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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

11:17 AMRegular SessionALBANY, NEW YORK
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                                                               2570

 1               NEW YORK STATE SENATE

 2                          

 3                          

 4              THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD

 5                          

 6                          

 7                          

 8                          

 9                  ALBANY, NEW YORK

10                    May 10, 2017

11                     11:17 a.m.

12                          

13                          

14                  REGULAR SESSION

15  

16  

17  

18  SENATOR JOSEPH GRIFFO, Acting President

19  FRANCIS W. PATIENCE, Secretary

20  

21  

22  

23  

24  

25  


                                                               2571

 1               P R O C E E D I N G S

 2                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

 3   Senate will come to order.  

 4                I ask all present to please rise 

 5   and join with me as we recite the Pledge of 

 6   Allegiance to our Flag.

 7                (Whereupon, the assemblage recited 

 8   the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)

 9                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   In the 

10   absence of clergy today, I ask everyone present 

11   to please bow your heads in a moment of silent 

12   reflection and prayer.

13                (Whereupon, the assemblage 

14   respected a moment of silence.)

15                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

16   reading of the Journal.

17                THE SECRETARY:   In Senate, 

18   Tuesday, May 9th, the Senate met pursuant to 

19   adjournment.  The Journal of Monday, May 8th, 

20   was read and approved.  On motion, Senate 

21   adjourned.

22                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Without 

23   objection, the Journal will stand approved as 

24   read.

25                Presentation of petitions.


                                                               2572

 1                Messages from the Assembly.

 2                The Secretary will read.

 3                THE SECRETARY:   On page 42, 

 4   Senator Croci moves to discharge, from the 

 5   Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and 

 6   Military Affairs, Assembly Bill Number 5165 and 

 7   substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 

 8   1852, Third Reading Calendar 511.

 9                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

10   substitution is so ordered.

11                THE SECRETARY:   On page 62, 

12   Senator Murphy moves to discharge, from the 

13   Committee on Commerce, Economic Development and 

14   Small Business, Assembly Bill Number 4889 and 

15   substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 

16   5138, Third Reading Calendar 761.

17                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   And the 

18   substitution is also so ordered.

19                Messages from the Governor.

20                Reports of standing committees.

21                Reports of select committees.

22                Communications and reports of state 

23   officers.

24                Motions and resolutions.

25                Senator DeFrancisco.


                                                               2573

 1                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, on 

 2   page 43 I offer the following amendments to 

 3   Calendar Number 531, Senate Print 2420, by 

 4   Senator Griffo, and ask that said bill retain 

 5   its place on the Third Reading Calendar.

 6                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

 7   amendments are received, and the bill shall 

 8   retain its place on third reading.  

 9                Senator DeFrancisco.

10                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   I request 

11   that you take up the noncontroversial calendar.

12                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

13   Secretary will read the noncontroversial reading 

14   of today's active-list calendar before the 

15   house.

16                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

17   242, by Senator Gallivan, Senate Print 2933A, an 

18   act to amend the Mental Hygiene Law.

19                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

20   last section.

21                THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

22   act shall take effect immediately.

23                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

24   roll.

25                (The Secretary called the roll.)


                                                               2574

 1                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 45.

 2                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 3   is passed.

 4                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 5   367, by Senator Klein, Senate Print 1953, an act 

 6   to amend the Education Law.

 7                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

 8   last section.

 9                THE SECRETARY:   Section 4.  This 

10   act shall take effect immediately.

11                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

12   roll.

13                (The Secretary called the roll.)

14                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 45.

15                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

16   is passed.

17                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

18   469, by Senator Helming, Senate Print 2504, an 

19   act to amend the Vehicle and Traffic Law.

20                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

21   last section.

22                THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

23   act shall take effect immediately.

24                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

25   roll.


                                                               2575

 1                (The Secretary called the roll.)

 2                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 48.

 3                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 4   is passed.

 5                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 6   500, by Senator Lanza, Senate Print 4060, an act 

 7   to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.

 8                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

 9   last section.

10                THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

11   act shall take effect on the 60th day.

12                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

13   roll.

14                (The Secretary called the roll.)

15                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 48.

16                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

17   is passed.

