Gaveled in 11:27 AM · Albany, New York · 2025–26 session
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
ALBANY, NEW YORK
April 3, 2025
11:27 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION
SENATOR JAMAAL T. BAILEY, Acting President
ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
P R O C E E D I N G SACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senate will come to order.
I ask everyone present to please rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
(Whereupon, the assemblage recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Today the Reverend Dr. Elgin Joseph Taylor, Sr., Senior Pastor of Sweet Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church here in Albany, New York, will deliver today's invocation.
Pastor?
REVEREND DR. TAYLOR:May we pray.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears. Thou who has brought us thus far on the way, Thou who has by Thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path, we pray.
God our Father, we come into Your presence and we honor You for this moment for this Senate, for its members, from Niagara Falls to Montauk Point. We honor You for the work of their hands that You have assigned them to do.
Now it is my prayer during these deliberations that You would guide hearts and minds, and that You would allow decisions to be made for the benefit and blessing of Your people.
We pray now, God, even as they travel back and forth to their respective locations, that Your hand of protection would rest upon them.
Bless them all now. And this is our prayer we pray, and we all say amen.
(Response of "Amen.")
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Reading of the Journal.
In Senate, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, the Senate met pursuant to adjournment. The Journal of Tuesday, April 1, 2025, was read and approved. On motion, the Senate adjourned.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Without objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
Presentation of petitions.
Messages from the Assembly.
Messages from the Governor.
Reports of standing committees.
Reports of select committees.
Communications and reports from state officers.
Motions and resolutions.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Good morning, Mr. President.
On behalf of Senator Stavisky, on page 20 I offer the following amendments to Calendar 457, Senate Print 4685, and ask that said bill retain its place on Third Reading Calendar.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The amendments are received, and the bill will retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:At this time we're going to simultaneously call a meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332 and take up the calendar.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332, and the Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 317, Senate Print 3072, by Senator Sanders, an act to amend the General Business Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 5. This act shall take effect on the 120th day after it shall have become a law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 317, those Senators voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
Ayes, 39. Nays, 20.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 318, Senate Print 3695, by Senator Sanders, an act to amend the General Business Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 90th day after it shall have become a law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Sanders to explain his vote.
SENATOR SANDERS:Thank you, Mr. President.
With the passing of these two bills we are really working well to work on the protection of the consumers of New York, New York State, especially the confession of judgment. It has been egregious. The New York Times, among other newspapers, has said how bad this has been as a policy, and I'm very grateful to all of my colleagues who are voting for it and at least we can start bringing a little bit more logic to the banking system.
Thank you very much. I vote yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Sanders to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 318, those Senators voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Walczyk, Weber and Weik. Also Senator Tedisco.
Ayes, 41. Nays, 18.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 449, Senate Print 3574, by Senator Cleare, an act to amend the Real Property Tax Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Cleare to explain her vote.
SENATOR CLEARE:Thank you, Mr. President.
As chair of the Aging Committee, one of my continuous priorities is ensuring that our older New Yorkers receive every single benefit they deserve. Despite the fact that the great majority of our older New Yorkers are on fixed incomes, we currently make them reapply annually for such programs as STAR and Senior or Enhanced STAR.
Clearly these are benefits that seniors not only deserve but many times need to be able to have a good quality of life and age in the place that they love. However, life happens, and if you miss one piece of mail telling you to recertify, your taxes could spike by the thousands.
This bill ensures that older New Yorkers who did not respond to the first notification will receive a second and subsequent one. That is the least that we can do. And in the long run, I look forward to when these benefits are going to be instantaneous. For now, though, let's take these extra steps.
And I proudly vote aye and encourage my colleagues to do the same.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Cleare to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 506, Senate Print 5041, by Senator Sepúlveda, an act to amend the Executive Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 516, Senate Print 4995, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Environmental Conservation Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect on the 30th day after it shall have become a law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 530, Senate Print 4132, by Senator Parker, an act to amend the Executive Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 530, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weik.
Ayes, 44. Nays, 15.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 579, Senate Print 3260, by Senator Cooney, an act to amend Chapter 3 of the Laws of 2020.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 581, Senate Print 6024, by Senator Baskin, an act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 599, Senate Print 4071, by Senator May, an act to amend the Public Authorities Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 27. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator May to explain her vote.
