Gaveled in 11:36 AM · Albany, New York · 2025–26 session
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
ALBANY, NEW YORK
April 7, 2025
11:36 a.m.
REGULAR SESSION
SENATOR SHELLEY B. MAYER, Acting President
ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
P R O C E E D I N G SACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senate will come to order.
I ask everyone to please rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
(Whereupon, the assemblage recited the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:In the absence of clergy, let us bow our heads in a moment of silent reflection or prayer.
(Whereupon, the assemblage respected a moment of silence.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Reading of the Journal.
THE SECRETARY:In Senate, Friday, April 4, 2025, the Senate met pursuant to adjournment. The Journal of Thursday, April 3, 2025, was read and approved. On motion, the Senate adjourned.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: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, Madam President.
On behalf of Senator Fernandez, on page 15 I offer the following amendments to Calendar Number 380, Senate Print 1806, and ask that said bill retain its place on Third Reading Calendar.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The amendments are received, and the bill will retain its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.
SENATOR GIANARIS:The Senate stands at ease.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senate will stand at ease.
(Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease at 11:37 a.m.)
(Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 11:42 a.m.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senate will return to order.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Madam President, there's a report of the Rules Committee at the desk. Can we please take that up.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senator Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules, reports the following bill:
Senate Print 7239, by Senator Krueger, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
Bill ordered direct to third reading.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Move to accept the report of the Rules Committee.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:All those in favor of accepting the report of the Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The report of the Rules Committee is accepted.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Please take up the supplemental calendar.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Secretary will read.
There is a substitution at the desk.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Senator Krueger moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules, Assembly Bill Number 7695 and substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 7239, Third Reading Calendar 625.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Substitution so ordered.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 625, Assembly Bill Number 7695, 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 MAYER:There is a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Move to accept the message.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:All those in favor of accepting the message please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The message is accepted, and the bill is before the house.
SENATOR LANZA:Lay it aside.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The bill is laid aside.
Senator Gianaris, that completes the reading of the calendar.
SENATOR GIANARIS:On to the controversial calendar, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Secretary will ring the bell.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 625, Assembly Bill Number 7695, by Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making appropriations for the support of government.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator O'Mara, why do you rise?
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Madam President. Would Senator Krueger yield for some questions?
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator Krueger, do you yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Sure.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Good morning, Senator. Hope you had a nice weekend.
Here we are after a long weekend after the last budget extender. Where are we in getting a budget done today? Last week you actually expressed some optimism about this week. Where are we?
SENATOR KRUEGER:It's a darker day for me, Madam President.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR KRUEGER:The world is about to go into a world recession. The country is literally on fire. I spent my weekend working, going to a family bar mitzvah and an exciting protest. I don't know what Senator O'Mara did.
And yet I'm here today to say we need to do another extender, and I'm not sure whether there's any change since last week. I read the Governor's comments. She says she's in no rush to get a budget done. It feels like that.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator O'Mara.
SENATOR O'MARA:Madam President, will the Senator continue to yield?
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you continue to yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:I do.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Senator, in fact I believe I read over the weekend or at the end of last week that the Governor said she'll call us back here every other day or every three days to get a budget done. Is that what we're just going to continue doing here and not make progress on the negotiation of a final budget?
We've got nine budget bills to go. Have any one of those nine been finalized at this point?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Madam President, no.
SENATOR O'MARA:Madam President, will the Senator continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you continue to yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:What's the total amount of this extender?
SENATOR KRUEGER:This is an increase of -- excuse me. This bill provides 3.8 billion in appropriation authority to meet payroll costs and allow certain payments for the Department of Health, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
This is an increase of 1.8 billion over last Thursday's extender, and it only goes through Wednesday.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Madam President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you continue to yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:So $1.8 billion to get us through the next two days. So that's roughly $900 million a day we're spending that we don't have a budget done.
And the figures I have is of that 1.8 billion, nearly half of that is Medicaid, over two days, of $860 million. Are we just going to continue spending a billion dollars a day and -- there doesn't seem to be any urgency in getting this budget done.
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Madam President. I suspect if we had a complete budget done, or in the situation where we don't, we would be spending approximately the same amount of money each day.
So the extender extends the level of funding that were in the previous years for things, but it doesn't add money per se to what we spend. It's simply a continuation of that spending on a daily or weekly basis until we have a full budget.
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Madam President, if the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you continue to yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:I do.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Is there any possibility in this budget that we could spend less than was being spent at this time last year?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Hypothetically, of course. Yes, when you do a budget you evaluate everything you're spending. And sometimes there are decreases in programs, some -- but usually especially simply because of inflationary costs, we see an increase in almost every program with every new year.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Madam President. If the Senator will continue to yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you continue to yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Yes.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:But Senator, you know, a budget is always a matter of priorities. And we can certainly prioritize something over -- something new over something old or more in one area, less in another area. Yet we're just continuing along spending a billion dollars a day.
You know, that's not -- it's not good governing. And I don't think it's what our constituents want. They want us to be doing our jobs. It doesn't feel like that that's been being done over this past three-day weekend since the last extender we did.
Are there any table targets yet?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Through you, Madam President. No, there are not.
SENATOR O'MARA:Is there any scheduled meetings of the joint budget --
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Are you asking if Senator Krueger --
SENATOR O'MARA:-- conference committees?
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator O'Mara, are you asking if Senator Krueger --
SENATOR O'MARA:Through you, Madam President, if the Senator will yield.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Do you yield?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Of course.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The Senator yields.
SENATOR O'MARA:Are there any scheduled meetings of the joint budget conference committees?
SENATOR KRUEGER:Not that I know of. But of course we've all just gotten into town, are starting in session with the extender bill, which I think we have to get done before noon. And then I suspect we're all going into conference, perhaps to learn more.
SENATOR O'MARA:Thank you, Madam President. That's all I have.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator O'Mara.
Senator Helming? No?
Are there any other Senators wishing to be heard?
Hearing and seeing 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 MAYER:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 59.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:The bill is passed.
Senator Gianaris, that completes the reading of the controversial calendar.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Please recognize Senator Walczyk for an introduction.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator Walczyk for an introduction.
SENATOR WALCZYK:Thank you, Madam President.
We are joined in the gallery here today by the LaFargeville Girls Basketball Team. These Red Knights brought home the first-ever LaFargeville Girls Class D championship, bringing it back to the Frontier League. And not only was their victory historic, but so was their teamwork, their camaraderie, their friendship, and the service that they do in our community and their school each and every day.
I congratulate them on their championship, ask that you do the same, and extend the courtesies and cordialities as you welcome them to our chamber.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Walczyk.
To our members of the girls basketball team, award-winners, please be welcome to the Senate chamber. We're here to acknowledge and celebrate you. Please rise and be recognized.
(Standing ovation.)
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Is there any further business at the desk?
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:There is no further business at the desk.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Upon conclusion of session, there will be an immediate meeting of the Majority Conference in Room 332.
And with that, I move to adjourn until tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8th, at 3:00 p.m.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:There will be an immediate meeting of the Majority Conference in Room 332.
On motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, April 8th, at 3:00 p.m.
(Whereupon, at 11:51 a.m., the Senate adjourned.)
Highest impact first.