3637
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 May 19, 2025
11 3:21 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR ROXANNE J. PERSAUD, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
20
21
22
23
24
25
3638
1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask everyone present to please
5 rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Bishop
9 Bernard Alex, of Victory Temple Fellowship Church
10 in Syracuse, New York, will deliver today's
11 invocation.
12 Bishop?
13 BISHOP ALEX: Second Samuel
14 Chapter 23 reminds us:
15 "Now these are the last words of
16 David. Thus says David, the son of Jesse, thus
17 says the man that was raised up on high, the
18 anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet
19 psalmist of Israel.
20 "David said, The spirit of the Lord
21 spoke to me, and His words are on my tongue.
22 "The God of Israel said, the Rock of
23 Israel spoke to me: Who governs over men must be
24 just, governing in the fear and reverence of God.
25 "And then the one who governs shall
3639
1 be like the light of the morning when the sun
2 rises, even a morning without clouds, like the
3 tender grass that springs up out of the earth,
4 shining clear, glistening like the tender grass
5 after the rain."
6 So God of our help for the years to
7 come, the One who shelters us and protects us, I
8 ask that You continue to guide those who have
9 accepted the call to govern, that they do so with
10 the heart and spirit of a servant who serves,
11 that they continue to provide, and that they give
12 wisdom to the thought as they move with precision
13 and integrity in turbulent times, and lives that
14 are filled with questions find guidance.
15 As the residents of the great State
16 of New York, those from the tip of Montauk Point
17 to the rolling waters of the Niagara, from those
18 that stand on the borders of the neighbors to the
19 north and the rolling hills of the Southern Tier,
20 God, we ask that You give them senatorial
21 leadership to make decisions that are equitable,
22 considerate, and with the people at its core.
23 And may the decisions made reflect
24 the principles upon which our country was
25 founded, that we remain one nation, under God's
3640
1 divine guidance -- not divided, but with united
2 spirits, and with liberty and justice for all.
3 Keep us all those who serve, that we remember to
4 whom much is given, much is required.
5 This is our petition and our
6 request. In Your name, Amen.
7 (Response of "Amen.")
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Reading
9 of the Journal.
10 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Friday,
11 May 16, 2025, the Senate met pursuant to
12 adjournment. The Journal of Thursday, May 15,
13 2025, was read and approved. On motion, the
14 Senate adjourned.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Without
16 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
17 Presentation of petitions.
18 Messages from the Assembly.
19 The Secretary will read.
20 THE SECRETARY: Senator Fernandez
21 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
22 Alcoholism and Substance Use Disorders,
23 Assembly Bill Number 2398 and substitute it for
24 the identical Senate Bill 1814, Third Reading
25 Calendar 986.
3641
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: So
2 ordered.
3 Messages from the Governor.
4 Reports of standing committees.
5 Reports of select committees.
6 Communications and reports from
7 state officers.
8 Motions and resolutions.
9 Senator Gianaris.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good afternoon,
11 Madam President.
12 On behalf of Senator Addabbo, I wish
13 to call up Senate Print 2000, recalled from the
14 Assembly, which is now at the desk.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
16 Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 235, Senate Print 2000, by Senator Addabbo, an
19 act to amend the Insurance Law.
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to
21 reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
23 Secretary will call the roll on reconsideration.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 52.
3642
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
2 is restored to its place on the Third Reading
3 Calendar.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: I offer the
5 following amendments.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
7 amendments are received.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: Amendments are
9 also offered to the following Third Reading
10 Calendar bills:
11 By Senator Bailey, page 16, Calendar
12 Number 425, Senate Print 5313;
13 Senator Bailey, page 21, Calendar
14 Number 584, Senate Print 5045;
15 Senator Comrie, page 28, Calendar
16 Number 708, Senate Print 5553A;
17 Senator Comrie, page 28, Calendar
18 Number 710, Senate Print 6846;
19 Senator Sepúlveda, page 46, Calendar
20 Number 893, Senate Print 5294;
21 Senator Rivera, page 46, Calendar
22 Number 898, Senate Print 7457;
23 Senator Stavisky, page 47, Calendar
24 Number 906, Senate Print 6891;
25 Senator Webb, page 56, Calendar
3643
1 Number 1021, Senate Print 2047;
2 Senator Skoufis, page 57, Calendar
3 Number 1024, Senate Print 4857A;
4 Senator Hoylman-Sigal, page 55,
5 Calendar Number 1005, Senate Print 4914A;
6 Senator Bailey, page 49, Calendar
7 Number 925, Senate Print 6895;
8 And Senator Bailey, page 49,
9 Calendar Number 927, Senate Print 7287.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
11 amendments are received, and the bills will
12 retain their place on the Third Reading Calendar.
13 Senator Gianaris.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time,
15 Madam President, let's take up previously adopted
16 Resolution 821, by Senator Gianaris, read its
17 title only, and recognize me on the resolution,
18 please.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 821, by
22 Senator Gianaris, memorializing Governor Kathy
23 Hochul to proclaim May 4, 2025, as Star Wars Day
24 in the State of New York.
25 (Laughter as two Star Wars
3644
1 stormtroopers enter the chamber and flank
2 Senator Gianaris.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
4 Gianaris on the resolution.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: Hello, there.
6 Madam President, I have a bad
7 feeling about this.
8 (Laughter.)
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: A long time ago
10 in a galaxy far, far away. It was almost a
11 half-century ago when those iconic words, the
12 most famous words to begin a film, first appeared
13 on the screen and launched a cultural phenomenon
14 that has endured and grown through the decades --
15 and I think has affected all of us in our
16 everyday lives.
17 How many times have you walked into
18 a supermarket and pretended to use the Force to
19 open the doors?
20 (Laughter.)
21 SENATOR GIANARIS: I do it at the
22 parking garage on the way in here every day.
23 (Laughter.)
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Or how many
25 times have you had a lightsaber fight with your
3645
1 friends? In fact, two of our colleagues were
2 doing it just today here in the well.
3 And of course the phrase that
4 launched it all, "May the Force be with you," has
5 now led to a fan-grown phenomenon where May 4th
6 is celebrated as Star Wars Day for "May the
7 fourth be with you."
8 Now, we had this resolution prepared
9 by then, but as you all know, we were in the
10 middle of the budget and thought it would be in
11 poor taste to take this resolution up while we
12 were dealing with such weighty issues. But we do
13 have it before us today.
14 And you may all remember, that
15 budget was hard-fought, it was at times divisive,
16 it was partisan. But here is a day when we can
17 all come together, where indeed the most
18 conservative members of this chamber and the most
19 progressive can share in the joys of celebrating
20 what Star Wars has brought to so many of us.
21 I don't want to out anyone who
22 doesn't want to be spoken about, but Senator
23 Borrello, Senator Stec and myself are on a Star
24 Wars text thread, which I think most people would
25 find an odd combination of people.
3646
1 (Laughter.)
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Senator Rivera
3 is sometimes joining us and has brought his own
4 official lightsaber I know here to the chamber
5 today.
6 So perhaps in Star Wars the Senate
7 was a tool of the emperor and eventually was
8 disbanded. Here it is uniting us and bringing us
9 together to make us ever stronger.
10 I want to thank our own personal Mon
11 Mothva, Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, our
12 leader, for allowing this display to happen in
13 the Senate chamber today.
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR GIANARIS: And I must take
16 the opportunity to make a plea to our friends at
17 Lucasfilm: Please bring back "The Acolyte." It
18 was a good show, and it has grown in popularity
19 since it was taken off the air.
20 So hear us, Lucasfilm!
21 To my colleagues here, a plea for
22 all of us as well: May the Force be with us.
23 Thank you, Madam President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you, Senator.
3647
1 May the Fourth be with you. The
2 resolution was adopted -- oh.
3 Senator Borrello on the resolution.
4 (Laughter.)
5 SENATOR BORRELLO: (Brandishing
6 lightsaber.) Now it's not going to work.
7 Thank you, Madam President. Thank
8 you, Senator Gianaris.
9 Today I rise to celebrate and
10 recognize May 4th as Star Wars Day around the
11 world. "May the Fourth be with you" is a play on
12 words from the iconic line "May the Force be with
13 you." What started off as a pun turned into an
14 international celebration to recognize the impact
15 that Star Wars has had on our culture and what it
16 means to fans around the globe.
