New York State SmartTranscripts:

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: All right. I have always wanted to do that, so we're starting on a good note for this Elections Committee meeting. Hi everyone, I am Kristen Gonzalez. I am the chair of this committee. Happy New Year, it is great to see you. Today is Monday, January 12, and the time is 03:48PM. We are joined today by our ranker, Senator Walczyk, along with our majority members, Senator Myrie and Senator Mayer. We are also joined by Senator Brouk as well. I believe we received some voting sheets for Senator Kavanagh.

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: And that's it.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: All right, so it appears we have a quorum and seven bills on today's agenda. I'm going to start with the first bill on our agenda, Senate Bill three twenty four by Senator Gennaris.

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: An act to amend the election law in relation to enacting the Democracy

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Are there any questions on the bill?

[Senator Shelley B. Mayer (Member)]: Move the bill. Second.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any, no comments, motion to move the bill by Senator Mayer, seconded by Senator Myrie. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Nay. Any without recommendation? It does not appear so according to the voting sheet. This bill is reported from committee and to the Rules Committee. Next bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill five sixty eight by Senator May.

[Committee Staff (off-mic)]: An act to amend the

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: election law in relation to establishing affordable polling locations for early voting.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any questions on this bill?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Any notisters?

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: I would like to any questions on this bill?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Go ahead, sir.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Senator Walczyk?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: I have a question. I was gonna move to to That's gonna move. Move the bill. So yeah.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: It appears we do have one question from our ranker. Senator Walczyk?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Yeah. Noticed there's no same as this year in the assembly. We continue to pass this bill usually on the first or second day of session each time in the senate. Is there feedback from the assembly at all as to whether this is going to ever pass and become law, or get a good bill in their house that they plan to move forward?

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: That's a good question,

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: but I'd refer you to the bill sponsor, I Senator don't have insight into her conversations with her assembly counterparts, but I am really proud to be passing this bill, at least in the Senate, because we've seen an incredible amount of success in other states that have implemented this, including Idaho. Any additional questions from the committee? Any comments on the bill?

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Believe we had a motion to move

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: the bill from Senator Myrie, a second from Senator May. All in favor? Aye. All opposed?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Nay. Nay.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: No without recommendation, and with that, the bill is reported from committee to the Rules Committee. The next bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill ten thirty five, by our Senator Myrie.

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: An act to amend the election law in relation to mandatory training curriculum for election commissioners and key staff and boards of elections.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any questions or comments on the bill?

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Senator Myrie, would you like to comment in?

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Oh, did not see a question. Senator Brouk.

[Senator Zellnor Myrie (Member)]: Just, I like the concept of training. My concern is after ten years in county government this an unfunded mandate. And I'm also concerned about the time allocation for those folks. They're typically short staffed, especially in the rural areas I represent. So I don't have an issue with training.

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: It's more about how this is gonna be executed and the cost. That. So I'll be a no because of that. So I'll say, and I'm sure we will get into this on the floor with your good colleague next to you, that the bill says that there will be no more than three hours of training required, and that this would be not funded by the local governments, but be contained within the state board of elections' current budget. And so there would be no fiscal implication for our local governments, but I would be happy to discuss it more on the phone.

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Sure, thank you. Wonderful. Alright, motion to move the bill

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: by Senator May, seconded by Senator Myrie. All in favor? Aye. All opposed? Nay. No without recommendations, the bill is reported from The next bill on today's agenda is also by Senator Myrie, Senate Bill ten thirty six.

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: An act to amend the election law in relation to providing that a voter may register to vote at any residence to which the voter maintains a continuous connection with an intent to remain.

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Any questions on this bill? Any comments? Senator Myrie, would you like to speak on the bill?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Move the bill.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Motion to move the bill by Senator Myrie, seconded by Senator Mayer. All in favor? Aye. All

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: opposed? Nay.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: All right, this bill is reported from committee to the Rules Committee. The next bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill ten eighty five by Senator Stewart Cousins.

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: An act to amend the election law in relation to prohibiting the suppression of voters.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any questions or comments on this bill?

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: Move the bill. Second. One

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: comment from Senator Mayer.

[Senator Shelley B. Mayer (Member)]: So this bill was introduced in 2007 by Senator then, we never prohibited expressly creative crimes related to the practices that occurred in 2006. So happy to see this bill ruling passed the second anniversary of past years.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Thank you, Senator Mayer. Any further comments or questions on

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: the bill? I do see a motion. Did you have one?

[Senator Samra G. Brouk (Member)]: I have a second.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: A second? Yeah. Sorry. We had a motion from Senator Myrie, and a second from Senator Brouk. All in favor? Aye. Great, how many in favor do we have?

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: I think that's

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: four in favor. Alright, the bill is reported from committee to the Rules Committee. 100 The next bill today is Senate Bill 8,004, by our very own Senator Spufus.

[Committee Staff (off-mic)]: Actually All our very own

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: right here. Very own. The very own right here, standing happily, feel free to consent.

[Committee Staff (off-mic)]: And act to amend

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: the election law in relation to moving the date of the presidential primary to first Tuesday in March.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any questions or comments on this bill?

[Senator Shelley B. Mayer (Member)]: Move to vote. Second.

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Motion to move the bill

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: by Senator Mayer, seconded by Senator Myrie. All in favor?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Aye. Without Brouk.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Alright, we have three in favor, one without recommendation. And with that, this bill is reported from committee to the Rules Committee. The final bill on today's agenda is Senate Bill 86.46 A by myself.

[Committee Clerk (reading bill titles)]: Enacted to amend the election law, the penal law, and the executive law in relation to the New York election officer protection.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Any questions or comments on this bill?

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: It's a new bill?

[Committee Counsel (staff)]: Is a new bill.

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Was introduced?

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: This was introduced within the last week, as a result of the work I've been doing alongside our advocates on the peace side. Okay.

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: And it's already got an apron, what was amended?

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: We, again, am working with the advocates on this bill. There were a couple of additions and amendments to get it closer to the model bill, the Peace Act, that we had received.

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Who advocates? Are

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: I've worked closely with the Brennan Center for Justice on

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: this bill. Okay. All

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: right, I have a motion to move the by Senator Mayer, seconded by Senator Myrie. All in favor?

[Senator Shelley B. Mayer (Member)]: Aye. All

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: opposed? Nay.

[Senator Mark Walczyk (Ranking Member)]: Nay.

[Senator Kristen Gonzalez (Chair)]: Alright, with that the bill is reported from committee to the Rules Committee. I wanna thank my committee members for this quick and productive meeting. I see a motion to adjourn, and with that, I'm officially getting to do this a second time adjourning the meeting. Thank you all so much for joining us.