Statement by Senator Craig M. Johnson, (D-Nassau):

"I am among those who have a strong emotional reaction to the mosque controversy and am opposed to its construction in the shadow of Ground Zero. There is no dispute that the mosque's developers have a constitutional right to build there, but that doesn't mean it's the right thing to do. That's why I support efforts by the Governor, Arch Bishop Dolan and others to find a alternative site that is not in close proximity to where more than 3,000 Long Islanders, New Yorkers, and Americans of all faiths were killed."