17 The first appearance of "May the
18 Fourth be with you" can be traced back to 1978,
19 just one year after the release of Star Wars: A
20 New Hope.
21 By then, Star Wars was firmly rooted
22 in popular culture. The phrase gained wider
23 attention on May 4, 1979, when British Prime
24 Minister Margaret Thatcher was congratulated in a
25 newspaper ad reading "May the 4th be with you,
3648
1 Maggie -- congratulations!"
2 The pun also gained traction with
3 Lucasfilm. In 1982 a sound designer coined it
4 while working on Return of the Jedi in Northern
5 California's Redwood Forests. He shared it on
6 set and would go on to send an annual May the 4th
7 message for years to come.
8 From these early mentions,
9 grassroots enthusiasm by fans took over and
10 helped establish May 4th as Star Wars Day, a
11 global celebration of the saga and its impacts.
12 New York is home to some of the
13 largest events and celebrations of science
14 fiction and fantasy such as New York's Comic-Con,
15 held every October in New York City.
16 At Comic-Con, Star Wars panels,
17 experiences, meetups and guests are among the
18 biggest draws, bringing fans together from across
19 the galaxy. For me, Star Wars was bigger than
20 life when it hit the movie screens in 1977. I
21 was just 10 years old at the time. It was the
22 state-of-the-art special effects. It was a story
23 that had nothing to do with Earth or even our
24 galaxy, as it starts off "A long, long time ago
25 in a galaxy far, far away."
3649
1 This was a novel concept at the
2 time, but it was based on the epic battle between
3 good and evil. It drew inspiration from many
4 classic hero stories, from the swashbuckling
5 adventures of movies of the 1940s and '50s to the
6 dogfight battles -- oh, it died. Here we go, all
7 right --
8 (Laughter.)
9 SENATOR BORRELLO: -- like those in
10 World War II.
11 I'm actually worse than the
12 stormtroopers when it comes to aim, so --
13 (Laughter.)
14 SENATOR BORRELLO: George Lucas
15 started with an idea that has grown into a
16 movement. There are new fans born every day.
17 Then there are those of us that have grown up and
18 even grown old with Star Wars.
19 So today we celebrate the global
20 phenomenon that it has become. It is ingrained
21 in our culture and continues to inspire
22 generations with its enduring themes of hope,
23 courage and redemption.
24 I wanted to thank my co-conspirator,
25 Senator Gianaris, on this. Thank you very much.
3650
1 And May the Fourth be with you.
2 Thank you, Madam President.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
4 you, Senator.
5 Senator Rivera on the resolution.
6 SENATOR RIVERA: And on the other
7 side of the aisle.
8 (Laughter.)
9 SENATOR RIVERA: Madam President, I
10 remember the first -- I'm just going to put this
11 down. Do not light the saber unless you're
12 willing to use it, good sir.
13 (Laughter.)
14 SENATOR RIVERA: Now, in 1983 I was
15 eight years old, and the first movie I remember
16 seeing in the movie theater was Return of the
17 Jedi. It is the reason why up to this day, even
18 though people might not like it, I still love me
19 some Ewoks and I still sing the Yub Nub song.
20 That's a very inside thing for others that are
21 Star Wars fans.
22 But in all honesty, Madam President,
23 it is actually one of the things that as you saw
24 very clearly, Senator Borrello and I would agree
25 on very little. We do agree on this being
3651
1 something that we both share and is shared by
2 millions of people across the world.
3 And I will say that it is something
4 that is one of the things that has maintained my
5 sanity. I've been here for 15 years, and one of
6 the things that I do to maintain my sanity is
7 that every now and then I go into -- I put -- I
8 take my iPad or I'm at home and I get on my TV
9 and I just put one of these sci-fi blockbusters
10 on and enjoy myself and am able to forget the
11 rest of the world for a little bit.
12 So I will say, as has been said
13 before, once again, Madam President, to everyone
14 present (lightsaber squealing): May the Fourth
15 be with you.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
17 you, Senator.
18 Senator Stec on the resolution.
19 SENATOR STEC: I too want to
20 join -- no, I'll pass on the lightsaber, George.
21 As has been mentioned, Star Wars is
22 important to a lot of us in here. I was eight
23 years old when Star Wars came out. I remember
24 going to that movie with my family and becoming a
25 big Star Wars fan. It's an odd journey that
3652
1 brings me here to my mid-50s, and as
2 Senator Gianaris pointed out, opposite sides of
3 the aisle, maybe sometimes there are many things
4 we don't agree on, but Star Wars and our love of
5 Star Wars and its impact on us as kids is among
6 the things that brings us together, along with
7 tens of millions of Star Wars fans around the
8 world.
9 You know, it's nice to recognize
10 that iconic "May the Force be with you" to be
11 Star Wars Day, "May the 4th be with you." So I
12 thank Senator Gianaris for bringing this
13 legislation to the floor. That might be the
14 first and only time that he may ever hear that
15 sentence from me.
16 (Laughter.)
17 SENATOR STEC: And as I tried
18 telling him during the budget process -- it
19 didn't work, I'm going to have to go back to
20 school and seek out Yoda, but I'll try it again
21 here: This is not the budget you're looking for.
22 (Laughter.)
23 SENATOR STEC: Anyways, I support
24 the resolution. And again, Happy Star Wars Day,
25 everybody.
3653
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
2 you, Senator.
3 The resolution was adopted on
4 April 29th.
5 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: I want to
7 welcome and appreciate that our two guests here
8 have flanked me during this conversation. They
9 are going to make their way to the Majority
10 Conference Room, and they'll be there for about
11 an hour for photos, if anyone would like to sneak
12 out and get their photo and return. That's open
13 not just to members but to anyone that would like
14 to do that. So thank you. Thank you, both of
15 you.
16 And on to the next resolution,
17 Madam Speaker.
18 (Applause as Star Wars stormtroopers
19 exit the chamber.)
20 SENATOR GIANARIS: Previously
21 adopted Resolution 963, by Senator May. Please
22 read that resolution's title and recognize
23 Senator May.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
25 Secretary will read.
3654
1 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 963, by
2 Senator May, commemorating the 10th Anniversary
3 of the New York Cider Association.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
5 May on the resolution.
6 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 It's a tough act to follow, but
9 let's change the subject a little here and talk
10 about upstate New York.
11 Upstate New York is one of the best
12 places in the world for growing apples. And we
13 are blessed with an abundance of orchards and
14 apple products, including hard cider.
15 I have the honor to represent the
16 beautiful Lafayette Valley, where 1911 Cider is
17 located. And we have many other orchards in my
18 district.
19 Later this afternoon you are all
20 invited to the Well to taste a delicious variety
21 of ciders produced by our craft cider makers from
22 across the state.
23 For now, I am pleased to recognize
24 the 10th anniversary of the New York State Cider
25 Association. This group came together to
3655
1 advocate for the cider industry, which used to
2 labor under the shadows of other craft beverages,
3 but now I think it's fair to say that cider is
4 having its moment, thanks to the relentless
5 advocacy of the New York State Cider Association
6 and their great products, as well as the
7 legislation that we passed last year to allow
8 direct shipment of cider and other craft
9 beverages direct to consumers.
10 We are joined today by Scott Ramsey
11 and Adrian Luna of the New York Cider
12 Association, as well as representatives from
13 Nine Pin Cider, Rockland Cider Works,
14 Indian Ladder Farms Cidery, Brooklyn Cider House,
15 Merchant's Daughter, Treasury Cider, and
16 Clarksburg Cidery.
17 And I ask you to welcome our guests
18 and give them the privileges of the house.
19 Thank you.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: To our
21 guests, I welcome you on behalf of the Senate.
22 We extend to you the privileges and courtesies of
23 this house.
24 Please rise and be recognized.
25 (Standing ovation.)
3656
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
2 resolution was adopted on May 13th.
3 Senator Gianaris.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
5 Senator Brisport for an introduction.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
7 Brisport for an introduction.
8 SENATOR BRISPORT: Thank you,
9 Madam President.
10 I rise to introduce visitors from
11 the Brownsville Community Justice Center, BCJC,
12 which improves public safety in Brownsville,
13 Brooklyn, by investing in local residents,
14 transforming public spaces and reimagining the
15 criminal justice process.
16 The Community Justice Center works
17 to reduce crime and incarceration, strengthen the
18 trust in the justice system, and promote vibrant
19 civic life in Brownsville, Brooklyn. Programming
20 at the Brownsville Community Justice Center
21 centers on three key elements: Alternatives to
22 incarceration, youth development, and reimagining
23 public space. This holistic approach guides all
24 of the services and opportunities offered at the
25 Community Justice Center, which are uniquely
3657
1 designed to uplift and empower Brownsville youth.
