Regular Session - April 7, 2025
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1 NEW YORK STATE SENATE
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4 THE STENOGRAPHIC RECORD
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9 ALBANY, NEW YORK
10 April 7, 2025
11 11:36 a.m.
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14 REGULAR SESSION
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18 SENATOR SHELLEY B. MAYER, Acting President
19 ALEJANDRA N. PAULINO, ESQ., Secretary
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1 P R O C E E D I N G S
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
3 will come to order.
4 I ask everyone to please rise and
5 recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
6 (Whereupon, the assemblage recited
7 the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.)
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: In the
9 absence of clergy, let us bow our heads in a
10 moment of silent reflection or prayer.
11 (Whereupon, the assemblage respected
12 a moment of silence.)
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Reading of
14 the Journal.
15 THE SECRETARY: In Senate, Friday,
16 April 4, 2025, the Senate met pursuant to
17 adjournment. The Journal of Thursday, April 3,
18 2025, was read and approved. On motion, the
19 Senate adjourned.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Without
21 objection, the Journal stands approved as read.
22 Presentation of petitions.
23 Messages from the Assembly.
24 Messages from the Governor.
25 Reports of standing committees.
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1 Reports of select committees.
2 Communications and reports from
3 state officers.
4 Motions and resolutions.
5 Senator Gianaris.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Good morning,
7 Madam President.
8 On behalf of Senator Fernandez, on
9 page 15 I offer the following amendments to
10 Calendar Number 380, Senate Print 1806, and ask
11 that said bill retain its place on Third Reading
12 Calendar.
13 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
14 amendments are received, and the bill will retain
15 its place on the Third Reading Calendar.
16 Senator Gianaris.
17 SENATOR GIANARIS: There will be an
18 immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in
19 Room 332.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There will
21 be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in
22 Room 332.
23 SENATOR GIANARIS: The Senate
24 stands at ease.
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
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1 will stand at ease.
2 (Whereupon, the Senate stood at ease
3 at 11:37 a.m.)
4 (Whereupon, the Senate reconvened at
5 11:42 a.m.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The Senate
7 will return to order.
8 Senator Gianaris.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Madam President,
10 there's a report of the Rules Committee at the
11 desk. Can we please take that up.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
13 Secretary will read.
14 THE SECRETARY: Senator
15 Stewart-Cousins, from the Committee on Rules,
16 reports the following bill:
17 Senate Print 7239, by
18 Senator Krueger, an act making appropriations for
19 the support of government.
20 Bill ordered direct to third
21 reading.
22 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
23 the report of the Rules Committee.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: All those
25 in favor of accepting the report of the
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1 Rules Committee please signify by saying aye.
2 (Response of "Aye.")
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
4 nay.
5 (No response.)
6 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The report
7 of the Rules Committee is accepted.
8 Senator Gianaris.
9 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please take up
10 the supplemental calendar.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
12 Secretary will read.
13 There is a substitution at the desk.
14 The Secretary will read.
15 THE SECRETARY: Senator Krueger
16 moves to discharge, from the Committee on Rules,
17 Assembly Bill Number 7695 and substitute it for
18 the identical Senate Bill 7239, Third Reading
19 Calendar 625.
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER:
21 Substitution so ordered.
22 The Secretary will read.
23 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
24 625, Assembly Bill Number 7695, by
25 Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making
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1 appropriations for the support of government.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there a
3 message of necessity and appropriation at the
4 desk?
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is a
6 message of necessity and appropriation at the
7 desk.
8 SENATOR GIANARIS: Move to accept
9 the message.
10 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: All those
11 in favor of accepting the message please signify
12 by saying aye.
13 (Response of "Aye.")
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Opposed,
15 nay.
16 (No response.)
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
18 message is accepted, and the bill is before the
19 house.
20 SENATOR LANZA: Lay it aside.
21 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
22 is laid aside.
23 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
24 reading of the calendar.