18                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

19   511, substituted earlier by Member of the 

20   Assembly Pheffer-Amato, Assembly Print 5165, an 

21   act to amend the Executive Law.

22                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

23   last section.

24                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

25   act shall take effect on the 90th day.


                                                               2576

 1                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

 2   roll.

 3                (The Secretary called the roll.)

 4                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 48.

 5                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 6   is passed.

 7                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 8   561, by Senator Ranzenhofer, Senate Print 2319, 

 9   an act to amend the Domestic Relations Law.

10                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

11   last section.

12                THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

13   act shall take effect on the 120th day.

14                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

15   roll.

16                (The Secretary called the roll.)

17                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 48.

18                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

19   is passed.

20                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

21   604, by Senator Young, Senate Print 854, an act 

22   to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.

23                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

24   last section.

25                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 


                                                               2577

 1   act shall take effect immediately.

 2                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

 3   roll.

 4                (The Secretary called the roll.)

 5                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

 6   Krueger to explain her vote.

 7                SENATOR KRUEGER:   Thank you, 

 8   Mr. President.  I rise to explain my vote.

 9                My concern here is that this could 

10   be an enormous reduction in revenue to the 

11   Department of Environmental Conservation, and 

12   that that hunting and fishing license revenue is 

13   the revenue that goes into the Conservation Fund 

14   division to pay for ensuring that we actually 

15   have the kinds of stewardship that the hunters 

16   and fishermen tell us we need in New York State.

17                So to simply continue to reduce 

18   revenue for exactly the activity that we're 

19   hoping to be supporting seems to be 

20   counterintuitive, and so I'm voting no.  

21                Thank you, Mr. President.

22                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

23   Krueger to be recorded in the negative.

24                Announce the results.

25                THE SECRETARY:   In relation to 


                                                               2578

 1   Calendar 604, those recorded in the negative are 

 2   Senators Hoylman, Krueger and Serrano.

 3                Ayes, 49.  Nays, 3.

 4                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 5   is passed.

 6                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 7   610, by Senator Avella, Senate Print 1930, an act 

 8   to amend the Executive Law.

 9                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

10   last section.

11                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

12   act shall take effect immediately.

13                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

14   roll.

15                (The Secretary called the roll.)

16                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 53.

17                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

18   is passed.

19                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

20   643, by Senator Croci, Senate Print 945, an act 

21   to amend the Public Health Law.

22                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

23   last section.

24                THE SECRETARY:   Section 3.  This 

25   act shall take effect immediately.


                                                               2579

 1                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

 2   roll.

 3                (The Secretary called the roll.)

 4                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 53.

 5                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 6   is passed.

 7                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 8   665, by Senator Lanza, Senate Print 2638, an act 

 9   to amend the Correction Law.

10                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

11   last section.

12                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

13   act shall take effect on the first of November.

14                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

15   roll.

16                (The Secretary called the roll.)

17                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

18   Hoylman to explain his vote.

19                SENATOR HOYLMAN:   Thank you, 

20   Mr. President.  

21                I rise to thank my colleague Senator 

22   Lanza for this bill.

23                Once again we see, on the active 

24   list, bills addressing the issue of sexual abuse 

25   and predators.  And once again, I say -- which I 


                                                               2580

 1   think is extremely relevant -- that we can do 

 2   more by passing legislation to lift the statute 

 3   of limitations and allow people older than age 23 

 4   to file claims against their abusers.  

 5                Instead of cutting at the margins of 

 6   this systemic problem in our society, let's give 

 7   the survivors the opportunity to confront their 

 8   abusers in court.  

 9                I'll be voting in the affirmative.  

10                Thank you, Mr. President.  

11                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

12   Hoylman to be recorded in the affirmative.

13                Announce the results.

14                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 52.  Nays, 1.  

15   Senator Montgomery recorded in the negative.

16                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

17   is passed.

18                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

19   667, by Senator Marchione, Senate Print 3854, an 

20   act to amend the Correction Law.

21                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

22   last section.

23                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

24   act shall take effect immediately.

25                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 


                                                               2581

 1   roll.

 2                (The Secretary called the roll.)

 3                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 51.  Nays, 2.  

 4   Senators Bailey and Montgomery recorded in the 

 5   negative.

 6                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

 7   is passed.

