
20
21
22
23
24
25
3881
1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
3 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 MAYER: 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 MAYER: Reading of
14 the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Tuesday,
16 April 28, 2026, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, April 27,
18 2026, was read and approved. On motion, the
19 Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Without
21 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 The Secretary will read.
25 THE SECRETARY: Senator Cooney
3882
1 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
2 Transportation, Assembly Bill Number 9259 and
3 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 8691,
4 Third Reading Calendar 253.
5 Senator Sepulveda moves to
6 discharge, from the Committee on Social Services,
7 Assembly Bill Number 2332B and substitute it for
8 the identical Senate Bill 5807A, Third Reading
9 Calendar 710.
10 Senator Comrie moves to discharge,
11 from the Committee on Judiciary, Assembly Bill
12 Number 4871 and substitute it for the identical
13 Senate Bill 3778, Third Reading Calendar 749.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: So
15 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 Madam President.
25 Let's begin by taking up previously
3883
1 adopted Resolution 1964, by Senator Bynoe, have
2 that resolution's title read and call on
3 Senator Bynoe, please.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
5 Secretary will read.
6 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1964, by
7 Senator Bynoe, memorializing Governor Kathy
8 Hochul to proclaim April 19-25, 2026, as
9 Library Week in the State of New York.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
11 Bynoe on the resolution.
12 SENATOR BYNOE: Good morning,
13 Madam Chair.
14 Library Week is as essential now as
15 it was when it was founded. The compulsion for
16 technology to interfere with Americans' reading
17 habits is in a new conflict. In the mid-1950s,
18 research showed that Americans were spending less
19 time on books and more on technology like radios
20 and televisions. Concern over this issue led to
21 the creation of National Library Week, first
22 created and celebrated in 1958.
23 The American Library Association
24 gave it the theme "Wake Up and Read," believing
25 that once people were motivated to read, they
3884
1 would support and use libraries.
2 The conflict between distractions of
3 technology and the importance of reading
4 continues today, requiring library professionals
5 to be nimble and innovative to maintain the
6 relevance of library systems. Libraries have
7 adjusted to changing needs for their communities
8 by offering assistance to meet those needs,
9 including access to broadband and social
10 services.
11 Despite the continued innovation and
12 introduction of technology, the quest for
13 literacy continues to guide the work of libraries
14 today, as it is the root of human potential.
15 Libraries anchor communities, nourish
16 communities, and give us the strength to grow
17 beyond what we've personally seen. Libraries are
18 where limitations turn into possibilities.
19 For many children, life experiences
20 may be defined by a small radius, perhaps just a
21 couple of miles from home. Their world may
22 consist of school, places of worship,
23 neighborhood streets, and the occasional visit to
24 the library. But reading changes that reality.
25 Reading expands that radius infinitely. Through
3885
1 books, a child can travel across continents,
2 across centuries, and into ideas far in the
3 distance.
4 In 1924, I suspect the benefactors
5 of the Westbury Memorial Library knew that as
6 they invested in a space designed specifically to
7 ensure that young scholars had the ability to
8 have a place of their own, to have experiences
9 that transcend both time and place, making it a
10 historical institution.
11 And yet literacy has not always been
12 equal throughout history. Communities have
13 worked tirelessly, often quietly and
14 courageously, to ensure that the root of literacy
15 could take place. During times of segregation
16 and exclusion, learning happened in secret rooms
17 and church basements. In fact, the Lakeview
18 Library community, also within the district,
19 wasn't established until 1968, making it one of
20 Long Island's last formed libraries.
21 Its formation came to reality only
22 after Dr. Martin Luther King visited the
23 community in 1965, in an effort to desegregate
24 the school system, and demanded the same
25 amenities that were enjoyed by neighbors in
3886
1 communities nearby.
2 While the traditional libraries of
3 our childhood represent repositories of books,
4 they have evolved into community hubs, technology
5 centers, with librarians often serving as
6 technical experts.
7 As we look ahead, we honor
8 New York's legacy of persistence and innovation
9 to ensure that the next chapter of our library
10 system is inclusive and accessible and maintains
11 their visionary mission.
12 In an attempt to meet the challenges
13 of fast-paced social and cultural changes
14 affecting libraries and their patrons,
15 British-born scholar and librarian Michael Gorman
16 articulated five laws that continue to set
17 guardrails for libraries today.
18 Libraries serve humanity. This law
19 encompasses the assistance of individuals to have
20 lofty ideals and high aspirations.
21 We must respect all by which
22 knowledge is communicated, is the second law.
23 This law encourages the utilitarian approach to
24 use whatever is effective.
25 The third law: We must use
3887
1 technology intellectually to enhance services.
2 This law contends that technology must be used
3 for its benefits rather than adopted for its own
4 sake.
5 Number four, we must -- we must --
6 protect free access to knowledge. This law
7 allows us to warn against records being
8 disappeared from shelves in the form of
9 censorship, stating a society without uncensored
10 libraries is a society open to tyranny, a society
11 easier to manipulate, mislead or dominate.
12 Libraries must continue to be the
13 purveyors of truth. We must honor the past while
14 creating the future. We must balance nostalgia
15 for the pre-digital past with the need to embrace
16 new technologies.
17 These principles remind us that
18 libraries are not static institutions, they are
19 living systems, constantly evolving while
20 remaining grounded in its purpose.
21 Today, our responsibility is clear.
22 If we want thriving communities, innovative
23 thinkers, confident individuals, we must invest
24 in our libraries. We must ensure that every
25 person, regardless of background, has equitable
3888
1 access to literacy, to information, and to spaces
2 that nurture growth.
3 We must build systems that reflect
4 cultural competency, inclusivity and
5 understanding so that every individual not only
6 has access, but feels that they belong.
7 And above all, we must support the
8 intellectual freedoms of patrons and libraries'
9 ability to maintain their place in our
10 communities as purveyors of truth.
11 Thank you, Madam President. I will
12 be voting affirmatively, and I encourage my
13 colleagues to do the same.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
15 Senator Bynoe.
16 Senator May on the resolution.
17 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
18 Madam President.
19 And I want to thank the sponsor for
20 this resolution.
21 Libraries are so important. And
22 they're some of the most beloved institutions in
23 our society.
24 Libraries truly are one of the last
25 public spaces that we have in America. When so
3889
1 much has been privatized, the libraries are
2 places where everyone is welcome and where people
3 can find not just books, as the sponsor was
4 saying, but all kinds of other materials, and
5 support the unimaginable variety.
6 If you're experiencing homelessness
7 and you just need a comfortable chair to sit in
8 for a while, you can come to a library.
9 If you don't have a computer and a
10 printer at home, you can print out a document
11 that you might need.
12 If you want to learn about 3-D
13 printing, you can go and learn that at a library.
14 If you're an older person
15 experiencing isolation, you can join a book club
16 or a knitting club at your local library.
