Regular Session - March 4, 2025
826
1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
2
3
4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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6
7
8
9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 March 4, 2025
11 3:50 p.m.
12
13
14 REGULAR SESSION
15
16
17
18 SENATOR JAMAAL T. BAILEY, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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25
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
3 Senate will come to order.
4 I ask everyone present to please
5 rise and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Bishop
9 Orlando Findlayter, of the New Hope Christian
10 Fellowship in Brooklyn, New York, will deliver
11 today's invocation.
12 Bishop?
13 BISHOP FINDLAYTER: Let us pray.
14 God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, God
15 of our weary years, God of our silent tears, we
16 have come to You today first to say thank You.
17 Thank You for the many blessings You have
18 bestowed upon us individually and corporately as
19 a state.
20 Thank You for this body, the
21 New York State Senate. God, as they deliberate
22 and as they make decisions that affect the entire
23 state and all of its residents, we pray now that
24 You will guide them. We ask God for wisdom,
25 insight, a heart of compassion and the ability to
828
1 work together.
2 Grant, O God, to this body a heart
3 for the marginalized, the downtrodden and the
4 forgotten. Let every decision be fueled by love.
5 And then, Lord, honor their sacrifices. Honor
6 their commitment. Bless them, bless their homes
7 and bless their families.
8 We ask that You would bless the
9 leadership of the Senate. Bless every Senator.
10 Bless the staff, and bless the great State of
11 New York.
12 We pray for peace in this state. We
13 pray for a season of prosperity for all
14 New Yorkers. We ask, O God, that You grant mercy
15 towards us where we have fallen short.
16 We pray this in respect to every
17 faith tradition, but in my tradition, in the name
18 of Jesus. Amen.
19 (Response of "Amen.")
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Reading
21 of the Journal.
22 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Monday,
23 March 3, 2025, the Senate met pursuant to
24 adjournment. The Journal of Friday, February 28,
25 2025, was read and approved. On motion, the
829
1 Senate adjourned.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Without
3 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
4 Presentation of petitions.
5 Messages from the Assembly.
6 Messages from the Governor.
7 Reports of standing committees.
8 Reports of select committees.
9 Communications and reports from
10 state officers.
11 Motions and resolutions.
12 Senator Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good afternoon,
14 Mr. President.
15 I move to adopt the Resolution
16 Calendar, with the exception of Resolution 439.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: All those
18 in favor of adopting the Resolution Calendar,
19 with the exception of Resolution 439, please
20 signify by saying aye.
21 (Response of "Aye.")
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
23 nay.
24 (No response.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
830
1 Resolution Calendar is adopted.
2 Senator Gianaris.
3 SENATOR GIANARIS: There is a
4 privileged resolution at the desk. Please take
5 that up, read it in its entirety, and call on
6 Leader Stewart-Cousins.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There is
8 a privileged resolution at the desk.
9 The Secretary will read.
10 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 441, by
11 Senator Stewart-Cousins, mourning the death of
12 Dr. Hazel N. Dukes, distinguished citizen and
13 devoted member of her community.
14 "WHEREAS, It is the custom of this
15 Legislative Body to pay tribute to citizens of
16 the State of New York whose lifework and civic
17 endeavors served to enhance the quality of life
18 in their communities and this great Empire State;
19 and
20 "WHEREAS, The members of this
21 Legislative Body are deeply saddened by the
22 passing of Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes on March 1, 2025,
23 at the age of 92, and wish to express their
24 heartfelt condolences to her family, friends,
25 colleagues, and the countless individuals whose
831
1 lives she touched; and
2 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes was a
3 trailblazing civil rights leader, a tireless
4 advocate for racial and social justice, and a
5 champion for equality, dedicating her life to
6 uplifting marginalized communities and fighting
7 for the rights of all people; and
8 "WHEREAS, Born in Montgomery,
9 Alabama, on March 17, 1932, to parents Alice and
10 Edward Dukes, Hazel Dukes demonstrated an early
11 passion for education and community service,
12 attending Alabama State Teachers College before
13 pursuing studies in business administration at
14 Nassau Community College and later earning a
15 bachelor's degree from Adelphi University in
16 1978; and
17 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes made
18 history in 1966 as the first African-American to
19 work at the Nassau County Attorney's Office,
20 where she worked to promote equal access to
21 justice and public resources; and
22 "WHEREAS, She was instrumental in
23 the implementation of President Lyndon B.
24 Johnson's 'Head Start' program, which provided
25 crucial early childhood education to underserved
832
1 communities and helped countless children and
2 families achieve better futures; and
3 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes held
4 numerous leadership roles throughout her
5 lifetime, including serving as the national
6 president of the NAACP from 1989 to 1992, during
7 which time she guided the organization through
8 critical years of advocacy and reform, and later
9 serving for more than four decades as president
10 of the NAACP New York State Conference; and
11 "WHEREAS, She was a fearless
12 advocate for voting rights, fair housing,
13 economic opportunity, and education, and in 1972,
14 she played a historic role by seconding the
15 presidential nomination of Shirley Chisholm, the
16 first Black woman to seek a major party's
17 nomination for President of the United States;
18 and
19 "WHEREAS, Her advocacy continued
20 into the 21st century, influencing President
21 Joe Biden's decision to select a Black woman as
22 his running mate in 2020, and in 2023, she was
23 awarded the NAACP's highest honor, the Spingarn
24 Medal, presented by former Secretary of State
25 Hillary Clinton in recognition of her
833
1 extraordinary contributions; and
2 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes also led
3 efforts in public administration, serving as
4 president of the New York City Off-Track Betting
5 Corporation and later founding Hazel N. Dukes &
6 Associates, a consulting firm specializing in
7 public policy, health, and diversity; and
8 "WHEREAS, She remained a steadfast
9 leader in the NAACP National Board of Directors
10 and countless other civic organizations, ensuring
11 that future generations continued the fight for
12 justice and equality; and
13 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes'
14 commitment to education was further exemplified
15 by her service as a trustee of the State
16 University of New York and Stillman College,
17 where she worked to expand educational
18 opportunities for underrepresented communities;
19 and
20 "WHEREAS, She was a devoted member
21 of the Assembly of Prayer Baptist Church, where
22 she served as executive assistant to the pastor,
23 was a member of the board of trustees, and taught
24 adult Sunday school, demonstrating her deep faith
25 and commitment to community service; and
834
1 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes received
2 numerous accolades for her unwavering dedication,
3 including the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the
4 YWCA City of New York John La Farge Memorial
5 Award for Interracial Justice, and the Guy R.
6 Brewer Humanitarian Award, reflecting the
7 profound impact of her work on both local and
8 national levels; she was an active member of the
9 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Northern Manhattan
10 Alumnae Chapter and was selected to receive the
11 sorority's Althea T.L. Simmons Social Action
12 Award in August 2010; Dr. Dukes was incorporated
13 in 2007 as a Pi Eta Kappa Fellow, and her
14 biography has been selected for publication in
15 many journals and directories, including Fisk
16 University Library, Minority Women Contribution,
17 American Biographical Institute Personalities of
18 Northeast, Who's Who Among American Women and
19 Who's Who Among Black Women; and
20 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes has shown
21 outstanding commitment to education, leadership,
22 and community service; she was awarded an
23 Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the
24 City University of New York Law School at Queens
25 College in 1990, an Honorary Doctor of Humane
835
1 Letters from Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn,
2 New York, in 2009, and a similar honor from
3 Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem,
4 New York, in 2012; Dr. Dukes has also held
5 leadership roles, including serving as the former
6 president of the Metro-Manhattan Links Chapter
7 and being appointed the National Links NGO
8 Representative in 2010; her contributions to
9 higher education include serving as a trustee for
10 both the State University of New York and
11 Stillman College; additionally, she has been an
12 advocate for social justice and public health
13 through her involvement with the National Council
14 of Negro Women, Inc., and the National Black
15 Leadership Commission on AIDS, Inc.; and
16 "WHEREAS, In recognition of her
17 lifelong commitment to civil rights, a street in
18 Roslyn Heights, New York, where Dr. Hazel Dukes
19 once resided, was named 'Dr. Hazel Dukes Way' in
20 her honor, serving as a lasting tribute to her
21 legacy; and
22 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes resided in
23 Harlem, New York, where she continued her
24 advocacy and community involvement until her
25 passing; and
836
1 "WHEREAS, Dr. Hazel Dukes' passing
2 is an immense loss to the civil rights community
3 and the nation as a whole, yet her legacy will
4 live on in the policies she helped shape, the
5 lives she uplifted, and the generations she
6 inspired; now, therefore, be it
7 "RESOLVED, That this Legislative
8 Body pauses in its deliberations to mourn the
9 passing of Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes, to recognize
10 and celebrate her lifelong dedication to civil
11 rights and public service, and to express its
12 deepest gratitude for her contributions to a more
13 just and equitable society; and be it further
14 "RESOLVED, That copies of this
15 resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to
16 the family of Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes, the NAACP
17 National Office, and the NAACP New York State
18 Conference as a token of appreciation for her
19 extraordinary work and enduring impact."
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Majority
21 Leader Stewart-Cousins on the resolution.
22 SENATOR STEWART-COUSINS: Thank you
23 so much, Mr. President.
24 And I rise on behalf of this body to
25 express our condolences to the family of
837
1 Dr. Dukes and the many people who were called her
2 children, the many people who were influenced by
3 her intellect, her wisdom, all of those who had a
4 chance to meet her, to be in her presence, and
5 certainly all of those who will never have an
6 opportunity to stand and honor this icon. It is
7 certainly an incredible loss to not only this
8 state, but to the nation.
