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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
5
6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 25, 2026
11 3:39 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
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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 to please rise and
5 recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Rabbi
9 Velvl Butman, of the Lubavitch Youth Organization
10 of Brooklyn, New York, will deliver today's
11 invocation.
12 Rabbi?
13 RABBI BUTMAN: Almighty God,
14 Master of the Universe, bless the members of the
15 New York State Senate to fulfill their divine and
16 sacred mission to make the world a better place
17 for all of humanity, to live by Your divine Will
18 and divine Providence in unity, peace and
19 harmony, with dignity and respect for every
20 human being.
21 We are all created in Your image.
22 Guide them to be living examples of goodness and
23 kindness, inspired by the seven Noahide
24 Commandments, which You gave to Adam and to Noah
25 at the dawn of civilization.
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1 As recorded in Your Holy Bible, in
2 the Book of Genesis:
3 One, to worship you alone and not to
4 worship idols;
5 Two, not to commit adultery, incest,
6 sodomy, or any other abomination;
7 Three, not to murder; and
8 Four, not to eat and not to be cruel
9 to any living animal;
10 Five, not to blasphemy Your holy
11 name;
12 Six, not to steal, not to lie or
13 cheat; and
14 Seven, that every society should be
15 governed by just and moral laws, which are based
16 on the recognition and the acknowledgment of You,
17 O God, as the sovereign ruler of every
18 human being, one nation under God.
19 Grant us the members of the New York
20 State Assembly and Senate to enact laws in the
21 awareness of Your divine Providence, recognizing
22 that in establishing just laws, they are
23 fulfilling Your will.
24 Bless the members of the New York
25 State Senate with good health, clarity of mind,
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1 wisdom, compassion, and good fellowship. And may
2 they always recognize that in establishing just
3 laws, they are fulfilling Your will.
4 Bless us to be successful leaders,
5 to serve and to strengthen our New York
6 communities.
7 Almighty God, we dedicate this
8 prayer today in honor of the Rebbe and his
9 birthday, on the 124th anniversary, and the
10 85th anniversary of his miraculous escape from
11 Nazi Europe and his arrival to New York in 1941
12 with his wife, Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson,
13 of blessed memory.
14 From New York, the Rebbe established
15 the world's largest Jewish global network, with
16 thousands of centers worldwide, in more than
17 100 countries, to welcome and to inspire all of
18 humanity to prepare and to usher in a world of
19 peace, unity and harmony, a world of redemption
20 the Moshiach has prophesized in Your Holy Bible.
21 You, Almighty God, have created
22 every human being regardless of race, color or
23 creed, and endowed each person with a divine
24 spark. Grant us the wisdom, leadership to ensure
25 that every child is loved unconditionally and
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1 educated with morality, faith and respect for all
2 humanity.
3 As it is written in our currency,
4 "In God we trust," reminding us that there is an
5 Eye that sees and an Ear that hears.
6 The Rebbe asks to publicize the
7 prophecy that Moshiach is on the way, and
8 Moshiach is ready to come now and that we all
9 have to do more acts of goodness and kindness.
10 As Maimonides says, that every good deed could
11 tip the global scale for the good.
12 May we merit to see from
13 Almighty God a world of redemption, a world of
14 peace, divine knowledge, and a life of joy,
15 happiness, and purpose. So may it be Your will,
16 Almighty God.
17 And together, let us all say: Amen.
18 (Response of "Amen.")
19 RABBI BUTMAN: Thank you.
20 If I may, just for a moment, my
21 father, of blessed memory, passed about 18 months
22 ago. He would come here very often, Rabbi Shmuel
23 Butman, once a year on behalf of the
24 Lubavitch Youth Organization.
25 And the Rebbe asked him to take a
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1 dollar bill and put it into the charity box to
2 inspire us all, that money is not only meant to
3 take, but to give and to share.
4 As the dollar bill reads, "In God we
5 trust," and there is an Eye that sees.
6 Thank you very much for your time.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Reading
8 of the Journal.
9 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Tuesday,
10 March 24, 2026, the Senate met pursuant to
11 adjournment. The Journal of Monday, March 23,
12 2026, was read and approved. On motion, the
13 Senate adjourned.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Without
15 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
16 May we have some order, please.
17 Presentation of petitions.
18 Messages from the Assembly.
19 The Secretary will read.
20 THE SECRETARY: Senator Salazar
21 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
22 Insurance, Assembly Bill Number 4677B and
23 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill
24 1670B, Third Reading Calendar 484.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: So
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1 ordered.
2 Messages from the Governor.
3 Reports of standing committees.
4 Report of select committees.
5 Communications and reports from
6 state officers.
7 Motions and resolutions.
8 Senator Gianaris.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good afternoon,
10 Madam President.
11 We're going to begin by taking up
12 some resolutions today.
13 First up is previously adopted
14 Resolution 1410, by Senator Harckham. Please
15 have its title read and call on Senator Harckham.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
17 Secretary will read.
18 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1410, by
19 Senator Harckham, memorializing Governor Kathy
20 Hochul to proclaim March 29, 2026, as
21 Vietnam Veterans Day in the State of New York.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
23 Harckham, one moment, please.
24 May we have some order, please?
25 (Pause.)
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1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
2 Harckham on the resolution.
3 SENATOR HARCKHAM: Thank you very
4 much, Madam President.
5 First I want to thank our Majority
6 Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for bringing this
7 resolution to the floor today and for her
8 steadfast support of this event over the years.
9 Today I'm proud to rise to celebrate
10 truly amazing Americans and New Yorkers, our
11 Vietnam veterans. On Saturday, March 29th, we
12 will once again be observing National Vietnam
13 Veterans Day. This will be the 14th anniversary
14 of this recognition, which was first proclaimed
15 by President Obama back in 2012.
16 So accordingly, I would like to
17 welcome all of the Vietnam veterans who are here
18 with us in the chamber today, a number of whom
19 are from Westchester and Putnam. And I will be
20 introducing them all individually momentarily.
21 I also want to thank my colleague in
22 the Assembly, Assemblymember Matt Slater, for
23 coordinating on the trip to bring folks up from
24 our joint districts.
25 More than 3 million Americans served
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1 our nation during the Vietnam War, and more than
2 58,000 sacrificed their lives. And today we pay
3 homage to the brave men and women who served in
4 the Vietnam War, knowing full well they served
5 with tremendous courage and sacrifice.
6 And yet when they returned home,
7 they were not welcomed back as veterans from past
8 wars were. They were largely scorned and
9 denigrated for their service. And today we
10 acknowledge that as a moral failure by our
11 society.
12 And many returned with physical and
13 psychological scars which were exacerbated by the
14 fact that they were not welcomed with open arms.
15 And yet as we honor the veterans of
16 the Vietnam War, it's important to emphasize that
17 for many of these veterans, their service to our
18 nation and their fellow veterans has been
19 never-ending. When they returned stateside, many
20 Vietnam veterans became active in their
21 communities, as first responders, in law
22 enforcement, in education, elected officials, and
23 business owners.
24 And how these men and women returned
25 home and dedicated themselves to the selfless
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1 care of their fellow servicemembers and other
2 residents is truly inspirational.
3 And Vietnam veterans taught us that
4 as individuals we should offer our respect to
5 servicemembers even if we do not support the
6 politics behind the war or the conflict in which
7 they fight. We don't have to support the wars to
8 support the warriors.
9 And most importantly, our Vietnam
10 veterans determined that no generation of
11 warriors should be treated as poorly as they were
12 upon returning home from foreign conflict -- that
13 those who wear the uniform will be treated with
14 the respect and dignity and get the benefits and
15 services that they deserve. And thankfully, this
16 nation has heeded their call.
