VIDEO: HOYLMAN SAYS SENATORS GIVEN ONLY MINUTES TO REVIEW A THOUSAND PAGE BUDGET BILL

ALBANY – During a marathon session that stretched into the early morning, NYS Senator Brad Hoylman (D, WF-Manhattan) took to the Senate floor to speak on a number of critical issues including government reform, New York’s Human Rights Law, regulating safe drinking water, and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) – all of which were excluded from the hastily drafted budget bills.

After being forced to vote on budget “extender” legislation to avert a government shutdown the previous day, Senator Hoylman – noting that members were given just minutes to review nearly 1,000 pages of material – voted against several of the bills, pointing to Albany’s broken and opaque budget process. Here are some highlights:

• Ethics Reform: Hoylman introduced an amendment to the budget that would restrict outside income for state legislators to 15% of their base salary, ban moonlighting like practicing law, and make New York a full time legislative body. Pointing to Albany’s notorious history of corruption, Hoylman called on his colleagues to approve the measure, based on legislation he wrote. See the clip here.

• Protecting Kids in Public Schools: The Senate Majority stripped a proposal from the Governor’s budget that would allow public schools to be covered under New York’s Human Rights Law. The law, which prohibits discrimination against minority groups, currently applies only to private schools, leaving out public school teachers and students. Hoylman argued that, considering the surge in hate crime incidents and the disproportionate rate of harassment against LGBT kids, government has a responsibility to protect its citizens – no matter the cost. Watch the clip here.

• Cleaning Up Diesel: Hoylman blasted the continued refusal to implement the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA). Enacted in 2006 and set to be implemented by 2010, DERA would reduce emissions of microscopic particles that can cause severe asthma attacks by requiring the State and its contractors to operate a cleaner fleet of diesel trucks. Hoylman argued that despite growing data linking diesel to negative health outcomes, including $9.6 billion in annual health costs, the law continues to be delayed. He called for immediate implementation of DERA. Watch the clip here.

• Safe Drinking Water: In response to statewide concerns about water quality, including drinking water contamination in Hoosick Falls and Petersburgh, the budget failed to include requirements to test private wells for regulated and unregulated contaminants. While praising his colleagues for including a plan to test public water systems for contaminants every three years and for including $2.5 billion to repair New York’s water infrastructure, Hoylman lamented the Senate’s failure to include private wells in this testing – similar to legislation he carries – despite the fact that upwards of 6.5 million New Yorkers rely on private wells. Watch the clip here.