9 But as I listened to all that was
10 said and all that filled her 92 years, we know it
11 was a life well-lived, but also it is a life to
12 be celebrated. There is no one who has ever seen
13 or heard Dr. Dukes who was not influenced by her,
14 who was not indelibly marked by her -- by what
15 she said and what she taught, how she lived, and
16 how she believed in justice for everyone and
17 certainly put her body on the line, put all she
18 had on the line to make sure that justice was
19 achieved. And if she didn't achieve it, you knew
20 that she would die trying.
21 Dr. Dukes was somebody who I had the
22 pleasure of meeting many, many years ago when I
23 started in government around the desegregation
24 issue in the City of Yonkers. We became closer
25 as I came into the Senate and had an opportunity
838
1 to work with her and the NAACP in matters of
2 civil rights and human rights and criminal
3 justice reform and education and healthcare,
4 because she cared about everything.
5 And there was nothing, no one who
6 was either too great or too small to be in
7 Dr. Dukes' sphere. She would mentor you, she
8 would scold you, she would bring you up, she
9 would put you down. And no matter how she did
10 it, she did it in a way that you knew that she
11 was talking to you out of love. That's not easy
12 to do.
13 You never were ambiguous what she
14 meant or what she was trying to convey. And she
15 was also, again, unambiguous in her love -- not
16 only for humanity, but for justice.
17 What an honor and a privilege to be
18 able to stand here, and in the presence of the
19 new state director of NAACP, L. Joy Williams; the
20 executive director of the NAACP statewide,
21 Christopher Alexander; and our Regent Hasoni
22 Pratts, who we'll be voting on, will be
23 returning.
24 But all of whom in this moment are
25 representing the thousands of NAACP members
839
1 across our state and across our nation who are
2 mourning and celebrating simultaneously the life
3 and the legacy of Dr. Hazel Nell Dukes.
4 Her funeral will be next week. I
5 cannot imagine how many people will be there
6 because, as you've heard, she's been doing what
7 she's been doing for the better part of those
8 90 years, having grown up in the segregated South
9 and having been so instrumental in advising
10 presidents, putting, you know, Head Start into
11 our communities across the nation, being able to
12 second the nomination of Shirley Chisholm in
13 1972. Somebody who was courageous enough to
14 stand up and say, this Black woman is worth being
15 President -- in 1972.
16 Someone who was able to advise
17 President Biden, swear in the current Governor,
18 get awarded by Hillary Rodham Clinton, and every
19 single person in between who had an opportunity
20 to say thank you to Hazel Dukes, took the
21 opportunity to say thank you.
22 I am so grateful that she was able
23 to get flowers and her accolades while she was
24 alive. So much we wait until people are gone and
25 then we start saying all these great things. But
840
1 Hazel, she wouldn't let you wait. And you
2 shouldn't. And I think we need to learn that
3 lesson as well.
4 We can be passionate and still be
5 someone that when we transit, when we transition,
6 the loss of that energy is so deep and so
7 profound that we have no choice but to admire it
8 and to follow it, and to understand it makes a
9 difference when you actually have the courage of
10 your conviction and are willing to put everything
11 on the line in order to achieve it. Not just for
12 you, but for all of humanity.
13 So I am so honored, again, to have
14 known her, to have been mentored and befriended
15 and just elevated by her. And I really want to
16 thank Senator Cleare, because actually it's --
17 this is her constituent. But, you know, she
18 allowed me to, you know, carry it because, again,
19 the influence of Dr. Dukes is something that we
20 all celebrate for years to come.
21 So thank you so much, Mr. President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
23 you, Madam Leader.
24 Senator Cleare on the resolution.
25 SENATOR CLEARE: Thank you,
841
1 Mr. President.
2 And thank you, Majority Leader
3 Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Like always, you just so
4 eloquently said all the things.
5 But if I were to add anything, you
6 know, I have the privilege of serving the
7 30th District, which includes the Village of
8 Harlem. And that was the home to Hazel Dukes.
9 She was bigger than Harlem. She's worldwide.
10 But, you know, I always looked at her that she
11 belonged to us. And I'm thankful that I was able
12 to say that and I had the privilege of being able
13 to speak with her, being able to glean from her,
14 get a few talking tools from her, and just be
15 able to look at the inspiration, be inspired by
16 her.
17 You know, she was well known for
18 standing up, not backing down. Staying the
19 course. Being her true self. And I'd like to
20 think that some of that fell on me and others.
21 It's about being yourself, showing up, standing
22 up for what you believe in. And that's what she
23 did. She led with class, she led with
24 distinction, she led with compassion, with grace,
25 with strength, with fire. With fire.
842
1 And I think we can all take some of
2 that from her as a tribute to her. She served on
3 my community board -- got to shout out my
4 Community Board 10. That was her family. She
5 led, she taught, and she just kept giving till
6 the end. She gave and gave and gave --
7 everything. She left it here.
8 So I'll say to everyone, including
9 myself, there are no excuses. Hazel Dukes taught
10 us, she showed us the way. Her greatest title
11 she earned was Ma Dukes. And she was that to
12 many of us in Harlem and beyond. May she rest in
13 power and prestige.
14 Rest in peace, Hazel Dukes.
15 Thank you.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
17 you, Senator Cleare.
18 Senator Webb on the resolution.
19 SENATOR WEBB: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I rise just to add my remarks. I
22 too was influenced by Dr. Hazel "Ma" Dukes as a
23 young person, being a member of my local NAACP.
24 But also as I became an adult and helping to
25 support the campus chapter back in my district, I
843
1 had the opportunity to work with Dr. Dukes.
2 And as has been already shared, once
3 you met her, you were forever changed. Because
4 she had this incredible ability to not only give
5 you a lasting impression with her wit and most
6 certainly her conviction, but she was someone
7 that inspired you to do better. To stand up and
8 be courageous and to fight for what is right.
9 And that is not just simply civil rights, but
10 what it means to be a member of our human family.
11 And her 92 years of sacrifice,
12 legacy building, as everyone has shared,
13 continues not only in our halls but in halls all
14 across this country.
15 Last year when we established the
16 SUNY Black Leadership Institute, we actually have
17 a fellowship within that institute that's named
18 after her. And so this was something that she
19 has been a long champion of ensuring equitable
20 representation across every institution in our
21 state and in our nation.
22 And so it is that legacy that we
23 will continue in her honor, but also that is what
24 she would want us to do.
25 And not only as a mentor to me, but
844
1 also as a soror of mine through our sorority,
2 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, she is
3 someone that also has contributed en masse to our
4 organizations's legacy that goes beyond this
5 country, but most certainly internationally.
6 And so I want to extend my
7 condolences to her family, to all of us who had
8 the honor and privilege of being able to call on
9 her. We knew that when you made that call, it
10 was time for action, because she was going to
11 make sure that the work was done and that it was
12 done well and that you were respected.
13 And as we are lifting up Women's
14 History Month, most certainly she embodies all of
15 those things that we lift up and celebrate during
16 this time of year.
17 And so I want to thank our Senate
18 Majority Leader for her leadership always, and
19 for most certainly Senator Cleare for bringing
20 forward this important resolution.
21 Thank you, Madam President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
23 you.
24 Senator Bailey on the resolution.
25 SENATOR BAILEY: Thank you,
845
1 Madam President.
2 Madam Leader, thank you. And as
3 always, eloquent. Senator Cleare, thank you for
4 your words, and Senator Webb, and everybody, all
5 of my colleagues who will after me say incredibly
6 eloquent things about living history.
7 We've read history books, we learn
8 about Black history. But when you've been able
9 to be around and have actual, meaningful
10 conversation with someone who is a part of
11 history, it's important to treasure that. It's
12 important to commemorate that in these floors and
13 places where, quite frankly, Madam President,
14 folks like us weren't allowed here quite some
15 time ago. When she started her life, the way
16 that this chamber looked was a lot different.
17 But because of actions for
18 Dr. Dukes, because of what she did, and folks
19 like her, we have the chance to sit at these
20 seats, to sit at that table, that proverbial
21 table that Shirley Chisholm spoke about. Because
22 of her. Generations after us, even if it's not a
23 textbook or if it's a tablet -- whatever it is,
24 she's going to be in history books. We got a
25 chance to get jewels from somebody who is going
846
1 to be in history books.
2 I think we should soak that in for a
3 second. History wasn't always written for us.
4 Quite frankly, quite the contrary. But in that
5 next chapter, it's written because of people like
6 Dr. Dukes.
7 Growing up, you know about the NAACP
8 and what they've done for Black folks and what
9 they did in our community. And my branch, the
10 Williamsbridge branch, was up here today.
11 But to hear the name Hazel Dukes and
12 then to get a chance to meet her was incredible.
13 And then when you realize that Hazel Dukes knows
14 your name, it sends chills down your spine. The
15 first time that she's said to each of you by your
16 name, I'm pretty sure I can challenge you to say
17 that it made you feel incredibly special.
18 She would come to me and say, the
19 Senator from the Boogie-Down. Because as you
20 well know, Dr. Dukes was Dr. Dukes wherever she
21 was going to be. If it was at the conference, if
22 it was in the chamber, or if it was just on the
23 street, she was consistent. In a day and age
24 when we lack consistency in many ways, she was a
25 steady and consistent figure throughout her life.
847
1 I'm grateful for the times that I
2 had a chance to have a conversation with her.
3 I'm grateful for the knowledge that she imparted
4 upon me and the chances that we had to have a
5 conversation. But I'm grateful that I got to,
6 like by osmosis, almost, as it were, just to soak
7 up some of what she was putting out there.
8 I can't imagine what it was like
9 92 years ago. I can't imagine what it was like
10 to be a Black woman growing up then. But
11 nevertheless, she persisted. She is someone that
12 will ring bells throughout history. So as the
13 bell tolls and continues to toll, let's always
14 remember to say thank you, thank you to the
15 generation.
16 And one more thing, Madam President.
17 Our NAACP chapters, our leadership, thank you for
18 the work that you do. But the membership, we've
19 got to make sure we support them and continue the
20 mission. That's what Dr. Dukes would have wanted
21 us to do.