2 I want to thank staff Lenny, Lavont,
3 Robin and Hailey for being here, as well as our
4 Youth Leadership Council members and
5 participants: Javon, Sela, Emilio, Havi, Nema.
6 Today they were lobbying for the
7 Right to Remain Silent bill, legislation from our
8 own Senator Bailey. I really want to thank you
9 all for showing the New York State Senate the
10 power and future of Brownsville.
11 "Never ran, never will." Thank you.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
13 you, Senator.
14 To our guests, I welcome you on
15 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
16 privileges and courtesies of this house.
17 Please rise and be recognized.
18 (Standing ovation.)
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
20 Serrano.
21 SENATOR SERRANO: Thank you,
22 Madam President.
23 We have a privileged resolution by
24 Senator Mattera. Please take that up,
25 Resolution 1020. Please read that title only and
3658
1 call on Senator Mattera.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: There is
3 a privileged resolution at the desk.
4 The Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1020, by
6 Senator Mattera, memorializing Governor Kathy
7 Hochul to proclaim May 19, 2025, as Italian
8 American Day in the State of New York.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
10 Mattera on the resolution.
11 SENATOR MATTERA: Thank you,
12 Madam President.
13 Today as a proud member of the
14 New York Conference of Italian-American
15 Legislators, it is my honor to stand before you
16 as we jointly proclaim today Italian American Day
17 in New York State. What a great day.
18 This day is the opportunity to
19 recognize the profound impact Italian-Americans
20 have had on our state and nation. Just so
21 everybody understands, 25 percent of New York
22 residents are Italian-Americans, and we are very
23 proud of that.
24 These individuals have helped shape
25 America into the great nation it is today, and
3659
1 they continue to lead us towards a brighter
2 future. Their contributions are vast and they
3 remind us of the importance of honoring those who
4 paved the way for all of us.
5 Today's designation of Italian
6 American Day also celebrates the Republic of
7 Italy's national holiday, Festa Della Repubblica
8 Italiana, which celebrates the day Italy voted to
9 become a democratic republic.
10 This shared history gives us an
11 extra reason to celebrate both here and in Italy
12 and I am going to be going to Italy in July, so
13 I'm very excited about that for my first time.
14 This shared history gives us an
15 extra reason to celebrate both here and in Italy.
16 It is a day to honor all who have made our state
17 and nation stronger.
18 As someone who is proud of my
19 Italian heritage, I know that I stand in the
20 shadow of all who have come before me, and I am
21 proud to celebrate and remember their legacy.
22 That is why today the New York State
23 Conference of Italian-American Legislators
24 honored some of the deserving Italian-American
25 New Yorkers who have worked to preserve the
3660
1 history of Italian-Americans to ensure that their
2 contributions are always honored and serve as an
3 inspiration for all who follow.
4 And I'm going to mention these names
5 because these are very, very important people
6 that are here today. Dr. Joseph Scelsa. He is
7 the founder of the Italian American Museum on
8 Mulberry Street in Manhattan. You know, and I
9 appreciate that he is here and what he is doing.
10 Antonietta Marisello {ph} is here
11 today. Maria Milito. Christopher Macchio.
12 Chris Vaccaro. Philip Foglia. Assemblyman
13 Philip Palmesano.
14 And our Republican leader that is
15 being honored today also, Leader Rob Ortt. And
16 just so everybody knows, Leader Ortt is half
17 Italian. And I said to the leader, "That is
18 definitely your better half."
19 (Laughter.)
20 SENATOR MATTERA: That's going to
21 be good. No, I just had to say that.
22 And congratulations to all of our
23 scholarship winners. Great job, all of our
24 high school and our college students.
25 These New Yorkers have made their
3661
1 own contributions to our state today, and we
2 celebrate Italian Independence Day. We are
3 honored to celebrate their contributions and
4 their accomplishments. I thank them for all
5 their dedication and hope they understand the
6 lasting impact they have had.
7 As I close, I want to note how
8 Italian American Day is remembered and the
9 strength of our state's diversity. It highlights
10 how every community and every race contributed to
11 the building of New York, which is the greatest
12 state in the union. We have built this great
13 state together, and it is only through that
14 shared commitment that we continue to thrive.
15 It was great to see our
16 Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, when she
17 attended the U.N. Week. And in the fall when she
18 visited, she went to Columbus Circle and she
19 placed a wreath at the Columbus statue. That was
20 very, very important to all Italian-Americans.
21 It is so important that we also
22 preserve Columbus Day. And that I want to thank
23 President Trump for signing an executive order
24 protecting this precious celebration for all
25 Italian-Americans. That is our heritage.
3662
1 I hope that we all can join together
2 as a body to celebrate our diversity by
3 recognizing Italian American Day. Hope to see
4 everybody at the festa. God bless all
5 Italian-Americans, God bless Italy, and God bless
6 the United States of America. Cent'anni! A
7 hundred years good health.
8 Madam President, please extend all
9 privileges and courtesies of the house to our
10 honorees and to all of our scholarship award
11 winners.
12 Thank you, and I proudly vote aye.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
14 you, Senator.
15 Senator Chan on the resolution.
16 SENATOR CHAN: Thank you,
17 Madam President.
18 How can I not speak about the
19 Italians? First I want to thank Senator Mattera
20 for introducing this resolution. I'll start off
21 with "Che si dice." How can I not speak about
22 this when I lived intimately with my Italian
23 friends in Brooklyn for 50 years, from
24 Bensonhurst to Bath Beach, Dyker Heights,
25 Bay Ridge, Gravesend, Kensington -- you name it.
3663
1 South Brooklyn. From Galileo to Da Vinci, from
2 Marco Polo to Marconi, from Prada to Gucci. How
3 can we dispute the contributions of the Italians
4 to the betterment of mankind and civilization?
5 As our beautiful neighborhood of
6 South Brooklyn changes, our Italian culture is as
7 prevalent as ever. Together with the Italians,
8 we forge forward. We have people that I grew up
9 with named Venuto and Conigliaro, Trippes, Neris.
10 I know 10 Sally Boys and about five Fat Tonys.
11 (Laughter.)
12 SENATOR CHAN: And one of them is
13 Chinese. He's a Chinese cop.
14 (Laughter.)
15 SENATOR CHAN: My chief of staff is
16 named Vito LaBella.
17 From the land of Lioni Italian
18 heroes, to Villabate Bakery, Bari Salumeria,
19 Spumoni Gardens, Villa Fiorita Ristorante, La
20 Bella Markets -- no relations -- Mr. Phil's
21 Pizza, our Lady of Guadalupe Roman Catholic
22 Church, and of course the Santa Rosalia Feast
23 enjoyed by all coming from all over the city.
24 We thrive as a neighborhood in
25 motion. And it's not just the Italians, but
3664
1 today it is about the Italians. And all of us
2 have common goals. People speaking different
3 languages somehow able to communicate with each
4 other because we have a common goal and we do the
5 same things.
6 From Mulberry Street in Little Italy
7 to 18th Avenue in Brooklyn, can you feel it? I
8 can. Fuggedaboutit. Come to South Brooklyn.
9 I'll tell you what I'm talking about. I'll show
10 you.
11 I proudly support this resolution on
12 behalf of the people of South Brooklyn. We love
13 this! Gracie.
14 (Applause from galleries.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
16 you, Senator.
17 Senator Rhoads on the resolution.
18 SENATOR RHOADS: Thank you,
19 Madam President.
20 I proudly rise as an
21 Italian-American myself with my maternal
22 grandparents, Fred and Frances Salacca, coming
23 from Bari and Naples respectively. I'm also
24 married to a lovely lady who is 100 percent
25 Italian. So even though the other half of me is
3665
1 Irish and German, you know what half dominates
2 our house, and that is Italian.
3 I rise actually, in addition to it
4 being Italian American Day today, the committee
5 also awards two scholarships -- actually, four
6 scholarships, two in the area of athletics and
7 two in the area of academics. The 5th Senate
8 District was blessed this year to have two
9 honorees, two scholarship recipients, one of whom
10 is in the chamber today. But I would like to
11 recognize both. First, Thomas DiLeo, who is the
12 recipient of the Senator John Marchi Athletic
13 Scholarship, was a Plainview-Old Bethpage-JFK
14 high school graduate of the Class of 2023. He's
15 currently a sophomore at Stony Brook University
16 as part of the university's eight-year Scholars
17 for Dental Medicine Program.