SENATOR MAY:Thank you, Mr. President.
I rise in gratitude for having this bill on the agenda and for my colleagues for supporting it.
This bill allows state-constituted water and sewer authorities to manage stormwater, which is really important as we see more and more severe storm events causing flooding and really putting a lot of pressure on our stormwater management or wastewater management systems.
So this is going to allow the City of New York, Cayuga County in my district, and a number of other municipalities to take a much more proactive approach to making sure that they're using things like green infrastructure and other ways to divert water before it becomes a terrible problem for those municipalities.
And while I'm standing, I also want to say a few words on Calendar 516, Senator Harckham's bill. I want to thank him for this bill.
As the chair of the Commission on Rural Resources, I'm very well aware that a lot of our rural communities don't have any full-time staff in their municipalities. And even though we have allocated billions of dollars for clean water infrastructure, many of those small municipalities haven't been able to access that funding because they have to apply for the funding and it takes a lot of time.
So this is going to make it easier for a lot of our rural communities to actually gain access to the funding that we're providing. So I'm very proud that we've had both of these bills on the agenda, and I vote aye.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator May to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 599, voting in the negative are Senators Rhoads, Walczyk and Weik.
Ayes, 56. Nays, 3.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
Senator Serrano, that completes the reading of today's calendar.
SENATOR SERRANO:The Senate will stand at ease momentarily.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senate will stand at ease momentarily.
(Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease at 11:38 a.m.)
(Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 11:38 a.m.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senate will return to order.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Mr. President, there's a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. Please take that up.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senator Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules, reports the following bill: Senate Print 7156, by Senator Krueger, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
The bill reports direct to third reading.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Move to accept the report of the Rules Committee.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:All those in favor of accepting the report of the Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The report of the Rules Committee is accepted.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Please take up the supplemental calendar.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Secretary will read.
There's a substitution at the desk.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senator Krueger moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules, Assembly Bill Number 7635 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 7156, Third Reading Calendar 624.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The substitution is so ordered.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 624, Assembly Bill Number 7635, by Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Is there a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk?
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:There is a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Move to accept the message.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:All of those in favor of accepting the message please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The message is accepted, and the bill is before the house.
SENATOR LANZA:Lay it aside.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Lay it aside.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Let's take up the controversial calendar, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Secretary will ring the bell.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 624, Assembly Bill Number 7635, by Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator O'Mara, why do you rise?
SENATOR O'MARA:Yes, thank you, Mr. President. Would Senator Krueger yield for some questions.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Krueger, do you yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:I do.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Krueger yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Good morning, Senator.
Here we are on our second extender of the budget this year. How long is this bill before us extending the operations of state government?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President, this one lasts through Monday at noon.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:So we're going to be breaking here before noon on a Thursday afternoon, another budget extender, presumably going home for the weekend, coming back here by noon Monday to extend this again.
What is the current status of budget negotiations, Senator?
SENATOR KRUEGER:I feel like we've been making some progress over the last few days. And I certainly am not in a position to say there will be budget bills when we return on Monday, but I'm more optimistic today that we actually could get budget bills done next week than I was earlier in the week when I was quite confident we would not get to them this week, and I was correct.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Can you tell us what progress has been made on the major policy issues that seemingly have been holding this up?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Mr. President, I am not authorized to have those discussions.
I think they are not closed, so to speak, as three-way discussions. So I don't really have any new information to offer to my colleague.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Earlier in the week when we did the extender I think it was intimated or actually stated that you were actually waiting for any language on these policy proposals. Those written policy issues, have they been provided to the leaders of the Senate and the Assembly?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President. I am not at those tables, and I don't know the answer to that question.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:You mentioned tables. Do we have table targets yet at this point for the tables to be working on as far as dollar amounts confining what the discussions will be?
SENATOR KRUEGER:So I've been in meetings the last few hours. When I asked earlier in the day, we did not yet.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Are you optimistic that we'll finish the budget next week?
