Gaveled in 3:39 PM · Albany, New York · 2025–26 session
NEW YORK STATE SENATE
THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
ALBANY, NEW YORK
February 24, 2026
3:39 p.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: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 BAILEY:Reading of the Journal.
THE SECRETARY:In Senate, Monday, February 23, 2026, the Senate met pursuant to adjournment. The Journal of Friday, February 20, 2026, 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 afternoon, Mr. President.
I have several motions here.
Amendments are offered to the following Third Reading Calendar bills:
On behalf of Senator Skoufis, page 15, Calendar Number 236, Senate Print 6368A;
Senator Cooney, page 16, Calendar Number 251, Senate Print 7955A;
Senator Mayer, page 18, Calendar Number 275, Senate Print 4470;
Senator Sepúlveda, page 19, Calendar Number 290, Senate Print 3974;
And Senator Gounardes, page 20, Calendar Number 301, Senate Print 8334.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The amendments are received, and the bills will retain their place on the Third Reading Calendar.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:At this time let's take up previously adopted Resolution 1534, by the dynamic team of Senators Parker and Tedisco.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR GIANARIS:We'll read that resolution's title, and recognize first Senator Parker on the resolution.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:A buddy comedy we all need.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Resolution 1534, by Senator Parker, honoring the Schenectady Belmont Pop Warner Football Program upon winning the regional championship and achieving a top five national championship finish.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Parker on the resolution.
SENATOR PARKER:Thank you very much, Mr. President.
First of all, let's have these young people stand up and be recognized. Give them a round of applause.
(Applause.)
SENATOR PARKER:This is a championship team -- and, as you see, a group of young people. But in that short amount of time they have won, Mr. President, not one time, not two times, they have not won even three times or four times, but five times.
And they are a football team that prides themselves on hard work, on dedication. They come from a community in which those are kind of the daily values and, although a little bit aways away from my district in Brooklyn, share a lot of the same population that we have there.
And so I've been happy to team up with Senator Tedisco to host these young people here in Albany today, to have them understand that there are people, as they may be watching us for inspiration -- which some of us may argue should not happen -- but we also get inspiration from them.
And we see the work that they do, we see their hard work, and we see that just like in the Legislature, where you have to work hard to get things done, that in the field of sports they have shown that hard work, that dedication, and that commitment will win the day.
And so I want to thank you for opening up the house to them and acknowledging them.
And, you know, Senator Tedisco, I think, you know, who represents this intrepid group, will have a lot more to say, and so I yield to him.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator Parker.
Senator Tedisco on the resolution.
SENATOR TEDISCO:Thank you so much, Mr. President and my colleagues.
I had the opportunity, along with Senator Parker, to speak to these outstanding student athletes earlier, and I explained to them that in the Senate chamber we do get a lot of pretty good things done, but sometimes it gets stifled.
And I let them know that there are 61 other members. But if it was just me and Senator Parker, we could solve a lot of problems in the state --
(Laughter.)
SENATOR TEDISCO:-- but that some people get in the way sometimes.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR TEDISCO:But we work very well together.
And as you look up there, you're seeing some outstanding student athletes, parents, volunteers, tremendous coaches. And they are proof of the fact -- because you've heard me say this before -- all good things emanate from the 44th Senatorial District.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR TEDISCO:And Belmont Pop Warner, you are one big part of that whole thing.
I look up at that camera and I hope there are some NFL scouts, because you've got some superstars coming your way. And I told them I'm ready to be their agents when the time comes to see what we can do about them in the NFL.
But actually I'm very pleased also to work with Senator Parker in a collegial way, to welcome and congratulate the Eastern Regional champions and top five nationally ranked Belmont Pop Warner Football Program to this chamber today. National recognition.
The Schenectady Belmont Pop Warner Football Program punched its ticket to national competition by winning the Eastern Regional Championship on Saturday, November 29th, in Marsh Creek, Pennsylvania.
Prior to their regional and national success, the program enjoyed a historic 7 for 7 -- not 70 percent, 80 percent, or 90 percent, 100 percent seasons -- at the local level, with all seven teams winning their respective Capital District Pop Warner Super bowls.
They just keep winning. Winning is great. We've heard it so much around the world. I wonder where else we've heard about winning. Well, we won't mention that here.
It's said that the success of any organization starts with leadership, and their coaches worked tirelessly to make this group collectively greater than the sum of its parts.
Madam President and my colleagues, I'd ask you to welcome them -- oh, jeez, did I say "Madam"?
(Laughter.)
SENATOR TEDISCO:You are looking good today, let me tell you.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR TEDISCO:I've got a Braun shaver, though. You've got to get that -- no, no.
Welcome them, congratulate them, offer them all the cordialities of this august body.
And we certainly appreciate the records you have achieved, and I know there's most more to come.
Thank you, Mr. President.
(Laughter.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator Tedisco.
To our five-time champions, student athletes, future change-makers and future occupants of this body, I welcome you on behalf of the Senate. We extend to you all of the privileges and courtesies of this house.
Please rise and be recognized.
(Standing ovation.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Mr. President, I'd like to remind Senator Tedisco that we have significant outside income limits in this chamber --
(Laughter.)
SENATOR GIANARIS:-- and so I think we'd all welcome his new career as an agent for these football players --
(Laughter.)
SENATOR GIANARIS:-- as opposed to being here with us.
I think we're apparently awaiting the leader for her resolution, so we'll stand at ease just momentarily until she arrives.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senate will stand at ease momentarily.
(Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease at 3:47 p.m.)
(Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at 3:48 p.m.)
SENATOR GIANARIS:At this time, Mr. President, let's take up the privileged resolution that's at the desk, read it in its entirety, and recognize Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins on that resolution.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Senate returns to order.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Resolution 1636, by Senator Stewart-Cousins, mourning the death of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson and honoring his lifetime of service, leadership, and advocacy for civil rights and social justice.