18 Tommy has two passions: Cooking and
19 baseball. Although severely asthmatic, through
20 years of conditioning and training he was able to
21 overcome that obstacle playing for the varsity
22 baseball team, earning MVP honors and two league
23 championships. Today Tommy is the starting
24 left-fielder for Stony Brook University's Club
25 Baseball Team and has played for Stony Brook's
3666
1 Rugby Team.
2 He has also maintained a 100 percent
3 GPA throughout his high school career while
4 leading the Investors Club, the Veterans Club and
5 is on the Leadership Council of the Saint Pius X
6 Youth Group, which for those of you who have been
7 here a while know that I have the honor of
8 serving as youth minister.
9 And knowing Tommy for the better
10 part of the last six years, he is truly an
11 exceptional not only athlete, but just an amazing
12 person. He's currently maintaining a 3.8 GPA
13 while making the Dean's List in each semester
14 while taking physics and organic chemistry. And
15 he is truly a worthy recipient.
16 Unfortunately, he could not make it
17 with us here today in the chamber because he's
18 actually taking a final exam at college.
19 But with us in the chamber here
20 today is Damien Crowley. Damien Crowley is the
21 recipient of the James Conte Academic
22 Scholarship. He is a senior at Wantagh High
23 School and will be attending Stanford University
24 in the fall to study chemical engineering, with a
25 focus on environmental sustainability.
3667
1 As a high school student he's worked
2 with Ph.D. candidates and post-doctoral
3 researchers at Stony Brook University in the
4 chemical and materials engineering department to
5 advance plastic sustainability and curtail soil
6 erosion and land degradation as a student
7 research intern with the Garcia Center for
8 Polymers at Engineered Interfaces.
9 He also continues to serve as a
10 research intern at Vesta Earth, modeling sediment
11 transport and developing potential solutions to
12 ecological degradation.
13 As a former Wantagh Warrior myself,
14 I got the chance to meet Damien for the first
15 time through his work with the Leukemia and
16 Lymphoma Society as a volunteer, competing for
17 two consecutive years in a seven-week fundraising
18 challenge. The team he captained, Warriors for a
19 Cure, in the last two years has raised over
20 $200,000 for LLS.
21 But in his spare time Damien is
22 president of the Wantagh Animal Rights and
23 Recycling Club, captain of the Wantagh High
24 School Science Olympiad Team, vice president of
25 Future Business Leaders of America, secretary of
3668
1 the Italian Club, treasurer of the Key Club,
2 member of the Mathletes Team, co-captain of the
3 Wantagh's Varsity Winter Track Team, a sprinter
4 co-captain of the Wantagh's Varsity Spring Track
5 Team, has received the AP Capstone diploma, is an
6 AP Scholar with Distinction, is a National Merit
7 Scholarship Winner, has received the New York
8 State Seal of Biliteracy in Italian, has given
9 oral presentations at the 2024 and 2025 Materials
10 Research Society, and has published a research
11 manuscript in the Journal of Emerging
12 Investigators and articles in the Journal of
13 Ethics and Scientific Technological Innovations
14 as a high school student -- all while maintaining
15 a cumulative weighted GPA of 108.78.
16 Madam President, I would ask that
17 you recognize Damien, and Thomas in absentia. I
18 would ask that you grant them the privileges and
19 courtesies of the house, and your congratulations
20 on our scholarship award winners.
21 Thank you, Madam President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
23 you, Senator.
24 Senator Scarcella-Spanton on the
25 resolution.
3669
1 SENATOR SCARCELLA-SPANTON: Thank
2 you, Madam President.
3 And thank you, Senator Mattera, for
4 introducing this very important resolution in
5 honor of Italian American Day.
6 As a proud Italian American myself,
7 Scarcella -- if that doesn't give it away, and
8 probably my accent as well -- I really just
9 wanted to say that today is a really special day.
10 We have Festa tonight.
11 And Italians have such an incredibly
12 rich culture. My dad's grandparents came over
13 from Italy in 1903, Oronzo and Josephine. He
14 worked in the coal mines in Pennsylvania for some
15 time, then he started to sell life insurance.
16 With that money, he opened a store in Hazleton,
17 Pennsylvania, on Carson Street.
18 So today we have my -- yes? We
19 have -- you know, I rise today thinking of mostly
20 my dad, Michael Scarcella, and his family. They
21 are the reason why we're here today, and I
22 proudly vote aye.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
24 you, Senator.
25 The question is on the resolution.
3670
1 All those in favor please signify by saying aye.
2 (Response of "Aye.")
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Oh.
4 Senator Weik on the resolution.
5 SENATOR WEIK: Thank you,
6 Madam President.
7 As a proud German-American who's got
8 0.02 percent Italian in me -- I'm told that
9 counts -- I'm so proud to be able to recognize
10 Bob Fonti, who's the president of the Italian
11 American Political Action Committee and president
12 of the Lt. Detective Joseph Petrosino Association
13 in America. And he's one of the only officers
14 ever killed on foreign soil, is what I am told.
15 And so they play such a great big
16 part on Long Island and across New York, and I
17 thank them for being here today and for joining
18 us.
19 And I proudly vote aye on today's
20 resolution.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
22 you, Senator.
23 The question is on the resolution.
24 All those in favor please signify by saying aye.
25 (Response of "Aye.")
3671
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Opposed,
2 nay.
3 (No response.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
5 resolution is adopted.
6 To our guests, I welcome you on
7 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
8 privileges and courtesies of this house.
9 Please all rise and be recognized.
10 (Standing ovation.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
12 Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Next up,
14 Madam President, is previously adopted
15 Resolution 588, by Senator Webb. Please read
16 that resolution's title and recognize
17 Senator Webb.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
19 Secretary will read.
20 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 588, by
21 Senator Webb, mourning the death of John "JR"
22 Gaudet, distinguished citizen, respected
23 firefighter, and devoted member of his community.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
25 Webb on the resolution.
3672
1 SENATOR WEBB: Thank you,
2 Madam President.
3 I rise with a heavy heart to honor
4 the life, the service, and the enduring legacy of
5 John "JR" Gaudet. He was a beloved husband,
6 father, son, community leader, and firefighter
7 from my district in Binghamton, New York, who
8 tragically lost his life in the line of duty on
9 February 12th of this year at the age of 40.
10 For anyone that knew JR, they knew
11 that he was more than a public servant. He was a
12 cornerstone of our community in Binghamton. Born
13 and raised right in my district, JR exemplified
14 what it means to dedicate your life to others.
15 His commitment to protecting our community was
16 only matched by his deep love for his family;
17 specifically, his wife, Felly, and their three
18 children: Charles, Vanessa and Michael.
19 He was a proud graduate of
20 Binghamton High School, my alma mater, and JR
21 went on to attend both Binghamton University and
22 SUNY Cortland, where he played collegiate
23 lacrosse, a sport that remained close to his
24 heart. And for anyone that knew him, they knew
25 that he also prided himself on being a coach and
3673
1 he was very enthusiastic about his love for that
2 sport.
3 He later gave back as a youth coach
4 for lacrosse, football and basketball, and always
5 showed up with an infectious smile, a joke,
6 tireless energy, and unwavering positivity.
7 Those who knew JR describe him as someone who
8 always put others first, whether it was on the
9 job or in his family and throughout our
10 community.
11 Whether it was responding to
12 emergencies as a firefighter or mentoring young
13 athletes on the field, JR's dedication to service
14 and humanity touched countless lives.
15 Madam President, JR Gaudet embodied
16 the very best of us. His spirit will live on not
17 only through his family and friends, but also in
18 the community that he loved and gave so much to.
19 As we mourn his loss and his
20 transition, let us also honor his legacy by
21 committing ourselves to a life of service,
22 compassion, and care for one another.
23 To Binghamton Fire Department
24 Captain David Holleran, who is here today, and
25 the Binghamton Fire Department, I just want you
3674
1 to know that your commitment to keeping his
2 legacy of service alive is a part of your work as
3 public servants, and we appreciate everything
4 that you do for our community in every way that
5 you show up.
6 And to his wife, Felly, and to his
7 children and the entire Gaudet family, please
8 know that the 52nd Senate District and the entire
9 State of New York grieves with you. And we thank
10 you for sharing JR with us for the time that he
11 was here. We appreciate your continued great
12 service and support all of the great things that
13 you do for our community.