17 And librarians are remarkably adept
18 at all of the huge range of kinds of demands that
19 they are presented with at any given time.
20 Libraries are also under threat,
21 partly by the push to privatization in our
22 society, but also by just the fact that the
23 business model of what they do, of sharing
24 information and sharing materials, is not
25 something that the marketplace supports.
3890
1 So, for example, e-books and
2 audiobooks are very, very popular in libraries,
3 but the publishers charge huge surcharges for
4 libraries to get those materials, something that
5 we are trying to address with some legislation
6 that I have.
7 But we need to defend libraries,
8 because their public mission is something that
9 serves all of our constituents. It serves our
10 society in a way that very few institutions do.
11 So I'm proud to support this
12 resolution and to support our libraries.
13 I vote aye.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
15 Senator May.
16 Senator Martins on the resolution.
17 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you,
18 Madam President.
19 I want to thank the sponsor for the
20 resolution.
21 I've got to tell you -- fun fact,
22 Madam President. Before my time in Mineola as
23 mayor, and before coming to the Senate, I was on
24 a library board at the Mineola Library, served as
25 president for a number of years, and got to see
3891
1 firsthand just how important libraries are in our
2 state.
3 If you want to talk, and we often
4 talk in this chamber about creating lifelong
5 learners, it starts at the library and frankly it
6 ends -- throughout people's lives, they will
7 always connect to their local libraries. We saw
8 it during the pandemic, and we see during times
9 of crisis our libraries also become community
10 centers, emergency centers, places where our
11 communities come together.
12 And if there's one thing we can do
13 as we grind through the balance of this budget
14 exercise that we're engaged in right now, take a
15 moment -- because this is a great opportunity
16 that the sponsor has brought us with regard to
17 this library resolution -- take a moment to see
18 just how little of our state funding goes towards
19 libraries, and what a difference just an
20 incremental increase in spending for libraries
21 will have in each and every one of our
22 communities.
23 They are able to do a lot with very
24 little. And it's more than just books, as we've
25 heard before. It's access to materials, they're
3892
1 community centers, gathering places for our
2 communities.
3 And so if we just give them a little
4 more, not only for programming but also for
5 capital, so that they can continue to expand
6 their services as technology increases and as
7 they have to adapt some older buildings to newer
8 technologies, they're going to need funding.
9 And oftentimes in the tug of war
10 that is often our budget discussions locally,
11 libraries don't always fare as well.
12 And so if we take the opportunity
13 during this budget cycle to prioritize libraries,
14 perhaps give them a little more, that will go a
15 long way across the state -- upstate, downstate,
16 and certainly in our urban areas -- to make a
17 difference in people's lives.
18 Again, thank you to the sponsor for
19 the resolution.
20 I vote aye.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
22 Senator Cleare on the resolution.
23 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
24 Madam President.
25 I rise to thank Senator Bynoe for
3893
1 that very important resolution today.
2 And I wasn't going to say anything,
3 but I feel like I have to, because I know the
4 important role that libraries played in my life.
5 As a kid, that was one of the safest places --
6 one of the few places my mother said we could go.
7 And sometimes we had to go and wait for her to
8 get home from work, and she would meet us there.
9 But it was definitely a place that
10 opened up my eyes. We could not afford some of
11 the books that, you know, I had access to. And
12 there's a lot of families even today who can't
13 afford to put books in their home. And the
14 libraries do provide that.
15 We do have to support our libraries
16 and give them more funding. I'm very proud, of
17 course, you know, to represent the
18 Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in
19 my community.
20 So it is about employment
21 opportunities for some people. You know, it's
22 about culture and history and being able to have
23 access to that.
24 So I really thank you, and I proudly
25 vote aye on this resolution.
3894
1 I even remember one quick story
2 that -- you know, my mother was like, I'm not
3 getting a newspaper subscription. You know, our
4 school made us do current events, and we couldn't
5 afford to do a newspaper subscription. So guess
6 where I went? To the library.
7 So thank you so much for bringing
8 this up. And again, I vote aye.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
10 Senator Cleare.
11 Senator Helming on the resolution.
12 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
13 Madam President.
14 I am so excited today to rise and
15 support this resolution, recognizing the vital
16 role that our libraries play in all of our
17 communities.
18 My mother worked in a library for
19 more than 40 years, so the library became like a
20 second home to me. And it just opened up endless
21 opportunities. As Senator Cleare said, for those
22 who didn't have the financial means to pursue
23 certain opportunities, libraries gave us that
24 equality, if you will.
25 You've heard many people say that
3895
1 our libraries are filled with much more than
2 books, and that is so true. In my rural
3 communities, in my small town communities,
4 they're really anchors for people. When I visit
5 the library, I see students getting help doing
6 their homework, getting tutoring, et cetera. I
7 see job seekers there who wouldn't have access to
8 a computer anywhere else, or a printer,
9 developing their workforce skills. And I see
10 seniors staying connected. They're just great
11 places.
12 What's really exciting to see is how
13 they continue to expand. We hear a lot of talk
14 about affordability right now and how challenging
15 it is for families and seniors. Well, guess
16 what, go to a library, you can pick up a fishing
17 pole. You can go spend your day on the lake
18 fishing and relaxing. You can get passes for
19 area museums. There's just so many
20 opportunities.
21 And I want to mention how important
22 our libraries are to supporting our local
23 economy -- providing workforce development
24 resources, support for our small businesses, and
25 providing even spaces for innovation and
3896
1 collaboration to take place. And they do all of
2 this while preserving our history and
3 strengthening the fabric of our communities.
4 So I want to just take a moment and
5 thank our incredible librarians and their staff
6 for the amazing work they do, and I am proud to
7 vote yes on this resolution. And as
8 Senator Martins said, proud to advocate that all
9 of us in this chamber do everything we absolutely
10 can do to increase funding for our school and our
11 public libraries.
12 Thank you, Madam President.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
14 Senator Helming.
15 Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick on the
16 resolution.
17 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
18 Thank you, Madam President.
19 I too want to compliment and thank
20 the sponsor for bringing this resolution to the
21 floor. So many times I talk to the directors of
22 libraries, and they are not only the managers of
23 books, but they manage facilities. And when
24 there's a toilet that overflows or a roof that is
25 leaking, it's their responsibility.
3897
1 So they've become really
2 jacks-of-all-trades to make sure that the
3 facility operates, staff is managed, and the
4 interior of books and movies and such are
5 managed.
6 I have very fond memories of when my
7 kids were little, taking four of them to the
8 library, knowing that they could all rent their
9 own movie for a dollar and I didn't have to go
10 out and buy DVDs or the VHS tapes, because the
11 library had them all.