"WHEREAS, From time to time, the Legislature of the State of New York pauses in its deliberations to recognize individuals whose lives have profoundly shaped society and whose leadership, courage, and moral conviction have left an enduring imprint on history, inspiring generations to confront inequality, expand opportunity, and work toward a more just and fair society; among the distinguished figures whose lives embody these ideals, few have demonstrated such enduring courage, moral clarity, and transformative impact as the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson; and
"WHEREAS, The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, born Jesse Louis Burns on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most influential civil rights leaders in history, dedicating his life to the pursuit of justice, equality, and human rights for Black Americans and all people; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson was raised in a segregated South, and was surrounded by a community that instilled in him a deep sense of faith, resilience, and responsibility; he went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the Agricultural and Technical College of North Carolina, now known as North Carolina A&T State University; in 1964, he began his theological studies at Chicago Theological Seminary, but deferred his studies when he began working full-time in the Civil Rights Movement with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; he was ordained on June 30, 1968, by Reverend Clay Evans and received his Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 2000; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson emerged as a mentee and follower of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement, standing alongside Dr. King in the final moments of his life in 1968, and carrying forward the movement's moral and strategic legacy with unwavering commitment; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson played a pivotal role in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket, transforming it into a national force for economic justice by negotiating employment opportunities, corporate accountability agreements, and community investment commitments that reshaped access to economic power for Black Americans; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson strengthened the national movement for justice by founding the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, uniting his earlier organizations to advance political empowerment, economic opportunity, and equal rights for underserved communities; through the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Reverend Jackson championed voter registration, educational equity, fair housing, and criminal justice reform, mobilizing millions of Americans to participate in civic life and expanding the political influence of historically marginalized communities; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's groundbreaking 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns galvanized a multiracial 'Rainbow Coalition,' elevating issues such as universal healthcare, workers' rights, environmental justice, and international human rights, and opened doors for future candidates of color to seek and hold the highest offices in the nation; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson distinguished himself as a global humanitarian and diplomat, negotiating the release of American hostages and political prisoners in Syria, Cuba, Iraq, and other regions, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to peace, dialogue, and the protection of human life; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson was a tireless advocate for labor rights, standing with workers across industries ranging from farmworkers to airline employees to public sector unions, consistently affirming that economic justice is inseparable from civil rights; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's voice resonated across generations as he spoke out against apartheid in South Africa, voter suppression in the United States, and human rights abuses around the world, reinforcing the moral imperative of global solidarity in the struggle for freedom and equality; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's lifelong dedication to youth empowerment, leadership development, and educational opportunity inspired countless young people to pursue public service, activism, and community leadership, ensuring that his legacy continues to shape the future; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson further distinguished himself through national public service, including his tenure as "shadow senator" for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997, where he advocated for full congressional representation and statehood for the residents of Washington, D.C.; and
"WHEREAS, In recognition of his decades of leadership, moral courage, and unwavering commitment to civil and human rights, Reverend Jackson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in 2000, the nation's highest civilian honor; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson maintained deep and enduring ties to New York State, shaping its civil rights landscape and launching the Wall Street Project in New York City, an initiative dedicated to challenging the financial industry to expand access and opportunity for minority entrepreneurs, investors, and professionals, and to ensure that the corporate sector reflected the diversity, talent, and economic aspirations of all communities; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's work in New York strengthened grassroots organizing, expanded political participation, and inspired generations of New Yorkers to confront injustice with courage, discipline, and moral conviction; and
"WHEREAS, Throughout his life, Reverend Jackson remained a steadfast voice against racism, poverty, violence, and discrimination, championing voting rights, workers' rights, educational equity, and the dignity of marginalized communities across the nation; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson passed away on February 17, 2026, at the age of 84, leaving behind a monumental legacy of activism, institution building, and moral leadership that transformed the United States and inspired movements around the world; and
"WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson is survived by his devoted wife of more than six decades, Jacqueline Lavinia Brown Jackson, and their children, Santita Jackson, Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr., Jonathan Luther Jackson, Yusef DuBois Jackson, Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson, and Ashley Laverne Jackson, all of whom carry forward his legacy of service, faith, and commitment to justice; now, therefore, be it
"RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to mourn the passing of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, to honor his extraordinary life and achievements, and to recognize his profound contributions to civil rights, democracy, and human dignity; and be it further
"RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to the family of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, with the deepest sympathy and gratitude of the people of New York State."
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins on the resolution.
SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:Thank you so much, Madam President.
And I certainly rise to honor this extraordinary life and legacy of Jesse Jackson and extend, on behalf of the Senate, our deepest condolences to his family and our deepest gratitude for sharing him with us for, you know, the better part of a century.
It is not often that we have an opportunity to see a full life. So many of our heroes are gone at very, very early ages, and we can only imagine what would have happened if they were, you know, 50 or 60 or whatever.
Jesse Jackson was here for 84 very full years. And I think the resolution told us in broadest strokes how he impacted so much of what we experience today.
I talked to a couple of friends of mine, the Robinson sisters. In Westchester they're legendary -- and I know you know them, Madam Leader -- you know, Joanne and Roberta.
And their mother, May Morgan Robinson, was somebody who was always trying to engage the community in voting rights and making them understand how important this was.
Joanne was a teacher in 1984 in the Bronx, and her class, mostly Black and brown children, were learning about astronauts and the space race. And Joanne asked them, Why do you think there's never been a Black astronaut?
And to her dismay, a couple of the children explained it's because Black people weren't smart enough to be astronauts. She was shocked that her fifth-graders had ingrained in them that they weren't worthy of being anyone great.
That was the same year that Jesse Louis Jackson launched his presidential campaign. And ultimately she became a delegate, because she said that she did not want to miss the opportunity to allow for those children to understand that yes, Black people are capable and can stand on debate stages and command the attention of millions of people in America, talking about things that they needed to hear, whether it was universal healthcare or childcare, whether it was public housing or the fact that yes, you are somebody.