17 So among the many veterans here
18 today from around New York State, I'm proud to
19 introduce veterans here from Westchester and
20 Putnam: Michael Bergin; Jerry Whitmore;
21 Guy Hodges -- my next-door neighbor, by the way;
22 Lu Caldara; Karl Rohde, the director of the
23 Putnam Veterans Service Agency; Antonio Costella;
24 Steve Seid; Michael Marx; Louis Ferrari;
25 Liam Baker; Philip Fiederlein; Peter Van Scoy;
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1 Al Roskosky; James Mecca; Robert Everett, Jr.;
2 Melvin Satchell; Raphael Torres; Joe Hunt;
3 Robert Finne; and Roy Ettere.
4 And to all of you I say, on behalf
5 of a grateful nation and state: Welcome home.
6 We thank you for your selflessness, your
7 sacrifice, and your courage.
8 Madam President, today I offer into
9 the record of our proceedings a resolution that
10 the State of New York wishes to expresses to its
11 Vietnam veterans the respect and appreciation
12 they deserve but did not always get when they
13 returned home.
14 So be it that this legislative body
15 pause in our deliberations to recognize March 29,
16 2024 -- or 2026, excuse me -- as Vietnam Veterans
17 Day, and to thank our brave Vietnam veterans for
18 their honorable service to our nation, to our
19 communities, and to their brothers and sisters
20 who did not return home.
21 I proudly vote aye.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
23 you, Senator.
24 Senator Ashby on the resolution.
25 SENATOR ASHBY: Thank you,
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1 Madam President.
2 I want to thank Senator Harckham for
3 bringing this resolution to the floor.
4 And we are joined today by several
5 Vietnam veterans and their families from the
6 Capital Region, including Staff Sergeant
7 David DeMarrais and his wife, Connie;
8 Airman First Class Jim Wendt and his daughter,
9 Carol Lichorowiec; Airman First Class
10 Gene LoPorco; Sergeant Tom Marinello;
11 Specialist 5th Class Weslie Boyea and his wife,
12 Debra.
13 And it is important for us to
14 remember that when our Vietnam veterans returned
15 home, they experienced an alternate reality. And
16 I think for many of us who have deployed and
17 experienced combat, that in itself is a different
18 reality.
19 And then to come back home and be
20 treated the way that they were -- I cannot
21 imagine the state of confusion, the frustration,
22 the angst that they experienced.
23 But they continued to serve. They
24 continue to serve each and every day, making sure
25 that the future generations of veterans don't
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1 experience what they had to endure and still
2 endure today. Those memories that they continue
3 to experience I'm sure is what fuels their drive
4 and the opportunities that we have each and every
5 day here.
6 I would also like to compliment OGS
7 and our own Department of Veterans' Services on
8 the recent display in the Abrams Building for --
9 on the Mail Call, is what it's called. And it's
10 correspondence of letters going back and forth to
11 family members and veterans during Vietnam.
12 And there's one that I'd like to
13 share today, Madam President, if you'll indulge
14 me, that I think that we should remember during
15 our times and deliberations here. It's from
16 Tyrone S. Pannell to his daughter.
17 "Dear Tracy:
18 "I find it very hard to begin this
19 letter. The things I want to say to you can
20 never be fully expressed in words.
21 "I want so much to say the right
22 things. I want to say the things that will make
23 you understand how very much I love you.
24 "Before you were born I, like most
25 men, wanted a son; but when I saw you for the
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1 first time just a few minutes old, I knew I could
2 never love a son the way I loved you. For a Son
3 grows and becomes a man while a Daughter is
4 always a child to be loved and cared for.
5 "More than anything I want you to
6 know me and love me. I want the love that will
7 grow between us to be one of understanding, just
8 as the love that exists between your Mother and
9 I.
10 "The next time I see you, you will
11 be a little lady walking and talking. Learn how
12 to say Daddy.
13 "I love you with all my heart.
14 "Love, Daddy"
15 On November 30, 1965, Tyrone Pannell
16 was killed in action -- six months after his wife
17 Marlene had given birth to their little girl, and
18 the letter's recipient, Tracy Renee.
19 Thank you, Madam President.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
21 you, Senator.
22 Senator Stec on the resolution.
23 SENATOR STEC: Thank you,
24 Madam President.
25 I too would like to rise and thank
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1 Senator Harckham for bringing this resolution
2 forward to commemorate March 29th as Vietnam
3 Veterans Day here in the State of New York.
4 As my colleagues have already said,
5 we owe a great deal of debt and gratitude to all
6 of our veterans, and especially those that were
7 disrespected and their value wasn't shown to them
8 upon their return from Vietnam.
9 I know a lot of Vietnam veterans,
10 and I'm thankful for their leadership and their
11 example and their service and their sacrifice.
12 And I'd be remiss if I didn't point
13 out and thank a Vietnam veteran that's very, very
14 special to me, my own father, who served in the
15 Marine Corps in Vietnam.
16 And so, Dad, I love you, and thank
17 you for your service and sacrifice. Thank you
18 for your fatherhood and trying to make me into
19 the person that I am.
20 And again, to all our Vietnam
21 veterans, thank you for your service to our
22 country.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
24 you, Senator.
25 Senator Zellner on the resolution.
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1 SENATOR ZELLNER: Thank you,
2 Madam President.
3 Thank you, Senator Harckham and
4 Leader Stewart-Cousins, for bringing this
5 resolution forward.
6 Today I rise to recognize
7 Vietnam Veterans Day in New York and thank a
8 generation of men and women whose service came at
9 a complicated time in our nation's history, and
10 whose impact is still felt today.
11 We remember those who lost their
12 lives, and we recognize those who came home and
13 had to move forward, often without the support
14 they deserved. What they experienced didn't stay
15 overseas, it became part of their lives and the
16 lives of those around them.
17 And what stands out is that they
18 made sure no one else had to carry that
19 experience. That's what we see in
20 Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 77 in
21 Tonawanda, New York, led by President Tom
22 Thompson, with more than 700 members, including
23 my friend Councilmember Jim Shiesley and retired
24 Detective Dan Brady.
25 They've created a place where
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1 veterans can rely on each other. They provide
2 food, help connect veterans to resources, host
3 events, and maintain a space where people can
4 come together and stay connected, all through
5 their own fundraising and commitment.
6 It's simple: People showing up for
7 each other. I've seen how service carries
8 through families. My own family served in the
9 Army in Vietnam, my uncles Robert and
10 Joseph Masich and my uncle Michael Zellner. Like
11 so many families, that experience didn't end when
12 they came home. It stayed with them and shaped
13 the course of their lives in ways that were often
14 heavy and complicated and deeply felt.
15 So today we recognize Vietnam
16 veterans not just for their service, but for
17 their lasting impact. And we affirm clearly and
18 without question that they will never stand alone
19 again.
20 And I want to thank organizations
21 like VVA Chapter 77 for the work they do every
22 day to take care of those who served.
23 Thank you.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you, Senator.
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1 Senator Borrello on the resolution.
2 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 I'd also like to thank the sponsor
5 for this resolution to honor our Vietnam veterans
6 on Vietnam Veterans Day here in New York State.
7 I rise as the son of a Vietnam
8 veteran. My father, Anthony Borrello, and his
9 only sibling, Frank Borrello, served in Vietnam.
10 Prior to Vietnam, that would not
11 have happened. They would never have taken the
12 only two children. So obviously for my
13 grandmother it was a disturbing couple of years
14 with both of them being deployed in Vietnam.
15 You know, this was a war fought by
16 the working class, by people of color. This is
17 who we sent there. And then when they came back,
18 they did not get the respect that they deserved.
19 They were the ones sent by our
20 government to do this, and then they were treated
21 like the ones that were, you know, responsible.
22 And it was wrong. But it created a new era of
23 respect following that, a new era of respect for
24 those who serve, for our military, for the
25 greatest fighting force in the world.
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1 But because of the fact that they
2 were never welcomed home properly, to this day it
3 is always appropriate to address a
4 Vietnam veteran and say "Welcome home."
5 So to our Vietnam veterans that are
6 here today, welcome home.
7 God bless my family, my father, my
8 uncle -- my late uncle -- and God bless the
9 United States of America.
10 Thank you.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
12 you, Senator.