22 May she rest in peace,
23 Madam President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
25 you.
848
1 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
2 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
3 Madam President.
4 To our Majority Leader, to
5 Senator Cleare, thank you for bringing this
6 before us.
7 A mighty tree has fallen. You can't
8 get around that. The world has changed. A
9 mighty tree has fallen.
10 Let me tell you a quick Hazel Dukes
11 story, a recent one. Everyone knows that
12 New York State has pioneered the art, the
13 science, the wonder of trying to figure out
14 reparations. But what you may not know is there
15 came some snags in that. There were -- the big
16 money said it would not happen, that it couldn't
17 happen and it just -- it was dead in the water,
18 dead man walking.
19 All right. They didn't understand
20 the dynamics. And I picked up the phone to Hazel
21 Dukes. Now, I cannot attest to what happened. I
22 cannot tell you the magic that was done. I
23 cannot tell you what this arm twister or this
24 smile -- I don't know. But what I do know is a
25 no turned into a yes.
849
1 Now, I'm not quite clear on how it
2 happened, and I sure wish that I could have her
3 in my life for a whole bunch of other things.
4 But all I know is a no turned into a yes.
5 So we're seeing the passing of the
6 greatest generation. Isn't this amazing? Folk
7 who stood when the rest of us would have fallen.
8 Women and men who labored from can't see in the
9 morning to can't see at night, who stood up when
10 everybody ran -- when it was sensible to run and
11 it may have been insane to stand. A mighty
12 generation. They don't make them that way
13 anymore. Or do they?
14 So a mighty tree has fallen. Can't
15 get around it. This is a tree that gave us
16 shade, took us under her wing, comforted us. Fed
17 us -- if you were hungry, you were fed. Gave us
18 warmth. But I know one thing about life and
19 nature. A mighty tree is necessary in nature,
20 but it must fall because if the mighty tree does
21 not fall, the younger trees cannot come forward.
22 The next generation has to come
23 forward. The mighty trees have to yield so that
24 the next branches of the trees come forward.
25 We are here saluting the next
850
1 branches of this tree. You come from a good
2 stock. You got deep roots. These roots go back
3 400 years. They never ran. They never will.
4 May you stand well-comforted by the incredible
5 tradition that you come out of. A tradition that
6 has brought us to here, where you have the first
7 Black Majority Leader, a mighty tree.
8 Having said this, I say to you what
9 I said to her. Whatever little bit I could do is
10 done. I don't want anything except to aid in the
11 process of growing this great tree. And that
12 tree has to lead to one America. One America.
13 Not 20, not 30, just one America with the same
14 rights for everyone.
15 God bless you all. Thank you very
16 much.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT PERSAUD: Thank
18 you, Senator.
19 Senator Jackson on the resolution.
20 SENATOR JACKSON: Thank you,
21 Madam President and my colleagues.
22 And to the Majority Leader and
23 Cordell Cleare, thank you for bringing forward
24 the resolution. And I just want to thank
25 Dr. Hazel Dukes for her advocacy on behalf of all
851
1 people, and especially the children.
2 When I was involved with the
3 Campaign for Fiscal Equity, CFE versus the State
4 of New York, she was there and she supported the
5 process of litigating this particular case. It
6 took many, many years. But the bottom line, like
7 you know and like she knew, is that education is
8 the key to uplift all people. It doesn't matter
9 if you're Black or you're white or you're
10 Hispanic or you're Asian, whether you're rich or
11 you're poor. It's education.
12 And Dr. Dukes has always been there
13 as someone. So I rise now in her passing, but to
14 thank her for being who she was and standing up
15 for what's right. And that's what this is about.
16 And that's why I'm committed as a State Senator
17 to continue to struggle to represent people and
18 do the best that I can to make their lives
19 better.
20 And with that, to the family and
21 friends, peace and blessings to you. And rest in
22 peace, my dear Mom, Hazel Dukes.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
24 Brisport on the resolution.
25 SENATOR BRISPORT: Thank you,
852
1 Mr. President.
2 I want to thank the leader for
3 introducing this resolution, and also my
4 colleague Senator Cleare.
5 I want to reiterate what Senator
6 Jackson just said about Dr. Hazel Dukes'
7 commitment to uplifting children and say one of
8 my favorite memories of fighting alongside her
9 was a couple of years ago when there were
10 proposed changes to the charter school cap.
11 Because I remember Dr. Dukes hearing
12 that there may be a massive expansion in charter
13 schools in New York City, and she wasn't having
14 that. So she showed up in Albany to rally with
15 us. And standing alongside her, I could feel the
16 immense legacy that she emanated. It really made
17 me wish I could have been there in the '60s
18 fighting alongside her.
19 But truly, when someone like
20 Dr. Hazel Dukes devotes their entire life to
21 uplifting children -- and so many other things,
22 but uplifting children is one way to uplift all
23 of society. And I've just got to say she has
24 left incredibly large shoes that it will take all
25 of us to fill.
853
1 So thank you again for introducing
2 this resolution.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
4 Liu on the resolution.
5 SENATOR LIU: Thank you,
6 Mr. President.
7 I will -- you know, I sit next to
8 Senator Sanders. I listen to him all the time.
9 It usually goes in one ear and out the other.
10 But today I was moved. You know, Sanders, you
11 actually said something good.
12 SENATOR SANDERS: Be the last -- be
13 the last time.
14 SENATOR LIU: It was -- you know,
15 he said that a mighty tree at some point has to
16 fall so that the young trees can grow up and take
17 over. And as much tribute has been paid to
18 Ma Dukes, I want to say that we are in good hands
19 with L. Joy Williams. I was there when Ma Dukes
20 anointed her the leader of Brooklyn. And now she
21 has -- she is that new young tree that is taking
22 the place of Ma Dukes.
23 Thank you, Mr. President.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
25 Krueger on the resolution.
854
1 SENATOR KRUEGER: So Hazel Dukes
2 had an enormous impact on me in one day in my
3 life. It was the late 1980s. Ted Kennedy -- one
4 of the good Kennedys --
5 (Laughter.)
6 SENATOR KRUEGER: -- was coming to
7 New York to do a -- to revisit -- sorry -- the
8 tour of Robert, Sr., on hunger in America. And
9 so they had planned a whole day of visits through
10 the same areas of New York City that Robert
11 Kennedy, Sr., had visited. And Ted Kennedy was
12 carrying an antihunger bill in Congress at the
13 time.
14 And I was invited to come be with
15 Ted Kennedy and, it turns out, Hazel Dukes,
16 traveling the day, talking about the continuing
17 crisis of hunger growing out of inadequate
18 funding of federal food programs, which was the
19 area I was working in at the time. And I pretty
20 much think I spent the whole day with my mouth
21 open, just listening to Ted Kennedy and
22 Hazel Dukes talk about the work that had been
23 done and needed to be done.
24 So even though in theory I was there
25 to explain technically what was going on, I was
855
1 mostly just sitting in this car with my mouth
2 open the whole day. And I never forgot that day.
3 And I think it's just representative
4 of a small piece of the impact that she had in
5 her life, and the work, and the meaning it was
6 for anyone who did have the opportunity to come
7 in contact with her.
8 Thank you.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: To our
10 guests, NAACP leadership for the future, I
11 welcome you on behalf of the Senate. We extend
12 to you all of the privileges and courtesies of
13 this house.
14 Please rise and be recognized.
15 (Extended standing ovation.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
17 question is on the resolution. All in favor
18 signify by saying aye.
19 (Response of "Aye.")
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
21 nay.
22 (No response.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
24 resolution is adopted.
25 Senator Gianaris.
856
1 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
2 Mr. President.
3 We have some additional resolutions
4 to take up. We are going to simultaneously call
5 an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in
6 Room 332, and then take up Resolution 439, by
7 Leader Stewart-Cousins, read that in its
8 entirety, and call on Senator Webb on that
9 resolution.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There
11 will be an immediate meeting of the
12 Rules Committee in Room 332.
13 Please read the resolution
14 prescribed by Senator Gianaris. The Secretary
15 will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 439, by
17 Senator Stewart-Cousins, memorializing Governor
18 Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025 as Women's
19 History Month in the State of New York,
20 recognizing the invaluable contributions of women
21 in all aspects of society.
22 "WHEREAS, March is Women's History
23 Month, and each year New York State officially
24 sets aside time to recognize the unique
25 contributions that women have made to New York
857
1 State and beyond; and
2 "WHEREAS, New York State has a
3 distinguished history of monumental achievements
4 in the area of women's rights; and has long been
5 at the forefront of the women's rights movement,
6 leading the nation in legislative and social
7 advancements for gender equality; and
8 "WHEREAS, The social and political
9 leadership of women has strengthened our
10 democracy, from the abolitionists who fought for
11 the freedom and racial equality of all Americans
12 and the suffragists who fought for the
13 19th Amendment in 1920 to modern-day leaders
14 shaping policy and governance at all levels; and
15 "WHEREAS, Throughout history, women
16 have played an integral role in shaping
17 politics, education, science, law, medicine,
18 business, technology, literature, arts, and
19 sports, breaking barriers and driving progress
20 despite systemic obstacles; and
21 "WHEREAS, Recognizing Women's
22 History Month provides an opportunity to
23 highlight, honor, and celebrate the vital and
24 extraordinary achievements of women past and
25 present, ensuring that their stories are included
858
1 in our national and state narratives and serve
2 as inspiration for future generations; and
3 "WHEREAS, Breaking barriers in
4 education, Emma Willard opened the Troy Female
5 Seminary in Troy, New York, in 1821, the first
6 endowed institution for the education of women,
7 expanding opportunities for women's academic
8 advancement; and
9 "WHEREAS, In 1848 in New York, the
10 first Women's Rights Convention was held at
11 Seneca Falls to secure for all women a number of
12 civil rights, including the right to vote, access
13 to education, property ownership, and legal
14 rights; and
15 "WHEREAS, Racial justice has been a
16 crucial and ongoing fight within the women's
17 rights movement, as women of color have
18 historically faced both gender and racial
19 discrimination; and Sojourner Truth, an
20 abolitionist and civil rights advocate who
21 challenged racial and gender inequality, spoke
22 out for the abolition of slavery and suffrage for
23 all women, famously delivering her 'Ain't I a
24 Woman?' speech in 1851; and Harriet Tubman, a
25 courageous abolitionist, led enslaved individuals
859
1 to freedom through the Underground Railroad
2 during the 1850s and 1860s, ultimately settling
3 in Auburn, New York, where she continued her
4 humanitarian work; and
5 "WHEREAS, Pioneering advancements in
6 education and medicine, Elizabeth Blackwell
7 became the first woman in the United States to
8 earn a medical degree, in 1849, from Geneva
9 Medical College in New York, paving the way for
10 women in medicine; and Dr. Mary E. Walker, the
11 first female United States Army surgeon, in 1863,
12 was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in
13 1865, becoming the only woman in U.S. history to
14 receive this distinction; and
15 "WHEREAS, Belva Lockwood became the
16 first woman to argue a case before the U.S.