12 So I've recently had a new respect,
13 because now my libraries have requested Narcan
14 kits. And I'm proud to work with OASAS to make
15 sure that our libraries have Narcan. And it's a
16 shame, but it's the reality that they are
17 community centers, they need AEDs, they need
18 Narcan. And I am very happy that they've reached
19 out and asked for what they need.
20 They do so much with so little. And
21 it's important that as we're working on a budget
22 that we remember our libraries and make sure that
23 they have the financial resources to continue
24 being the community centers that they've become.
25 I proudly vote aye.
3898
1 Thank you, Madam President.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
3 Senator Cooney on the resolution.
4 SENATOR COONEY: Thank you,
5 Madam President.
6 Let me extend my sincere thanks to
7 Senator Bynoe for her sponsoring of the
8 resolution, but also for her leadership on
9 Libraries.
10 Like many of you, we all had our
11 commitments and our stories and our beginnings
12 with libraries, but my work in public office in
13 state service started at age 16 when I worked at
14 the Douglass branch library as part of the
15 Rochester Public Library system.
16 And I want to thank all of the staff
17 and librarians as part of the Monroe County
18 Library system, which I proudly help represent.
19 One point I think was missed during
20 our conversation so far on the floor. Libraries
21 are serving populations from so many different
22 backgrounds.
23 And in this moment in time in this
24 country, it is important to recognize the role
25 that libraries have with our youngest learners,
3899
1 because we know that early literacy is the
2 indicator for high school graduation.
3 And I want to thank again
4 Senator Bynoe for recognizing that libraries are
5 our public library systems, our school-based
6 library systems, innovative programs like
7 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library -- all of
8 these collectively work together to provide
9 literacy opportunities for our youngest learners.
10 But it's not just our youngest
11 learners that we want to focus on. We also want
12 to focus on our adult learners. And part of that
13 adult population are our new Americans. How many
14 of us have libraries in our districts which are
15 leading the way to provide training and education
16 programs to take that citizenship test, to become
17 part of this great democracy and part of this
18 great country.
19 Libraries have been doing that work
20 for years. And we recognize them and we thank
21 them this week, and we will continue to do that
22 work with them.
23 Madam President, I vote aye.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
25 Senator Rolison on the resolution.
3900
1 SENATOR ROLISON: Thank you,
2 Madam President.
3 And Senator Bynoe, thank you for
4 bringing this resolution forward.
5 I heard a term that -- actually I
6 wanted to speak on libraries to begin with, but I
7 thought about a fond memory of a library for me.
8 Now, of course -- and I really was
9 not a great student during my years of
10 high school, and I didn't really go to the
11 library. And in 1974 I was doing a report and I
12 needed to go to the Adriance Memorial Library in
13 the City of Poughkeepsie, not far from where I
14 lived.
15 So my mom had a 1969 Chevelle at
16 that time, and I went to the library and did
17 whatever I had to do and probably didn't do it
18 that well. However, I was at the library.
19 And on the way home it started to
20 snow, I slid off the road and hit a guardrail
21 with my mom's car and put a dent in the right
22 quarter panel.
23 Drove it home, and I told my mom, I
24 said, Mom, I put a dent in your car by the
25 Adriance -- actually, by the Poughkeepsie Rural
3901
1 Cemetery. That guardrail is still there.
2 And she said to me, she goes, "You
3 know, Robert, the car's going to be okay. I am
4 just really happy that you went to the library."
5 (Laughter.)
6 SENATOR ROLISON: And that was my
7 mom, true and true, always supportive, thinking
8 of the good things.
9 And then fast forward so many years
10 later, especially after becoming the mayor of the
11 City of Poughkeepsie, and Adriance Memorial
12 Library there, and they've done additions on it
13 over the years -- and we've heard it here in the
14 chambers, all the things that the libraries do
15 for others. It's not the library of 1974 for me.
16 It's a library for the community of today.
17 And then having the honor to get up
18 here with all of you in 2023, many of our mobile
19 office hours for the Senate office are in
20 libraries throughout the district. So I've
21 gotten to go to so many all these years later.
22 And as we've heard, just all of the
23 community activity; they are hubs, they are safe
24 places, they are places where everyone is welcome
25 and everyone can do the same thing there. And
3902
1 the services that they provide are invaluable.
2 That can't be done by other community-based
3 organizations.
4 So I wanted to just say to all of
5 the libraries across the state, but especially in
6 the 39th District, and to all the folks that work
7 there, volunteer there, and donate to our
8 libraries: Thank you.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
10 Senator Rolison.
11 The resolution was previously
12 adopted on April 28th.
13 Senator Gianaris.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's now move
15 on to previously adopted Resolution 1931, by
16 Senator Cooney --
17 Change of plans. Previously adopted
18 Resolution 1711, by Senator Scarcella-Spanton.
19 Please read that resolution's title and call on
20 Senator Scarcella-Spanton.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
22 Secretary will read.
23 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1711, by
24 Senator Scarcella-Spanton, celebrating the
25 courage and bravery of New York State's
3903
1 Korean War Veterans, and recognizing the men and
2 women who served with dignity and honor during
3 that historic time period, at the Senate's
4 Korean War Veterans Celebration on April 29,
5 2026.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
7 Scarcella-Spanton on the resolution.
8 SENATOR SCARCELLA-SPANTON: Thank
9 you, Madam President.
10 Today we recognize and honor the
11 service and sacrifice of Korean War veterans,
12 often called the Forgotten War veterans.
13 This resolution ensures their
14 contributions are formally acknowledged and
15 remembered by this body and for future
16 generations.
17 Nearly 1.8 million Americans served
18 in the Korean War, including tens of thousands
19 from right here in New York State. More than
20 36,000 American servicemembers lost their lives,
21 and over 10,000 were wounded during that
22 conflict.
23 The legacy of Korean War veterans
24 continues through their commitment to service,
25 family, and community. As you may see today,
3904
1 over the last few years unfortunately the
2 population of our Korean War veterans has very
3 much dwindled, and I think it's getting
4 increasingly more difficult to have them come
5 here.
6 But that's why it's more important,
7 now more than ever, that we preserve their legacy
8 and continue sharing their stories.
9 I encourage everyone to visit the
10 beautiful display on the fourth floor. Thank you
11 to Ale -- wherever she is in this room,
12 somewhere -- and her team in making sure that
13 they showcase mementos and relics from the
14 Korean War time and those who served in it.
15 I especially am thinking of all my
16 constituents who have served, especially
17 Charles Navarino, who was our Veteran Hall of
18 Famer back in 2023.
19 And I want to make sure that this
20 resolution serves as a reminder of their service
21 and their sacrifice, and that will never be
22 forgotten.
23 I'm honored to support this
24 resolution and to express our enduring gratitude
25 to our veterans' service to our nation.
3905
1 Thank you, and I proudly vote aye.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
3 Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick on the
4 resolution.
5 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
6 Thank you, Madam President. Thank you to the
7 sponsor for bringing this resolution to the
8 floor.