 8                THE SECRETARY:   Calendar Number 

 9   761, substituted earlier by Member of the 

10   Assembly Schimminger, Assembly Print 4889, an act 

11   to amend Chapter 396 of the Laws of 2010.

12                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Read the 

13   last section.

14                THE SECRETARY:   Section 2.  This 

15   act shall take effect immediately.

16                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Call the 

17   roll.

18                (The Secretary called the roll.)

19                THE SECRETARY:   Ayes, 53.

20                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The bill 

21   is passed.

22                Senator DeFrancisco, that completes 

23   today's noncontroversial reading of the active 

24   list before the house.

25                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:    


                                                               2582

 1   Mr. President, can we now take up previously 

 2   adopted Resolution 1986, by Senator Bailey, read 

 3   it in its entirety, and call on Senator Bailey to 

 4   speak, please.

 5                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   We are 

 6   returning to motions and resolutions, and we will 

 7   take up previously adopted Resolution 1986, and 

 8   the Secretary will read.  

 9                And I'd ask for some order in the 

10   house, please.  

11                The Secretary will read.

12                THE SECRETARY:   Legislative 

13   Resolution Number 1986, by Senator Bailey, 

14   congratulating the Mount Vernon High School Boys 

15   Basketball Team and Head Coach Bob Cimmino upon 

16   the occasion of capturing the New York State 

17   Public High School Athletic Association Class AA 

18   Boys Basketball Championship.

19                "WHEREAS, Individual and team 

20   championships are highly sought after in high 

21   school sports; this Legislative Body commends 

22   rare athletic achievements and pays special  

23   recognition to those who pursue such excellence 

24   and become examples for the youth of this great 

25   Empire State; and 


                                                               2583

 1                "WHEREAS, Athletic competition helps 

 2   to enhance both the moral and physical 

 3   development of young athletes, preparing them for 

 4   the future by instilling in them the importance 

 5   of teamwork, encouraging a standard of healthy 

 6   living, and developing a sense of fair play and 

 7   competition; and 

 8                "WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is 

 9   justly proud to congratulate the Mount Vernon 

10   High School Boys Basketball Team and Head Coach 

11   Bob Cimmino upon the occasion of capturing the 

12   New York State Public High School Athletic 

13   Association Class AA Boys Basketball  

14   Championship; to the praise and applause of their 

15   excited fans, the Knights defeated Fairport 

16   High School in a 59-48 victory to win the 

17   championship on Sunday, March 19, 2017, at the 

18   Floyd L. Maines Arena in Binghamton, New York; 

19   and 

20                "WHEREAS, With this monumental win, 

21   the Mount Vernon High School Boys Basketball Team 

22   won a bid to play in the Federation Tournament of 

23   Champions against Long Island Lutheran High 

24   School on Friday, March 24, 2017; and 

25                "WHEREAS, Proudly donning the 


                                                               2584

 1   school's colors of maroon and gold, family, 

 2   friends, and the community at large loyally and 

 3   enthusiastically supported the Knights throughout 

 4   their journey as they ended their season with an 

 5   impressive 16-6 overall record; and 

 6                "WHEREAS, In a sport such as 

 7   basketball, which demands athletic prowess,  

 8   speed and agility, Head Coach Bob Cimmino and his 

 9   expert coaching staff worked hard to hone the 

10   skills of this championship team, teaching these 

11   outstanding athletes lessons which will prove  

12   invaluable both on and off the field; and 

13                "WHEREAS, Head Coach Bob Cimmino and 

14   all of the outstanding athletes on the 

15   Mount Vernon High School Boys Basketball Team 

16   have clearly utilized dedication, determination 

17   and teamwork in providing a lasting contribution 

18   to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition  

19   of their school; now, therefore, be it 

20                "RESOLVED, That this Legislative 

21   Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate 

22   the members of the Mount Vernon High School Boys 

23   Basketball Team:  Eric Monroe, Truth Harris, 

24   Derrick Hamlin, Brandon Scott, Chase Johnson, 

25   Aaron Lewis, Javius Commodore, Jason Douglas- 


                                                               2585

 1   Stanley, John Richardson, Demetre Roberts, 