13 Senator Ryan on the resolution.
14 SENATOR RYAN: Thank you,
15 Madam President.
16 And Senator Harckham, thank you for
17 bringing this resolution.
18 I too want to thank all of our
19 veterans, for those that served with the utmost
20 bravery, ran into conflict, served in the war.
21 But I also want to say thank you, a shout out to
22 my hero at home, my father, Patrick J. Ryan, who
23 served. He was a union electrician, drafted,
24 went and served as a Navy Seabee.
25 And he was -- fun fact -- well, not
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1 a fun fact, but honorable -- he was in the Tet
2 offensive. So I just want to give him a shout
3 out at home. If you're there, if you're
4 watching, which -- a 100 percent chance you're
5 not --
6 (Laughter.)
7 SENATOR RYAN: -- I just want to
8 say: Thanks, Dad. Thank you for your service.
9 I'm honored to be your son.
10 Thank you.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
12 you.
13 Senator Addabbo on the resolution.
14 SENATOR ADDABBO: Thank you very
15 much, Madam President.
16 I'd like to join my colleagues in
17 acknowledging and thanking the courage and
18 sacrifice of our Vietnam veterans today. You
19 know, and thank Senator Harckham for giving us
20 the moment to do so.
21 We have heard it, that they've
22 answered the call our country gave them, and
23 unfortunately when they came back, it wasn't such
24 a pleasant welcome.
25 You know, we can say thank you. We
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1 can say thank you, we can acknowledge it. But to
2 me, actions speaker louder than words. A
3 resolution is one way.
4 But this body can put politics
5 aside -- you know, I love to be on the
6 Veterans Committee, because that's what we do.
7 We can put politics aside. And now is our
8 moment, as legislators, to shine and show the
9 respect during the budget process and during the
10 legislative process.
11 So I really hope that when the
12 budget dust settles, we have done what we could
13 for our veterans, all veterans -- today, it's
14 Vietnam veterans -- and certainly during the
15 legislative process.
16 In my little neck of the woods in
17 Queens County, we have one of the largest
18 populations of veterans in the city, roughly
19 40,000. And a third of those are
20 Vietnam veterans.
21 So again, to understand that
22 Veterans Day is not just one day of the year. In
23 my opinion, it's every day of the year. We thank
24 our veterans each and every day, and today we
25 acknowledge and thank our Vietnam veterans.
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1 Thank you very much,
2 Madam President. I'll be voting yes.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
4 you, Senator.
5 Senator Chan on the resolution.
6 SENATOR CHAN: Thank you,
7 Madam President.
8 I would not be a United States
9 Marine if I didn't rise today to thank my
10 predecessors, whom I have known many of in the
11 United States Marines. I spent about three and a
12 half years in the Marine Corps, Air Station
13 New River, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. I spent
14 several months on the United States vessel
15 USS Guadalcanal as well as the USS Austin.
16 And I want to thank our Vietnam
17 veterans for teaching me my trade, because I
18 learned a lot from you. I learned to be that
19 rough and tough United States Marine, that guy, a
20 force in readiness, from guys like you.
21 So I just want to extend to you guys
22 my personal thanks.
23 Thank you very much.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you, Senator.
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1 Senator Comrie on the resolution.
2 SENATOR COMRIE: I rise today to
3 thank Senator Harckham for continuing a tradition
4 that's important in our Senate and important in
5 this country, that we recognize our Vietnam
6 veterans for their service, that we acknowledge
7 the mistakes that were made when they returned
8 home.
9 And, as Senator Addabbo said, that
10 we do everything we can as legislators to ensure
11 that the veterans are now getting the services
12 and resources that they need.
13 One of which is restoring and
14 helping to restore some of the VA centers and
15 posts that are in desperate need of repair, some
16 of which go back to not having been repaired
17 since the '70s.
18 So I hope, as Senator Addabbo said,
19 we can put actions to words, but we need to put
20 actions to deeds as well by making sure that our
21 veterans, in the twilight of their years, can
22 have the best of their years by having facilities
23 that are worthy of their service, worthy of their
24 time.
25 You know, I just missed the draft.
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1 I graduated from school just as the draft was
2 ending. That was one of the happiest times of my
3 life, to tell you the truth; I didn't have to go.
4 But I have to salute all of the men
5 and women that went, that sacrificed their lives
6 and are still sacrificing their lives today. So
7 we must do what we can to honor our veterans.
8 I say aye to the resolution.
9 Thank you, Madam President.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
11 you, Senator.
12 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
13 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
14 Madam President.
15 Thank you, Senator Harckham, for
16 this really important resolution. This is one of
17 these nice moments in this chamber when there's
18 not a partisan bone in here. We get to speak
19 about heroes.
20 And thank you for doing what you
21 did, signing up to save people that you never
22 met, that you didn't know and would never know,
23 but you signed up anyway, and you saved them.
24 And you saved our country during that.
25 So I want to thank you for that. I
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1 want to thank you for never forgetting what this
2 country is supposed to be, and those ideals. And
3 you carry it out every single day.
4 So I just want to say, from the
5 bottom of my heart, thank you. We can't forget
6 you.
7 And Senator Harckham and also
8 Senator Scarcella-Spanton and Assemblymember Dais
9 over in the other chamber have spoken about a
10 campaign to end veteran poverty. And so many of
11 our vets live in poverty. So many of our vets
12 can't make ends meet. And I think that's
13 atrocious for people who literally have laid
14 their lives down for strangers.
15 So we have to do better, not just in
16 this chamber but in every statehouse around the
17 country to make sure that people who have paid
18 the ultimate sacrifice, and their families, are
19 able to be taken care of.
20 Thank you for your service. Thank
21 you for your existence. And thank you for your
22 bravery.
23 I vote aye on the resolution,
24 Madam President.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
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1 you.
2 Senator Tedisco on the resolution.
3 SENATOR TEDISCO: Thank you,
4 Madam President.
5 Today, as we salute our Vietnam
6 veterans, I think by extension we have to
7 remember all the men and women: I call them the
8 best, the brightest, the most courageous fighting
9 force for good in the world, the men and women of
10 the United States armed forces.
11 And we've talked about our heroes.
12 The men and women here are our heroes. And I
13 think of my dad, who was Tech Sergeant Nicholas
14 Tedisco, who served in Helleni {ph}, New Guinea,
15 in World War II.
16 And today I also had the opportunity
17 to thank one of my constituents. He's from the
18 44th Senatorial District. He's Airman
19 First Class Jim Wendt. And we had a nice
20 discussion about his service, and I thanked him
21 and showed him appreciation.
22 But we also talked about the fact --
23 and it has been mentioned here -- it seems two
24 different camps grow in any war or battle: This
25 is a good war, or this is a bad war. And I think
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1 we'll agree there are no good wars. People die
2 in war. Americans die in war. Our enemies die
3 in war.
4 So when they came back and they said
5 this was a bad war, well, there may be
6 necessities for wars. And we can debate the
7 necessity for a war. But we can never say our
8 men and women served and put their lives on the
9 line and left their families because it was a
10 good war or a bad war.
11 They didn't cut and run. They
12 didn't cut and run. Their country said our
13 freedom and liberty in some way, or those of
14 others that we respect so much, is on the line.
15 And they served. Now, in the back of their mind
16 they may have thought, I don't think I should be
17 here. I don't think this is a necessity.
18 But the United States of America and
19 what it stands for, and what we fought to build
20 here from the very beginning of our
21 Founding Fathers, they believed in so much that
22 they said, Those who are in our government who
23 sent us here, we're going to go to protect this
24 great nation and to protect freedom and liberty.
25 And I think we have to show
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1 tremendous respect for that, because that's why
2 we have and live in the greatest and freest
3 nation in the world.
4 A lot of other countries who were
5 born with these inalienable rights, maybe they
6 have a great document there, they have their own
7 constitution, they have their own type of
8 declaration of independence -- but they don't
9 live the freedoms and liberties we do in this
10 nation at the highest level of I believe any
11 group of individuals in any part of the world.