14 May his memory continue to be a
15 blessing, and may we carry forward his legacy of
16 love and service.
17 Madam President, please extend
18 privileges of our house to Binghamton Fire
19 Department Captain Holleran, and prayers to the
20 family of JR Gaudet and all those whose lives
21 he's touched.
22 I vote aye and encourage my
23 colleagues to do the same.
24 Thank you, Madam President.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
3675
1 you.
2 To our guests -- God bless you --
3 our condolences to you and the entire Fire
4 Department and to the family of JR. I welcome
5 you on behalf of the Senate. We extend to you
6 the privileges and courtesies of this house.
7 Please rise and be recognized.
8 (Standing ovation.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
10 resolution was adopted on April 2nd.
11 Senator Gianaris.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
13 Senator Hinchey for an introduction.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
15 Hinchey for an introduction.
16 SENATOR HINCHEY: Thank you,
17 Madam President.
18 Pop quiz: Who can tell me what the
19 four H's are in 4-H? I bet the students in the
20 gallery can tell us. The answer is head, heart,
21 hands, and health. Head, to clearer thinking.
22 Heart, to greater loyalty. Hands, to larger
23 service. And health, to better living.
24 We're excited to welcome students
25 from across New York State to the Senate chamber
3676
1 today because today marks the 90th Annual 4-H
2 Capital Days Conference. That's 90 years of
3 4-Hers coming to Albany to learn about state
4 government, meet their representatives and
5 connect with fellow 4-Hers from different
6 communities.
7 If you're not familiar, 4-H is the
8 largest youth development organization in the
9 country, thanks to Cornell Cooperative Extension.
10 Every year when I go to the Ulster County Fair,
11 the Columbia County Fair, the Greene County Youth
12 Fair, I'm blown away by the creativity,
13 confidence, and self-expression coming from our
14 4-Hers.
15 You take the things you care about
16 and turn them into projects that teach, advocate
17 and open minds. Whether it's raising animals,
18 learning about food and farming, protecting the
19 environment, creating art, or sharpening your
20 public speaking skills, 4-H is about building
21 real-world skills and giving you the space to
22 explore and run with your curiosities about the
23 world.
24 The impact of that speaks for
25 itself. 4-Hers are four times more likely to
3677
1 have a positive impact in their communities,
2 three times more likely to feel confident, and
3 twice as likely to pursue STEM and make healthy
4 choices.
5 Last year alone, more than 400,000
6 students across New York State took part in 4-H.
7 That's incredible. So keep asking questions,
8 keep taking risks, keep being curious, keep
9 showing up for yourself, for your community, and
10 for what drives you. It takes courage to try
11 something new. And that can be a really
12 vulnerable place to be. But it's also where the
13 real growth happens.
14 Thank you all for being here and for
15 reminding us what service and courage look like
16 in action. And a special shout out to 4-Hers
17 Ella Maxwell and Zachary Maroney, who are here
18 representing Ulster County, from my district,
19 from Highland and my hometown of Saugerties.
20 Madam President, please welcome our
21 guests to the chamber and offer them all the
22 privileges. Thank you very much.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
24 you, Senator.
25 To our guests, we welcome you on
3678
1 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
2 privileges and courtesies of this house.
3 Please all rise and be recognized.
4 (Standing ovation.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
6 Gianaris.
7 SENATOR GIANARIS: One more
8 introduction, from Senator Gounardes, please.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
10 Gounardes for an introduction.
11 SENATOR GOUNARDES: Thank you,
12 Madam President.
13 I rise today to honor and introduce
14 a remarkable New Yorker who was a giant in the
15 field of public transportation and public transit
16 because he spent 20 years serving on the board of
17 the MTA.
18 We discuss the MTA a lot in this
19 chamber in the work that we do here in Albany,
20 and we have -- we talk about it sometimes in the
21 abstract, we talk about it sometimes in the
22 real-life. But Norman Brown, who spent 20 years
23 as a board member on the MTA, who just retired,
24 lived his service to the MTA every single day.
25 He devoted himself to the stewardship and
3679
1 improvement of public transit for all New Yorkers
2 through his service on the board.
3 As a labor representative for the
4 Metro-North commuter rail, he was a champion for
5 the workers who helped power our public transit,
6 and he was a committed voice for the importance
7 that public transit plays to our region's
8 economy.
9 But that's not all, because he is
10 also a scholar of transportation policy, and he
11 has helped push and advocated for policy
12 interests -- policy campaigns to help further the
13 interests of riders and help strengthen our
14 public transit system for decades.
15 He has a deep knowledge, not just of
16 mass transit but of freight rail as well. And he
17 is someone whose expertise ranges from
18 maintenance issues on the shop floor to the
19 macroeconomics of transportation.
20 After 20 years of service on the
21 MTA Board -- without a vote -- he's probably had
22 more impact on the MTA and on public transit than
23 many of us in this room and even board members
24 who have had a vote for even half that time.
25 Norman is with us here today in the
3680
1 chamber with his guests. And so,
2 Madam President, I'd ask that you'd recognize him
3 and give him the full courtesies and privileges
4 of the chamber.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
6 you, Senator.
7 To our guests, I welcome you on
8 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
9 privileges and courtesies of this house. Thank
10 you for your service.
11 Please rise and be recognized.
12 (Standing ovation.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
14 Gianaris.
15 SENATOR GIANARIS: Next up is
16 previously adopted Resolution 279, by
17 Senator Rhoads. Please have that resolution's
18 title read and recognize Senator Rhoads.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 279, by
22 Senator Rhoads, memorializing Governor
23 Kathy Hochul to proclaim June 2025 as
24 Aphasia Awareness Month in the State of New York.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
3681
1 Rhoads on the resolution.
2 SENATOR RHOADS: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 Again, I rise and I thank the leader
5 for allowing this resolution to come to the floor
6 to recognize June 2025 as Aphasia Awareness Month
7 in the State of New York.
8 Many people don't know what aphasia
9 is, but it impacts over 2 million people a year.
10 In fact, 40 percent of individuals who suffer a
11 stroke are eventually diagnosed with some impact
12 of aphasia.
13 And aphasia is an impairment of
14 language affecting the production or
15 comprehension of speech and the ability to read
16 or write. And this condition occurs when the
17 part of the brain that's required for
18 communication abilities is damaged due to a
19 stroke, brain injury, or other neurological
20 condition.
21 Those affected by aphasia often
22 struggle to come up with words, to say what they
23 mean, read quickly or to their full ability, or
24 even remember how to spell words that they used
25 to be able to read and write. They have
3682
1 difficulty understanding conversations as well as
2 following conversations. And this becomes a
3 particular problem when they're trying to
4 communicate with their own doctors, which leads
5 to them not asking the appropriate questions to
6 professionals and to signing forms without proper
7 understanding of the situation.
8 Raising awareness is key.
9 And with us in the chamber we are
10 honored to have Matthew Weingartner. Now,
11 Matthew was an avid college baseball player.
12 Matt had two open-heart surgeries in 2006 and
13 2017, resulting in an infection, which triggered
14 a stroke on April 18th of 2018 and a diagnosis of
15 Broca's aphasia.
16 Like so many people that we
17 recognize in this chamber, Matthew, though, took
18 a personal tragedy and turned it into an
19 opportunity to try and do something positive for
20 others, using it as a chance to raise awareness,
21 becoming a national spokesperson for the National
22 Aphasia Awareness Foundation, as well as creating
23 his own YouTube channel, A Matter of Matt, which
24 I would encourage everyone to follow, to hear
25 about his life story and his efforts to raise
3683
1 awareness of aphasia.
2 Matt also I'm sure would want me to
3 mention that he is having his first annual
4 Aphasia Awareness Resource Fair on June 25th of
5 2025, from 10:00 in the morning to 12:00 in the
6 afternoon at Long Island University Library
7 Room L123, the Zwicker Conference Center, again
8 on June 25, 2025.
9 So, Madam President, I certainly
10 rise in support of the resolution, which was
11 previously adopted. But also I would ask that
12 you recognize Matthew, his dad, Wayne, who has
13 joined him as well as I believe he's brought two
14 other guests to us in the chamber. Please
15 welcome them on behalf of the Senate and please
16 grant to them the privileges and courtesies of
17 the house.
18 Thank you, Madam President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
20 you, Senator.
21 To our guests, I welcome you on
22 behalf of the Senate. We extend to you the
23 privileges and courtesies of this house.