 2   Demetreus Lee, Joel Cooper, Noah Morgan, Justin  

 3   Currie, Gregory Calixte, and Jayquan Smith; 

 4   Head Coach Bob Cimmino and Assistant Coach Brian  

 5   Pritchett; Coaches Paul Roland, Patrick Theodule, 

 6   Garee Bryant, Richard Swozzo, Bryan Browne, 

 7   Dwayne Murray, John Goodman and Anthony  

 8   Pavlacka; Statistician John Nannariello; and 

 9   Managers Chris Fearon, Charles Lovett, and 

10   Sebastian Daley, upon the occasion of capturing 

11   the New York State Public High School Athletic  

12   Association Class AA Boys Basketball 

13   Championship; and be it further 

14                "RESOLVED, That copies of this  

15   resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to 

16   the members of the Mount Vernon High School Boys 

17   Basketball Team; Head Coach Bob Cimmino; 

18   Assistant Coach Brian Pritchett; Coaches Paul 

19   Roland, Patrick Theodule, Garee Bryant, Richard 

20   Swozzo, Bryan Browne, Dwayne Murray, John Goodman 

21   and Anthony Pavlacka; Statistician John 

22   Nannariello; and Managers Chris Fearon, Charles 

23   Lovett and Sebastian Daley."

24                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

25   Bailey.


                                                               2586

 1                SENATOR BAILEY:   Thank you, 

 2   Mr. President.

 3                I rise on this resolution, and I 

 4   thank Senator DeFrancisco for allowing the active 

 5   list to go first so that you can see a little bit 

 6   about what we do here in Albany, how the process 

 7   of democracy goes forth.  So I do thank you, 

 8   Senator, for that.  

 9                So I also wanted to thank 

10   Senator Klein, who represents Mount Vernon 

11   High School, for cosponsoring this resolution, 

12   and Senator Latimer, who is a Mount Vernon 

13   High School alum.  He's going to be speaking on 

14   the resolution later.  

15                A good friend of mine in high school 

16   by the name of Jason Clinkscales once said that 

17   sports is the world's greatest social currency.  

18   And that is on display every Tuesday night here 

19   in Albany, where members from different 

20   conferences and political leanings, we go to the 

21   State Police gym and we play basketball together.  

22                On Tuesday nights, it doesn't matter 

23   what you voted for or how you voted or what your 

24   leanings are, it's five on five.  It's 

25   basketball.  Senator Akshar, myself, Senator 


                                                               2587

 1   Boyle, Senator Gianaris, Senator Hamilton, we 

 2   have been on the same team on Tuesday nights.  

 3                And that is a lesson that sports is 

 4   really the world's greatest social currency -- 

 5   that no matter what your differences may be, that 

 6   you can come together by utilizing sports.  

 7                And you as a team have come together 

 8   and done great things, not just for your team but 

 9   for the City of Mount Vernon.  The City of 

10   Mount Vernon is extremely proud of you all.  

11   Because, as was once famously or infamously said 

12   by LeBron and Dwyane Wade when they teamed up in 

13   Miami, not one, not two, not three, not four, not 

14   five -- we have to count to 11, because that is 

15   how many state championships that the 

16   Mount Vernon Boys Basketball Team has won.  That 

17   is a record in the State of New York.  You should 

18   be extremely proud of that accomplishment.  

19                But even more so, you should be 

20   proud of your accomplishments on and off the 

21   court.  Because you are student-athletes, and the 

22   "student" comes first.  Three members of your 

23   team have received scholarships to institutions 

24   of higher learning, and I am extremely proud 

25   about that -- maybe even more so than I am about 


                                                               2588

 1   your accomplishments on the basketball court.  

 2                Mr. President, yesterday I got a 

 3   chance to speak about my home of the Bronx, 

 4   New York.  And today I am so proud to speak about 

 5   my adopted home of the City of Mount Vernon.  I 

 6   want to thank you all for taking me in as one of 

 7   your own, and I want to thank Coach Bob Cimmino, 

 8   a legend in the coaching profession.  

 9                See, when I was in high school, I 

10   went to a school that really wasn't known for its 

11   athletics, the Bronx High School of Science.  And 

12   we had a decent basketball team.  If you actually 

13   Google "basketball nerds," my name will come up.  

14   I'm being completely serious.  

15                But Mr. Cimmino, I would like to 

16   thank you for your dedication to these young men, 

17   not only on this team, but throughout your tenure 

18   as coach.  You bring a light to the City of 

19   Mount Vernon that many other places cannot 

20   compete with -- 11 times over.  