12 So today I thank Airman First Class
13 Jim Wendt. I thank all those Vietnam veterans
14 here who said, I can make any decision I want
15 about that, but my country and what it stands for
16 is something I'm willing to put my life on the
17 line for.
18 And I thank you all -- past, present
19 and future -- and if Dad is watching, I thank him
20 for giving me the life I've had here. And I show
21 the appreciation for all you've done for us.
22 Thank you, Madam President.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
24 you, Senator.
25 Senator Fahy on the resolution.
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1 SENATOR FAHY: Thank you,
2 Madam President.
3 I see a couple of old friends up in
4 the gallery, so I just want to join my colleagues
5 in paying this extraordinary tribute to such
6 extraordinary, extraordinary men and women that
7 I've had the privilege of getting to know over
8 the last good few years.
9 I'm also old enough to remember when
10 our country did not give the welcoming,
11 especially to our Vietnam veterans. And so I do
12 think it is so important that we continue to show
13 our extraordinary gratitude, to make amends, if
14 you will, for the times when we didn't show that
15 extraordinary gratitude.
16 So it's wonderful to see
17 Servicemen Marinello and LoPorco. And I just
18 need to add the -- what's so remarkable about
19 them as well as so many other veterans is that
20 they come back and they keep serving. So it is
21 embodied in their very being, this service before
22 self.
23 And it's something that I'm so glad
24 that we are honoring here today, because I think
25 it's something that all of us need to be reminded
1805
1 of. That what has made this country what it is
2 is because of those who have served in such an
3 incredibly selfless way, but they really embody
4 this spirit of service before self. And they
5 come back and continue to serve the community in
6 such an extraordinary variety of ways.
7 So I too am in their debt and do
8 stand here with deep, deep, appreciation.
9 I thank our colleague
10 Senator Harckham for bringing this resolution to
11 the floor.
12 Thank you. With that, I'm in
13 support, Madam President.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
15 you.
16 Senator Lanza on the resolution.
17 SENATOR LANZA: Thank you,
18 Madam President.
19 First let me thank Senator Harckham
20 for continuing this what I believe to be very
21 important tradition, especially here in the
22 New York State Senate.
23 Senator Bailey talked about the fact
24 that today we're all together, and we ought to be
25 proud. And he's right. I'm going to remind you
1806
1 of a few more reasons why every member in this
2 Senate should have special pride in this day.
3 And why New Yorkers should be especially proud of
4 Vietnam Veterans Day.
5 When I was first elected here, I was
6 approached by a Staten Island Vietnam veteran
7 named Lester Modelowitz. He came to me and said,
8 "We're trying to establish Vietnam Veterans Day
9 here in New York and across the nation, and we're
10 meeting a lot of resistance. Would you write the
11 bill?"
12 And of course I did. I came in --
13 I'm not sure if everyone's aware, I came in -- my
14 class, if you will, I had the privilege of coming
15 in with Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and my
16 brother Senator Griffo.
17 And as Senator Bailey alluded, when
18 we wrote this bill we came together immediately,
19 and we worked together. And we lobbied our
20 colleagues in this body, and it wasn't hard to
21 do. We talked to our friend in the Assembly.
22 Assemblyman Matt Titone carried the bill there.
23 We spoke to the Governor,
24 then-Governor Paterson, and we convinced him.
25 And we did it together. There were no
1807
1 Republicans, there were no Democrats. There were
2 friends, there were colleagues, there were people
3 who recognized that a wrong was done and we
4 needed to do something about it.
5 So as you know, on March 29, 1973 --
6 just a little background, why did we do it this
7 way -- the last combat troops came home from
8 Vietnam. And as has been said -- it's an
9 understatement to say they weren't treated well.
10 They were treated horribly. What happened at
11 that moment and thereafter was shameful on behalf
12 of the so many in this country that just were
13 lost in the way they treated them.
14 So we wrote that law, it was passed
15 here, passed in the Assembly, Governor Paterson
16 signed it, and the following year, in 2009, the
17 first Vietnam veterans celebration occurred on
18 Staten Island. We then, this body, many who are
19 not here anymore, a few of us are, we then
20 lobbied other states to do the same. We had
21 Rolling Thunder assist us. Legislative bodies
22 from around the country reached out to us to talk
23 about it. And one by one, states across the land
24 did the same thing.
25 Finally, on March 28, 2017,
1808
1 President Trump signed the Vietnam War Veterans
2 Recognition Act. And so now it is the law of the
3 land in America.
4 You know, 2.7 million U.S. soldiers
5 served in-country during the war. More than
6 6 million served in other capacities. More than
7 60,000 U.S. soldiers lost their lives. I mean,
8 think about that number: 60,000 U.S. soldiers
9 lost their lives.
10 I do an event every year on
11 Staten Island, we do a collage of the
12 Staten Islanders who lost their lives. And as I
13 get older, the photos get younger.
14 And what you see is that the people
15 who fought for us -- remember, put the politics
16 aside, put the war aside, even. Those Americans
17 sacrificed and lost their lives to stand up for
18 that flag and everything it represents.
19 And when we do this ceremony and I
20 look at this video that my staff prepares, with
21 the help of the Vietnam Veterans Chapter of
22 Staten Island, they were 18 years old,
23 Majority Leader -- eighteen-year-old dare I say
24 kids. I'm old, I can say it.
25 When I was young and being taught
1809
1 about the Vietnam veterans' war by the adults
2 that had the responsibility to do it, I didn't
3 hear anything good about the veterans. I didn't.
4 I'm a child of the '70s. In fact, I heard
5 everything bad. You would have thought that
6 we -- they didn't serve honorably, courageously,
7 bravely, effectively, successfully. And that's a
8 lie.
9 We all know the major battles -- the
10 Battle of la Drang, the Battle of Khe Sanh, the
11 Tet offensive, Hamburger Hill, Easter offensive.
12 You know what they all have in common? The
13 American soldiers won every single battle, the
14 major battles and the minor battles. They won
15 every battle they were sent in to fight.
16 You know, President Kennedy sent the
17 first troops in, we now know he had no mind to
18 escalate. Nixon ultimately ended it. Johnson,
19 President Johnson escalated it. In my opinion,
20 mismanaged it. But none of those, whether you
21 liked the president, didn't like the president,
22 liked the war, didn't like the war, none of those
23 things were ever legitimate, honest excuses to
24 hate the troops. And that's what happened.
25 So Madam Leader, Majority Leader,
1810
1 why did we do this? You remember. People came
2 to us and said, Well, we have Veterans Day.
3 Newspaper outlets said, Why do we need this day?
4 The answer was simple. Something
5 different and shameful happened to these troops
6 when they came home. We've all talked about it.
7 Thanks to whatever. The craziness of the time,
8 craziness which we see revisiting.
9 We had Hollywood elites, it's easy
10 from their towers to say what they said at the
11 time. You had warped, in my opinion, politicians
12 not saying the right things. You had scurrilous
13 members of academia really preaching the hate.
14 You can go back, you can read all about it. You
15 could see it.
16 I remember as a kid seeing
17 Jane Fonda on an anti-aircraft gun pointed up in
18 the sky meant to shoot 21-year-old American
19 flyers out of the sky. It's hard to believe, but
20 then again, you look out the window today, it's
21 easy to believe.
22 So we did it because something
23 different happened, and we needed to do something
24 about it. My faith teaches me that when you do
25 something wrong, you should have contrition, that
1811
1 you should resurrect good from darkness. And I
2 think that's what this does.
3 I think we need to educate. By
4 having this day, we remind our fellow Americans,
5 especially our young fellow Americans, this
6 should never happen again. And we do that a lot
7 in this chamber with various things.
8 And I think, most of all, it allows
9 us every single year to say thank you. Thank you
10 for your sacrifice. Thank you to our troops.
11 Thank you to our veterans.
12 And as Senator Harckham and my
13 colleagues have already said: Welcome home,
14 welcome home, welcome home.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
16 you, Senator.
17 Leader Stewart-Cousins to close.
18 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: Thank you
19 so much, Madam President.