25 SENATOR GIANARIS: On to the
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1 controversial calendar, please.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
3 Secretary will ring the bell.
4 The Secretary will read.
5 THE SECRETARY: Calendar Number
6 625, Assembly Bill Number 7695,
7 by Assemblymember Pretlow, an act making
8 appropriations for the support of government.
9 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
10 O'Mara, why do you rise?
11 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
12 Madam President. Would Senator Krueger yield for
13 some questions?
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
15 Krueger, do you yield?
16 SENATOR KRUEGER: Sure.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
18 Senator yields.
19 SENATOR O'MARA: Good morning,
20 Senator. Hope you had a nice weekend.
21 Here we are after a long weekend
22 after the last budget extender. Where are we in
23 getting a budget done today? Last week you
24 actually expressed some optimism about this week.
25 Where are we?
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1 SENATOR KRUEGER: It's a darker day
2 for me, Madam President.
3 (Laughter.)
4 SENATOR KRUEGER: The world is
5 about to go into a world recession. The country
6 is literally on fire. I spent my weekend
7 working, going to a family bar mitzvah and an
8 exciting protest. I don't know what
9 Senator O'Mara did.
10 And yet I'm here today to say we
11 need to do another extender, and I'm not sure
12 whether there's any change since last week. I
13 read the Governor's comments. She says she's in
14 no rush to get a budget done. It feels like
15 that.
16 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
17 O'Mara.
18 SENATOR O'MARA: Madam President,
19 will the Senator continue to yield?
20 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
21 continue to yield?
22 SENATOR KRUEGER: I do.
23 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
24 Senator yields.
25 SENATOR O'MARA: Senator, in fact I
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1 believe I read over the weekend or at the end of
2 last week that the Governor said she'll call us
3 back here every other day or every three days to
4 get a budget done. Is that what we're just going
5 to continue doing here and not make progress on
6 the negotiation of a final budget?
7 We've got nine budget bills to go.
8 Have any one of those nine been finalized at this
9 point?
10 SENATOR KRUEGER: Through you,
11 Madam President, no.
12 SENATOR O'MARA: Madam President,
13 will the Senator continue to yield.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
15 continue to yield?
16 SENATOR KRUEGER: Yes.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
18 Senator yields.
19 SENATOR O'MARA: What's the total
20 amount of this extender?
21 SENATOR KRUEGER: This is an
22 increase of -- excuse me. This bill provides
23 3.8 billion in appropriation authority to meet
24 payroll costs and allow certain payments for the
25 Department of Health, the Department of Labor,
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1 and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
2 This is an increase of 1.8 billion
3 over last Thursday's extender, and it only goes
4 through Wednesday.
5 SENATOR O'MARA: Through you,
6 Madam President, if the Senator will continue to
7 yield.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
9 continue to yield?
10 SENATOR KRUEGER: Yes.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
12 Senator yields.
13 SENATOR O'MARA: So $1.8 billion to
14 get us through the next two days. So that's
15 roughly $900 million a day we're spending that we
16 don't have a budget done.
17 And the figures I have is of that
18 1.8 billion, nearly half of that is Medicaid,
19 over two days, of $860 million. Are we just
20 going to continue spending a billion dollars a
21 day and -- there doesn't seem to be any urgency
22 in getting this budget done.
23 SENATOR KRUEGER: Through you,
24 Madam President. I suspect if we had a complete
25 budget done, or in the situation where we don't,
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1 we would be spending approximately the same
2 amount of money each day.
3 So the extender extends the level of
4 funding that were in the previous years for
5 things, but it doesn't add money per se to what
6 we spend. It's simply a continuation of that
7 spending on a daily or weekly basis until we have
8 a full budget.
9 SENATOR O'MARA: Through you,
10 Madam President, if the Senator will continue to
11 yield.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
13 continue to yield?
14 SENATOR KRUEGER: I do.
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
16 Senator yields.
17 SENATOR O'MARA: Is there any
18 possibility in this budget that we could spend
19 less than was being spent at this time last year?
20 SENATOR KRUEGER: Hypothetically,
21 of course. Yes, when you do a budget you
22 evaluate everything you're spending. And
23 sometimes there are decreases in programs,
24 some -- but usually especially simply because of
25 inflationary costs, we see an increase in almost
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1 every program with every new year.