21                So I'm really happy that you all 

22   came up.  And, Mr. President, I would appreciate 

23   if you extended all the courtesies of the house 

24   to this record-setting basketball team from the 

25   City of Moneyearnin' Mount Vernon.


                                                               2589

 1                Thank you, Mr. President.  

 2                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Thank 

 3   you, Senator Bailey.  

 4                Senator Latimer on the resolution.

 5                SENATOR LATIMER:   Thank you, 

 6   Mr. President.  Thank you, Senator Bailey and 

 7   Senator Klein.  

 8                Two years ago, I think -- maybe it 

 9   was three or -- I forget how many years -- 

10   Senator Stewart-Cousins and I represent 

11   New Rochelle, and we stood up and recognized the 

12   success of that New Rochelle basketball team.  

13   But as happy as I was because I represent the 

14   City of New Rochelle, it hurt inside because they 

15   beat Mount Vernon that day on the last shot.  

16                And I am a Mount Vernon High School 

17   graduate, Class of 1970.  Mr. Cimmino and I 

18   traveled those halls as young men a long, long 

19   time ago.

20                I was a classmate of Gus Williams 

21   and Ray Williams and Rudy Hackett and Lowes 

22   Moore, and I watched with great pride Scooter 

23   McCray and Rodney McCray and Ben Gordon and all 

24   the famous names that shot hoop in the same 

25   basketball gym that you men have accomplished 


                                                               2590

 1   your mission in.  And whenever I go anyplace and 

 2   the name Mount Vernon comes up, it always goes 

 3   back to the fantastic basketball program that 

 4   existed.  

 5                Now, when I was a young man growing 

 6   up in Mount Vernon, you had to have a real game 

 7   to play on 4th Street.  They weren't letting guys 

 8   come in with weak game.  And you'd go to 

 9   Hartley Park, and they wouldn't let you shoot 

10   hoop there if you didn't have a game.  I wound up 

11   shooting down on Grove Street, right off of 

12   Macquesten Parkway, because you have to really go 

13   downhill to find a game that I was good enough to 

14   play in.

15                But your accomplishment -- and I 

16   think Senator Bailey said this, and it's worth 

17   repeating -- is only the beginning of your 

18   accomplishment in life, because the discipline it 

19   took from playing street ball and the skills that 

20   God gave you to hone it into a team that could 

21   accomplish what you did, playing against 

22   difficult teams from all across the state -- this 

23   is only the beginning of the success of your 

24   life.

25                Now, I'm not a kid anymore; I don't 


                                                               2591

 1   expect to be around 40 years from today.  But you 

 2   will be around 40 years from today.  And the 

 3   success that you've had this day with this team 

 4   is the platform that you're going to build on.  

 5   And people will look at you and remember you the 

 6   way I still think of my friends Gus Williams, the 

 7   late Ray Williams, and people who had this 

 8   accomplishment.

 9                So, Mr. President, although I don't 

10   represent Mount Vernon and it's been a while 

11   since I lived there, my heart is still there.  

12   Congratulations, men.  And on behalf of the rest 

13   of my colleagues in the New York State Senate, 

14   you've done a wonderful thing for the community 

15   that you live in and that I still very much love.

16                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

17   Hamilton.

18                SENATOR HAMILTON:   Mr. President, I 

19   rise to congratulate the basketball team from 

20   Mount Vernon -- or I should say Moneyearnin' 

21   Mount Vernon.  

22                And on behalf of Jamaal Bailey, and 

23   Senator Klein and Senators Latimer and Gianaris, 

24   I just want to say, when I look at you, I see 

25   young, intellectual, athletic young men.  And 


                                                               2592

 1   right now you've accomplished winning a 

 2   championship game, but you're going to have more 

 3   obstacles and challenges coming towards you.  

 4                I grew up in NYCHA housing.  I'm an 

 5   attorney.  Jamaal Bailey is an attorney.  So 

 6   school is an important tool to get what you want.  