20 And, you know, when I came out there
21 were maybe two or three names on the list who
22 were going to speak about the Vietnam War
23 veterans and what they mean to us and to this
24 chamber.
25 And of course as people got up and
1812
1 spoke, more and more wanted to make sure that
2 there was no question about how we as a
3 chamber -- we who are the beneficiaries of your
4 sacrifice, your bravery and your courage -- feel
5 about you and what you've sacrificed.
6 So I am glad that you've taken the
7 time out of your busy schedule to indulge us as
8 we thank you, welcome you back, and let you know
9 that the history of what you fought for, who you
10 fought for, and how you were treated is
11 acknowledged by the people who, again, sit in
12 these chambers because of your courage.
13 Last week we had cadets from
14 West Point, and it's hard to look at these young
15 people, knowing that who knows what battle
16 they'll go into, especially at a time like this,
17 and not think about what we already know to be
18 true. War is hell. It's ugly. A lot of times
19 people sent people to do things that they think
20 might be a good idea, and people like you are
21 left to bring the valor, to put everything on the
22 line, and hope you survive.
23 I want to thank Senator Lanza for
24 bringing back the history of how this day came.
25 And yes, we were in the same class together. And
1813
1 it was an easy vote for everyone. And it was
2 easy for me because I have had the privilege of
3 being a child in a military family.
4 My dad was a World War II veteran:
5 Purple Heart, Bronze Star. And again, he served
6 in a segregated Army. And when he came home, he
7 came back to a segregated country. He wasn't
8 thanked. He didn't care. He knew that his
9 service was important.
10 My brother is a Vietnam War vet,
11 Marine. And he came back, he wasn't welcomed
12 back either.
13 So it is a privilege to be part of a
14 body that recognizes how important it is that we
15 have people in this country who, despite what the
16 chattering classes say, despite what the masses
17 might say, still have enough fidelity to this
18 country and its ideals to show up. And I thank
19 you for that.
20 I want to thank Senator Harckham for
21 always sponsoring this day and bringing this
22 resolution forward. And I also want to give a
23 shout out to the chair of our Veterans Committee,
24 Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton, to who also is
25 the ranker, Senator Ashby, and all of the
1814
1 veterans here, and say especially to our
2 Vietnam veterans -- I know there's many from
3 Yonkers. You know, Raise your hand, let me know.
4 Yonkers in the house? No? Yes? Over there.
5 There you go. Oh, thank you.
6 But I know that you represent so
7 many who couldn't be here for all those reasons.
8 If you're like my brother, you're not looking for
9 accolades. He's like, I know, so many people --
10 the 60,000 that Senator Lanza referred to, so
11 many were his friends. He served with them. The
12 fact that he survived was almost good enough for
13 him.
14 And I know the humility of those who
15 serve. The fact that you survived, the fact that
16 you're here, the fact that you could enjoy days
17 with your loved ones, serving your community,
18 that's almost enough gratitude.
19 But we are here to tell you that we
20 know that it's never enough. And the commitment
21 to continue to honor our servicemen and -women is
22 alive and well in this chamber.
23 You will always be welcome here.
24 You will always be welcome back. And we will
25 continue to push forward the policies that allow
1815
1 not only you, but the next generation of those
2 who would devote the full measure to our
3 liberation and our freedom as Americans, to also
4 enjoy the same.
5 Welcome back. And thank you so much
6 for being here.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
8 you, Leader Stewart-Cousins.
9 To our Vietnam veterans, thank you
10 for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice.
11 We appreciate you. We say welcome home.
12 On behalf of the Senate, we extend
13 to you the privileges and courtesies of this
14 house. Please rise and be recognized.
15 Welcome home.
16 (Extended standing ovation; cheers.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
18 Gianaris.
19 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
20 I believe that resolution was previously adopted.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
22 resolution was previously adopted on
23 January 21st.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Let's move on to
25 another previously adopted resolution,
1816
1 Resolution 1555, by Senator O'Mara. Please read
2 that resolution's title and recognize
3 Senator O'Mara.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
5 Secretary will read.
6 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1555, by
7 Senator O'Mara, honoring Investigator Michael
8 Theetge of the Chemung County Sheriff's Office
9 upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
10 of the Order of the Blue Heart Award from
11 Wounded Blue.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
13 O'Mara on the resolution.
14 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
15 Madam President.
16 I rise today to honor Investigator
17 Michael Theetge of the Chemung County Sheriff's
18 Department, Criminal Investigation Division.
19 In keeping with our longstanding
20 tradition of recognizing exceptional service,
21 this legislative body is proud to honor
22 Investigator Theetge as the recipient of the
23 Order of the Blue Heart Award from Wounded Blue,
24 the national organization supporting
25 law enforcement officers injured or disabled on
1817
1 the job.
2 He was also presented earlier today
3 with the 2026 New York State Senate Commendation
4 Award for his courage and dedication to our
5 community.
6 Investigator Theetge has served with
7 distinction for more than 14 years, exemplifying
8 courage, professionalism, and an unwavering
9 commitment to public safety.
10 Tragically, two years ago, on
11 March 29th, he sustained a severe
12 near-life-ending on-duty injury while
13 apprehending a suspect.
14 Chasing the suspect across a parking
15 lot, a getaway car pulled up. Investigator
16 Theetge tackled the perpetrator onto the hood of
17 that vehicle. The driver accelerated across the
18 parking lot and turned sharply, throwing
19 Investigator Theetge and the perpetrator to the
20 pavement of the parking lot.
21 He ended up with a fractured skull,
22 a brain bleed, and multiple injuries and
23 fractures to virtually every section of his
24 spine -- cervical, thoracic, and lumbar.
25 He required extensive
1818
1 hospitalization and rehabilitation, and in fact
2 just recently has undergone several spine
3 surgeries to get him to where he is today.
4 Investigator, please rise. The
5 investigator is joined here by his wife Patrice.
6 They are the parents of two boys, four and seven.
7 The evening of this injury, Patrice
8 was told by the doctors, "Say goodbye." Well, he
9 survived. And about a week later, started coming
10 out of a coma. And at that point the doctors
11 told Patrice, "He's never going to walk. Be
12 prepared for that."
13 He's walking today. He's amongst
14 us, and he wants to return to the job that he
15 loves. And currently on a 207C disability, he
16 still wants to come back, when he's able, to
17 this, with his injuries.
18 Beyond his role in investigation, he
19 served as commander of the Chemung County SWAT
20 Team, providing leadership for high-risk
21 operations. He's been an instructor, training
22 the next generation of law enforcement officers.
23 And he was the first drug recognition expert in
24 his department, earning the highest grade-point
25 average in his training class.
1819
1 He served on the New York State
2 Threat Assessment Management System Team, helping
3 to safeguard schools and local businesses. As
4 president of the Deputy Sheriffs Union, elected
5 by his peers, he has earned the respect and
6 confidence of all who served alongside him.
7 Therefore, Madam President, as
8 Investigator Theetge embodies integrity, courage
9 and selfless service, his dedication has left an
10 enduring impact on the Chemung County Sheriff's
11 Office, our community, and the people of this
12 great state.
13 It is my honor to ask this
14 legislative body to pause in its deliberations to
15 commend Investigator Michael Theetge for his
16 outstanding service, leadership, and commitment
17 to public safety, and to extend him all the
18 courtesies and privileges of the house.
19 Thank you, Madam President.
20 And thank you, Investigator Theetge.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
22 you, Senator.
23 Senator Chan on the resolution.
24 SENATOR CHAN: Thank you,
25 Madam President.
1820
1 And thank you, Senator O'Mara, for
2 bringing forth this resolution.
3 To Investigator Theetge, I think I
4 told you earlier that I'm also a retired
5 law enforcement agent with the NYPD, of 27 years.
6 I feel compelled to stand up here and thank you
7 for laying down the sacrifices that you did.
8 And that's all I wanted to say. I
9 know how fast things can turn south out on the
10 street, and I thank you from the bottom of my
11 heart.