24 Please rise and be recognized.
25 (Standing ovation.)
3684
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
2 resolution was adopted on February 4th.
3 Senator Gianaris.
4 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now on to
5 previously adopted Resolution 962. Please have
6 that resolution's title read and recognize
7 Senator Cleare on her resolution.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
9 Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 962, by
11 Senator Cleare, commemorating the 100th Birthday
12 of Malcolm X, an advocate for human rights and
13 one of the most influential African-American
14 leaders in history.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
16 Cleare on the resolution.
17 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you. Good
18 afternoon, Madam President.
19 I rise to pay tribute to one of the
20 most important Americans -- New Yorkers -- in the
21 history of the world: El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz,
22 known to many as Malcolm X. Today would have
23 been his 100th birthday. And when we ponder the
24 transformation he undertook in only 39 years on
25 this earth, we can only wonder where we would be
3685
1 with 61 more years of his leadership.
2 Malcolm X may have been born in
3 Nebraska, but many of the most essential events
4 of his life happened in a village that I
5 represent -- Harlem. He spent part of his
6 transformative youth in Harlem from 1943 to 1945.
7 He returned to Harlem in the 1950s to lead Temple
8 No. 7 on West 116th Street, which today is known
9 as Masjid Malcolm Shabazz.
10 Upon his return to New York in 1965,
11 he was assassinated.
12 The birthday of Malcolm X is a
13 significant annual event in any district, but I
14 would dare say throughout other parts of New York
15 City, New York State, and even the world. That
16 is because Malcolm's journey and evolution has
17 not only inspired billions of people worldwide,
18 but so many of those people lived the very same
19 experience, took the very same steps, fought
20 against the very same racism and injustice, and
21 some have even paid the ultimate price, much like
22 Brother Malcolm did.
23 The Village of Harlem has always
24 paid tribute to Malcolm X. In 1987, Lenox Avenue
25 was renamed Malcolm X Boulevard. We landmarked
3686
1 the former Audubon Ballroom as Malcolm X and
2 Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational
3 Center. And 25 years ago, Malcolm X Plaza was
4 dedicated as gateway to Harlem.
5 And this year, when my bill S1204
6 passes, we will rename the underlying subway
7 station at West 110th Street the Malcolm X Plaza
8 Station.
9 2025 is not only the 100th birthday
10 of Malcolm X, but also the commencement of the
11 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance, in
12 which he played a great part. The two milestones
13 will combine in a series of events this year like
14 no other, combining celebration, teaching,
15 community service, education and advocacy.
16 As we work and move forward in this
17 2025 legislative session, let us remember the
18 words of Malcolm X: "When one is moderate in the
19 pursuit of justice for human beings, I say he's a
20 sinner." And in that vein, let us be united
21 against sin and not be moderate in our efforts,
22 but purposeful and deliberate.
23 May the memory of Malcolm X be with
24 us today, and may his lessons and teachings grace
25 us here in the chamber.
3687
1 Thank you, Madam President. I
2 proudly vote aye.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
4 you, Senator.
5 Senator Comrie on the resolution.
6 SENATOR COMRIE: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 I rise today to support
9 Senator Cleare's resolution. I want to thank her
10 for bringing this to the floor. Malcolm X in the
11 final years before his life was cut short lived
12 in Elmhurst, Queens, in now Senator Ramos's
13 district, with his family.
14 It's hard not to think about how
15 different our borough would be if he had a chance
16 to live a full life there.
17 One of the most important aspects of
18 Malcolm X's story, and perhaps the most
19 applicable today, is that he managed to escape an
20 idolatry of hatred. Growing up in Black America
21 in the first half of the 20th century, it is not
22 understandable -- it is understandable not to
23 blame him for being indoctrinated. When you
24 experience any amount of mistreatment, oppression
25 or suffering, it is easy to be convinced that
3688
1 there's a distinct group at fault -- a group that
2 you can lash out against with impunity.
3 But then after going to Africa, the
4 pilgrimage to Mecca, Malcolm X was overcome with
5 a great sense of connection with people of all
6 colors, Muslims of all colors, who had come to
7 pray just as he had at the Kaaba. And this
8 connection changed the way that he wrote, the way
9 that he thought about teachings he'd received,
10 and the way that he spoke.
11 Malcolm X said just days before his
12 death that he understood the world around him in
13 a new way. After listening to revolutionaries
14 and speaking with Muslims from around the world,
15 he realized just how dangerous a tool racism was
16 for the oppressed to wield against their
17 oppressors. And that only through unity can the
18 human race escape today's violence and suffering.
19 This did not change the fire within
20 him that drove him to fight, but redirected him
21 towards the causes of human dignity and rights
22 for all.
23 We still see today how extremist
24 groups prey on those who are hurt, who feel
25 trapped in poverty and are unable to escape. But
3689
1 those fully committed to those extreme beliefs --
2 I'm sorry. We see these groups slowly turn those
3 people to hatred and violence. But even those
4 who have had hatred and violence in their hearts
5 can be fully committed and be deprogrammed. They
6 can be redirected towards the root of the
7 struggles that they've faced and be redirected to
8 show that they can be positive people.
9 Malcolm X shows us the tremendous
10 power of education and the immense importance of
11 speaking truth to power without fear of reprisal.
12 And it is a part of our history that we must
13 continue to be students of if we are to prevent
14 the same suffering and tragedy from happening
15 again.
16 To close with a few words from his
17 autobiography: "I'm for truth, no matter who
18 tells it. I'm for justice, no matter who it is
19 for or against. I'm a human being first and
20 foremost, and I'm for whoever and whatever
21 benefits humanity as a whole."
22 As we are here in these chambers,
23 Madam Speaker, I would remind us that we are all
24 truth-tellers. We should all be truth-tellers.
25 We're all fighters for our communities to try to
3690
1 make this a better state. And we should be like
2 Malcolm, consistently seeking the truth, fighting
3 those pillars or those bureaucracies that keep us
4 from trying to get to the truth, so that we can
5 have a better state.
6 Thank you, Madam President.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
8 you, Senator.
9 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
10 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
11 Madam President.
12 Thank you, Senator Cleare, for
13 introducing this resolution.
14 Brother Malcolm would have been a
15 hundred years old today. Senator Cleare mention
16 it in her remarks. The age of 39 seems to be the
17 year when two of our greatest were taken from us:
18 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, and
19 Brother Malcolm, Malcolm X.
20 Malcolm X is the -- whether people
21 believe it or not, he is the greatest American
22 story or one of the greatest American stories of
23 believing in second chances. Malcolm Little,
24 born in Omaha, Nebraska, had a childhood full of
25 problems, a young adulthood full of problems,
3691
1 including but not limited to incarceration,
2 drugs, et cetera, et cetera. But he found
3 something deeper and became somebody who on the
4 very floor of the New York State Senate whose
5 birthday we proclaim.
6 That is one of the greatest American
7 second-chance stories. Not just Black, American.
8 Black history is American history. It's not
9 February but I feel the need, Madam President, to
10 make sure we remind people of that every day. We
11 can.
12 One of my favorite movies,
13 Madam President, is Do the Right Thing. It's a
14 Spike Lee Joint. I didn't realize until today,
15 when I was doing a little prep, that that movie
16 came out on May 19, 1989, Brother Malcolm's
17 birthday. I was seven years old, and I wasn't
18 able to watch Do the Right Thing at that time,
19 Madam President. My parents had a little bit
20 more sense than that. I watched it when I was
21 eight -- just kidding.
22 (Laughter.)
23 SENATOR BAILEY: But when I did get
24 a chance to watch that movie, it's become one of
25 my favorite movies. And it's like Brother Comrie
3692
1 said: We should aspire to do the right thing.
2 Well, doing the right thing means
3 different things to different people. Do the
4 right thing may mean that you read the
5 autobiography of Malcolm X with Alex Haley and
6 you think that the job is over. It's not.
7 Maybe you watched the movie in '92
8 with Denzel and you saw him deliver what should
9 have been an Oscar-winning performance. But
10 that's not.
11 But what I challenge us to do, all
12 of us -- even those of us who know Brother
13 Malcolm's story, is to dig deeper into who he
14 was. If you've never gotten a chance, "The
15 Ballot or the Bullet," March 29, 1964, in Audubon
16 Ballroom, when he spoke about the famous quote
17 that you hear in the movie: "We didn't land on
18 Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us."