17 Supreme Court in 1880, advocating for women's
18 rights in the legal profession; and
19 "WHEREAS, Ida B. Wells, a
20 journalist, civil rights activist, and former
21 resident of Brooklyn, fought for social,
22 economic, and racial equality for
23 African-Americans and all women while cofounding
24 the National Association for the Advancement of
25 Colored People (NAACP) in 1909, highlighting the
860
1 intersection of civil rights and women's rights;
2 and
3 "WHEREAS, Between 1911 and 1919,
4 Madam C.J. Walker, an African-American
5 entrepreneur and former resident of Harlem,
6 became the first woman of any race to become a
7 self-made millionaire due to the success of her
8 hair-care products and the Madam C.J. Walker
9 Manufacturing Company; and furthermore, Madam
10 C.J. Walker's mansion, Villa Lewaro, located in
11 Irvington, New York, is listed on the National
12 Register of Historic places and stands as a
13 symbol of optimism, perseverance, and the
14 resilience of the American entrepreneurial
15 spirit; and
16 "WHEREAS, In 1917, New York
17 guaranteed women the right to vote in all
18 elections, and in the following year the first
19 two women, Ida Sammis and Mary Lilly, were
20 elected to the New York State Legislature and
21 became the first women to then serve in 1919; and
22 "WHEREAS, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and
23 Susan B. Anthony were two of many women leading
24 the campaign for women's suffrage throughout the
25 mid-to-late 19th century, advocating for the
861
1 right to vote, which culminated in the passage of
2 the 19th Amendment in 1920; and Maud Wood Park
3 became the first national president of the League
4 of Women Voters in 1920, helping to establish an
5 organization that continues to empower voters and
6 defend democracy; and
7 "WHEREAS, Margaret Sanger, a pioneer
8 in birth control education and advocacy, opened
9 the first birth control clinic in the
10 United States in Brooklyn, in 1916, leading to
11 the establishment of the Birth Control Clinical
12 Research Bureau in New York City in 1923; and
13 "WHEREAS, Eleanor Roosevelt, a
14 humanitarian and diplomat, served as the
15 United States Delegate to the United Nations from
16 1946 to 1952, and played a pivotal role in
17 drafting the Universal Declaration of
18 Human Rights in 1948; and
19 "WHEREAS, Rhoda Fox Graves, in 1934,
20 became the first woman to be elected to the
21 New York State Senate; she served from 1935 to
22 1948, sitting in the 158th, 159th, 160th, 161st,
23 162nd, 163rd, 164th, 165th, and 166th New York
24 State Legislatures; and
25 "WHEREAS, In 1955, Bessie Buchanan
862
1 was the first African-American woman to serve in
2 the New York State Legislature; and
3 "WHEREAS, Constance Baker Motley, a
4 civil rights lawyer and the first Black woman
5 elected to the New York State Senate in 1964, was
6 appointed to the U.S. District Court for the
7 Southern District of New York in January 1966,
8 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was confirmed
9 by the United States Senate in August 1966,
10 making her the first Black woman to serve as a
11 federal judge in the United States; and
12 "WHEREAS, In 1967, Muriel Siebert
13 became the first woman to own a seat on the
14 New York Stock Exchange, opening the door for
15 women to gain positions of greater economic
16 power; and
17 "WHEREAS, In 1968, New York State
18 Assemblywoman Shirley Chisholm became the first
19 Black woman elected to Congress, and in 1972 she
20 ran for President of the United States, another
21 first for Black women; and
22 "WHEREAS, In 1970, New York City was
23 the site of the first Women's Strike for
24 Equality, in which 50,000 people marched for
25 equal rights; and
863
1 "WHEREAS, In 1978, Olga Mendez
2 became the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in
3 the New York State Legislature; in 1983, New York
4 State women legislators established the
5 Legislative Women's Caucus to improve the
6 participation of women in all areas of
7 government, support issues that benefit women,
8 and provide a network of support for women in the
9 State Legislature; and
10 "WHEREAS, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a
11 Brooklyn native, was a trailblazing attorney and
12 jurist who dedicated her career to advancing
13 gender equality and civil rights and successfully
14 argued landmark cases before the U.S. Supreme
15 Court, challenging laws that discriminated on the
16 basis of sex and laying the legal foundation for
17 gender equity; in 1993, she made history as the
18 second woman and the first Jewish woman to serve
19 on the U.S. Supreme Court; and
20 "WHEREAS, In 1999, the Berkshire
21 Conference of Women Historians was held to
22 improve the status of women in history and in the
23 historical professions; and
24 "WHEREAS, Hillary Rodham Clinton has
25 been a trailblazer in American politics and
864
1 public service, and in 2000 she became the first
2 woman elected as a U.S. Senator for New York
3 State; and
4 "WHEREAS, In 2007, Ellen Young was
5 the first Asian-American woman to serve in the
6 New York State Legislature; and
7 "WHEREAS, In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor,
8 a Bronx native, became the first Latina and the
9 third woman appointed to the United States
10 Supreme Court; and
11 "WHEREAS, New Yorker Edith Windsor
12 fought to expand marriage equality in the
13 United States prior to the Marriage Equality Act
14 of New York, which became law in 2011; and
15 "WHEREAS, In 2015, New Yorker
16 Loretta Elizabeth Lynch was appointed as
17 Attorney General of the United States, becoming
18 the first African-American woman to serve in this
19 esteemed position; and
20 "WHEREAS, Avril Haines of New York
21 City became the first woman to serve as the
22 Director of National Intelligence on January 21,
23 2021; furthermore, on January 26, 2021,
24 Janet Yellen of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, became the
25 first woman to serve as the U.S. Secretary of
865
1 Treasury; and
2 "WHEREAS, Brenda K. Sannes became
3 the first woman to serve as Chief Judge of the
4 U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
5 New York in 2022; Nusrat Choudhury became the
6 first Muslim-American woman and the first
7 Bangladeshi-American to serve as a U.S. District
8 Judge in the Eastern District of New York in
9 2023; Meredith Vacca became the first
10 Asian-American woman to serve as a Judge of the
11 Western District of New York in 2024; and
12 "WHEREAS, The New York Liberty won
13 their first WNBA Championship in 2024, marking a
14 significant milestone in women's sports; and
15 "WHEREAS, Currently, 50 percent of
16 statewide elected officials are women, a
17 testament to the growing representation and
18 leadership of women in New York State government;
19 notably, each of these leaders made history as
20 the first woman elected to their respective
21 positions, breaking barriers and paving the way
22 for future generations of women in public
23 service; and
24 "WHEREAS, 2025 marks the
25 105th Anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which
866
1 guaranteed women the right to vote in the
2 United States; and
3 "WHEREAS, Today, 73 women serve in
4 the New York State Legislature, 51 Assemblywomen
5 and 22 Senators, holding leadership positions in
6 both houses and bringing the diverse experiences
7 of women into law and public policy; and
8 "WHEREAS, The extraordinary
9 achievements of these trailblazing women --
10 spanning politics, law, medicine, business,
11 civil rights, journalism, education, and
12 activism -- have shaped the course of history and
13 continue to inspire future generations; the
14 collective achievements and efforts of these
15 women have expanded rights, shattered barriers,
16 and strengthened democracy, ensuring a more just
17 and equitable society for all; now, therefore, be
18 it
19 "RESOLVED, That this Legislative
20 Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize
21 Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim March 2025 as
22 Women's History Month in the State of New York;
23 and be it further
24 "RESOLVED, That copies of this
25 resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to
867
1 the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State
2 of New York, and the Legislative Women's Caucus
3 of New York State."
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
5 Webb on the resolution.
6 SENATOR WEBB: Thank you,
7 Mr. President.
8 It is my honor to rise today on
9 behalf of our esteemed Majority Leader, Senator
10 Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to speak on this very
11 timely and very needed resolution memorializing
12 Governor Hochul to proclaim March 2025 as Women's
13 History Month in our great State of New York.
14 As it was read by our clerk, to
15 recognize the countless contributions that women
16 have made in our past, present and most certainly
17 our future, and as we take up this resolution
18 today, I want to lift up the words of a
19 well-known abolitionist, feminist, and that is
20 Sojourner Truth. She was someone who, like
21 Dr. Hazel Dukes, who was unwavering in her
22 commitment, courageous in a time where there was
23 imminent danger. But she stood strong. And as
24 she delivered her speech "Ain't I a Woman?" at
25 the 1851 Women's Rights Convention more than
868
1 174 years ago, there's a particular piece in that
2 speech I wanted to lift up that I think also
3 helps to characterize why, when you add women,
4 you change everything.