12 Thank you very much.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
14 you, Senator.
15 To Investigator Theetge, thank you
16 for your service. We wish you the very best of
17 health.
18 I welcome you on behalf of the
19 Senate. We extend to you the privileges and
20 courtesies of this house.
21 Please continue standing and be
22 recognized.
23 (Standing ovation.)
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
25 resolution was adopted on February 10th.
1821
1 Senator Gianaris.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Next up is
3 previously adopted Resolution 1794, by
4 Senator Ramos. Please read that title and
5 recognize Senator Ramos.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
7 Secretary will read.
8 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1794, by
9 Senator Ramos, commemorating the
10 115th Anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist
11 Factory Fire on March 25, 2026.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
13 Ramos on the resolution.
14 SENATOR RAMOS: Thank you,
15 Madam President.
16 When we talk about New York, we
17 often talk about its skyline, its energy, and its
18 promise. And all of that is made possible by
19 workers.
20 On March 25, 1911, New York was
21 forced to confront what happens when those
22 workers are treated as disposable. A hundred and
23 forty-six people lost their lives at the
24 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, mostly young
25 immigrant women, seamstresses, workers who showed
1822
1 up to do their jobs and never made it home.
2 They were trapped, doors were
3 locked, safety was ignored, and profit was placed
4 above people.
5 That tragedy was not inevitable. It
6 was a failure of responsibility. But what
7 followed matters just as much. Workers
8 organized, families demanded accountability, and
9 this state made a choice. We passed laws. We
10 strengthened protections. We began to say
11 clearly that the dignity of work is not
12 negotiable.
13 That is the legacy of the
14 Triangle Fire -- not just what happened, but what
15 we chose to do about it. Because history does
16 not move on its own. It moves when people decide
17 that things must change and that responsibility
18 now belongs to us.
19 Today, the details may look
20 different, but the question is the same. Today
21 many of the workers most vulnerable to
22 exploitation are still immigrants. The Irish and
23 Eastern European immigrants of that era are the
24 Central American, South American, and
25 African immigrants of today: People who come
1823
1 here to work, to build, to care for their
2 families and who too often are made to feel
3 invisible or afraid to speak up when something is
4 wrong.
5 The conditions may look different
6 than they did in 1911, but the underlying
7 question has not changed. Who is protected and
8 who is left exposed?
9 Honoring those workers means more
10 than remembrance. It means doing the work,
11 enforcing our labor laws, strengthening safety
12 standards, protecting immigrant workers, making
13 sure that no one has to choose between their
14 livelihood and their life.
15 Because the promise of New York has
16 never been abstract. It is that if you work
17 hard, you can live with dignity. And that
18 promise only holds true if we are willing to
19 uphold it.
20 Today we remember those 146 workers
21 and we recommit ourselves to the responsibility
22 their lives demand of us, to make sure no worker
23 in New York is ever treated as expendable again.
24 Thank you, Madam President. I vote
25 aye.
1824
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
2 you, Senator.
3 Senator Jackson on the resolution.
4 SENATOR JACKSON: Thank you,
5 Madam President.
6 Today we must mark a solemn
7 anniversary, one that continues to demand our
8 conscience and our actions. And though we gather
9 here in Albany, the echos of that day in 1911
10 still reach us, reminding us that what happened
11 in a factory in New York City was not distant
12 from government, but a failure of it.
13 Young immigrant women, workers
14 whose labor powered a growing city, were met not
15 with protection but with peril. Locked out doors
16 became death sentences. Smoke became testimony.
17 And from the horror rose a demand this nation
18 could no longer ignore, that workers are not
19 disposable, that women are not invincible, and
20 that immigrants are no strangers to the American
21 story -- they are central to it.
22 And this tragedy forced the country
23 to confront the brutal costs of exploitation. It
24 awakened a conscience that helped shape labor
25 protections we now consider fundamental. First,
1825
1 a safer workplace. The right to organize. The
2 dignity of the weekend. The promise of
3 Social Security. These were not gifts, they were
4 victories carved from grief, courage, and
5 collective struggle.
6 And so this resolution is not only
7 about remembrance, it is about responsibility.
8 At a time when immigrants are still vilified,
9 where labor is too often devalued, and when
10 hard-won protections are treated as negotiable,
11 we are reminded that progress is never permanent
12 unless we defend it.
13 To honor the Triangle workers is not
14 a look back, but is a stand-guard to ensure that
15 no workers are ever trapped between a paycheck
16 and their safety, and that no doors are ever
17 locked against justice again.
18 Memory is not passive, it is a
19 mandate from those who perished -- for the
20 movement they ignited, and for the future we are
21 duty-bound to protect.
22 I vote aye on this resolution.
23 Thank you, Madam President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you, Senator.
1826
1 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
2 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 Thank you to Senator Ramos for this
5 important resolution.
6 I'm going to look at this through a
7 different lens. And I often speak about how I'll
8 look at things through the lens of my children.
9 And this past weekend my daughter, my oldest
10 daughter, Giada, we were speaking about this
11 because she's learning about this in school.
12 And so when I realized this
13 resolution was coming on today, I sent her a
14 message and I said, Hey, can you tell me what is
15 it that you got from there?
16 And she gave me some facts that she
17 sent. This is my 11-year-old daughter, and these
18 are her exact words: The fire killed 146 people
19 and was one of the deadliest workplace accidents
20 in the history of New York City. All but 17 of
21 the dead people were women, most of them
22 immigrants looking for a better life in the
23 Gilded Age.
24 I'll stop right there for a second,
25 and see the parallel of people coming to this
1827
1 country to seek prosperity, to seek positivity.
2 And by virtue of unfair and unethical working
3 conditions, their lives were taken.
4 This fire started on the 8th floor,
5 and people were oblivious to the fire because of
6 the loud equipment. And due to the poor working
7 conditions, there was no way of escaping.
8 After the fire, the Factory
9 Investigating Commission was created and held 59
10 public hearings, listened to 472 witnesses, and
11 the information in storage filled over
12 7,000 pages.
13 It's really important that sometimes
14 we don't realize the gravity of what we do and
15 how like history in the context of what we do is
16 really important. Yes, it's my -- I'm speaking
17 about my 11-year-old daughter, who I'm incredibly
18 proud is learning about the labor movement and
19 social equity and social justice.
20 But what we do on this floor and
21 what we do for the people of the great State of
22 New York, we should always be proud of it, that
23 these are things that will stand the test of
24 time. And we have to make sure that people
25 understand how that happened, why it happened,
1828
1 and be resolved that we never permit this to
2 happen again.
3 Workers' rights are incredibly, you
4 know, important. They're crucial. And we need
5 to let people have decent lives, we need to be
6 able to let people work in respect, decency, and
7 to have them have great working conditions.
8 So for those reasons, I support this
9 resolution. And I'm thankful to my daughter
10 Gkiada for having, you know, the prescience, so
11 to speak, to be able to have had this lesson.
12 Thank you, Madam President.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
14 you, Senator.
15 Senator Ryan on the resolution.
16 SENATOR RYAN: Thank you,
17 Madam President.
18 And thank you to Senator Ramos for
19 bringing this up, our esteemed Labor chair.
20 Thank you.
21 So I just want to make -- today we
22 remember those 146 workers, but I want to make
23 sure that we all know that this fire and this
24 tragedy did not go without not just consequence,
25 and make sure that their sacrifice wasn't just in
1829
1 vain, and it became a real turning point in a
2 fight for workers and workplace safety.
3 The Triangle Fire exposed the
4 dangerous conditions faced by workers in the
5 early 20th century. We heard of locked doors,
6 unsafe exits -- they didn't even have fire
7 escapes -- overcrowded factories.
8 But this tragedy led to the outrage
9 that led to reforms, including stronger workplace
10 safety standards, fire codes, and labor
11 protections.