19 It's not just a throwaway line,
20 Madam President. When they brought Black folks
21 to this country, they didn't contemplate that we
22 would be a part of the conversation. If you go
23 through the story, if you go through the speech,
24 he talks about we gave 310 years of free labor,
25 we just want to get our back pay, so to speak.
3693
1 I'm paraphrasing there.
2 I want us to think about the country
3 and the troubled country that we have, and think
4 about how we continue to rise as a society, as
5 one.
6 You've heard me say it on the floor
7 of the Senate, but my favorite Malcolm X quote --
8 well, two: "By any means necessary." And the
9 "Education is the passport to the future, for
10 tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it
11 today."
12 We have to continue to prepare for
13 the future by doing the work that we do in this
14 chamber. Dr. Betty Shabazz, after Malcolm X's
15 assassination, moved to my district, to the City
16 of Mount Vernon, where she raised her daughters.
17 In Lower Westchester County, in the City of
18 Mount Vernon, they became pillars of the
19 community.
20 I challenge us again, on this 100 --
21 on the centennial -- he was a big enough man that
22 we've got to use big enough things -- centennial
23 celebration of Brother Malcolm, that we do what
24 we can to make sure that we continue to unify and
25 uplift all people.
3694
1 Thank you, Madam President, I vote
2 aye.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
4 you, Senator.
5 The resolution was adopted on
6 May 13th.
7 Senator Gianaris.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
9 the sponsors of all of today's resolutions would
10 like to open them for cosponsorship.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
12 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
13 you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify
14 the desk.
15 Senator Gianaris.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: On behalf of
17 Senator Myrie, on page 15 I offer the following
18 amendments to Calendar Number 390, Senate Print
19 3789, and ask that that bill retain its place on
20 the Third Reading Calendar.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
22 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
23 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
24 Senator Gianaris.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's take up
3695
1 the calendar now, please.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
3 Secretary will read.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 109, Senate Print 518, by Senator Persaud, an act
6 to amend the Executive Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
15 the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar 109, voting in the negative are
18 Senators Borrello, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
19 Helming, Lanza, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads,
20 Stec and Walczyk.
21 Ayes, 44. Nays, 12.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
23 is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 178, Senate Print 1055, by Senator Serrano, an
3696
1 act to amend the Executive Law.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
3 last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
7 roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
10 the results.
11 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
12 Calendar 178, voting in the negative are
13 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
14 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Mattera,
15 Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads,
16 Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
17 Ayes, 35. Nays, 21.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 244, Senate Print 700, by Senator Krueger, an act
22 to amend the Tax Law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
3697
1 act shall take effect on the first of April.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
3 roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
6 Krueger to explain her vote.
7 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank you,
8 Madam President.
9 This is an expansion of a law we
10 changed a few years ago that was brought to my
11 attention by law students representing people
12 outside the City of New York who had lost their
13 licenses because they couldn't afford to pay
14 their tax debts. And without their licenses,
15 they couldn't go to work and ever pay back their
16 tax debt.
17 So the state had gone part of the
18 way then, and we're hoping to go the remainder of
19 the way now. Because we don't actually collect
20 the taxes owed to us when people can't get a job
21 to pay their taxes. So it seems to me, while I'm
22 never in a rush to want to let people off the
23 hook for not paying their taxes, this bill
24 requires you document why you couldn't pay your
25 taxes. And in fact, again, in the City of
3698
1 New York where I come from, not that many people
2 need a driver's license to get to and from work,
3 but in the rest of the state they really do.
4 So I respect my colleagues' decision
5 to vote against the bill. But if they think
6 about it, this is really for the people of their
7 district.
8 I vote yes, Madam President. Thank
9 you.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
11 Krueger to be recorded in the affirmative.
12 Announce the results.
13 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
14 Calendar 244, voting in the negative are
15 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
16 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Mattera,
17 Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads,
18 Stec, Tedisco, Weber and Weik.
19 Ayes, 37. Nays, 19.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 260, Senate Print 1892B, by Senator Jackson, an
24 act to amend the Correction Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
3699
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
8 the results.
9 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
10 Calendar 260, voting in the negative are
11 Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming,
12 O'Mara, Rhoads, Rolison, Walczyk and Weik.
13 Ayes, 47. Nays, 9.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
15 is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 439, Senate Print 4926, by Senator Ramos, an act
18 to amend the Workers' Compensation Law.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
22 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
23 shall have become a law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
25 roll.
3700
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar 439, voting in the negative are
6 Senators Lanza and Walczyk.
7 Ayes, 54. Nays, 2.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
9 is passed.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 504, Senate Print 4757, by Senator Bailey, an act
12 to amend the Executive Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
16 act shall take effect on the first of April.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
21 the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
23 Calendar 504, voting in the negative are
24 Senators O'Mara, Ortt and Walczyk.
25 Ayes, 53. Nays, 3.
3701
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
2 is passed.
3 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
4 507, Senate Print 5138, by Senator Gianaris, an
5 act to amend the Criminal Procedure Law.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
7 the day, please.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
9 will be laid aside for the day.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 560, Senate Print 5149, by Senator Comrie, an act
12 to amend the State Finance Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
16 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
17 shall have become a law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
25 is passed.
3702
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 663, Senate Print 1467, by Senator Serrano, an
3 act to amend the Parks, Recreation and Historic
4 Preservation Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
9 shall have become a law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
11 roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
14 the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
17 is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 740, Senate Print 1788, by Senator Hinchey, an
20 act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
22 last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
3703
1 roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
4 the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 745, Senate Print 405, by Senator Myrie, an act
10 to amend the Tax Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 745, voting in the negative:
22 Senator Walczyk.
23 Ayes, 55. Nays, 1.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
25 is passed.
3704
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 748, Senate Print 1211, by Senator May, an act in
3 relation to enacting the New York Open Water Data
4 Act.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 5. This
8 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
9 shall have become a law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
11 roll.
12 (The Secretary called the roll.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
14 the results.
15 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
17 is passed.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 763, Senate Print Number 6281, by
20 Senator Scarcella-Spanton, an act to amend the
21 State Finance Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
23 last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
3705
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
5 the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
8 is passed.
9 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
10 772, Senate Print 7551, by Senator Bynoe, an act
11 to establish the Bottle Redemption Fraud
12 Task Force.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
16 act shall take effect immediately.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
21 the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
23 Calendar 772, voting in the negative are
24 Senators Helming, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, O'Mara,
25 Ortt and Weik.
3706
1 Ayes, 49. Nays, 7.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 932, Senate Print 4200, by Senator Gounardes, an
6 act to amend the Banking Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Calendar
8 Number 893 is high and will be laid aside for the
9 day.
10 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
11 932, Senate Print 4200, by Senator Gounardes, an
12 act to amend the Banking Law.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
14 last section.
15 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
16 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
17 shall have become a law.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
19 roll.
20 (The Secretary called the roll.)
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
22 the results.
23 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
25 is passed.
3707
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 986, Assembly Bill 2398, by Assemblymember
3 Gallagher, an act to amend the Judiciary Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect immediately.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
9 roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
12 Fernandez to explain her vote.
13 SENATOR FERNANDEZ: Thank you,
14 Madam President.
15 This bill changes one word. It
16 changes the word "addict" with a few more --
17 whoops, sorry. This bill changes one word. In
18 our General Law and our Judiciary Law, County
19 Law, the word "addict" is everywhere. We are
20 changing that word to "person with substance use
21 disorder" across multiple areas of New York State
22 law.
23 Because behind that one word is
24 decades of stigma, criminalization, and policy
25 failure. The term "addict" entered New York
3708
1 statute in 1972, just as heroin was tearing
2 through poor and Black and brown communities. A
3 year later, the Rockefeller drug laws -- and
4 overnight, stigma entered statute.
5 Our jails became de facto mental
6 health institutions as people in crisis were
7 locked away instead of treated. Being an addict
8 was seen as a choice, as a moral failing
9 deserving of punishment. Those who were
10 struggling were hidden behind bars and away from
11 the eyes of the public.
12 But now we know better. Substance
13 use disorder is a chronic relapsing health
14 condition, and the science and lived experience
15 tells us clearly shame does not save lives.
16 Treatment does.
17 Our words matter, and this bill
18 addresses that point directly. It follows the
19 same logic behind renaming our committee, from
20 alcoholism and drug abuse to alcoholism and
21 substance use disorders.