 7   You'll be able to go to college, go to law school 

 8   or become a doctor.  But right now it's a 

 9   transitional point in your life.  It's a time in 

10   your life where you're going to have to say, What 

11   do I want to be five years from now?  How am I 

12   going to take this basketball championship to get 

13   a scholarship?  You know, how am I going to be 

14   able to live?  

15                In my neighborhood now it's getting 

16   harder and harder for kids growing up in the 

17   neighborhood to actually stay in the 

18   neighborhood.  So you have to ask yourself, if 

19   the rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,000 a 

20   month, what job would I have to get in order to 

21   pay that rent?  Okay?  You know, how am I going 

22   to be a good father and take care of my kids?  

23                You can be a man by just growing up, 

24   but to be a father takes time, energy, and 

25   commitment to your family.  Myself, I didn't have 


                                                               2593

 1   my first child till I was 38.  I wanted to make 

 2   sure when I raise my family, my children will 

 3   call nobody else daddy but me.  

 4                So I want to say congratulations on 

 5   your win, and make sure that no one can take away 

 6   your dreams.  In this chamber we pass laws every 

 7   day, and some of those laws are to catch you, 

 8   incarcerate you, keep you incarcerated.  Am I 

 9   proud of that?  No.  But this is where it 

10   happens, right here in this room.  

11                So there are laws that are out 

12   there, if you make a single mistake, to deny you 

13   the opportunity to be a productive black man.  So 

14   you have to be double careful in what you do.  

15                We just raised the age so 16- and 

16   17-year-olds won't be incarcerated in prisons 

17   with adults.  Because when you go to prison, if 

18   you do get in trouble, more than likely, if 

19   you're young, things are going to happen to you 

20   that you'll never forget.  It's a torture that 

21   will follow you for the rest of your life.  

22                Young men in prison, black men and 

23   Latino men, make up 80-something percent of the 

24   prison population.  Black men are more likely to 

25   get arrested for drugs -- 200 percent more -- 


                                                               2594

 1   than their white counterparts.  That's the 

 2   reality of our life, that's the reality of this 

 3   state, that's the reality of this country.

 4                So savor this moment.  Live your 

 5   dreams.  Do what you want to do.  But remember 

 6   the system is not designed for you to succeed.  

 7   And you must make sure, don't let the system trap 

 8   you from being the best young black men in this 

 9   country.  

10                So congratulations, and I wish you 

11   the best.  I love you, brothers.  Take care.

12                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

13   resolution was previously adopted on May 9th of 

14   2017.

15                The resolution, at the request of 

16   Senator Bailey, is open for cosponsorship.  If 

17   you want to be a cosponsor, please notify the 

18   desk.  

19                At the request of Senator Bailey, 

20   and on behalf of the Senate, we extend all the 

21   privileges and courtesies of the house.  We 

22   congratulate the Class AA State Champions at 

23   Mount Vernon.  We welcome the players, the 

24   coaches, the managers.  Again, our 

25   congratulations, and best of luck and best 


                                                               2595

 1   wishes.  

 2                You may please stand and be 

 3   recognized.  

 4                (Standing ovation.)

 5                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   We wish 

 6   you all well.

 7                Senator DeFrancisco.

 8                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, could 

 9   you please recognize Senator Valesky for a 

10   motion.

11                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   Senator 

12   Valesky.

13                SENATOR VALESKY:   Thank you, 

14   Mr. President.

15                On page 63 I offer the following 

16   amendments to Calendar 808, Senate Bill 5881, by 

17   Senator Alcantara, and ask that said bill retain 

18   its place on the Third Reading Calendar.

19                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   The 

20   amendments are received, and the bill shall 

21   retain its place on third reading.

22                Senator DeFrancisco.

23                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   Yes, is there 

24   any further business at the desk?  

25                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   There is 


                                                               2596

 1   no business at the desk.

 2                SENATOR DeFRANCISCO:   There being 

 3   none, I move to adjourn until Monday, May 15th, 

 4   at 3:00 p.m., intervening days being legislative 

 5   days.

 6                ACTING PRESIDENT GRIFFO:   On 

 7   motion, the Senate shall stand adjourned until 

 8   Monday, May 15th, at 3:00 p.m., intervening days 

 9   being legislative days.  

10                The Senate stands adjourned.

11                (Whereupon, at 11:40 a.m., the 

12   Senate adjourned.)

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