Gaveled in 3:14 PM · Albany, New York · 2013–14 session
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
ALBANY, NEW YORK
January 28, 2013
3:14 p.m.
REGULAR SESSION
SENATOR DIANE SAVINO, Acting President
FRANCIS W. PATIENCE, Secretary
P R O C E E D I N G SACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The Senate will come to order.
I ask everyone present to please rise and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance.
(Whereupon, the assemblage recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:In the absence of clergy, I ask all to bow their heads for a moment of silence.
(Whereupon, the assemblage respected a moment of silence.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The reading of the Journal.
THE SECRETARY:In Senate, Friday, January 25th, the Senate met pursuant to adjournment. The Journal of Thursday, January 24th, was read and approved. On motion, Senate adjourned.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Without objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
Presentation of petitions.
Messages from the Assembly.
Messages from the Governor.
Reports of standing committees.
Reports of select committees.
Communications and reports from state officers.
Motions and resolutions.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Thank you, Madam President.
Madam President, I move that the following bill be discharged from its respective committee and be recommitted with instructions to strike the enacting clause. And that would be Senate Print 2307, by Senator Ball.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:So ordered.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, at this time I will call an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332. Immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.
The Senate should stand at ease.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.
The Senate will stand at ease.
(Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease at 3:16 p.m.)
(Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 3:50 p.m.)
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Thank you, Madam President.
May we please return to reports of standing committees. I believe there's a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. I ask that it be read at this time.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Reports of standing committees.
There is a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senator Skelos, from the Committee on Rules, reports the following resolution:
Number 314, by Senators Skelos and Klein, Senate Resolution amending Section 1 of Rule 8 of the Senate Rules, in relation to establishing a Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Capital Investment.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:I move to accept the report of the Rules Committee.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:All in favor of accepting the report of the Rules Committee signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The report is accepted.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, there's a privileged resolution at the desk. May we please have the title read and move for its immediate adoption.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senate Resolution Number 314, by Senators Skelos and Klein, amending Section 1 of Rule 8 of the Senate Rules, in relation to establishing a Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Capital Investment.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The question is on the resolution. All in favor signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The resolution is adopted.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Thank you, Madam President.
There's another privileged resolution at the desk. May we have the title read and move for its immediate adoption.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senate Resolution by Senators Skelos and Klein, providing for a Senate Select Committee on Libraries.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The question is on the resolution. All in favor signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Senator Farley.
SENATOR FARLEY:Thank you, Madam President.
I rise to speak to this resolution because, you know, we're a very partisan group in here, and if there's anything that is nonpartisan in this Senate, it is libraries.
When I first came into the Senate 37 years ago -- I think before you were even born, Madam President -- but anyway, when I first came into the Senate, they said, "Professor, you've got libraries."
And I've had it ever since, and it's been a labor of love. There were subcommittees and so forth, and in the last session they created a Select Committee on Libraries.
Frankly, it's one of the largest committees in the New York State Senate. And when it was proposed, practically every member from both sides wanted to get on it.
And it does meet, and we had a very fine meeting last year, informative -- it's called a roundtable -- where we discussed the needs of the libraries and heard from the leaders of this area. And this house was successful in getting in the budget a $3.9 million increase in the aid to libraries.
Of course I think if there's anything we want to go forward with, that libraries should be considered just like education. If education gets a raise, so should libraries, because they are the cathedrals of learning for the general public.
Additionally, we were able to pass almost the entire agenda for the New York State Library Association.
You know, New York State is far and away the leader in the nation in libraries. There's no state that even compares to us. We have 750 public libraries, there are 2,000 school libraries and 265 academic libraries and 450 special and institution libraries that are chartered in this state.
As I said, in New York State libraries are the cathedrals of learning for the general public. And they help the public access information, and particularly the poor and the elderly and so forth. And they are moving into the high-tech area. And many people use the libraries to further their education, to find jobs, and further their careers.
Libraries are an incredible service to the public, and I commend the leadership of this house for recognizing that. And we look forward to a good year for libraries. And I thank my colleagues on both sides of this aisle for their tremendous support of libraries.
Thank you, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Thank you, Senator Farley.
Senator Serrano on the resolution.
SENATOR SERRANO:Thank you very much, Madam President.
I just wanted to thank Senator Farley for this resolution and the work that he's done on libraries.