2 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
3 Madam President. If the Senator will continue to
4 yield.
5 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
6 continue to yield?
7 SENATOR KRUEGER: Yes.
8 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
9 Senator yields.
10 SENATOR O'MARA: But Senator, you
11 know, a budget is always a matter of priorities.
12 And we can certainly prioritize something over --
13 something new over something old or more in one
14 area, less in another area. Yet we're just
15 continuing along spending a billion dollars a
16 day.
17 You know, that's not -- it's not
18 good governing. And I don't think it's what our
19 constituents want. They want us to be doing our
20 jobs. It doesn't feel like that that's been
21 being done over this past three-day weekend since
22 the last extender we did.
23 Are there any table targets yet?
24 SENATOR KRUEGER: Through you,
25 Madam President. No, there are not.
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1 SENATOR O'MARA: Is there any
2 scheduled meetings of the joint budget --
3 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Are you
4 asking if Senator Krueger --
5 SENATOR O'MARA: -- conference
6 committees?
7 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
8 O'Mara, are you asking if Senator Krueger --
9 SENATOR O'MARA: Through you,
10 Madam President, if the Senator will yield.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Do you
12 yield?
13 SENATOR KRUEGER: Of course.
14 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The
15 Senator yields.
16 SENATOR O'MARA: Are there any
17 scheduled meetings of the joint budget conference
18 committees?
19 SENATOR KRUEGER: Not that I know
20 of. But of course we've all just gotten into
21 town, are starting in session with the extender
22 bill, which I think we have to get done before
23 noon. And then I suspect we're all going into
24 conference, perhaps to learn more.
25 SENATOR O'MARA: Thank you,
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1 Madam President. That's all I have.
2 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
3 Senator O'Mara.
4 Senator Helming? No?
5 Are there any other Senators wishing
6 to be heard?
7 Hearing and seeing none, debate is
8 closed. The Secretary will ring the bell.
9 Read the last section.
10 THE SECRETARY: Section 2. This
11 act shall take effect immediately.
12 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Call the
13 roll.
14 (The Secretary called the roll.)
15 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Announce
16 the results.
17 THE SECRETARY: Ayes, 59.
18 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: The bill
19 is passed.
20 Senator Gianaris, that completes the
21 reading of the controversial calendar.
22 SENATOR GIANARIS: Please recognize
23 Senator Walczyk for an introduction.
24 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
25 Walczyk for an introduction.
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1 SENATOR WALCZYK: Thank you,
2 Madam President.
3 We are joined in the gallery here
4 today by the LaFargeville Girls Basketball Team.
5 These Red Knights brought home the first-ever
6 LaFargeville Girls Class D championship, bringing
7 it back to the Frontier League. And not only was
8 their victory historic, but so was their
9 teamwork, their camaraderie, their friendship,
10 and the service that they do in our community and
11 their school each and every day.
12 I congratulate them on their
13 championship, ask that you do the same, and
14 extend the courtesies and cordialities as you
15 welcome them to our chamber.
16 Thank you.
17 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Thank you,
18 Senator Walczyk.
19 To our members of the girls
20 basketball team, award-winners, please be welcome
21 to the Senate chamber. We're here to acknowledge
22 and celebrate you. Please rise and be
23 recognized.
24 (Standing ovation.)
25 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: Senator
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1 Gianaris.
2 SENATOR GIANARIS: Is there any
3 further business at the desk?
4 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There is
5 no further business at the desk.
6 SENATOR GIANARIS: Upon conclusion
7 of session, there will be an immediate meeting of
8 the Majority Conference in Room 332.
9 And with that, I move to adjourn
10 until tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8th, at 3:00 p.m.
11 ACTING PRESIDENT MAYER: There will
12 be an immediate meeting of the Majority
13 Conference in Room 332.
14 On motion, the Senate stands
15 adjourned until Tuesday, April 8th, at 3:00 p.m.
16 (Whereupon, at 11:51 a.m., the
17 Senate adjourned.)
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