9 It is referred to often as the
10 Forgotten War. And what we do here today is so
11 important for those veterans.
12 As the daughter of a Korean War
13 veteran who served in the United States Coast
14 Guard, we understood the global significance in
15 our house about that war and, more personally,
16 the lasting impact on those who did not return
17 home.
18 I want to say thank you to my dad,
19 Joseph Canzoneri, 92 years young. Thank you for
20 your service to our country. I'm always so proud
21 of him and what he has done and continues to do
22 in active service in our American Legion and
23 making sure our younger veterans know that their
24 service is important to the community.
25 We must ensure that their stories
3906
1 are preserved for future generations.
2 Thank you, Madam President. I
3 proudly vote aye.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
5 Senator Harckham on the resolution.
6 SENATOR HARCKHAM: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 And I want to thank Senator
9 Scarcella-Spanton for bringing this resolution,
10 for her leadership on the committee.
11 I want to thank our Majority Leader
12 and you, Madam President, for helping over the
13 past few years to honor the memory and the
14 service of our Korean War veterans who are here
15 in New York, those that have survived.
16 And as you mentioned, Senator, the
17 numbers have dwindled. You know, my father, I've
18 mentioned on the floor, served in combat in
19 World War II but was later called back for Korea
20 as well. And much of that generation is gone.
21 And it was an incredibly -- I mean,
22 all wars are challenging, but it was incredibly
23 challenging. They were undersupplied, often in
24 frigid conditions. And, you know, they just --
25 our troops just accomplished so much in a heroic
3907
1 fashion.
2 And the brutality of that war we
3 cannot forget. You know, we often say we've got
4 to remember the past so, you know, history
5 doesn't repeat itself.
6 And so I join with colleagues in
7 remembering the honor and the sacrifice and the
8 service of those veterans. And as was mentioned,
9 it is so important to tell those stories, to keep
10 the stories alive and put the human face on it.
11 So thank you for the resolution. I
12 vote aye.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
14 Senator Harckham.
15 Senator Borrello on the resolution.
16 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
17 Madam President.
18 I also rise to thank the sponsor for
19 this. And I want to recognize, memorialize one
20 of my constituents, also a cousin of mine, Peter
21 Carlo, who passed away a few months ago at the
22 age of 94, a Korean War veteran and a man so
23 dedicated to his family and community.
24 He distributed over 300 American
25 flags. If there was a building or a school or a
3908
1 place that didn't have an American flag, Peter
2 Carlo made sure that they did.
3 And every day on Memorial Day he
4 made sure that every single veteran's flag in the
5 Jamestown Cemetery had a -- every veteran's grave
6 had an American flag placed on it on Memorial Day
7 to honor their service and sacrifice.
8 He was a great American. Wounded in
9 combat, came back, became a successful business
10 owner and gave back to his community, the story
11 of so many of our great American veterans.
12 And God bless Peter Carlo and his
13 family, and God bless those that served in our
14 United States armed forces.
15 Thank you.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
17 Senator Ashby on the resolution.
18 SENATOR ASHBY: Thank you,
19 Madam President.
20 I too rise to thank Madam Chair for
21 this resolution and to honor all those who fought
22 in the Korean War and their families. And the
23 2,300 New Yorkers who died in Korea during that
24 conflict.
25 And in 1951, during this time, the
3909
1 Chinese were in fact trying to surround U.N.
2 forces after a bitter, bitter winter campaign, as
3 has been mentioned by previous speakers.
4 Ill-equipped, and they continued to fight on.
5 And just as they continued to fight
6 on, we will continue to remember them. Even
7 though they are not in this chamber with us
8 today, their sacrifice, their intent, what
9 they've done for this country will not be
10 forgotten.
11 I proudly vote aye.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
13 Senator Ashby.
14 Senator Mattera on the resolution.
15 SENATOR MATTERA: Thank you,
16 Madam President.
17 I just want to say that this is a
18 very proud day especially, you know, for us to
19 honor all of our Korean War veterans. And I want
20 to thank the sponsor for bringing this forward
21 here today.
22 Somebody that's very, very special
23 to me that's at the State Home at Stony Brook, my
24 Uncle Louie, Lou Maters. He's very proud, there
25 he is like the mayor over at the Vets Home, which
3910
1 is a premier vets home. Every vets home should
2 be just like Stony Brook, because we have a
3 director named Fred Sganga that is there, and he
4 makes it special for all of the veterans.
5 And there it is, my Uncle Louie at
6 93 years old, he's going to be 94 this year, is
7 very proud to be there as a resident. And you
8 know, you sit there and you go to the
9 Memorial Days, you go to the Veterans Days. And
10 one thing about this Vets Home, you know, even
11 the food is good. I've got to tell you, he
12 actually doesn't even complain about that, being
13 an Italian.
14 But this is very, very special for
15 me today too, to mention my Uncle Louie, mention
16 all the veterans that are at that State's Home.
17 But it's a very, very proud
18 resolution, and I just want to say I vote aye.
19 Thank you.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
21 Senator.
22 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
23 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
24 Madam President.
25 When we speak of the Korean War, we
3911
1 are often speaking of some of the fiercest
2 fighting that we really don't speak of. The
3 Chosin Reservoir that had been spoken of earlier
4 is one of the most storied battles that the
5 Marine Corps and others fought in.
6 As a matter of fact, it's where the
7 most decorated Marine, Chesty Puller, received
8 most of his decorations. He was in charge of the
9 exodus from that area.
10 And when he got there, it was so out
11 of control it looked like we are going to lose.
12 And he stopped it from being a rout and turned it
13 into a retreat.
14 His officers said to him: Wait a
15 minute, wait a minute, Marines don't retreat.
16 What are you doing? He said to them, famously,
17 "We're not retreating, we're fighting in a
18 different direction." And he led the battle out
19 of there.
20 This is why every Marine Corps base
21 has a pit bull -- that's our symbol -- and the
22 pit bull's name on every base is Chesty, after
23 Chesty Puller, the most decorated Marine.
24 I absolutely vote aye.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
3912
1 Senator Rolison on the resolution.
2 SENATOR ROLISON: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 And thank you to the sponsor for
5 again bringing this forward and giving us all the
6 opportunity to remember and reflect upon the
7 sacrifices that were made on behalf of our
8 country, other countries, and fighting for people
9 that they didn't even know.
10 And my dad served during the
11 Korean War. My godfather, my dad's best friend,
12 Bill Sherry, served during the Korean War. And I
13 know I've told this story before, but I always
14 think it bears repeating, especially today, is
15 that they both served. And then they met each
16 other at Providence College; they became
17 roommates. And then they both graduated from
18 Providence. My dad went on to Fordham Law
19 School. And then they both end up settling in
20 Poughkeepsie.
21 We were neighbors. He became my
22 godfather, Bill Sherry. And because my parents
23 were only children, he was my uncle. And all of
24 his children were my cousins. And they were the
25 best of friends forever.