Even if you may be in an impoverished circumstance, it doesn't mean you as a person are impoverished. Him showing up on Sesame Street saying "I am somebody," to the Rainbow Coalition that -- yes, Senator Tedisco, you and Senator Parker, I was amused to hear that you and Senator Parker could solve all our problems. Little did we know.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS:Wow.
But Jesse Jackson, you know, once was that guy that created this Rainbow Coalition of saying, you know, we all can do better, but we have to do better with each other. And we can't decide that people aren't worthy because of the color of their skin or because of their poverty or because of their lack of education or whatever it is.
What an amazing energy to bring to the stage and the forefront in 1984. Which was also the year that Senator Velmanette Montgomery won. I had a chance to talk to Velmanette today. She called me. And I was like, "I know you must have been involved with Jesse Jackson's campaign," and she said yeah.
She said she remembers standing in the housing project waiting for Jesse Jackson to come, and it was as though they were waiting, you know, for -- for, you know, the savior. She said: You could hear a pin drop. Nobody moved, nobody dared breathe, waiting for Jesse."
And he came. And he delivered the promise of hope.
And the same year, Velmanette Montgomery, who had been involved with childcare and daycare, raised her hand and said "I'm going to run." She's the longest-serving Senator. And when she left, she's still not -- she's still active. But her commitment to the criminal justice system, reforming it, and to our children, never wavered because of the example that Jesse Jackson made for her.
And in Jesse's campaign, a million new voters signed up -- people who had been sitting on the sidelines, thinking that it didn't matter what they did, signed up and became involved in the political process that has I'm sure resulted in the diversity of this chamber and the commitment to things that Jesse had the coverage to bring up and sustain over his decades of service.
When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, people did not understand, all of them, and are probably beginning to understand now how Jesse's campaign and changing the way the delegate process was -- it used to be a winner-take-all. So if you won a state, you got all the delegates.
And it was Jesse Jackson's campaign that said, No, you're entitled to the delegates you won. Even if you didn't win the whole state, you're entitled to your delegates. And it made the pathway for a Barack Obama to become the first Black president in 2008, just 20 years after his election campaign.
We have a lot to be thankful for when we have the opportunity to see the embodiment of public servants in the full panoply of life. I'm not going to say that Jesse Jackson was perfect, because none of us are. But I certainly will say that his influence in our lives, in our opportunity to stand in this chamber fighting for people, is a legacy of his that I'm really, really proud to be able to carry forward.
We can't all have the impact that Jesse Jackson had, but what we can do is make sure that none of us forget that we are all somebody. And in times like this, which is challenging for so many, his life and his legacy really, really demands that we indeed keep hope alive.
Thank you so much, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Majority Leader.
Senator Sanders on the resolution.
SENATOR SANDERS:Thank you for the resolution, Madam Leader, Madam President.
A tall tree has fell in our forest. You can't get around that. A tall tree has fell. Let me tell you some quick Jesse Jackson moments that I had with him.
When he decided to run back in '84, I ended up being the secretary, I don't know how, of the Rainbow in my district. And we brought him out to the Rockaways, Queens, the edge of the earth, and we found a place and we filled it with 3,000 people inside.
And the most curious thing, a big noise was happening outside. It was getting so scary. It was another 2,000 people trying to get into this space. We almost had a political riot, people trying to get in. Jesse actually had to go to the door and calm everybody down so that he could speak on the inside.
Then he was speaking, and he said something that changed my life. Now, you have to remember, '84 -- the '80s was the height of the crack epidemic. It was a bad time to be in New York. And with my luck, I found myself at the epicenter -- I'm in the South Bronx. There was no worse place at the time --
(Laughter.)
SENATOR SANDERS:-- that you could be at the time. Thank God it has changed.
But I'll be at the South Bronx. And so Jesse spoke, and he said he drove through the Bronx to get down here. And he said, You know what I saw. And I'm saying to myself, Yeah, I know what you saw. My God, it looks like a war zone. And I'm just coming out of the Marine Corps, and I understand that.
Then he said -- I thought he was going to speak of broken buildings and he was devastated. He said: "I saw jobs. I saw bricklayers and electricians and plumbers. I saw the need for jobs." And I said, Oh, my God, the man is right. I never even thought of that. His vision was something that -- way beyond what people could speak of.
Then of course I had the pleasure of working with him over the Wall Street when he would go to Wall Street periodically and try to get Wall Street to get right. We're still -- that's a work in progress.
My final thing that I want to tell you about Jesse Jackson came in 2009, two thousand and -- actually, 2007, the predatory lending meltdown where the banks were seizing, the mortgage companies, everybody feeding on these poor people. And I'm trying to organize around there, and I said who can we get. I reached out to Jesse Jackson and we led a march of around 300 people through Southeast Queens with him.
I actually brought him to -- my brother Leroy was chairing. We brought him to a meeting of the City Council where we were working on these things.
I can speak many more things, but time won't permit.
A tall tree has fallen in the community. This tree gave us comfort. This tree sheltered us. This tree protected us. We were protected from many winds. A tall tree has fallen. You can't get around that.
But one thing about a tall tree falling, Madam President, in order for the young trees to grow, a tall tree must get out the way. If the tall tree does not get out the way, the young trees will die.
Jesse Jackson, one of the tallest trees, has fallen. Now comes a time when these young trees need to get up there, need to take their natural place in the world and say that "I am somebody," that we have value in spite of.
And so I am very grateful for this resolution, for this moment for Jesse Jackson, and him letting everyone know that regardless of where you were born -- he used to say you can be born in the projects -- and I was, I was born in the Hammel Houses, very proud to say it. Born in the Hammel Houses. I was not born in a hospital, I was born in the Hammel Houses. No midwife. No man, black or white, slapped me.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR SANDERS:My mother made up for it, but that's a different story for a different day.
(Laughter.)