12 The Triangle factory tragedy
13 directly impacted the creation of workers' rights
14 organizations, labor laws that paved the way for
15 OSHA, Occupational Safety and Health
16 Administration.
17 In response to the tragedy, New York
18 State launched a Factory Investigation Commission
19 which conducted an in-depth inspections of
20 industrial workplaces. Their findings led to at
21 least 30 new labor laws, setting a precedent for
22 state and federal reforms.
23 You know, the fire also helped fuel
24 momentum for child labor laws, setting minimum
25 work ages, and set minimums or maximums for young
1830
1 workers and their hours.
2 You know, although we have made
3 great strides in workplace safety, unfortunately
4 today, more than ever, labor rights are under
5 threat. As a 28-year card-carrying union member,
6 labor advocate, labor leader, you know, you have
7 to understand that these fights and these issues
8 are not behind us.
9 As a lawmaker, I believe we have a
10 responsibility to always stand with workers, not
11 corporations that put profits over safety. We
12 must ensure as lawmakers that history does not
13 repeat itself in the manner that this tragedy
14 happened.
15 No worker -- Senator Ramos said it,
16 no worker should ever have to risk their life to
17 earn a living.
18 So on this 115th anniversary, I want
19 to reaffirm my commitment to protecting workers,
20 ensuring safe workplaces, and strengthening labor
21 laws. And I certainly invite my colleagues to do
22 the same.
23 Thank you very much. I vote aye.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you.
1831
1 Senator Mayer on the resolution.
2 SENATOR MAYER: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 And thank you, Senator Ramos, for
5 introducing this resolution.
6 I rise to support it, to commemorate
7 the 115th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist
8 Factory Fire, and to honor the individuals,
9 146 workers, whose lives were lost, most of them
10 young women and girls, largely Italian and
11 Jewish immigrants.
12 This past January I had the honor of
13 receiving the Clara Lemlich Public Service Award
14 from the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
15 Memorial, a scholarship fund which provides
16 scholarships to the children of workers who are
17 killed or injured on the job.
18 An award carrying the legacy of
19 Clara Lemlich, a fearless labor leader and a
20 woman, I would note, who organized garment
21 workers and demanded fair wages and humane
22 working conditions, despite physical attacks,
23 intimidation, and attempts to silence her by
24 factory owners, she persisted. And in 1909,
25 ironically, she inspired 20,000 garment workers
1832
1 to go on strike, which lasted till 1910 and
2 resulted in better wages and working conditions
3 for the members of ILGWU.
4 But unfortunately and tragically,
5 the owners of the factory for the Triangle Fire
6 did not participate in the industry agreement.
7 And as a result, in 1911 those 146 people died.
8 I think there's a lesson to be
9 learned there. We enact laws in response to
10 this, as my colleagues have said. But we demand
11 that employers follow these laws. And whether
12 it's a voluntary agreement or a requirement by
13 statute, we are here today to say these are not
14 optional, as my colleagues have said. These are
15 not "if you can." These are mandatory
16 requirements that they are followed to protect
17 our neighbors, our workers, and so many of our
18 immigrant workers in this moment as they were not
19 followed then.
20 Thank you. I vote aye.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
22 you.
23 Senator Rhoads on the resolution.
24 SENATOR RHOADS: Thank you,
25 Madam President.
1833
1 As the ranker on the Senate Labor
2 Committee, I rise in support of the resolution.
3 It is incredibly important to recognize the
4 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire was a seminal
5 moment, not just in the history of New York State
6 but in the history of this country.
7 For those who are unfamiliar with
8 the story, though I think most in this room are,
9 the fire in the shirtwaist factory occupied the
10 8th to 10th floors of that building. Exit doors
11 were locked to prevent workers from taking
12 unauthorized breaks and prevent theft. There
13 were no sprinklers in the building. The fire
14 escape, the one fire escape that they had -- and
15 there was a question as to whether it was
16 properly secured to the building or not --
17 twisted in the heat of the fire, making sure that
18 that could not be used as an escape route.
19 And unable to escape the growing
20 inferno, people resorted to trying to climb down
21 elevator shafts, only to fall to their deaths in
22 those shafts. People jumped out windows, falling
23 to their deaths. In total, 146 victims, ranking
24 in age from 14 to 43 years old, lost their lives.
25 But the response was incredibly
1834
1 important. The response prompted not only the
2 modern labor movement, but the response prompted
3 so many legislative changes that brought
4 attention to the plight of workers and the safety
5 of workers, but also brought actual, tangible
6 results.
7 Frances Perkins, who was a witness
8 to the fire, actually advanced legislation as
9 part of the ILGWU and the Committee on Public
10 Safety that they formed, which actually created
11 the 54-hour bill limiting the number of work
12 hours that could be worked in a week, was
13 instrumental in the New York State Legislature's
14 creation of the Factory Investigating Committee.
15 And they started with the issue of
16 fire safety. That committee produced 64 bills
17 recommendations, 60 of which were actually
18 enacted by this body. Everything that we take
19 for granted today, from modern labor laws to
20 building access and egress, fireproofing
21 requirements, availability of fire extinguishers,
22 the installation of alarm systems, automatic
23 sprinkler systems, were all the result,
24 ultimately, of this particular fire.
25 Unions fought for better working
1835
1 conditions. Ultimately it led to the creation of
2 elevator regulations, modern fire codes, the
3 modern New York State industrial code, and
4 ultimately OSHA regulations. As Frances Perkins
5 became the commissioner of labor here in New York
6 State, enacting that first industrial code, under
7 the Roosevelt administration, and then wound up
8 becoming the first female cabinet secretary in
9 the history of the United States, as the
10 United States commissioner of labor, enacting
11 those first OSHA standards.
12 Today is not only a day to remember
13 the 146 lives that were lost, but it's also an
14 opportunity to recognize that those lives were
15 not lost in vain, and that the fight does
16 continue.
17 We have a responsibility in this
18 chamber and across our country to ensure that
19 workplace safety, not only in private industry,
20 but even in our own state facilities, is
21 paramount. And let's use this as an opportunity
22 to recommitt ourselves to that effort.
23 Thank you, Madam President. And I
24 vote aye.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
1836
1 you, Senator.
2 Senator Fernandez on the resolution.
3 SENATOR FERNANDEZ: Thank you,
4 Madam President.
5 And thank you to Senator Ramos for
6 this truly important resolution.
7 One hundred fifteen years ago, this
8 tragedy happened. But the feelings that we have
9 retelling the stories, the emotions that we exude
10 in putting ourselves in that place, it's -- it
11 really is a lot. And it can make you emotional.
12 It should make you emotional. And it should make
13 you determined to make sure it never happens
14 again.
15 And everyone had said a great piece
16 about the changes that we did. And
17 Senator Ramos, even after her speech, shared that
18 our fire trucks, now the ladders had to extend to
19 certain heights because during that fire they
20 could only get to the second floor and they
21 couldn't get into the building to save the
22 people.
23 So on this 115th anniversary, I too
24 recommit myself. Because still workers are
25 working in dangerous conditions. Still we don't
1837
1 have the the proper safety measures. And still
2 dignity is being fought to make sure that every
3 worker can survive in their job and continue to
4 live dignified lives.
5 So I'm truly grateful for this
6 resolution, and I thank Senator Ramos for
7 bringing it to the floor today.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
9 you, Senator.
10 The resolution was adopted on
11 March 24th.
12 Senator Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now let's move
14 on to previously adopted Resolution 1664, by
15 Senators Gallivan and Zellner, read its title,
16 and begin by calling on Senator Gallivan, please.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
18 Secretary will read.
19 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 1664,
20 by Senator Gallivan, mourning the death of
21 Jonathan A. Dandes, president of Rich Baseball
22 Operations, inductee of the Buffalo Baseball Hall
23 of Fame, and devoted member of his community.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Senator
25 Gallivan on the resolution.
1838
1 SENATOR GALLIVAN: I rise,
2 Madam President, to honor the extraordinary life
3 and legacy of Jonathan A. Dandes, a man who
4 touched countless lives in Western New York and
5 whose spirit continues to inspire.