5 "If the first woman God ever made
6 was strong enough to turn the world upside down
7 all alone, these women together ought to be able
8 to turn it back and get it right side up! And
9 now they is asking to do it, the men better let
10 them."
11 (Laughter.)
12 SENATOR WEBB: The words of
13 Sojourner Truth ring true today as we gather our
14 collective strength to face new and continued
15 challenges as a nation, most certainly as a
16 state, and in our respective communities.
17 Mr. President, as we pause today to
18 recognize Women's History Month and to lift up
19 the long and distinguished history of the women
20 of New York, as it has been mentioned, this year
21 marks the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment
22 which granted women the right to vote in the
23 United States. And we know that women of color
24 didn't see that right until many years later.
25 We know that it is important that we
869
1 lift up women like Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth
2 Cady Stanton and we celebrate abolitionists Like
3 Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman -- all the
4 women of color, past and present, who continue
5 fighting to ensure justice and dignity for all
6 women.
7 We celebrate trailblazers like Ida
8 B. Wells, a journalist and civil rights activist
9 who fought for social, economic and racial
10 equality for African-Americans and all women,
11 also while cofounding the NAACP in 1909.
12 We also want to thank women who
13 continue to break and shatter not only glass
14 ceilings, but especially for women of color,
15 those ceilings are often made of bricks. And so
16 we have trailblazers in our own state like
17 New York State leader, former Assemblywoman and
18 Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, who became the
19 first Black woman elected to Congress and in 1972
20 became the first Black woman to run for
21 president.
22 We also recognize the history of
23 women in this chamber. Most certainly,
24 Mr. President, I was proud to be elected to this
25 body two years ago as part of the first-ever
870
1 all-women class of Senators ever in our state
2 history.
3 And we have the opportunity and the
4 privilege to serve under the leadership of yet
5 another trailblazer, our own Majority Leader,
6 Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who is the first
7 Black woman to lead our respective legislative
8 body.
9 And so while we continue to make
10 important milestones and break records in our
11 state, I want it to be clear: We have a long way
12 to go. When you talk about issues as it relates
13 to fairness in pay, when we talk about, through
14 policy, the work we're trying to do to address
15 the very real challenges with maternal mortality
16 rates, when we talk about still having to ensure
17 that we have bodily autonomy as women in this
18 country, it is important that representation in
19 every institution has gender parity.
20 And so as we commemorate Women's
21 History Month and we lift up these challenges, it
22 is important that we think about the next
23 generation of women leaders, that we are creating
24 a legacy that they can carry this torch of
25 change, of human change. And that, as it says in
871
1 the saying that we all have heard, Strong women,
2 right, may we know them, may we be them, and most
3 certainly may we raise them.
4 Mr. President, I encourage my
5 colleagues to vote aye. I will most certainly be
6 doing that. And happy Women's History Month.
7 Thank you, Mr. President.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
9 you, Senator Webb.
10 Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick on the
11 resolution.
12 SENATOR CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK:
13 Thank you, Mr. President.
14 I rise to thank the Majority Leader
15 for bringing this resolution to the floor to
16 commemorate Women's History Month so that we can
17 take a moment to recognize the multitude of women
18 who have contributed to our great state, to our
19 nation, and to the world at large.
20 For those of you who are fans of
21 golf, the first professional female golfer, Helen
22 Hicks, was born in my Senate district, the 9th
23 Senate District, in Cedarhurst, and was one of
24 the 13 founding members of the LPGA. Her playing
25 career included two major championship titles,
872
1 and last year Helen was inducted into the World
2 Golf Hall of Fame for her storied career and her
3 efforts for women's golf.
4 I couldn't stand here today without
5 the support of the great women in my life. And I
6 always think of my grandmother, Sophie Canzoneri,
7 who immigrated to this country from Italy. And I
8 wear her American flag pin proudly, because she
9 was so proud to be an American citizen.
10 I also have to thank my mom, because
11 she encouraged me, along with my brothers, to do
12 anything I wanted. As one of six, three girls,
13 three boys, she raised us -- without Alice or any
14 other help from anybody outside -- and I always
15 admire my mom for that.
16 As the mother of three daughters,
17 I'm proud of the numerous roles women have in our
18 sports, our business, our academics, and here in
19 this chamber.
20 But most importantly, we need to
21 show them that we are examples to them of what
22 they can do. And even more importantly, we have
23 to show our sons that women can do anything.
24 Because when they have the support of everyone
25 around them, there is no limit to what they can
873
1 achieve.
2 So thank you, Mr. President, for
3 allowing me to speak on this.
4 I proudly vote aye. Thank you.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
6 you, Senator Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick.
7 Senator Sanders on the resolution.
8 SENATOR SANDERS: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 Today I rise as Sister Lois's son.
11 My mother, Lois Sanders, was a proud Black woman
12 who through her life tried to show and teach us
13 that women were equal to us. They were not
14 supposed to walk behind us, not supposed to do
15 any of that stupid stuff, that they will walk
16 equal with us. And you don't have to be a woman
17 to support women.
18 I understand that women hold up half
19 the sky. And I understand that if the sky hasn't
20 fallen, it's because women have been holding up
21 perhaps more than their share.
22 So I just could not let the day go
23 by without saying that all of us should be
24 supporting -- not just in words, but through
25 legislation -- to say that we believe in the
874
1 equality of the human family, equality of women.
2 And we can do it by voting on certain
3 legislation. And I'll be nice for the moment.
4 Thank you, Mr. President.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Thank
6 you, Senator Sanders.
7 The question is on the resolution.
8 All in favor signify by saying aye.
9 (Response of "Aye.")
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
11 nay.
12 (No response.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
14 resolution is adopted.
15 Senator Gianaris.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: Now let's move
17 on to previously adopted Resolution 380, by
18 Senator Hinchey, read that resolution's title and
19 recognize Senator Hinchey.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
21 Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 380, by
23 Senator Hinchey, memorializing Governor Kathy
24 Hochul to proclaim February 15-22, 2025, as
25 National FFA Organization Week in the State of
875
1 New York.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
3 Hinchey on the resolution.
4 SENATOR HINCHEY: Thank you,
5 Mr. President.
6 New York FFA was first founded by a
7 group of young farmers, predating the
8 establishment of the National FFA in 1928. Their
9 mission was to prepare future generations for the
10 challenges of feeding a growing population.
11 Throughout its history, FFA has
12 expanded into a program that helps students
13 discover their talents, serve their communities,
14 and gain leadership experience across a variety
15 of pathways. These are our future teachers,
16 chemists, environmental scientists,
17 veterinarians, and overall our future leaders.
18 This year is an incredibly special
19 one, as it is New York's FFA celebrating its
20 100-year anniversary.
21 New York FFA has seen significant
22 growth in recent years. We actually had the Ag
23 commissioner come to our committee meeting today,
24 who shared with us that New York is the
25 fastest-growing FFA state in the country. In
876
1 fact, in 2016 Commissioner Ball challenged FFA to
2 increase its number of charters across the state
3 by 100. And as of last year, FFA reached that
4 goal with 103 new chapters, totaling over
5 200 chapters across our state. That's 100 new
6 chapters in time for 100 years.
7 The FFA motto gives members 12 words
8 to live by: Learning to do, doing to learn,
9 earning to live, and living to serve. To me,
10 that is a beautiful encapsulation of what we want
11 to inspire and how we want to inspire all of our
12 future leaders.
13 I'm incredibly proud that FFA is
14 such a strong organization in New York, and I'm
15 very proud to vote aye on this resolution.
16 Thank you, Mr. President.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
18 Borrello on the resolution.
19 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
20 Mr. President.
21 I'd like to thank our sponsor, our
22 chairwoman of the Ag Committee for bringing this
23 forward.
24 The FFA is truly about the future of
25 agriculture here in New York State. It is our
877
1 young people getting involved in this
2 organization that will ensure that agriculture
3 remains strong here in New York State. And FFA
4 is strong. As the chairwoman mentioned, it is
5 growing here in New York State. Chapters are
6 increasing.
7 And this is truly a statewide
8 organization. In fact, the largest chapter of
9 the Future Farmers of America is in Queens. So
10 that's a proud statement here, that this is truly
11 a statewide organization.
12 It is an organization that teaches
13 leadership, strength, an organization that is
14 truly making sure that we have a future here,
15 that we can feed New Yorkers for the long term
16 with food grown right here in New York State.
17 As we move ahead in this chamber, we
18 should understand that we have a tremendous
19 impact on agriculture here in New York State, and
20 understand that the folks, the young people that
21 make up our FFA chapters across the state are
22 committing themselves to remaining here and being
23 farmers and protecting the future of New York
24 State's ability to feed itself. It's an
25 important thing for them, and an important thing
878
1 for us to remember.
2 So we're here to celebrate FFA.
3 Thank you all for that support. And God bless
4 those who grow our food. No farms, no food.
5 Thank you, Mr. President.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
7 Oberacker on the resolution.
8 SENATOR OBERACKER: Thank you,
9 Mr. President.
10 Mr. President, on the eighth day God
11 looked down on this planned paradise and he said,
12 I need a caretaker. So God made a farmer.
13 God said, I need somebody willing to
14 get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in
15 the fields, milk cows again, eat supper, then go
16 down and stay past midnight at the meeting of the
17 local school board. So God, Mr. President, gave
18 me a son.
19 God said: I need somebody strong
20 enough to clear the trees, heave bales, yet
21 gentle enough to tame lambs, wean pigs, tend the
22 pink-combed pullets, and who will stop his mower
23 for an hour to splint the broken leg of a
24 meadowlark. So God, Mr. President, gave me a
25 son.
879
1 Mr. President, if we had somebody to
2 plow deep, straight, not cut corners; somebody to
3 seed, weed, feed, breed, rake and disk and plow
4 and plant, and tie the fleece and strain the milk
5 and replenish the self-feeder and finish a hard
6 day's work with a five-mile drive to church --
7 somebody who would be willing to bale a family
8 together with the soft, strong bonds of sharing,
9 who would laugh and then sigh and then reply,
10 with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to
11 spend his life doing what his dad does.