SENATOR SANDERS:One story at a time.
I am somebody. And Jesse Jackson helped make it popular. Thank God for him.
Thank you, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Sanders.
Senator Bailey on the resolution.
SENATOR BAILEY:Thank you, Madam President.
We are somebody. Thank you, Madam Leader, for this resolution.
In '84 I was two; '88, I was six. But Jesse Jackson loomed large in my life. See, when you were growing up young and Black, there weren't Andrea Stewart-Cousinses to look up to. We didn't even have Mayor Dinkins till '89.
We didn't have an Obama, we didn't have a Speaker Heastie, we didn't have a Tish James, we didn't have a Hakeem Jeffries. We had Jesse Jackson.
I used to think that he was one of the Jackson 5 back in the day. That was a similar last name. My dad said, No, this is a different Jackson, and he's doing different things for our community.
There's always a sports hook for me, Madam President. When he went to the University of Illinois on a football scholarship, much like the backward racist thinking of the past, they thought that Blacks were inferior and couldn't play quarterback. So he transferred to North Carolina A&T, where he got to play football but he got to ingrain himself with the HBCUs, the Black college experience.
And there's so many more -- you can read his -- so many more things. You can read his bio. I want to talk about the impact that he had on me.
The national convention speeches were incredible. But in 1989, when I was seven years old, he appeared on a show that I've often cited in this chamber called A Different World.
There was an episode called "Citizen Wayne." And I didn't realize the gravity of it at that time. In 1989, Jesse Jackson had just run for president and he was on that show. That is the functional equivalent of having like a Taylor Swift or somebody like that on a sitcom right now. That's how hot Jesse was. That's how important he was, how crucial and critical he was to the black community.
In the episode one of the main characters, Dwayne Wayne, was running for president, and he didn't feel that his issues were being heard. And he was on the verge of dropping out. And he spoke to Jesse Jackson and Jesse Jackson reminded him that one man can make a difference. That one person should not be counted out, that you can make a difference.
This is pre-apartheid resolution in South Africa and he was talking about how you can make a difference. At the time, 12 million people were registered on college campuses. They could make a difference.
He spoke about the value of voting. And at the conclusion of his speech, he said: Let's vote about it.
If you go back and look at that and rewatch that, like I have -- it's on some streaming services now -- it hits even different. That speech that Jesse Jackson gave in 1989 on a TV show could have been given today about the power of the youth vote. About the necessity for us to make sure that we know that we are someone.
And there was a -- the funniest moment in that episode, Madam President, is that Dwayne Wayne's good friend Ron Johnson made a poster, for those of us who watched the episode, and it said three winners, and it showed Dwayne Wayne and Ron Johnson and Jesse Jackson in the middle, and on the bottom it said "I am somebody."
Seven years old. If I took nothing else from that episode -- "I am somebody." It meant something. You've heard the 1988 speech. And I'm going to give you one excerpt before I close, Madam President.
"Take New York, the dynamic metropolis. What makes New York so special? It is the invitation of the Statue of Liberty, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses who yearn to breathe free.' Not restricted to English only. Many people, many cultures, many languages -- with one thing in common, they yearn to breathe free. Common ground!'
That could have been given today. Frankly, Madam President, that message is needed even more today than it probably was in '88. We must remember that we must keep hope alive.
Thank you, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Bailey.
Senator Comrie on the resolution.
SENATOR COMRIE:I am somebody. I am somebody. I am somebody. I am somebody.
Those words still affect so many of us today. The opportunities that I had to interact with Jesse Jackson, thanks to Senator Sanders back in the day. Working as a young person to try to impact politics, which was my chosen desire, not having a role model, Jesse Jackson was somebody.
Jesse Jackson pulled so many of us up and gave us the -- put the batteries in our backs, put the energy in our souls, put the desire in our feet. He created so many opportunities. There would be no Mayor Dinkins, there would be no Chicago mayor, there would be no Atlanta mayor without Jesse Jackson.
There are so many people that got involved in politics and government, so many people that got involved in civic life because he took the time to try to impart in clear tones what it meant to be important -- not important in a live sense, but in a real sense. Important because you were putting the time and work in, you were doing the research, you were making sure that when you spoke, you knew what you were talking about. And that you were able to be factual and go point by point with anybody who tried to dispute your reflections or your desires or the things that we needed to improve our country.
Jesse Jackson, moreover, was a healer. He was a unifier. He tried to bring a big tent together before there was a big tent. He tried to make sure that people understood that he was about the entire country, not just some.
He was willing to go to all parts of the world to dedicate his fight for justice, to make sure that people understood that wherever you were, whatever you were doing, you were somebody.
There's so many things that could be said, so many things that have been said, and so many things that will be said. But I just want to say we need to keep hope alive. We need to try to instill in each other the tenets of Jesse Jackson, to impart to everyone that you are somebody. That you're somebody relevant, that you're somebody that should be listened to and respected, that you should respect others around you so that we can make this world a better place.
Keep hope alive.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Comrie.
Senator Fahy on the resolution.
SENATOR FAHY:Thank you, Madam President.
This is hard to follow, but I just have to stand today because I'm a very proud Chicago native. I'm also a little older than a few people that spoke, and the loss of, the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson last week sent me way down memory lane.
I'm afraid in my instance it was back to 1968 and some of my earliest memories in watching the TV, reading the news, hearing about the news, and the relentless presence of, at first, MLK, all that happened in 1968, but then two of his most prominent lieutenants that carried forth, and Jesse Jackson stayed and built his career in Chicago.
He now -- he was one of two. The only lieutenant, if you will, of that inner circle of MLK that is now still alive is Andrew Young.
But Jesse Jackson not only witnessed history. For the longest time, he really made history. He was truly at the crossroads, in my formative years, of some of the most defining moments. His groundbreaking run for president in 1984 and 1988 really changed so much and taught us all about the power of the ballot box, where he had 7 million votes in 1988. It completely expanded voter turnout. Something that is now, we see, fast forward to today, something that we see threatened again at the national level. And we see pushback regarding access to the ballot.