3913
1 And over the years, with all the
2 time that I spent with the Sherry family, and
3 they spent with us, I didn't really know anything
4 the service that they both provided during the
5 Korean War.
6 And again, I've said this before, I
7 never even heard them talk about it, and they
8 were together all the time.
9 So when you think back on all of
10 those individuals -- and individuals today who
11 serve, who sacrifice so much, and the families
12 that have sacrificed even more -- in many
13 respects it is a fitting and honorable thing to
14 do, for us to pause and reflect on them.
15 So again, thank you to the sponsor,
16 because today, with all the other things that we
17 will do and the things that we think about and
18 the things that we have to do in the future, I
19 get to think about my dad and my Uncle Bill.
20 Thank you, Madam Chair. I proudly
21 vote aye.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
23 Senator Rolison.
24 Senator Chan on the resolution.
25 SENATOR CHAN: Thank you,
3914
1 Madam President.
2 I want to thank Senator
3 Scarcella-Spanton for bringing forth this
4 resolution.
5 I want to thank my fellow jarhead on
6 the other side of the aisle for bringing the
7 attention to the Frozen Chosin, is what we called
8 it, Chosin Reservoir. I was going to speak about
9 that.
10 I personally first learned about the
11 Korean War through a TV show in the '80s called
12 MASH. And I'm sure many of us remember that
13 show; it was very popular.
14 Then when I graduated as the
15 Honor Man of my platoon in basic training in the
16 United States Marines, I heard stories from a
17 gentleman by the name of General Stephen G.
18 Olmstead, who was at the Frozen Chosin.
19 And subsequently, when I hit the
20 fleet, there were still Korean veterans laying
21 around in the '80s, Korean War veterans.
22 So I just wanted to let everybody
23 know that every one of those veterans that I met
24 from Korea are still ready to defend the nation
25 with their lives. And I am forever grateful.
3915
1 And I am also ready to defend this
2 nation with my life. I'm sure Senator Sanders on
3 the other side, as well as our fellow veterans in
4 this Senate, all feel the same way.
5 Thank you very much.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
7 Senator Chan.
8 The resolution was previously
9 adopted on March 10th.
10 Senator Gianaris.
11 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time,
12 while we're awaiting some additional guests,
13 we're going to take up the reading of the
14 calendar, please.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 253, Assembly Bill Number 9259, by
19 Assemblymember Magnarelli, an act to amend the
20 Vehicle and Traffic Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
22 last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
24 act shall take effect one year after it shall
25 have become a law.
3916
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
5 Cooney to explain his vote.
6 SENATOR COONEY: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 Seat belts prevent tragedies. Seat
9 belts get passengers home safe. Seat belts save
10 lives.
11 Two years ago, together, working
12 together, we spearheaded legislation to require
13 seat belts for passengers on charter buses. This
14 legislation came in the wake of a horrific crash
15 on Long Island that left two adults fatally
16 injured on a school trip.
17 We knew that we needed to do more as
18 a state to help keep passengers safe. We knew
19 that we needed seat belts, which are shown to
20 reduce fatalities by 44 percent and severe
21 injuries by 45 percent on these buses.
22 But since that legislation was
23 passed, most passengers still aren't aware that
24 it's required to put their seat belt on when on
25 these charter buses. They are not aware of the
3917
1 risks.
2 Last year, we saw another horrific
3 crash, this time in Western New York, that left
4 five passengers dead on their way home from a
5 trip to Niagara Falls.
6 Safety must continue to be a top
7 priority, and that means doing a better job of
8 spreading awareness of our safety laws.
9 This legislation would mandate that
10 bus drivers hold pre-trip safety briefings with
11 their passengers, telling them that buckling up
12 is not a choice, it is the law in New York and
13 that they can pay fines for not following the
14 law.
15 Too many New York families haven't
16 had a loved one return home on a chartered bus
17 trip, and we have to do something about this.
18 It's a grief that no one should have to endure.
19 So let's pass this bill, keeping our
20 passengers safe in New York, and protecting all
21 New Yorkers from harm on their travels throughout
22 our state.
23 Madam President, I vote aye.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
25 Cooney to be recorded in the affirmative.
3918
1 Announce the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 498, Senate Print 1982A, by Senator Harckham, an
7 act to amend the General Municipal Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
18 Calendar 498, voting in the negative:
19 Senator Brisport.
20 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
22 is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 640, Senate Print 6494, by Senator Cleare, an act
25 to amend the Insurance Law.
3919
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
2 last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
4 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
5 shall have become a law.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
7 roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
10 Cleare to explain her vote.
11 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
12 Madam President.
13 I rise in support of Senate Bill
14 6494, which will require commercial insurance
15 policies in New York to cover doula services as
16 part of maternity care.
17 Every birthing mother deserves equal
18 support that begins with this bill. Doulas are
19 trained professionals who provide physical,
20 emotional, and informational support throughout
21 the entire pregnancy process, even after birth.
22 Doula services have statistically
23 and scientifically proven to improve physical and
24 psychological outcomes for both the mother and
25 the baby. In other words, doulas provide
3920
1 essential services, and essential services must
2 be covered, particularly if we are to address
3 issues of maternal mortality and morbidity in
4 Black and other communities of color.
5 I encourage my colleagues to think
6 about the mothers and families who are enduring a
7 life-changing experience with the current
8 added-on stress and financial burden that are
9 brought onto them when they realize their choice
10 of a doula is disregarded from the perspective of
11 insurance companies.
12 Whether a mother chooses to give
13 birth at a hospital or at home with a doula,
14 insurance companies must treat all births the
15 same and provide all mothers with equal support.
16 They, their families, and the child deserve no
17 less.
18 I'll be voting aye, and I urge my
19 colleagues to do the same.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
21 Cleare to be recorded in the affirmative.
22 Announce the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
24 Calendar 640, voting in the negative:
25 Senator Walczyk.
3921
1 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 710, Assembly Bill Number 2332B, by
6 Assemblymember Berger, an act to amend the
7 Social Services Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
12 shall have become a law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
14 roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
17 Murray to explain his vote.
18 SENATOR MURRAY: Thank you,
19 Madam President.
20 We have a problem in New York right
21 now. We've been talking about this problem. And
22 the problem is we are far behind in technology
23 when it comes to these EBT cards.
24 We're still using the magnetic
25 strips that are being skimmed, and in the past
3922
1 three years the most needy New Yorkers have lost
2 nearly $40 million in their benefits, mainly SNAP
3 benefits. The last thing we need to do right now
4 is give the vendor another excuse to delay what
5 has already been delayed.
6 So while I don't say this is a good
7 or bad bill, I think we need to hold off, get the
8 chip technology situation under control, get that
9 fixed, then maybe put something else on the
10 agenda for these vendors.