6 Born in Queens, he chose Buffalo as
7 his home over 50 years ago, and was a person
8 whose commitment to excellence, compassion for
9 others, and unwavering integrity set him apart as
10 a true leader and friend.
11 His dedication to his work, his
12 community, and his family -- Marcy, Leo and
13 Lisette, Arin and Adam, Luca and Lief, was
14 evident in everything he did. John approached
15 every challenge with humility and determination,
16 always seeking to lift those around him.
17 His kindness knew no bounds.
18 Whether mentoring, volunteering, or befriending,
19 he showed us the power of empathy, generosity,
20 and community mindedness. Countless people in
21 Western New York have been the beneficiary of
22 John's good deeds and are forever grateful for
23 the ways he enriched their lives and our
24 community.
25 John was a Buffalo Baseball
1839
1 Hall of Famer and long-time president of
2 Rich Baseball Operations. He was instrumental in
3 the design and opening of then Pilot, now
4 Sahlen Field.
5 His community services were vast.
6 He served as the chair of numerous organizations,
7 including the Ralph C. Wilson & More Children's
8 Museum, the Shea's Performing Arts Center, the
9 Buffalo Niagara Partnership, the Buffalo Zoo, the
10 Erie County Medical Center, Visit Buffalo
11 Niagara, and the Upstate New York Transplant
12 Services Foundation. He was also a past
13 president of the New York State Restaurant
14 Association.
15 A long-surviving kidney transplant
16 recipient, he was the director of the
17 National Kidney Foundation. And as a
18 1974 University of Buffalo graduate, he was the
19 longest-serving member of the UB Council. In
20 2017, the Buffalo News named John an outstanding
21 citizen of Western New York.
22 John had an uncanny ability to bring
23 people together, to forge bonds and to remind us
24 all, through his good example, of the importance
25 of community. His legacy is not only in the work
1840
1 he accomplished, but in the hearts he touched and
2 the lives he changed.
3 As John's daughter Arin recently
4 said, "If he made memories at the Bisons,
5 Canalside, Outer Harbor, Shea's, Explore & More,
6 and more, then he touched your life in some way."
7 As we celebrate and honor the
8 remarkable life of a true community leader, we
9 would all do well to carry forward his values and
10 honor him by striving to emulate his good
11 example.
12 It is my great privilege,
13 Madam President, to present and support this
14 resolution honoring one of the finest people
15 Western New York has ever seen, my dear friend
16 Jonathan A. Dandes.
17 Thank you.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
19 you, Senator.
20 Senator Zellner on the resolution.
21 SENATOR ZELLNER: Thank you,
22 Madam President.
23 Thank you, Senator Gallivan.
24 Unlike Senator Ryan's father, I'm
25 pretty sure John's family is watching this right
1841
1 now. I want to thank them for all they've done
2 for our community in loaning him to us.
3 This resolution is about the kind of
4 impact one person can have on a community over
5 time. And Senator Gallivan has already said a
6 lot about John's contributions to our community.
7 But what stands out to me is how
8 people in Buffalo experienced that impact -- not
9 through the titles he had, but through what he
10 helped create, a downtown ballpark that brought
11 life back into a city, a place where families
12 gather, where memories are made, and where you
13 feel a sense of pride in our city.
14 And beyond that, he showed up,
15 across our cultural institutions and across our
16 healthcare systems and organizations. He stayed
17 involved, and he stayed committed. And that
18 matters, especially for his family. Because we
19 think about his family, especially Leo and Arin
20 and his grandchildren.
21 His legacy is something that our
22 entire community can see and feel. It's in
23 Buffalo, it's in the places he helped build, in
24 the community he helped strengthen. That's
25 something lasting, and that's something
1842
1 meaningful.
2 And I join my colleagues in
3 extending my condolences to his family and vote
4 aye on this resolution.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
6 you, Senator.
7 The resolution was adopted on
8 March 5th.
9 Senator Gianaris.
10 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
11 let's open today's resolutions for cosponsorship.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
13 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
14 you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify
15 the desk.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: I have a motion
18 here.
19 On behalf of Senator Harckham, on
20 page 29 I offer the following amendments to
21 Calendar 532, Senate Print 9020B, and ask that
22 said bill retain its place on Third Reading
23 Calendar.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
25 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
1843
1 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
4 the calendar.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The
6 Secretary will read.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 116, Senate Print 3443, by Senator Harckham, an
9 act to amend the Executive Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect immediately.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
15 roll.
16 (The Secretary called the roll.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
18 the results.
19 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
21 is passed.
22 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
23 327, Senate Print 3758, by Senator Cleare, an act
24 to amend the General Business Law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
1844
1 last section.
2 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. 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 327, voting in the negative are
11 Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick,
12 Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Martins, Mattera,
13 Murray, Ortt, Rhoads, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
14 Ayes, 46. Nays, 13.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
16 is passed.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 330, Senate Print 6475, by Senator Cleare, an act
19 to amend the Public Housing Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
24 shall have become a law.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
1845
1 roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
4 the results.
5 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 333, Senate Print 6970, by Senator Addabbo, an
10 act to amend the Tax 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, 59.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
22 is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 348, Senate Print 8276, by Senator Harckham, an
25 act to amend the Public Officers Law.
1846
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
2 last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
4 act shall take effect immediately.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
6 roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
9 the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar 348, voting in the negative:
12 Senator Weik.
13 Ayes, 58. Nays, 1.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
15 is passed.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 438, Senate Print 70, by Senator Kavanagh, an act
18 to amend the Banking 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.
1847
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar 438, voting in the negative
6 are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
7 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
8 Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Ortt,
9 Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk,
10 Weber and Weik.
11 Ayes, 39. Nays, 20.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
13 is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 468, Senate Print 5177, by Senator Comrie, an act
16 to amend the Executive Law.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
18 the day, please.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
20 will be laid aside for the day.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 470, Senate Print 8357, by Senator Sanders, an
23 act to amend the State Finance Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
25 last section.
1848
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
2 act shall take effect immediately.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
9 Calendar 470, voting in the negative:
10 Senator Walczyk.
11 Ayes, 58. Nays, 1.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
13 is passed.
14 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
15 471, Senate Print 3518, by Senator
16 Scarcella-Spanton, an act in relation to
17 establishing the Fentanyl Abuse and Overdoese
18 Prevention Task Force.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
20 last section.
21 THE SECRETARY: Section 7. This
22 act shall take effect immediately.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
24 roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
1849
1 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
2 the results.
3 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
5 is passed.
6 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
7 484, Assembly Bill Number 4677B, by
8 Assemblymember Jackson, an act to amend the
9 Insurance Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 4. This
13 act shall take effect January 1, 2028.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
15 roll.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
17 the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
20 is passed.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 497, Senate Print 900, by Senator Martinez, an
23 act to amend the Local Finance Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
25 last section.
1850
1 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
2 act shall take effect immediately.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Call the
4 roll.
5 (The Secretary called the roll.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Announce
7 the results.
8 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
10 is passed.
11 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
12 502, Senate Print 7677A, by Senator Skoufis, an
13 act to amend the Town Law.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
15 last section.
16 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
17 act shall take effect immediately.
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, 59.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
25 is passed.
1851
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 566, Senate Print 413, by Senator Gounardes, an
3 act to amend the General Obligations Law.
4 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Read the
5 last section.
6 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
7 act shall take effect on the 60th day after it
8 shall have become a law.
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 566, voting in the negative are
16 Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan,
17 Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins,
18 Mattera, Murray, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison,
19 Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Also
20 Senator Ashby.
21 Ayes, 39. Nays, 20.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: The bill
23 is passed.
24 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
25 reading of today's calendar.
1852
1 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
2 further business at the desk?
3 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: There is
4 no further business at the desk.
5 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to
6 adjourn until tomorrow, Baseball Opening Day,
7 Thursday, March 26th, at 11:00 a.m.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Let's
9 go, Mets!
10 On motion, the Senate stands
11 adjourned until Thursday, March 26th, at
12 11:00 a.m.
13 (Whereupon, the Senate adjourned at
14 5:02 p.m.)
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