But it truly is one of the most remarkable tributes of what he did, along with the creation of Rainbow/PUSH, the strides and the relentless push for economic justice, civil rights, and making sure that democracy worked for all.
It truly took courage, something we all need to continue to take lessons from, as well as persistence. He believed in lifting up people, protecting civil rights and creating the pathways.
In his memory, and then in honor of Black Americans everywhere, I think we all need to remember the words and his beliefs of justice, dignity and inclusion. And I think that in honor of his -- his legacy, we have to be reminded that these are more than just words. We have to continue to follow through on those words with action.
And thank you for the time.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Fahy.
Senator Parker on the resolution.
SENATOR PARKER:Thank you, Madam President.
First let me thank Andrea Stewart-Cousins, our leader, for bringing this important resolution to the floor. And let me add my voice to my colleagues who are honoring this really important figure, not just in African-American life, but in American life. That the life of Jesse Louis Jackson is one in which all Americans should be thankful and reminiscent about the impact on our communities.
Jesse Jackson was a Baptist minister, an activist. Someone who was protege to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a civil rights leader, founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. And that coalition, people should understand, wasn't a coalition of Black people, it was a coalition of people. That he understood and taught the community that our struggle wasn't a singular struggle.
And I think you heard one of my colleagues talk about him creating a big tent before there was a big tent. Right? And that's exactly what he did.
But Jesse Jackson's life is a stop in the continuum of Black prophetic vision and activism that we see not just in this country, but that comes through African life. As I have talked about other times during Black History Month, that the history of African people in America doesn't start in 1619 in Jamestown, Virginia, but you have to go back to Africa.
And when you look, Madam President, in West African societies, you have a joining of leadership that is both civil and prophetic, that oftentimes leaders are both politician and preacher, that they are president and pope. And Jesse Jackson comes out of that tradition. Because oftentimes people wonder why this man who is this, you know, again, Baptist minister, rises to do this. Right? You look out at major people groups in West Africa like the Akan in Ghana, you see the Asantehene. The Asantehene is both president and pope for the Akan people.
Amongst the Yoruba in Nigeria, you'll see Kabiyesi, the king, if you would. Right? And Kabiyesi also stands as both the cultural leader and also the religious leader. That is a dynamic which African people brought over with them.
And so oftentimes you'll read things and you'll say, Oh, Black people organized the Black church because that was the only thing that the white slavemasters would allow them to do is get together on Sunday, and that simply is not true.
That they brought with them a spiritual epistemology. That is, they understood truth and knowledge vis-a-vis their relationship to the spirit world. And so we look at early resistance movements of Nat Turner, Gabriel Prosser, Denmark Vesey -- all prophetic visionaries. Right? Preachers, as you would call them.
And as you move through time, you know, you'll see people like Marcus Garvey. The first thing that Garvey creates after he creates the Universal Negro Improvement Association, the UNIA, is the African Orthodox Church. One of the people who comes out of the UNIA is the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, who then creates the Nation of Islam. And out of the Nation of Islam is birthed Malcolm X.
And then you have, out of that movement for civil rights that is born out of two cradles -- one in the South, out of Atlanta, but one out of Harlem -- with Garvey, you then have a combination of people who see themselves as, yes, prophetic voices but also understanding that they have to be involved in the civil life of their communities.
And so you see it with Adam Clayton Powell -- and I mean Sr. I haven't even got to Jr. yet. Right? You see it with Adam Clayton Powell, Sr. You see it with Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Right? You see it amongst, you know, Gardner Taylor, who was the pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Brooklyn, right, who baptized me. Right? You see it with Jean-Bertrand Aristide, right, the first democratically elected president of Haiti, who was a Catholic priest.
Those things don't come -- they're not -- those things aren't born in isolation. And of course you see King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Right? And people like Ralph Abernathy and others who are all ordained ministers.
It is out of that tradition in which Jesse Jackson is born into. And so that because we come from this lineage of people who have prophetic vision but then also are grounded in the real world realities that people are dealing with, he creates an organization that is not just a moral call for America to change, but also a social and economic and people call for this country to change.
And you see within the context of both the things that he was involved in, connected also to King -- people forget that King essentially gets killed going to a labor rally. Right? And that that cry for justice is one that is connected to personhood. Right? Remember the -- the -- that when King is killed, right, in Tennessee, what's the call that those sanitation workers were saying? "I am a man." "I am a man." Just real simple things. Simple. And you evolve into Black Lives Matter, but it begins with "I am a man," like "I am a person." Right?
And Jesse had his take on it of saying "I am somebody." And more importantly, got other people to understand that they were somebody.
Senator Bailey makes a really critical point that what we see now, that we can't go forward historically to being prisoners of the moment. Right? And I often tell people that in New York we're lucky that we live in kind of a political Wakanda. Right? With people like Tish James and, you know, Carl Heastie and our own Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins and an African-American lieutenant governor, an African-American chief judge in the State of New York. Right?
In this moment we have more African-American women elected to our State Legislature than any other place in the history of the United States. Right here in the State of New York.
And it's important not just for our communities, but for all communities to see that. Because you can't be what you don't see. And Jesse Jackson understood that. And in the moments in which he is pleading with us to say to ourselves, I am somebody, it is at a time in which white America is in fact telling everybody that unless you are a straight white man, that you are no one. That you do not exist. That you are epiphenomenal and that you have not contributed anything to the development of this country. Which we all know is a lie before God.
And so you can't weigh what he has done lightly. It is -- it is a load. It is a lot, just in the rhetoric that he's left us with. And then when you take that in account to the way that he taught not just Black America but the Democratic Party to organize is critical.