11 For that reason, I'll be voting no.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
13 Murray to be recorded in the negative.
14 Announce the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
16 Calendar 710, voting in the negative are
17 Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
18 Gallivan, Griffo, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, O'Mara.
19 Ortt, Rhoads, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weik.
20 Ayes, 45. Nays, 13.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
22 is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 736, Senate Print 9098, by Senator May, an act to
25 amend Chapter 683 of the Laws of 2023.
3923
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
2 last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
4 act shall take effect immediately.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
6 roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
9 the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar 736, voting in the negative:
12 Senator Martinez.
13 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
15 is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 748, Senate Print 3413, by Senator Jackson, an
18 act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
24 roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3924
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
2 the results.
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
5 is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 749, Assembly Bill Number 4871, by
8 Assemblymember Dilan, an act to amend the
9 Judiciary Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
18 the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 760, Senate Print 7053, by Senator Webb, an act
24 to amend the County Law.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
3925
1 the day.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
3 is laid aside for the day.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 768, Senate Print 6745, by Senator Stavisky, an
6 act to amend the Education Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
10 act shall take effect on the first of January.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
15 the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
18 is passed.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 773, Senate Print 200, by Senator Martinez, an
21 act to amend the Navigation Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
23 last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
3926
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
5 the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
7 Calendar 773, voting in the negative:
8 Senator Walczyk.
9 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
11 is passed.
12 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
13 779, Senate Print 6952B, by Senator Sanders, an
14 act to amend the Highway Law.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
16 last section.
17 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
18 act shall take effect immediately.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
20 roll.
21 (The Secretary called the roll.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
23 the results.
24 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
25 Calendar 779, voting in the negative:
3927
1 Senator Brisport.
2 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 805, Senate Print 2633A, by Senator Gonzalez, an
7 act to direct the Department of Health to
8 complete a report on the impact of hospital
9 closures.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
18 the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 821, Senate Print 9835, by Senator Addabbo, an
24 act to amend the Public Service Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Read the
3928
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
8 the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
11 is passed.
12 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
13 reading of today's calendar.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
15 now let's return to take up previously adopted
16 Resolution 1931, by Senator Cooney, read that
17 resolution's title and call on Senator Cooney,
18 please.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1931, by
22 Senator Cooney, memorializing Governor Kathy
23 Hochul to proclaim April 2026 as Sikh Heritage
24 Month in the State of New York.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
3929
1 Cooney on the resolution.
2 SENATOR COONEY: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 Sikhism is known for upholding the
5 principles of equality, service, compassion and
6 justice. These are the principles that Sikh
7 New Yorkers carry with them every single day.
8 And it's these principles that have
9 allowed the Sikh community to create such a
10 positive impact on our state.
11 This community is growing stronger
12 every single day, with a dedication to charity
13 and selfless service. Sikhs work to make sure
14 every member of our community is cared for.
15 Sikhs are also valued members of our growing AAPI
16 population.
17 With a fast-growing population comes
18 the need for greater representation. That's
19 where leaders like Judge Vik Vilkhu in my
20 district in Rochester come in. Judge Vilkhu
21 became the first member of the Sikh community
22 elected to the bench in New York State.
23 Designating April as Sikh Heritage
24 Month is about celebrating milestones like these,
25 reflecting on the vibrant culture, history, and
3930
1 traditions of this important community, and
2 honoring the achievements of all Sikh
3 New Yorkers.
4 Madam President, today we welcome a
5 number of members of our Sikh community across
6 New York State here in the gallery. And it's my
7 honor to introduce this resolution and make sure
8 that Sikh New Yorkers feel seen and heard in the
9 New York State Senate.
10 Madam President, I vote aye.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
12 Senator Cooney.
13 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
14 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
15 Madam President.
16 I want to commend Senator Cooney for
17 this resolution.
18 I too have had the pleasure of
19 getting to know the Sikh community. I had
20 Richmond Hill for a long period of time, and the
21 Sikh community has been fantastic and really
22 taken me under its wing.
23 One of the things I like most about
24 the community is that they have a -- I don't want
25 to call it a feeding program. I will call it a
3931
1 soup kitchen, a kitchen where everybody can come
2 to and, regardless of whatever your religion is,
3 whatever your ethnicity, you can sit down and you
4 can get a wholesome meal and be well-fed.
5 I've found that to be an incredible
6 addition to our community, especially in times
7 where people find themselves pressed and stressed
8 and may not have the money that they need.
9 There's always that kitchen that they can go to.
10 So I'm very grateful for, again,
11 Senator Cooney and for the community as a whole,
12 and I vote aye on this also.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
14 Senator Sanders.
15 Senator Liu on the resolution.
16 SENATOR LIU: {In Punjabi.}
17 Madam President, I am very proud to
18 stand up in support of this resolution. I want
19 to thank Senator Cooney.
20 The Sikh American community is very
21 vibrant in Queens as well as the rest of the
22 state. They have contributed so much to the
23 vitality of our state and the economy, the
24 academia, the professionalism. They serve in all
25 different kinds of professions as well as have
3932
1 different kinds of businesses.
2 And I also want to remind people
3 that in the aftermath of September 11th, the
4 Sikh American -- no community was literally
5 brutalized as much as the Sikh American
6 community, because of sheer misunderstanding and
7 misidentification.
8 So it's important that we remember
9 what the Sikh community means to us and what
10 they've been through, and that we hold great
11 value in them being our neighbors, friends and
12 partners.
13 Madam President, thank you very
14 much.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
16 Senator Liu.
17 Senator Gounardes on the resolution.
18 SENATOR GOUNARDES: Thank you,
19 Madam President.
20 I want to thank Senator Cooney for
21 this resolution.
22 When I was in law school, one of the
23 projects I got to volunteer and do some pro bono
24 work on was a case that was brought by the
25 Sikh American community to challenge the
3933
1 military's ban on them serving because of their
2 beards and their headgear, the turban.
3 And it was -- we spent months
4 working on that case. I had a chance to work
5 alongside many accomplished lawyers from that
6 community who, you know, impressed upon me just
7 the community's incredible dedication to serve,
8 to serve others, to be part of the fabric of this
9 country.
10 And I left that experience with a
11 deep appreciation and respect for the Sikh
12 community's continual dedication to this country,
13 to being part of what this country means --
14 regardless of where you come from and when you
15 came here, there is a place for you here.
16 And ever since that time, 15,
17 16 years ago or so, I always think back fondly on
18 that experience and really want to commend the
19 members of the community who are today to join
20 us, and again Senator Cooney, for recognizing the
21 incredible contributions that this community has
22 to offer, not just to our state but to the entire
23 United States of America.
24 I vote aye.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you.
3934
1 To our guests from the
2 Sikh community, thank you for being here today.
3 You are seen and heard. We ask for you to rise
4 to extend the cordialities of the house to you.