I had the good fortune of serving on the select committee last year. And I think it's so important. Oftentimes libraries are forgotten. We sort of take them for granted, we think they're always going to be there, we always they're going to be well-stocked and up-to-date and have all of the things that they need to operate, but they oftentimes don't. They get forgotten.
And it's important that we as elected officials fortify them, make sure that they have the tools that they need to continue being the cathedrals to education, as the Senator very aptly put it.
So I commend the Senator for his great work on libraries. I want to work with you on this, and I hope that all of us in both houses really do a lot of work to make sure that they are fortified throughout the state.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Are there any other members wishing to speak on the resolution?
Seeing none, the question had been put before Senator Farley got up. It was clear the ayes have it. The resolution is adopted.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Thank you, Madam President.
There's another privileged resolution at the desk. Could we have the title read and move for its immediate adoption, and I believe you could call on Senator Maziarz.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senate Resolution by Senators Skelos and Klein, providing for a Senate Select Committee on State-Native American Relations.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Senator Maziarz.
SENATOR MAZIARZ:Thank you very much, Madam President.
I want to begin by thanking Senators Skelos and Klein for reappointing this committee for another two years ago. The Select Committee on State-Native American Relations is the only official legislative entity aimed at promoting cooperation between the State of New York and our various Native American nations.
Over the last two years, I and members of the committee have visited with the Seneca Nation, the Tuscarora Nation, the St. Regis Mohawk Nation, and the Oneida Nation.
During the next two years we plan on completing visits to all the other Native American nations.
And all too often I think that news reports tend to pigeonhole, if you will, the interests of Native Americans in maybe one or two specific areas. But really what we have found is that there are a diversity of issues involving the state in areas where we can work cooperatively with our neighbors and friends in the various Native American communities.
Certainly when it comes to economic development, I can tell you within my district alone, the Seneca Nation is one of the largest employers, not just in my district but in all of Western New York. They're a great economic development engine up in the North Country in Senator Little's district and certainly in Central New York and the Syracuse area.
The members of this committee look forward to holding additional hearings. We held two hearings already on economic development issues, energy-related issues. I know that we've worked with the Seneca Nation on the Kinzua Dam project in Western New York, where the Senecas have taken a leading role in providing and getting hydropower that's produced here in the State of New York, or with assets of the State of New York, to be brought back here to benefit both the state and the Seneca Nation.
So it is with gratitude, Madam President, that I rise in support of the continuation of the good work that we've been doing for two years with the start, and I think we will see more successes this year.
Thank you very much, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Thank you, Senator Maziarz.
Are there any other Senators wishing to be heard on the resolution?
Seeing none, the question is on the resolution. All in favor signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The resolution is adopted.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, can we return to messages from the Assembly, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Messages from the Assembly.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:The Assembly sent for concurrence the following bill.
On motion by Senator Skelos and Senator Klein, the rules were suspended and said bill ordered to third reading: Assembly Bill Number 2296.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The bill is ordered direct to third reading.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 8, by Member of the Assembly Abbate, Assembly Print 2296, an act to amend the Administrative Code of the City of New York.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 58.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:The bill is passed.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, at this time Senator Skelos hands up the following Republican conference membership, in accordance with the rules.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:So ordered.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, at this time Senator Klein hands up the following IDC conference membership.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:So ordered.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, Senator Klein and Senator Skelos hand up the following committee assignments and ask that such assignments be filed in the Journal.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:So ordered.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, if we could just not even stand at ease, just take a deep breath for a moment. We have some administrative work that is taking place here at the chair. And as soon as that is completed, we'll take the next step.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:We will take a deep breath, Senator Libous.
(Pause.)
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:Senator Libous, I've been holding my breath.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Madam President, you no longer have to hold your breath. That was pretty good, about 25 minutes.
In consultation with Senator Stewart-Cousins, Senator Klein, Senator Skelos, I hand up the following committee minority assignments and ask that said assignments be filed in the Journal, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:So ordered.
Senator Libous.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Is there any further business at the desk?
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:There is no further business at the desk.
SENATOR LIBOUS:Thank you, Madam President.
There being no further business, I move that we adjourn until Tuesday, January 29th, at 11:00 a.m.
ACTING PRESIDENT SAVINO:There being no further business, on motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, January 29th, at 11:00 a.m.
(Whereupon, at 4:19 p.m., the Senate adjourned.)
Highest impact first.