And again, my colleagues have waxed poetic about, you know, the fact that you would not have Harold Washington -- who was, you know, one of my political heroes, right -- and others, right -- or even Barack Obama -- if you don't have Jesse Jackson. You wouldn't have David Dinkins, right? And in part also because behind the scenes, what people don't know is that the same people were running all the same campaigns. Right? And supporting each other. That I remember that the first time I met Jesse Jackson was actually on the campaign of David Dinkins in which I worked.
And so that these movements, although local, were also national and international. Because Jesse Jackson was very, very involved with the anti-apartheid movement and very present with the election of Nelson Mandela.
And so in this moment we don't mourn. We have not come to bury Jesse Jackson, we have come to celebrate his life. And to say: I thank you for all that you have done. That you have run the race, you have finished the course, and with a job well done. We all remember that we are someone, and that we are the people who were here the day before yesterday. And that we will be the people who will be here the day after tomorrow, as we continue to love one another and work with one another -- like Senator Tedisco and I -- to make the State of New York as great as it can be.
Thank you, Madam President.
ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:Thank you, Senator Parker.
Senator Webb on the resolution.
SENATOR WEBB:Thank you, Madam President.
I too want to thank our Senate Majority Leader for this resolution mourning the death of the great Reverend Jesse Jackson and for honoring his lifetime of service, leadership, and advocacy for civil rights and for social justice.
You know, there's a song by a group we may be familiar with, Salt-N-Pepa, it goes: "What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man." Some people may know it. But I think most certainly Reverend Jesse Jackson was absolutely a mighty man.
He was a mighty human, a public servant, an orator. He was more than a leader. He was a moral compass and a voice for the voiceless. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, he dedicated his life to the ideals of freedom and fairness for all.
I have some memories of him similar to Senator Bailey. My father, back in the late '80s, brought myself and my sisters to campus at Binghamton University where Jesse Jackson was speaking about his -- it was a big rally, and I was a little, little kid -- talking about his campaign for president.
And then I had the opportunity to meet him many years later in Washington, D.C., at a public policy conference, a national one, talking about the importance of fully funding our schools and having more equitable policies for our public schools.
And so having those memories of him and also just thinking about his legacy that he not only built on the foundation laid by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr; he carried forward the work of the Civil Rights Movement with courage, conviction and an unshakable belief in the inherent worth of every person.
He championed voter registration, economic opportunity, and justice long before it was easy and most certainly before it was popular to do so. He was an instrumental organizer in efforts like the Black political convention that happened in Gary, Indiana, in 1972, at a time that was shortly after the deaths of both Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and also, at the same time, very important policies like the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act.
And so all of his work, his body of work, even as the founder of things like Operation PUSH -- just the name alone, for PUSH, People United to Save Humanity. And I have to tell you, that message not only was true then, it most certainly is resoundingly needed now.
He is someone that we all know had a historical presidential campaign. And I won't go further into that, as my colleagues have already done an eloquent job in doing so.
But he reminded us again and again that we are somebody. And those weren't just a slogan, it was an affirmation of dignity that helped countless Americans see ourselves even in times when there have been consistent, still-present efforts to push towards our erasure. That clarion call to action, "I am somebody," is a reminder that we have to demand to be greater, to demand justice, especially for those who are rendered powerless.
Mr. President, he was a diplomat, a mentor to many, and most certainly an inspiration to countless others. And so today we remember a true champion for equality, excellence, equity, humanity.
And I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to all who were touched by his extraordinary work. May his life's work as a public servant remind us all that the true test of a public servant is not just in the words that we speak, whether it's in a chamber or out in the community -- that it is really a testament to the indelible positive mark that we leave behind on those who are committed to our collective progress, that we all are inspired to really create equitable change in this chamber and beyond.
And so I want to continue to urge my colleagues to not only join me in supporting this resolution, but also in honoring his legacy by continuing to push for more equity through the policies that we create here in this chamber and beyond. That we all continue to embody hope, and that we all may continue to advance equity and that we also embody his work by continuing to be what he was, a true servant of the people.
Thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Palumbo on the resolution.
SENATOR PALUMBO:Thank you, Mr. President.
Just a few quick, brief comments along the lines of what all of my colleagues have mentioned.
My condolences to the Jackson family.
Reverend Jackson carried the mantle of peace and humanity that was emulated by Martin Luther King.
And throughout his career, he I think was clear about the way that we should make a difference: We should do so at the ballot box. We should do so peacefully and appropriately. It's not meant to be done by burning down cities and violence, but do it smartly and with dignity and humanity.
So he will certainly be missed. The world is a better place because of the work that Reverend Jackson accomplished in this state and in this great nation.
And a rising tide does raise all ships.
So thank you, Mr. President.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Brisport on the resolution.
SENATOR BRISPORT:Thank you, Mr. President.
And thank you to our Majority Leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, for introducing this resolution.
I rise today to honor a man who didn't just witness history, he rewrote the rules of what was possible in American politics.
Last week we lost Reverend Jesse Jackson. While the world remembers him as a titan of civil rights, we in this chamber must recognize him as the architect of the multiracial working class Rainbow Coalition that brought many of us here today.
As noted earlier, Reverend Jackson's influence was the spark for so many who dedicated their lives to New York, including my predecessor, Velmanette Montgomery. Inspired by his '80s campaigns, Senator Montgomery carried his moral center in this body for 36 years, and I'm honored to carry the torch that was lit by Jackson and passed through her hands to mine.
Reverend Jackson's legacy is a living blueprint for our current legislative battles. On healthcare, he was a prophet decades ahead of the curve, challenging us to dream of doctors who are concerned more about public health than private wealth.
He understood that as long as healthcare is a commodity, those who wipe the bodies of those who are sick will never be able to afford a bed in the very hospitals where they work.
In this session we can carry that mantle forward through the New York Health Act, finally fulfilling his mandate for universal single-payer healthcare.
On economic justice, he was the first to fearlessly call for taxing the wealthy to fund the disinherited. He saw exactly how the neoliberal consensus of Reaganomics was cutting our communities, famously declaring: They engaged in reverse Robin Hood -- took from the poor and gave to the rich, paid for by the middle class.