12 So, Mr. President, God gave me two
13 grandsons. And if there were ever two truer
14 Future Farmers of America, it's two grandsons.
15 So, Mr. President, I would like to
16 thank our chair of Agriculture for bringing this
17 resolution forward. And I proudly, as a farmer
18 myself, vote aye.
19 Thank you, Mr. President.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
21 resolution was adopted on February 25th.
22 Senator Gianaris.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
24 the sponsors of the various resolutions we took
25 up today would like to open them for
880
1 cosponsorship.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
3 resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should
4 you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify
5 the desk.
6 Senator Gianaris.
7 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
8 there's a privileged resolution at the desk.
9 Please take that up, read its title,
10 and recognize Senator Mayer on that resolution.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
12 Secretary will read.
13 THE SECRETARY: Resolution 438, by
14 Senator Mayer, Concurrent Resolution of the
15 Senate and Assembly providing for the election of
16 eight Regents of the University of the State of
17 New York.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
19 Mayer on the privileged resolution.
20 SENATOR MAYER: Thank you,
21 Mr. President.
22 And it's truly my honor to rise in
23 support of this resolution as the sponsor,
24 together with my colleague Senator Stavisky,
25 chair of the Higher Education Committee here in
881
1 the Senate.
2 This is a resolution that we do here
3 in the Senate as well as the Assembly does at the
4 same time, providing for the election of eight
5 Regents. And I do want to speak both about the
6 process and the names of those we are electing.
7 In the first place, we continue to
8 have a robust interview process where people who
9 are interested in these positions came forward,
10 were interviewed by a bipartisan group of members
11 of the Senate and Assembly.
12 We spent a good deal of time asking
13 tough questions and getting good answers. And we
14 commend all those who came forward to volunteer
15 for this incredibly important task of serving as
16 a Regent of the University of the State of
17 New York, not only with responsibility for the
18 education of our younger children from
19 kindergarten through 12th grade, but of many
20 issues that involve the professions and higher
21 ed.
22 And we're very, very fortunate to
23 have a distinguished group that we elect here
24 today. I want to go through who we are either
25 reelecting or suggesting as new Regents.
882
1 For the Second Judicial District,
2 which is Kings County in the City of New York,
3 Hasoni Pratts, of the County of Kings, to be
4 reelected Regent of the University of the State
5 of New York for a term of five years.
6 Dr. Roger P. Catania, of the County
7 of Essex, to be reelected Regent for a term of
8 five years. And the County of Essex is in the
9 Fourth Judicial District, which includes Clinton,
10 Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery,
11 Saratoga, Schenectady, St. Lawrence, Warren and
12 Washington counties.
13 And in the Eighth Judicial District,
14 which includes Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua,
15 Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming
16 County, we are appointing Keith B. Wiley, of the
17 County of Erie, to be elected as Regent for the
18 Eighth Judicial District.
19 And for the Ninth Judicial District,
20 for the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam,
21 Rockland and Westchester, we are reelecting the
22 current Regent, Dr. Frances G. Wills, to serve
23 for a term of five years.
24 For the 10th Judicial District, in
25 Nassau and Suffolk County, we are electing
883
1 Felicia Thomas-Williams of the County of Suffolk
2 as the Regent for the 10th Judicial District.
3 We are reappointing Dr. Lester W.
4 Young, Jr., the current chancellor, from the
5 County of Queens, to be reelected as at-large
6 Regent for a term of five years.
7 And Roger B. Tilles, currently a
8 Regent, to be elected an at-large Regent for a
9 term of one year.
10 All of these individuals give of
11 their time, give of their energy, give of their
12 experience to help work with us to craft
13 constructive ways to deal with the challenges of
14 education and the professions in New York State.
15 We are fortunate to have them be willing to come
16 forward.
17 We look forward to their hard work.
18 We look forward to engaging with them when we
19 agree and disagree. But as a state, we are
20 incredibly fortunate to have these individuals be
21 willing to achieve and take on these
22 responsibilities and to serve on the Board of
23 Regents.
24 So I encourage all my colleagues to
25 vote aye on this resolution, and I'm very, very
884
1 honored to be the sponsor of this resolution.
2 Thank you.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
4 Stavisky on the resolution.
5 SENATOR STAVISKY: Thank you.
6 Thank you, Mr. President, and Senator Mayer.
7 It's interesting, when people hear
8 the term Regents, they assume it's an exam. But
9 it's not. It's much more than that. There are
10 17 people with the title Regent, and we are
11 electing eight of them today.
12 But the Regents, interestingly,
13 are -- they go back to our colonial period. And
14 I love to cite one of the most famous Regents was
15 Alexander Hamilton. He was I guess in the room
16 where it all happened originally.
17 And the Regents are unique. They
18 are the policymaking body, the educational
19 policymaking body of the State of New York. And
20 in most states the commissioner of education is
21 either appointed by the governor, it's a
22 gubernatorial agency, or in some states they're
23 elected by the people in a general-election vote.
24 New York is unique because the
25 Commissioner of Education is elected by the
885
1 Regents. And the Regents are elected, as you
2 know, by the Legislature.
3 So I can congratulate the Regents
4 who have come forth through the interview
5 process. We are proud of the work that you do,
6 and continue to make New York State a leader in
7 the education process.
8 The chancellor is a constituent of
9 mine, and I congratulate him. He has a long
10 history of service, starting as a teacher,
11 frankly, and then rising through the ranks to
12 become a superintendent and I think a deputy
13 commissioner in Albany and now, since 2008, a
14 Regent.
15 But all of the Regents have
16 excellent credentials, and we congratulate them.
17 And I urge a positive vote today.
18 Thank you, Mr. President.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
20 Murray on the resolution.
21 SENATOR MURRAY: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 Again, I'm going to rise and -- when
24 I was down the hall in the Assembly and I was the
25 ranking minority member on the Education
886
1 Committee, I sat in on all of the interviews.
2 And it is an interesting prospect. You meet some
3 great people and get some great information. And
4 you really dig deep into background and pick the
5 good candidates.
6 Unfortunately, that process doesn't
7 allow every one of us -- I mean, I guess it does,
8 it's open, but with our busy schedules most don't
9 get the opportunity to participate like that.
10 And so you don't really get to know
11 the individual candidates like maybe you could or
12 should. And in fact we'll be voting on
13 candidates that directly affect my area today --
14 two, in fact. One is at-large, and the other one
15 will be directly in our judicial area.
16 But once again, and I rise and say
17 this multiple times in the process, there are
18 eight individual people that we are voting on
19 today. Unfortunately, we're voting with one
20 vote. Does that mean we support every one of the
21 eight? We don't know, if you haven't looked into
22 their background. But we have one opportunity to
23 vote up or down on eight individual candidates.
24 I think the process is not good. I
25 think we should have the opportunity to vote up
887
1 and down on each individual candidate based on
2 each individual candidate's merits, so we are
3 assured that we are getting the best candidates
4 to serve us in such an important position.
5 So for that reason, I will be voting
6 no.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
8 question is on the resolution.
9 The Secretary will call the roll.
10 (The Secretary called the roll.)
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
12 the results.
13 THE SECRETARY: In relation to the
14 resolution, those Senators voting in the negative
15 are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
16 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
17 Helming, Lanza, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker,
18 O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco,
19 Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
20 Ayes, 41. Nays, 20.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
22 resolution is adopted.
23 Senator Gianaris.
24 SENATOR GIANARIS: Mr. President,
25 there is a report of the Rules Committee at the
888
1 desk.
2 Let's take that up, please.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
4 Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Senator
6 Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules,
7 reports the following bills:
8 Senate Print 172, by Senator Ramos,
9 an act to amend the Workers' Compensation Law;
10 Senate Print 372, by
11 Senator Gianaris, an act to amend the Labor Law;
12 Senate Print 1235A, by
13 Senator Comrie, an act to amend the New York
14 State Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency Act;
15 Senate Print 1514, by
16 Senator Harckham, an act to amend the Labor Law;
17 Senate Print 2236, by Senator
18 Gounardes, an act to amend the Labor Law;
19 Senate Print 4515, by Senator Ramos,
20 an act to amend the Labor Law;
21 Senate Print 4587, by Senator Mayer,
22 an act to amend the Education Law;
23 Senate Print 5442, by
24 Senator Krueger, an act to amend the
25 State Finance Law.
889
1 All bills reported direct to third
2 reading.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: All those
4 in favor of accepting the report of the
5 Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
6 (Response of "Aye.")
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Opposed,
8 nay.
9 (No response.)
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
11 report of the Rules Committee is accepted.
12 Senator Gianaris.
13 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you for
14 recognizing my motion to accept the report of the
15 Rules Committee, Mr. President.
16 (Laughter.)
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: At this time
18 let's take up the reading of the calendar.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
20 Secretary will read.
21 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
22 203, Senate Print 363, by Senator Gianaris, an
23 act to amend the General Business Law.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
25 last section.
890
1 SENATOR GIANARIS: Lay it aside for
2 the day.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
4 will be laid aside for the day.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 364, Senate Print 4188, by Senator Comrie, an act
7 to amend the Penal Law.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
9 last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
21 368, Senate Print 2497, by Senator Gounardes, an
22 act to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
24 last section.
25 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
891
1 act shall take effect immediately.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
3 roll.
4 (The Secretary called the roll.)
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
6 the results.
7 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
8 Calendar 368, those Senators voting in the
9 negative are Senators Borrello,
10 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Lanza, Rhoads,
11 Tedisco and Weik.
12 Ayes, 54. Nays, 7.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
14 is passed.
15 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
16 370, Senate Print 4611, by Senator Ramos, an act
17 to amend the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
19 last section.