SENATOR KRUEGER:I am more optimistic, as I said a few minutes ago. I am more optimistic about next week than when I was asked previously in the week whether we were going to get it done this week and I said no, I was not optimistic.
It is possible, it is actually possible -- work continues through the weekend, and of course people will be working through the weekend, thank you very much, hardworking staff -- that we could actually have budget bills before we close out next week. No guarantee, but I am a bit more optimistic.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Mr. President. If the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:In this extender we have here to get us to Monday, what's the total amount being allocated or approved here?
SENATOR KRUEGER:One minute. I should have brought my reading glasses.
Two billion, 25 million, 849,000.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Senator.
Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:There's a sentence here for paying of salaries of state workers of -- the figures I have is $45 million in total.
My understanding is that the bulk of that, or a very large portion of that, is for the payment of National Guards deployed in our Department of Corrections.
SENATOR KRUEGER:It's for all military officers and National Guard. We don't have a breakout specifically for National Guard. We can try to get that to you later.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you.
Mr. President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:We did a similar budget extender in prior years for the same amount of time, and that amount wasn't 45 million, it was about 7 million. Is it fair to say, then, the difference here of that 38 million would be going to pay National Guards in our correction facilities?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President, it's an excellent question. And it's a reasonable hypothesis.
Again, as I said, we don't know what of that 45 million is specifically National Guard. We will try to get you that answer, including is that partly because of a different use of National Guard in this current year than in the previous year.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Senator.
Mr. President, on the bill.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator O'Mara on the bill.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you.
And thank you, Senator Krueger, for the answers to that. Certainly at this juncture I will be supporting this extension to get us through the weekend, so to speak. I am hopeful there's going to be more progress. I like your optimism that we hear today.
But, you know, we really need more details. And the fact that even in this extender we're approving that the one issue that I hit on $45 million for salaries largely going to a correction officers -- National Guard serving as correction officers in our facilities, yet no real breakdown of what that is. So we're voting on $45 million we don't even know what it's being allocated for.
That's concerning to me that we're throwing around these numbers, even though it's a $260 billion budget that we're working on. The detail of these is important. And while this is just for a few days and it's important that state workers get paid for the work that they're doing while we're not doing our job here in the Legislature.
But we really should have a greater understanding and detail of just exactly what we are approving here in these extenders as they're being handed down from the Governor with a message of necessity. Not enough time to really go through them. But the alternative of shutting down state government at least at this juncture is not palatable to me. But we'll see how we progress next week.
So I will be supporting and voting aye on this. Thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator O'Mara.
Senator Stec, why do you rise?
SENATOR STEC:Thank you, Mr. President. If the sponsor would yield for a couple of questions.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes, I will.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR STEC:Thank you, Mr. President.
My colleague just brought up paying the National Guard to be in our correctional facilities. Do you happen to know the current number of National Guard that are serving in them? I know in a recent news article the Governor bemoaned that this was at the expense of a hundred million dollars a month. And I'm curious how many National Guard members that might be and where that unplanned-for money is coming from.
SENATOR KRUEGER:We're changing staff. We might have staff with new answers for us.
SENATOR STEC:Fine, thank you.
SENATOR KRUEGER:I'm told that there are 6,000 National Guard, approximately, still covering the correctional facilities.
SENATOR STEC:Thank you, Madam -- or Mr. President, sorry. Apologies.
If the sponsor would continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR STEC:In both this extender there's money in there to cover the National Guard. But the bigger picture is we're working towards a budget solution. There's going to be great debate in this chamber about the size of the increase to the state's budget and whether or not it's sustainable or wise and whatnot.
Wouldn't you agree that it would be financially more responsible to avoid paying $100 million a month for 6,000 untrained Guardsmen to work in our prisons, and better to rehire 2,000 fired, qualified corrections officers that would cost $20 million a month?
Qualified people at $20 million a month versus three times as many unqualified people at five times that rate, at $100 million a month. I mean, financially, isn't that a smarter move?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President. I don't have a breakdown. I'm not sure where that hundred million dollar -- came from.
I would point out that I believe the 2,000 people being referenced before were fired with cause, so we don't have an option to have them remain in their positions.