He knew that racial battlegrounds can only be won by finding economic common ground, and he achieved this through his inside-outside strategy. He famously taught us that you need a hand on the outside to pull and a hand on the inside to push.
He showed us that a campaign is a vehicle to build a movement that survives past Election Day, holding power inside these halls while remaining accountable to the power in the streets.
That strategy will be on full display tomorrow. Thousands of organizers from across the state are descending on this Capitol tomorrow for a massive "Tax the Rich" mobilization. These are the patches Reverend Jackson spent his life stitching together -- tenants, workers, and students who are the hand on the outside, demanding a budget that prioritizes people over profits.
Reverend Jackson would have welcomed their advocacy. He would have been right there on the steps with them telling them to keep hope alive.
We honor him today not with our words, but by answering the call of those organizers tomorrow, and legislating with the same courage as he showed the world.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The question is on the resolution.
All those in favor please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Opposed, nay.
(No response.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The resolution is adopted.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Please open the resolutions we took up today for sponsorship.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify the desk.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Let's take up the reading of the calendar, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 179, Senate Print 4980, by Senator Martinez, an act to amend the General Municipal 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 179, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Helming, Martins, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weber.
Ayes, 40. Nays, 16.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 210, Senate Print 4950, by Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Mental Hygiene 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:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 56.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 288, Senate Print 1892B, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Correction 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 288, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, Chan, Helming, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison and Walczyk.
Ayes, 47. Nays, 9.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 289, Senate Print 2280B, by Senator Webb, an act to amend the Executive Law.
SENATOR PALUMBO:Lay it aside.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Lay it aside.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 293, Senate Print 1618, by Senator Rivera, an act to amend the Public Health Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 293, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Helming, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Stec and Walczyk.
Ayes, 47. Nays, 9.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 302, Senate Print 371, by Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Public Health Law.
Forgive me. Calendar Number 296, Senate Print 438, by Senator Myrie, an act to amend the Insurance Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 4. This act shall take effect on the 150th day after it shall have become a law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Myrie to explain his vote.
SENATOR MYRIE:Thank you, Mr. President.
I reserved my comments on the Reverend Jesse Jackson because my colleagues spoke much more eloquently than I could.
And I wanted to speak it on this bill that we are passing, because Jesse Jackson said that poverty is a moral disgrace, that it is not a personal failing but the failing of the system.
And we live in a system right now here in New York where if you are prescribed a lifesaving drug and you walk into the pharmacy to fill that prescription, that you have no idea whether that pharmacy and the organization meant to represent the pharmacy is owned by the same company as the drug manufacturer that they're trying to negotiate with.
You have no idea whether the switch company that ensures that your claim gets to the insurer is also owned by that same company. And you don't know whether the rebate aggregator that is meant to give the pharmacy rebate for generic medication that is meant to drive down the cost of drugs for you is also owned by that same company.
We have a corporate consolidation driving up prices for everyday New Yorkers and poor New Yorkers who are having to choose between putting food on the table and getting lifesaving drugs. That is a system that none of us should accept.
And this bill aims to insert transparency and sunlight into a system right now that is ripping off New Yorkers every single day.
So I proudly vote aye and urge my colleagues to do the same.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Myrie to be recorded in the affirmative.
Senator Borrello to explain his vote.
SENATOR BORRELLO:Thank you, Mr. President.
First of all, I want to thank Senator Myrie for this. You know, last year I voted no on this bill. I had some issues with, you know, where it should be coming from, and some of the -- some of the language probably could be cleaned up a little bit.
But in principle, I agree with what this bill does. We have seen the impact of these pharmacy benefit managers. Their job originally was to make sure that they could unwind the complicated I guess paperwork and bureaucracy of filing for all of these rebates, right? It was supposed to make it easier for people -- for companies, in particular to be able to pass those rebates along.
Instead, they became a parasite that gobbled up all of those rebates. And they have now created this massive organization of folks that are taking money that is supposed to be going, in the end, to make sure that people can afford these drugs, and they are profiting as a result of it.
And we may differ on some things many times, but at the end of the day I've listened to small pharmacies across my district who are struggling. We've seen pharmacies close. We have pharmacy deserts, particularly in the rural areas that I represent. And it's pharmacy benefit managers, their practices, that are contributing to that decline.
So I'm changing my vote to yes, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Borrello to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 296, voting in the negative are Senators Oberacker and Walczyk.
Ayes, 54. Nays, 2.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 297, Senate Print 634B, by Senator Liu, an act to amend the Insurance Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 4. 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 297, voting in the negative: Senator Walczyk.
Ayes, 55. Nays, 1.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 298, Senate Print 2128, by Senator Jackson, an act to amend the Insurance Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Jackson to explain his vote.
SENATOR JACKSON:Thank you, Mr. President.
My colleagues, I rise today in order to support this bill. At its core this legislation affirms a simple principle. If a rebate is negotiated in a patient's name, it must reach that patient.
I cannot remain buried in the shadows of a supply chain while a family stands at the pharmacy counter calculating whether they can afford the medicine their doctor prescribed.
And we know the numbers -- billions of dollars in rebates flow through this system each year. Yet too often patients with chronic and complex conditions pay cost-sharing based on inflated list prices, even as insurers and pharmacy benefit managers secure substantial discounts behind the scenes.
That is not risk sharing. That is cost shifting. Insurance was designed to spread burden, not concentrate it on the sickest among us.
S2128 requires that more than 85 percent of the prescription drug rebates be delivered directly to patients at the point of sale. It strikes a responsible balance, allowing plans to stabilize premiums while ensuring that meaningful savings reach the place that matters most, the pharmacy counter.
And this is about fairness, this is about transparency, and this is about restoring to a system that should never profit from a patient's vulnerability.