20 THE SECRETARY: Section 11. This
21 act shall take effect on the 30th day after it
22 shall have become a law.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
24 roll.
25 (The Secretary called the roll.)
892
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
2 Ramos to explain her vote.
3 SENATOR RAMOS: Hey, thank you,
4 Mr. President.
5 I today want to tell you about a
6 worker who inspired this bill. Sandra Mejia
7 worked for years disinfecting clothes at a
8 laundry on the Upper West Side. Her employer
9 paid 25 percent less than the minimum wage and
10 never paid her the overtime she was owed.
11 During the pandemic, they made Mejia
12 buy her own PPE without compensating her and
13 required her to work in an unventilated basement.
14 When another worker tried to ask why they weren't
15 paid minimum wage, she was fired.
16 All in all, her employer stole a
17 million dollars from its workers over the course
18 of six years. Mejia is just one of countless
19 workers whose experiences show how rampant and
20 unchecked wage theft is in our economy.
21 Whether working in restaurants, nail
22 salons, construction, home care or other
23 industries, New York workers are robbed of, at
24 minimum, $3 billion every year. Many of these
25 workers are immigrants who are more vulnerable to
893
1 exploitation. I have a member on my team who
2 focused exclusively on filing wage-theft claims
3 for my neighbors in my district office.
4 Wage theft's ubiquity is the result
5 of New York's weak labor enforcement and
6 collection laws. Bosses know that even if
7 workers do win in court, they can still get away
8 without paying a single cent by using a variety
9 of tactics to evade payments, ranging from
10 shutting down their businesses, transferring
11 their assets, declaring bankruptcy, or simply
12 never showing up to court.
13 So the Wage Theft Attachment Act
14 we're passing today steps up to face this
15 problem, and that is why I proudly vote aye, so
16 that workers can have a tool and they can finally
17 get their money.
18 Thank you.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
20 Ramos to be recorded in the affirmative.
21 Announce the results.
22 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
23 Calendar 370, those Senators voting in the
24 negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
25 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
894
1 Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray,
2 Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads,
3 Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
4 Ayes, 39. Nays, 22.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 372, Senate Print 4999, by Senator Hoylman-Sigal,
9 an act to amend the Estates, Powers and Trusts
10 Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 372, those Senators voting in the
22 negative are Senators Martins, Rhoads and Weik.
23 Ayes, 58. Nays, 3.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
25 is passed.
895
1 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
2 374, Senate Print 1678, by Senator C. Ryan, an
3 act to authorize the Board of Trustees of the
4 Village of East Syracuse to permit that the
5 Office of Village Justice may be held by a
6 nonresident.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
8 last section.
9 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
10 act shall take effect immediately.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
12 roll.
13 (The Secretary called the roll.)
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
15 the results.
16 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
18 is passed.
19 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
20 376, Senate Print 4483, by Senator Mayer, an act
21 to amend the Village Law.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
23 last section.
24 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
25 act shall take effect immediately.
896
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
2 roll.
3 (The Secretary called the roll.)
4 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
5 the results.
6 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
8 is passed.
9 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
10 407, Senate Print 2708, by Senator May, an act to
11 amend the Public Service Law.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
13 last section.
14 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
15 act shall take effect on the 90th day after it
16 shall have become a law.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
18 roll.
19 (The Secretary called the roll.)
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
21 May to explain her vote.
22 SENATOR MAY: Thank you,
23 Mr. President.
24 As we see a lot of economic
25 development in this state, as we see transitions
897
1 of buildings and transportation to using more
2 efficient electric energy, we are also seeing
3 pressure on the electric grid to be able to
4 transmit the amount of energy that we need.
5 And it turns out that the
6 solutions are not all big, expensive new grid
7 infrastructure, but there are actually solutions
8 that come from just technical efficiencies in the
9 grid system itself. You can move electrons
10 faster if you are testing the temperature of
11 different parts of the grid system. You can make
12 a lot of really dramatic increases in efficiency
13 on the grid with just very clever sensors and
14 other technical interventions.
15 And so I'm excited that we in
16 New York are passing this bill to help us take
17 those kinds of measures that are smart, they are
18 cost-effective, and they are truly efficient and
19 can make our whole grid system more efficient.
20 So I'm grateful that this bill has
21 come up for a vote, and I vote aye.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 May to be recorded in the affirmative.
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
898
1 Calendar 407, those Senators voting in the
2 negative are Senators Griffo, Lanza, Martins,
3 Oberacker and Stec.
4 Ayes, 56. Nays, 5.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
6 is passed.
7 There is a substitution at the desk.
8 The Secretary will read.
9 THE SECRETARY: Senator Gonzalez
10 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
11 Elections, Assembly Bill Number 5834 and
12 substitute it for the identical Senate Bill 5101,
13 Third Reading Calendar 412.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
15 substitution is so ordered.
16 The Secretary will read.
17 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
18 412, Assembly Bill 5834, by Assemblymember
19 Walker, an act to amend the Election Law.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
25 roll.
899
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
5 Calendar 412, those Senators voting in the
6 negative are Senators Borrello, Griffo,
7 Oberacker, O'Mara, Rhoads, Stec, Walczyk, Weber
8 and Weik.
9 Ayes, 52. Nays, 9.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
11 is passed.
12 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
13 reading of today's calendar.
14 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
15 the supplemental calendar.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
17 Secretary will read.
18 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
19 441, Senate Print 172, by Senator Ramos, an act
20 to amend the Workers' Compensation Law.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
22 last section.
23 THE SECRETARY: Section 17. This
24 act shall take effect immediately.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
900
1 roll.
2 (The Secretary called the roll.)
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
4 Mayer to explain her vote.
5 SENATOR MAYER: Thank you,
6 Mr. President.
7 And a special thank you to
8 Senator Ramos for her leadership on this bill.
9 This bill is incredibly important
10 because it provides urgently needed reforms to
11 the TDI system in our state, but also it includes
12 a provision that will provide families with paid
13 leave following a stillbirth.
14 In New York 3,000 families
15 experience a stillbirth every year, and
16 unfortunately one in four families know the pain
17 of child loss. And yet these parents are
18 ineligible for New York's program.
19 Many years ago I spoke with brave
20 mothers who came to share their stories of
21 stillbirth and their disappointment with the lack
22 of support from the state during the toughest
23 moments of their lives. They felt ignored at
24 every level in state policymaking, ignored by the
25 lack of paid leave, ignored by the lack of
901
1 research into stillbirth, ignored by the stigma
2 of talking about it and advocate for it at a
3 policy level.
4 We have an obligation to do better
5 for them. Any parent who has experienced the
6 loss of a child understands there's an obligation
7 to take these stories out of the shadows and into
8 the halls of chambers like this, to make the
9 policy changes that these parents deserve and to
10 insist that there are more to be done.
11 I'm pleased to be voting yes on this
12 bill. Again, thank you to Senator Ramos for her
13 leadership. And thank you to the brave
14 advocates, the women who have come forward to
15 make sure this issue is addressed.
16 I vote aye.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
18 Mayer to be recorded in the affirmative.
19 Senator Borrello to explain his
20 vote.
21 SENATOR BORRELLO: Thank you,
22 Mr. President.
23 We continue to burden our small
24 businesses here in New York State with more and
25 more costs. And TDI here is now going to go up a
902
1 whopping 600 percent over the course of four
2 years.
3 For those of you that don't know,
4 temporary disability is for an injury -- not an
5 injury that you sustain at work, but rather a
6 sickness that is not work-related. So this is an
7 insurance policy, like any other insurance
8 policy. We don't mandate that businesses pay for
9 car insurance or anything else, but we're going
10 to mandate this, and this increase.
11 Sixty percent of that premium is
12 paid by the business, 40 percent by the
13 employees. With this massive increase, many
14 small business organizations and advocates like
15 NFIB are certain this is going to increase those
16 that are participating in the program, and in
17 some cases in a questionable manner.
18 We continue to drive businesses out
19 of New York State, employers. You know, the
20 problem is that this is continuing to burden and
21 put really a heavy, heavy pressure on the people
22 that really employ the most people here in
23 New York State, and that's New York's small
24 businesses. A 600 percent increase in this cost
25 is going to be yet another reason to drive a
903
1 business out of New York or out of business
2 altogether. So I can't support this bill.
3 You know, it's easy to spend
4 somebody else's money. The problem here in
5 New York State is we're starting to run out of
6 other people's money. We're seeing that in the
7 declining revenue, in income tax and all other
8 taxes -- sales tax, payroll taxes, you name it.
9 We have to stop this, and this is just one more
10 unnecessary burden on New York State businesses.
11 Thank you.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
13 Borrello to be recorded in the negative.
14 Senator Ramos to explain her vote.
15 SENATOR RAMOS: You know,
16 Mr. President, heaven forbid that a small
17 business owner care about its workers. If
18 there's anything we hear from small businesses
19 right now it is that they're dealing with heavy
20 turnover, and we need more incentives, not less,
21 in order to help our small businesses be able to
22 retain their workforce.
23 This is why the Small Business
24 Majority came out in favor of temporary
25 disability reform. It's because the increase is
904
1 coming from a lack of movement since 1989, when
2 the insurance was set at $170 per week. In 2025,
3 it's impossible for anybody to get by on $170 a
4 week. I don't think that's even what we spend on
5 lunch within a week, much less being able to keep
6 up with the cost of living.
7 I mean, had you wanted the increase
8 to be much more modest, perhaps when the other
9 side of the aisle was in charge of this chamber
10 they could have cared to make some improvement in
11 order to help our workers. But that is
12 unfortunately not true.
13 So now here we are, being able to
14 bring stakeholders together and make this
15 monumental change in order to help our workers.
16 I mean, imagine trying to navigate a cancer
17 diagnosis or ALS or experiencing a stillbirth or
18 a mental health crisis while losing your wages
19 and only taking $170 per month. What you're
20 doing is driving workers further into poverty.