But I sort of doubt we're paying five times the amount of money for National Guard as we paid for correctional officers, because as I recall, there was a great deal of complaints that National Guard got paid so little to do these same jobs in the prisons. So it would surprise me, but I don't have the data -- it would surprise me that there was in fact a five-times cost for using National Guard versus correction officers.
But an excellent question that I'm sure my colleague can ask the Governor's staff or we can try to follow up with them to try to find out that answer. But something doesn't sound right about the math there, Mr. President.
SENATOR STEC:Thank you.
Mr. President, on the bill.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Stec on the bill.
SENATOR STEC:Thank you, Mr. President.
Thank you, Senator Krueger, for that dialogue.
I did ask the Governor yesterday about this. The Governor is quoted in the media as bemoaning that the cost of the National Guard is more than $100 million a month. That's her number.
Our number, asking the median salary for corrections officers, times 2,000, works out to approximately $20 million a month.
So again, I go back to the 2,000 that we could bring back. These are not people that walked off because they wanted vacation time or they wanted better medical benefits or they wanted a pay increase. These are people that walked out -- in spite of the hammers that are in the Taylor Law -- because they feared for their safety. And the data that DOCCS collects backs up their concerns.
And in the whole month that we talked about this, in the 22-day strike, at no point did the administration ever acknowledge the validity of their safety concerns.
And now, rather, the answer was, We'll put unqualified people that don't want to be there and work them in the prison facilities, 6,000 of them. We'd rather have that than 2,000 qualified people that know the job come back to work and save us $80 million a month.
I think that's financially ludicrous. I also think it's crazy from a safety standpoint.
And I mention that because we are paying National Guard money in this extender, and I'm concerned that going forward we're going to have months and months and months of National Guard at a $100 million a month in there, and these facilities will remain unsafe.
And at the same time, we are really disrespecting and putting at risk the safety of the people that currently work in there, the people that are currently being supervised in there, and the people that had served up until the Governor fired them and blackballed them.
So going forward I hope that you use your collective leverage with the Governor in the negotiations to address the unaddressed concerns that we all have for the safety of the staff and the inmates in our correctional facilities, and the ludicrous plan that the Governor has to prefer untrained people working in there at five times the cost, in lieu of all that the corrections officers that can bring to bear to keep us safe and keep everyone inside safe. That's a much better avenue to go.
Thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator Stec.
Senator Borrello, why do you rise?
SENATOR BORRELLO:On the bill.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Borrello on the bill.
SENATOR BORRELLO:Thank you.
I want to expand a little bit on the salaries here. As was mentioned, last year for a similar time period we allocated $7 million. Now, this year, 45 million, and admittedly largely for the National Guard troops.
So I've heard a lot of hand-wringing and a lot of consternation about losing federal funding. This week it was $300 million to Department of Health. That's a lot of money. However, we're spending a hundred million dollars a month for National Guard. That's the Governor's numbers.
Now, there's a simple solution to this. We could federalize, the Governor could federalize those National Guard troops. That $100 million cost would then go to the federal government. So if you want to know what the cost of that is for the Governor's I guess arrogance, it's $100 million a month to the people of New York State. A very simple solution, she won't take it.
So the politics of this is there's only a concern for the money flowing one way, not the money that's flowing the other way. And I think that that's pretty egregious. The taxpayers of New York State are covering the cost of the Governor's inability to lead in this particular moment for this particular crisis of her own creation.
I'm going to be voting yes on this bill. But just remember, there is a cost to this for the Governor's mismanagement of this prison crisis, and it's $100 million a month.
Thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator Borrello.
Senator Tedisco.
SENATOR TEDISCO:Will the Senator yield for a couple of questions?
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Certainly.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR TEDISCO:Thank you, Senator.
SENATOR KRUEGER:(To counsel.) Come on back, guys.
SENATOR TEDISCO:First of all, let me preface my question by thanking your staff and our staff. Because this is an arduous process, especially for the staff, as well as us, when these delays happen and we have to have these extenders.
I mean, the last bill, 1.6 billion, was about 50 pages. This is 350 or 60 million. And it takes time, especially when we get into those budget bills which are a hundred pages, 200 pages, for the staff to be able to brief us, for us to read it. So I thank them.