Colleagues, when a senior on a fixed income approaches the counter, when a parent fills a prescription for their child, they should feel the benefit of every dollar negotiated in their name.
And for those reasons I proudly vote aye and ask you to do the same.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Jackson to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 298, voting in the negative: Senator Walczyk.
Ayes, 55. Nays, 1.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 299, Senate Print 5049, by Senator Bailey, an act to amend the Insurance 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, 56.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 302, Senate Print 371, by Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Public Health Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 3. This act shall take effect 18 months 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 302, voting in the negative are Senators Borrello, O'Mara and Walczyk.
Ayes, 53. Nays, 3.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 304, Senate Print 3203, by Senator Fernandez, an act to amend the Public Health Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 3. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after it shall have become a law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Fernandez to explain her vote.
SENATOR FERNANDEZ:Thank you, Mr. President.
We know very well that prescription drugs are just too high. And for many New Yorkers, they are just simply unaffordable. Not because of innovation, but because of supply. Because of corporate deals designed to block competition and keep costs inflated.
That's why we have this bill. As you see on the description, it preserves access to affordable drugs. Why does anybody want to oppose that?
This bill takes direct aim at pay-for-play delays where brand-name drug manufacturers provide incentives to keep lower-cost generics off the market. These agreements do not serve patients. They do not strengthen our healthcare system. They serve only to protect profits where families, seniors and taxpayers foot the bill.
These agreements -- the impact is clear. Lifesaving medication remains out of reach, costs continue to rise, and our healthcare system bears the burden.
By treating these anticompetitive agreements as unlawful and strengthening enforcement, this bill ensures that drug companies can no longer hide behind legal loopholes while New Yorkers struggle to afford their prescriptions.
Accountability is essential, and accountability leads to real change, Mr. President. It is time to put patients before profits, curb these harmful practices, and ensure that every New Yorker has access to affordable medication.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I proudly vote aye.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Fernandez to be recorded in the affirmative.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 304, voting in the negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Helming, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk and Weber.
Ayes, 39. Nays, 17.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 305, Senate Print 5939B, by Senator Skoufis, an act to amend the Public Health Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 5. This act shall take effect January 1, 2026.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Call the roll.
(The Secretary called the roll.)
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:In relation to Calendar 305, voting in the negative: Senator Walczyk.
Ayes, 55. Nays, 1.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
Senator Gianaris, that completes the reading of today's calendar.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Let's move on to the controversial calendar, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The Secretary will ring the bell.
The Secretary will read.
THE SECRETARY:Calendar Number 289, Senate Print 2280B, by Senator Webb, an act to amend the Executive Law.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Senator Palumbo, why do you rise?
SENATOR PALUMBO:Mr. President, I believe there's an amendment at the desk. I waive the reading of that amendment, and I ask that you recognize Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator Palumbo.
Upon review of the amendment, in accordance with Rule 6, Section 4B, I rule it nongermane and out of order at this time.
SENATOR PALUMBO:Accordingly, Mr. President, I appeal the ruling of the chair and ask that you recognize Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick for purposes of that appeal.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The appeal has been made and recognized, and Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick may be heard.
SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:Thank you, Mr. President.
I rise to appeal the ruling of the chair. The proposed amendment is germane to the bill at hand because the bill at hand, according to the sponsor's memo, empowers victims of domestic violence with information potentially saving lives. And my amendment would do exactly that as well, creating a persistent domestic violence registry to empower the victims of domestic violence with information potentially saving lives.
According to the public policy of California, three-fifths of domestic violence offenders are rearrested in under two years, most of whom are rearrested for another domestic violence offense.
Further, the Rockefeller Institute of Government found that two-thirds or more of female intimate partner homicide victims were abused by their partners before being killed.
These staggering and disturbing numbers highlight the need to take action to help women before they become a victim or, worse, a statistic.
This amendment would be a critical step forward in protecting and empowering women and is modeled after legislation that recently took effect in Tennessee and after bills that my colleague Senator Mattera and I have introduced here to bring this legislation to New York.
This legislation, similar to the sex offender registry, would require individuals to register as a persistent domestic violence offender if they are convicted of a domestic violence offense after already having been convicted of another domestic violence offense prior.
The registry would have safeguards for sensitive information but would be available to the public to serve as a tool to equip women with the power of knowledge of who they are potentially getting involved with.
As a mother of three young women, this legislation would help me sleep better at night, as I'm sure it would help other parents -- knowing that my daughters and all New Yorkers can arm themselves with information so that they can hopefully never fall prey to abusers.
For these reasons, Mr. President, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote in favor of advancing this amendment.
Thank you.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Thank you, Senator.
I'd like to remind the house that this vote is on the procedures of the house and the ruling of the chair.
Those in favor of overruling the chair, please signify by saying aye.
(Response of "Aye.")
SENATOR PALUMBO:Show of hands.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:A show of hands has been requested and so ordered.
Announce the results.
THE SECRETARY:Ayes, 18.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The ruling of the chair stands, and the bill in chief is before the house.
Senator Gianaris.
SENATOR GIANARIS:Mr. President, we've agreed to restore this bill to the noncontroversial calendar.
Let's take it up that way, please.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:Upon consent, the bill has been restored to the noncontroversial calendar.
Read the last section.
THE SECRETARY:Section 6. 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, 56.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:The bill is passed.
Senator Gianaris, that completes the reading of today's 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 tomorrow, Wednesday, February 25th, at 3:00 p.m.
ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY:On motion, the Senate stands adjourned until Wednesday, February 25th, at 3:00 p.m.
(Whereupon, at 4:55 p.m., the Senate adjourned.)
Highest impact first.
Make Generic Drugs Affordable
Import Cheaper Prescription Drugs
Require Diabetes Screenings Coverage
Drug Rebates Go to Patients
Stop Drug Price Hikes
Set Pharmacy Payment Minimums
Cover COVID Vaccine Costs
Require Domestic Violence Risk Screening