21 And then you're going to need a whole other set
22 of services in order to help that worker and that
23 family get by. But that other side of the aisle
24 won't vote for that, either. They just want
25 workers to die, essentially.
905
1 (Reaction from members.)
2 SENATOR RAMOS: So in February of
3 2023, A Better Balance issued a report with
4 recommendations for the modernization of
5 New York's TDI program, many of which are covered
6 in this bill. The report explains that the TDI
7 system, as it currently stands, is deficient in
8 its ability to support veterans and military
9 families, women, New Yorkers with disabilities
10 and Long COVID, and New Yorkers dealing with
11 substance abuse issues.
12 It's inhumane. It's contrary to the
13 interests of public health. It's in direct
14 conflict with our efforts to fight poverty and
15 help New Yorkers find stability in this turbulent
16 world.
17 I want to thank all of the
18 advocates, so many of them, from NYCLU to
19 A Better Balance and many others, who shared
20 their stories about their efforts to heal while
21 facing extreme financial stress, who bravely told
22 personal stories about the most vulnerable time
23 in their lives and helped us advocate to bring
24 this bill to the floor.
25 The work continues to patch the
906
1 holes in the safety net, and I proudly vote aye,
2 Mr. President.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
4 Ramos to be recorded in the affirmative.
5 Senator Martins to explain his vote.
6 SENATOR MARTINS: Thank you,
7 Mr. President.
8 I rise to support this bill, as I
9 have in the past. But I rise also to point out
10 what everyone in this chamber should realize,
11 that this side of the aisle, the side of the
12 aisle that I stand on and stand in, has not been
13 in the majority in this chamber for now seven
14 years.
15 As a matter of fact, Mr. President,
16 that side of the aisle that the sponsor
17 referenced has had a supermajority in this
18 chamber for a number of those years, as well as
19 having a supermajority in the chamber on the
20 other side of this building and also having the
21 benefit of having a Governor that is also of the
22 same party.
23 So here we are, into the seventh
24 year of a majority on that side of the aisle, on
25 the sponsor's side of the aisle -- and again,
907
1 remember, Mr. President, I rise to support this
2 bill. But I will not sit here and listen to
3 people complain about what happened on this side
4 of the aisle when after seven years and here we
5 are, you still haven't gotten there.
6 So hopefully that side of the aisle,
7 along with this side of the aisle, can get this
8 through and we can actually do the right thing
9 for working people and working families in
10 New York State and stop pointing fingers.
11 Mr. President, I vote aye.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
13 Martins to be recorded in the affirmative.
14 Senator Gianaris to explain his
15 vote.
16 SENATOR GIANARIS: Thank you,
17 Mr. President.
18 Let me begin by thanking my
19 colleague Senator Martins for pointing out how
20 thoroughly defeated his side of the aisle has
21 been over the last several years. There's a
22 reason for that. Because the people of this
23 state have chosen to reelect our majority by
24 strong numbers.
25 And part of the reason for that is
908
1 it has taken us quite some time to unravel the
2 tremendous damage that has been done to this
3 state under the leadership of the other side of
4 the aisle -- which, prior to the last seven
5 years, had the majority for almost a century, for
6 the most part. Including, I know, the landmark
7 achievement that Senator Martins supported of
8 Tier 6, which we have been trying to peel apart
9 for the last several years. And we have already
10 taken steps to do that.
11 So I don't need to be lectured by
12 Senator Martins. I served in the minority here
13 for longer than I've served in the majority, so I
14 know what it was like when he and his colleagues
15 were governing. And Lord knows I and the people
16 of this state don't want to go back to that.
17 I want to thank Senator Ramos for
18 this tremendous bill. I'm so happy to support
19 it. And I'm glad that we have the overwhelming
20 majority to pass it today.
21 Thank you, Mr. President.
22 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
23 Gianaris to be recorded in the affirmative.
24 Announce the results.
25 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
909
1 Calendar 441, those Senators voting in the
2 negative are Senators Borrello, Helming, Lanza,
3 Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Rolison, Stec,
4 Walczyk and Weik.
5 Ayes, 50. Nays, 11.
6 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
7 is passed.
8 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
9 442, Senate Print 372, by Senator Gianaris, an
10 act to amend the Labor Law.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
12 last section.
13 THE SECRETARY: Section 3. This
14 act shall take effect immediately.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
21 Calendar 442, those Senators voting in the
22 negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
23 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
24 Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Oberacker,
25 O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Stec, Tedisco,
910
1 Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
2 Ayes, 41. Nays, 20.
3 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
4 is passed.
5 There is a substitution at the desk.
6 The Secretary will read.
7 THE SECRETARY: Senator Comrie
8 moves to discharge, from the Committee on
9 Corporations, Authorities and Commissions,
10 Assembly Bill Number 3224 and substitute it for
11 the identical Senate Bill 1235A, Third Reading
12 Calendar 443.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
14 substitution is so ordered.
15 The Secretary will read.
16 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
17 443, Assembly Bill 3224, by Assemblymember
18 Braunstein, an act to amend the New York State
19 Medical Care Facilities Finance Agency Act.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
21 last section.
22 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
23 act shall take effect immediately.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
25 roll.
911
1 (The Secretary called the roll.)
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
3 the results.
4 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
6 is passed.
7 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
8 444, Senate Print 1514, by Senator Harckham, an
9 act to amend the Labor Law.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
11 last section.
12 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
13 act shall take effect on the 180th day after it
14 shall have become a day.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
16 roll.
17 (The Secretary called the roll.)
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
19 the results.
20 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
22 is passed.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 445, Senate Print 2236, by Senator Gounardes, an
25 act to amend the Labor Law.
912
1 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
2 last section.
3 THE SECRETARY: Section 6. This
4 act shall take effect immediately.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
6 roll.
7 (The Secretary called the roll.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
9 the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
12 is passed.
13 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
14 446, Senate Print 4515, by Senator Ramos, an act
15 to amend the Labor Law.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
17 last section.
18 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
19 act shall take effect immediately.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
21 roll.
22 (The Secretary called the roll.)
23 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
24 Ramos to explain her vote.
25 SENATOR RAMOS: Thank you,
913
1 Mr. President.
2 You know, Black History Month just
3 ended, and now we are in Women's History Month,
4 so it's only appropriate to celebrate a labor and
5 civil rights leader who inspired this bill.
6 Dr. Martin Luther King had a
7 neighbor whose name was Dorothy Lee Bolden. She
8 was a domestic worker in Atlanta, Georgia, and
9 had been a domestic worker since the age of
10 9 years old.
11 With the encouragement of her
12 neighbor, Dr. King, Dorothy began to organize
13 nannies, housekeepers, and elder-care providers
14 to make demands of their employers. Domestic
15 workers, like farmworkers, are some of the
16 original excluded workers. The sectors are
17 explicitly carved out of the National Labor
18 Relations Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act.
19 This workforce, made up
20 predominantly of Black and immigrant women, make
21 the rest of our economy possible by providing the
22 care work needed to allow the rest of us to go to
23 work.
24 In 1968, Mrs. Bolden founded the
25 National Domestic Workers Union of America, which
914
1 eventually represented more than 30,000 domestic
2 workers in 10 cities and was the longest
3 surviving union of domestic workers throughout
4 the United States.
5 Organizing domestic workers is a
6 unique challenge. Their employer's home is their
7 workplace, where a union organizer cannot reach
8 them and where they are isolated from the company
9 of coworkers that they may organize with.
10 Dorothy Bolden solved this problem using tactics
11 she learned in the Civil Rights Movement. She
12 used public transit.
13 The shared bus rides that domestic
14 workers would take from their neighborhoods to
15 their employers' neighborhoods became an
16 organizing meeting. Like any good union
17 organizer, Dorothy knew you have to meet people
18 where they are, sometimes quite literally.
19 She would ride the bus for hours,
20 sitting next to domestic workers, striking up
21 conversations and registering them to vote.
22 Public transit became her union hall.
23 In 2010, New York became the first
24 state to win a Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights,
25 and today this body is passing my bill to grant
915
1 domestic workers across the state the security of
2 paid sick leave. And I thank my colleagues who
3 are voting for this, because we are correcting a
4 deep injustice, a historical injustice, and one
5 of the last vestiges of Jim Crow in our state.
6 Thank you, Mr. President.
7 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Senator
8 Ramos to be recorded in the affirmative.
9 Announce the results.
10 THE SECRETARY: In relation to
11 Calendar 446, those Senators voting in the
12 negative are Senators Ashby, Borrello,
13 Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffo,
14 Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Oberacker,
15 O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec,
16 Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber and Weik.
17 Ayes, 40. Nays, 21.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
19 is passed.
20 There is a substitution at the desk.
21 The Secretary will read.
22 THE SECRETARY: Senator Krueger
23 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
24 Assembly Bill Number 5833 and substitute it for
25 the identical Senate Bill 5442, Third Reading
916
1 Calendar 448.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The
3 substitution is so ordered.
4 The Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 448, Assembly Bill Number 5833, by
7 Assemblymember Pretlow, an act to amend the
8 State Finance Law.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Read the
10 last section.
11 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
12 act shall take effect immediately.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Call the
14 roll.
15 (The Secretary called the roll.)
16 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: Announce
17 the results.
18 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 61.
19 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: The bill
20 is passed.
21 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
22 reading of today's supplemental calendar.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
24 further business at the desk?
25 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: There is
917
1 no further business at the desk.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: I move to
3 adjourn until tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5th, at
4 12:00 noon.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT BAILEY: On
6 motion, the Senate stands adjourned until
7 tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5th, at 12:00 p.m.
8 And even though he's a Net and a
9 Yankee fan, Happy Birthday, Dad.
10 (Laughter.)
11 (Whereupon, at 5:26 p.m., the Senate
12 adjourned.)
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