And Senator, you mentioned they're going to be working through the weekend, which -- Friday, Saturday, Sunday. If we have another extender next Monday, will they continue to work through the days ensuing after that to the next extender we have, your staff and probably our staff?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President. While I don't think the Taylor Law applies to our staffs, I suspect our staffs will stay on duty and do the work they're being asked to do, yes, sir.
SENATOR TEDISCO:Will the sponsor yield again?
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Will the sponsor yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The sponsor yields.
SENATOR TEDISCO:So what you're saying is they're not leaving their job, they're coming in every single day after every extender to continue to work with the leadership in your majorities to get this budget done.
Wouldn't that apply to us who are the elected officials who are responsible for actually putting the budget in place and passing it by an April 1st deadline? Because I have to tell you, none of my colleagues on this side of the aisle and their constituents, or on your side of the aisle, your constituents, expect to go to work, sit there, have a deadline for arguably the most important thing they do, and not get the job done and really have the keys to get in the building the next day? They'd get fired.
Don't you think we should change the rules that if our staff is going to be here working every day, we should be here working every day, and not go home today? And I know it's arduous for us. We don't want to go home today. We're pretty sure that it's probably not -- but if they have to be here, shouldn't we be here, the elected officials? They're not constitutionally charged by doing this budget. We are.
So I think, in deference to them, shouldn't we be in the building or at least come to session and be with them as they're working?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Mr. President. I certainly don't know what my colleagues on the other side the aisle do or don't do.
I know that I'm pretty much on duty 24/7. It doesn't matter whether I'm in this room or even in this city. I'm in meetings, on Zooms, on texts, I never -- my husband's accused me of needing a 12-step program to stop doing texting at all times, that it's always work-related.
But if you wish to propose a rule like that, I suggest that you talk to your conference first about whether they want to try to move that rule, and we could have a discussion about that.
SENATOR TEDISCO:On the extender.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Tedisco on the bill.
SENATOR TEDISCO:You know, we are the bosses of our staff, okay? And when we tell them to be here, every single day, when we don't arguably do the most important thing we're elected to do, if you ask the 330,000 bosses or more we have, you know what they're going to say?
What I said earlier: We don't go to work, sit there and not do our job and say -- especially when we control it. Because each and every body here, all levers of power, are controlled by one party, one affiliation. You own it all here.
And so I don't think we should ask them to do anything that we're not expected to do, because it's our job to get it done.
And if you ask the 330,000 constituents do they want a good bad budget or a bad on-time budget, they'll say, No, no, no, you're missing the point here. We want a good, balanced, on-time budget that keeps people in New York State, solves the affordability problem, has spending priorities, April 1. When we have that deadline, adios, you're fired.
Maybe that's what they'll be looking at in the next election, because this is the fourth year -- three strikes in baseball and you're out. This is kind of the fourth strike that you've been late. And the finger's not pointing in any direction but at you. You control all levers of power.
So good luck to you. And to the staff that is asked to come in every single day, I think we should be there too. And I know it's -- may not be a popular thing because -- but in my district, when the boss tells you to be there, they have to be there or they get fired.
So I'm going to vote for this because I want to make sure that we move everything along, we pay the people who are not responsible for this, the workers for the state and our not-for-profits. But I think it's kind of a dereliction of our duty to keep the staff here and send ourselves home.
Thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Are there any other Senators wishing to be heard?
Seeing and hearing none, debate is closed. The Secretary will ring the bell.
Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 60.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
Senator Gianaris, that completes the reading of the controversial calendar.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Is there any further business at the desk?
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:There is no further business at the desk.
SENATOR GIANARIS:I move to adjourn until Monday, April 7th, at 11:00 a.m., with the intervening days being legislative days.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:On motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Monday, April 7th, at 11:00 a.m., intervening days being legislative.
(Whereupon, at 12:00 p.m., the Senate adjourned.)
Highest impact first.
Ban Credit Checks for Jobs
Fund State Operations For Week
Extend Emergency State Funding
Ban Loan Confession Clauses
Stop Secret Charity Payouts
Include Stormwater as Sewage
Add Staff to College Boards
Remind Seniors About Tax Break