22 It is a simple truth: Words shape
23 culture, and culture shapes policy. We've spent
24 decades cleaning up the damage of the War on
25 Drugs, and this bill is one more step in that
3709
1 process towards accuracy, compassion and justice.
2 I proudly vote aye.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
4 Fernandez to be recorded in the affirmative.
5 Senator Bailey to explain his vote.
6 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 I really want to thank
9 Senator Fernandez on her leadership on this bill
10 and in the committee. As she mentioned, she's
11 changed the name of the committee because words
12 do matter. Right? The way that we think about
13 people and the way that we think about words,
14 they really do matter. And we have to be
15 intentional in the way that we utilize our words.
16 Born in 1982, lived in the Bronx,
17 New York. When I was growing up, people used to
18 use the words "addict," "junkie," "crackhead,"
19 "fiend," all of these things interchangeably when
20 they were talking about people who had
21 significant issues. And they just weren't being
22 helped. They were thought as people that were
23 essentially subhuman.
24 But when it became evident that it
25 was in more communities than just the Black and
3710
1 brown communities, the conversation shifted. I'm
2 happy that we shifted the conversation. But this
3 conversation should have happened long ago. It's
4 very important that it's happening now. And the
5 way that we look at people who have addictions,
6 that have afflictions, that have concerns that
7 they need to be ameliorated, is really important,
8 and that they can be treated with humanity and
9 respect like everybody else, regardless of what
10 they may or may not be facing.
11 So Senator Fernandez, hats off to
12 you once again.
13 Thank you to my colleagues for
14 voting for this bill. I proudly vote aye on this
15 bill, and we must continue to make sure we change
16 the way -- because words do matter,
17 Madam President.
18 Thank you.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
20 Bailey to be recorded in the affirmative.
21 Senator May to explain her vote.
22 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
23 Madam President.
24 I also want to thank the sponsor for
25 this bill. This is really important. When I was
3711
1 first elected and made the chair of the
2 Commission on Rural Resources, one of the first
3 things we did was hold a roundtable about
4 substance abuse and overdose prevention in rural
5 communities. And what came out loud and clear at
6 that roundtable was that stigma was the
7 number-one problem that rural people dealt with
8 when they were trying to either recover or help a
9 loved one.
10 We even heard about first responders
11 who would be called multiple times to the same
12 address, and they would drag their feet a little
13 bit more each time when they had to go to that
14 same address because they carried the stigma as
15 well.
16 So I hope that this change can be
17 part of really addressing what was part of an
18 epidemic, honestly not just of substance abuse
19 and overdoses, but of stigma. Literally stigma
20 was the epidemic in a lot of rural communities,
21 and I really hope that this can make a
22 difference.
23 So thank you, and I vote aye.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
25 May to be recorded in the affirmative.
3712
1 Announce the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
3 Calendar 986, voting in the negative are
4 Senators Lanza and Senator Walczyk.
5 Ayes, 54. Nays, 2.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 1013, Senate Print 627, by Senator Stavisky, an
10 act to amend the Education Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
22 is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 1025, Senate Print 1336, by Senator Parker, an
25 act to amend the New York State Urban Development
3713
1 Corporation Act.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
3 last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
5 act shall take effect immediately.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
7 roll.
8 (The Secretary called the roll.)
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
10 the results.
11 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
13 is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 1026, Senate Print 4945, by Senator Comrie,
16 an act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
18 last section.
19 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
20 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
21 shall have become a law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
23 roll.
24 (The Secretary called the roll.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
3714
1 the results.
2 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 56.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
4 is passed.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 1028, Senate Print 6018, by Senator Baskin, an
7 act in relation to authorizing and directing the
8 New York State Power Authority to rename the
9 Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant to the
10 Shirley J. Hamilton Niagara Power Plant.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 1028, voting in the negative are
22 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
23 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Mattera,
24 Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads,
25 Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
3715
1 Ayes, 35. Nays, 21.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
3 is passed.
4 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
5 1037, Senate Print 550, by Senator Brisport, an
6 act to amend the Social Services Law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
15 the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
17 Calendar 1037, voting in the negative are
18 Senators Bynoe and Martinez.
19 Ayes, 54. Nays, 2.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 1084, Senate Print 3294, by Senator Cooney, an
24 act to amend the Cannabis Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
3716
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 13. This
3 act shall take effect immediately.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
5 roll.
6 (The Secretary called the roll.)
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
8 Krueger to explain her vote.
9 SENATOR KRUEGER: Thank you very
10 much.
11 I want to thank Senator Cooney for
12 bringing this bill to the floor, and hoping we
13 get it passed by both houses this year.
14 You know, when I wrote the marijuana
15 regulation bill in 2016 we made some significant
16 changes to medical marijuana, but in fact there
17 are a number of things that we failed to do, and
18 modernization has allowed us to do more.
19 I particularly want to highlight the
20 importance of lowering, even though it does not
21 completely end taxation of medical marijuana -- I
22 don't know of any other medicine in the State of
23 New York that we actually tax.
24 It will also streamline the process
25 for collecting research on medical marijuana and
3717
1 its values, and hopefully make it easier for
2 patients to learn the information they need to
3 make the right decisions with their healthcare
4 provider about what kind of cannabis products
5 might be in their best interest, depending on
6 what their illness is.
7 So again, thank you very much to
8 Senator Cooney for this very good work.
9 I vote yes.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
11 Krueger to be recorded in the affirmative.
12 Announce the results.
13 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
14 Calendar 1084, voting in the negative are
15 Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
16 Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martinez,
17 Mattera -- Senator Griffo, pardon me, in the
18 affirmative -- Lanza, Martinez, Mattera, Murray,
19 Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec,
20 Tedisco, Walczyk and Weik.
21 Ayes, 37. Nays, 19.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
23 is passed.
24 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
25 1089, Senate Print 4969, by Senator Bailey, an
3718
1 act to amend the Public Health Law.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
3 last section.
4 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
5 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
6 shall have become a law.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
8 roll.
9 (The Secretary called the roll.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
11 Bailey to explain his vote.
12 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
13 Madam President.
14 I was reminded earlier that this is
15 the penultimate bill on the agenda. Thank you,
16 Senator Ashby, for reminding me. It means next
17 to last.
18 But if you are the victim of gun
19 violence or you're involved in gun violence, you
20 should have more hope. You should have the
21 ability to consult with a psychiatric specialist
22 to have a mental health consultation after that
23 incident. Because if anybody has ever been
24 involved or around when gun violence happens,
25 it's not just a physical injury that affects the
3719
1 families. It is the trauma of the individual
2 that has been shot. It is the trauma of those
3 around them in the surrounding neighborhoods.
4 So making sure this is available to
5 individuals who have been involved in this sort
6 of gun violence I think is critically important.
7 And it speaks to what we've done in this chamber,
8 making sure that we recognize gun violence as
9 part of a public health crisis. It is a public
10 health problem. It is not just people picking up
11 weapons. We have to get to the root causes, and
12 some of these consultations will maybe help us
13 get to the root causes.
14 Thank you, Madam President. Thank
15 you to everybody for voting yes. I vote aye.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
17 Bailey to be recorded in the affirmative.
18 Announce the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
20 Calendar 1089, voting in the negative are
21 Senators Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming,
22 Lanza, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads,
23 Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weik.
24 Ayes, 42. Nays, 14.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
3720
1 is passed.
2 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
3 1096, Senate Print 2355, by Senator Parker, an
4 act to amend the Public Service Law.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
6 last section.
7 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
8 act shall take effect immediately.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
10 roll.
11 (The Secretary called the roll.)
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
13 the results.
14 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
15 Calendar 1096, voting in the negative:
16 Senator C. Ryan.
17 Ayes, 55. Nays, 1.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
19 is passed.
20 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
21 reading of today's calendar.
22 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
23 Senator Lanza for a motion.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
25 Lanza.
3721
1 SENATOR LANZA: Thank you,
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 Madam President, on behalf of
4 Senator Rolison, on page 43 I offer the following
5 amendments to Calendar Number 866, Senate Print
6 6927, and ask that said bill retain its place on
7 Third Reading Calendar.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
9 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
10 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
11 Senator Gianaris.
12 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
13 further business at the desk?
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: There is
15 no further business at the desk.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to
17 adjourn until tomorrow, Tuesday, May 20th, at
18 3:00 p.m.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: On
20 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
21 Tuesday, May 20th, at 3:00 p.m.
22 (Whereupon, at 4:42 p.m., the Senate
23 adjourned.)
24
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