5 Please rise and be recognized.
6 (Standing ovation.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
8 resolution was previously adopted on April 28th.
9 Senator Gianaris.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: The sponsors of
11 all of today's resolutions would like to open
12 them for cosponsorship.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
14 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
15 you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify
16 the desk.
17 Senator Gianaris.
18 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time
19 we're going to pause very briefly and stand at
20 ease while the Minority has a very quick
21 conference.
22 And so the Senate will stand at ease
23 until 12:50.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
25 will stand at ease until 12:50.
3935
1 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
2 at 12:33 p.m.)
3 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
4 1:20 p.m.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
6 will come to order.
7 Senator Gianaris.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
9 there will be an immediate meeting of the
10 Committee on Rules in Room 332.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There will
12 be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in
13 Room 332.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: The Senate will
15 stand at ease.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
17 will stand at ease.
18 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
19 at 1:21 p.m.)
20 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
21 1:32 p.m.)
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
23 will return to order.
24 Senator Gianaris.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
3936
1 there's a report of the Rules Committee at the
2 desk. Please take that up.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
4 Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senator
6 Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules,
7 reports the following bills:
8 Senate Print 10102, by
9 Senator Serrano, an act authorizing the South
10 Country Central School District to finance
11 certain deficits;
12 Senate Print 10103, by
13 Senator Serrano, an act making appropriations for
14 the support of government.
15 Both bills reported direct to
16 third reading.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
18 the report of the Rules Committee.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: All those
20 in favor of accepting the report of the
21 Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
22 (Response of "Aye.")
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
24 nay.
25 (No response.)
3937
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The report
2 of the Rules Committee is accepted.
3 Senator Gianaris.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
5 the supplemental calendar.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 877, Senate Print 10102, by Senator Serrano, an
10 act authorizing the South Country Central School
11 District to finance certain deficits.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there a
13 message of necessity at the desk?
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is a
15 message of necessity at the desk.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
17 the message.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: All those
19 in favor of accepting the message please signify
20 by saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
23 nay.
24 (No response.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
3938
1 message is accepted, and the bill is before the
2 house.
3 Read the last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
7 roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
10 Murray to explain his vote.
11 SENATOR MURRAY: Thank you,
12 Madam President.
13 I want to thank all of my
14 colleagues, but I want to start the list with
15 thank you to the Senate Majority Leader,
16 Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and her staff.
17 I want to thank the Governor and
18 their staff, our Minority Leader Ortt and our
19 staff here, as well as the Assembly Speaker and
20 their staff and my Assembly partner over there,
21 Assemblyman Joe DeStefano.
22 I know folks are -- some might say,
23 you know, we're -- this is a bailout. It's not.
24 It's a rescue. I've never seen something this
25 bad before in all my years in elected office,
3939
1 where this school district runs out of money next
2 week. Literally runs out of money, cannot pay to
3 keep the lights on, cannot pay the teacher
4 salaries, cannot pay for anything.
5 Yes, obviously there was
6 mismanagement. We'll get to the bottom of that.
7 But right now we've got to make sure these kids
8 can finish out their school year. And that's
9 what this will help to do.
10 So I thank my colleagues, I thank
11 everyone involved. This has been months we've
12 been working on this. But I'm glad we've reached
13 this resolution and that we will be able to make
14 sure that these kids get the education they
15 deserve.
16 So I proudly vote aye.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
18 Murray to be recorded in the affirmative.
19 Announce the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 877, voting in the negative:
22 Senator Weber.
23 Ayes, 57. Nays, 1.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
25 is passed.
3940
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 878, Senate Print 10103, by Senator Serrano, an
3 act making appropriations for the support of
4 government.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there a
6 message of necessity and appropriation at the
7 desk?
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is a
9 message of necessity at the desk.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to accept
11 the message.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: All those
13 in favor of accepting the message please signify
14 by saying aye.
15 (Response of "Aye.")
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
17 nay.
18 (Response of "Nay.")
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
20 message is accepted, and the bill is before the
21 house.
22 SENATOR LANZA: Lay it aside.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
24 is laid aside.
25 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
3941
1 reading of the supplemental calendar.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please go to the
3 reading of the controversial supplemental
4 calendar.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
6 Secretary will ring the bell.
7 The Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 878, Senate Print 10103, by Senator Serrano, an
10 act making appropriations for the support of
11 government.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator,
13 why do you rise?
14 SENATOR O'MARA: Yes,
15 Madam President. Will the sponsor yield for some
16 questions?
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
18 Serrano, do you yield?
19 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
21 sponsor yields.
22 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
23 Senator.
24 Here we are on our eighth extender,
25 now officially one month late on this year's
3942
1 budget. Can you give us a general outline of
2 what's included in this extender? And how long
3 is it extending government operations?
4 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
5 Madam President. You're correct, Senator O'Mara,
6 this is our eighth extender. It does get us to
7 $16.7 billion, which includes $1.4 billion in new
8 spending. It does take us to Monday, May 4th.
9 And this extender, as in the others
10 that we've had before us, is generally how we
11 will keep our government running short of having
12 a final enacted budget.
13 And some of the items that are
14 covered in this budget include payroll costs;
15 Judiciary costs; general state charges; payments
16 for Social Security; State Education payments;
17 Department of Health -- WIC, CHP payments;
18 Department of Labor payments; Office of People
19 With Developmental Disabilities, and so on.
20 There are a number of critical items
21 that are covered in the bill before us.
22 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
23 Senator.
24 Madam President, will the Senator
25 continue to yield?
3943
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
2 continue to yield?
3 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
5 Senator yields.
6 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you.
7 Senator, do we have any table
8 targets yet for the joint budget conference
9 committees to work on?
10 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
11 Madam President, no, we do not.
12 SENATOR O'MARA: Through you,
13 Madam President, if the Senator will continue to
14 yield.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
16 continue to yield?
17 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes. Yup.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
19 Senator yields.
20 SENATOR O'MARA: Do you have an
21 expectation of when we might have table targets
22 for the budget committees to work on?
23 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
24 Madam President. You know, I believe that we are
25 certainly moving forward in the right direction.
3944
1 There are a number of issues within this budget
2 that we are getting to conclusions, hopefully in
3 short order. And I think at that time we will
4 start to see some of these numbers coming
5 together.
6 But at the present moment we do not
7 have that.
8 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you.
9 Madam President, if the Senator will
10 continue to yield.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
12 continue to yield?
13 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
15 Senator yields.
16 SENATOR O'MARA: Senator, you know,
17 without going through each of these open policy
18 issues that we're all pretty much aware of --
19 with the CLCPA, with tax increases, with auto
20 insurance reform, SEQR reform, New York for
21 All -- how close can you tell us that we are to
22 at least a conceptual agreement on all of these
23 issues so that you can have something for us to
24 report?
25 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
3945
1 Madam President. You are correct, there are a
2 number of outstanding issues. These issues are
3 certainly things that have taken up a good amount
4 of time in this budget. We are moving closer to
5 resolution. I cannot give you a proper
6 timetable.
7 But it is important to note that the
8 bill before us does not contain any of those
9 policy issues. This is just covering the issues
10 that I outlined, but also ensuring that we can
11 have a functioning state government, at least
12 until next Monday.
13 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you.
14 Madam President, if the Senator will
15 continue to yield.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
17 continue to yield?
18 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
20 Senator yields.
21 SENATOR O'MARA: I agree, Senator,
22 that we should be continuing to extend government
23 operations while this budget is pending. But,
24 you know, one month late at this point is
25 concerning with the lack of reported progress,
3946
1 anyways.
2 Do you anticipate we will have
3 resolution on these outstanding issues by the end
4 of next week?
5 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
6 Madam President. I cannot give you a definite
7 time frame of when this budget will be done.
8 But it is clear that the amount of
9 time that this has taken is because this is a
10 very complicated endeavor. A budget like the one
11 that we are putting together here has to be in
12 the best interests of all New Yorkers, accounting
13 for things like economic development, our parks,
14 arts and culture, education.
15 And while deadlines are certainly
16 important, I think that it is equally if not more
17 important that we have a good budget that
18 reflects the priorities of the New Yorkers, of
19 the constituents that I represent in the
20 29th Senate District, and certainly across the
21 State of New York.
22 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
23 Senator.
24 That's all I have, Madam President.
25 Thank you.
3947
1 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
2 Senator O'Mara.
3 Senator Helming, why do you rise?
4 SENATOR HELMING: Thank you,
5 Madam President. If the sponsor will answer a
6 question.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
8 Serrano, do you yield?
9 SENATOR SERRANO: Yes.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
11 Senator yields.
12 SENATOR HELMING: Senator Serrano,
13 I understand your response to Senator O'Mara that
14 we're moving closer to a budget but you can't
15 provide anything more specific about when we'll
16 see a final budget for review.
17 But can you tell me, is there
18 anything in this extender for the Rural Health
19 Transformation funding?
20 SENATOR SERRANO: Through you,
21 Madam President. I did outline at the beginning
22 of our discussion, when I was answering
23 Senator O'Mara, on some of the sort of top-line
24 issues that are here.
25 But this is what you would call a
3948
1 clean extender. To my knowledge, the funding
2 that you speak of is not included in this
3 extender.
4 SENATOR HELMING: Madam President,
5 on the bill, please.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
7 Helming on the bill.
8 SENATOR HELMING: So that is
9 correct, that there is nothing in this extender
10 for the Rural Health Transformation funding.
11 And I am growing increasingly
12 concerned as we get more and more like these
13 vague answers about when we'll see a budget,
14 because that Rural Health Transformation funding
15 is critically important, especially in my
16 district.
17 I think many people here know that
18 back in December our state was awarded
19 $212 million by the federal government, and the
20 money is sitting here.
21 But my understanding is that that
22 funding's appropriated in the DOH budget under
23 certain federal funds, and the budget needs to be
24 passed for this funding to flow.
25 Madam President, I'd offer this.
3949
1 These hospitals, our community health centers,
2 our Federally Qualified Healthcare Centers and
3 others, they worked very hard, they competed for
4 this funding, and they won it through a very
5 rigorous federal process.
6 They need the Governor and the
7 Legislature to take this seriously, to come to an
8 agreed-upon budget. Because every week that we
9 move further and further away from an
10 agreed-upon, we're risking this money.
11 It's my understanding that there's a
12 hard deadline of September 30, 2026, for this
13 money to move. After that, CMS can redistribute
14 the unspent funds to other states. We do not
15 want that to happen.
16 I also wanted to offer that every
17 extender is bringing more uncertainty and real
18 consequences for all New Yorkers. Sometimes in
19 the responses that we get to these budget
20 questions, it doesn't feel like there is an
21 understanding that there are real consequences.
22 You know, I hear legislators speak
23 all the time about affordability and what they're
24 doing to address affordability. But the longer
25 this process goes on, the longer it's taking for
3950
1 us to take real action to provide relief to
2 people.
3 This late budget is putting pressure
4 on local budgets and the decisions that impact
5 taxpayers. Local governments and school
6 districts are making decisions without knowing
7 what support they can expect from the State of
8 New York. And those decisions can lead to higher
9 property taxes or cuts to services.
10 Right now -- this has been
11 discussed -- our schools are preparing for budget
12 votes on May 19th. They are legally obligated by
13 next week to publish their budgets, and they
14 don't know their final state funding.
15 That means they're either forced to
16 guess: Raise taxes to be safe, or risk cuts
17 later on. Either way, our taxpayers and our
18 students are going to feel the impacts of that.
19 And because of the late budget and
20 the uncertainly it creates, I'm hearing from
21 municipalities who are looking at either delaying
22 or putting off entirely important infrastructure
23 work, including, you know, repairing our roads,
24 our bridges, or doing important flood mitigation
25 work.
3951
1 The Comptroller has warned in the
2 past that delays in the budget and contracting
3 process can slow payments to nonprofits and
4 service providers and put real strain on the
5 organizations that deliver critical services.
6 And then you couple that with what I
7 brought up about the Rural Health Transformation
8 funding just sitting there, not going out where
9 it's desperately needed to make sure that our
10 hospitals that are struggling can keep their
11 doors open, can continue servicing people.
12 So, Madam President, I'm going to be
13 voting yes on this extender because I think we
14 need to absolutely keep government running, but
15 I'm here to strongly suggest that there are real
16 consequences with this late budget. The Governor
17 and the leaders of the Legislature need to get
18 their acts together and get something to us
19 hopefully next week and no later.
20 Thank you, Madam President.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
22 Senator Helming.
23 Are there any other Senators wishing
24 to be heard?
25 Seeing and hearing none, debate is
3952
1 closed.
2 Senator Serrano.
3 SENATOR SERRANO: Madam President,
4 upon consent, we've agreed to restore this bill
5 to the noncontroversial calendar.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
7 has been restored to the noncontroversial
8 calendar.
9 Read the last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 16. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 58.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
19 is passed.
20 Senator Serrano, that completes the
21 reading of the noncontroversial calendar.
22 SENATOR SERRANO: Is there any
23 further business at the desk?
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is
25 no further business at the desk.
3953
1 SENATOR SERRANO: I move to adjourn
2 until Monday, May 4th, at 11:00 a.m., with the
3 intervening days being legislative days.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: On motion,
5 the Senate stands adjourned until Monday,
6 May 4th, at 11:00 a.m., with the intervening days
7 being legislative days.
8 (Whereupon, at 1:46 p.m., the Senate
9 adjourned.)
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25