New York State SmartTranscripts:

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The senate will come to order. I ask everyone to please rise and recite the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice. In the absence of clergy, let us bow our heads in a moment of silent reflection or prayer. Reading of the journal.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In senate Friday, 05/08/2026, the senate made pursuant to adjournment. Journal Thursday, 05/07/2026 was read and approved. A motion to senate adjourn.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Without objection, the journal stands approved as read. Presentation of petitions, messages from the assembly, the secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Senator Bailey moves to discharge the committee on rules, assembly bill number 10,710, substituted for the identical senate bill ninety five ninety nine, third reading count of six fifty nine. Senator Grifle moves to discharge from the committee on local government, assembly bill number 11,008, substituted for the identical senate bill ninety nine seventy three, third reading count of nine zero three.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: So ordered, messages from the governor, reports of standing committees, reports of select committees, communications and reports from state officers, motions and resolutions. Senator Gianaris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Good afternoon, mister president. On behalf of senator Ryan, I wish to call up senate prince six eleven a recalled from the assembly, which is now at the desk. The secretary will read. Mister president, allow me to correct myself. On behalf of senator Stavitsky, I wish to call up senate bill six eleven a recall from the assembly, which is now at the desk.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 795, senate print six eleven a by senator Staviski, an act in the criminal procedure law.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Move to reconsider the vote by which the bill was passed.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary will now call the roll on reconsideration.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: G. N. R. Kruger Ortz, Zuldkut and Zoner, I. 55.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is restored to its place on the third reading calendar. I offer the following amendments. The amendments are received.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Amendments are also offered to the following third reading calendar bills by Senator Myrie, five forty, Senator Sepulveda, calendar eight forty seven, Senator Gonzalez, calendar eight fifty four, Senator Baskin, calendar nine sixty six, and Senator Kavanaugh, calendar seven twenty four.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The amendments are received and the bill retain its place on the third reading calendar. Senator Gionnaires.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: There will now be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: There will be an immediate meeting of the Rules Committee in Room 332.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Senate stands at ease.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senate stands at ease. The Senate will return to order. Senator Gianaris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, there's a report of the rules committee at the desk. Let's take that up, please.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary Will Reed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Senator Stuart Cousins from the committee on rules reports the following bill. Senate print 10,262 by senator Serrano and that make the appropriation for the support of government. Bill reports with third reading.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Move to accept the report of the rules committee.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: All those in favor of accepting the report of the rules committee, signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. Aye. The report of the rules committee is accepted. Senator Gionnaires.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Please take up the supplemental calendar.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary will read. There's a substitution at the desk. The secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Senator Serrano moves to discharge from the committee on rules of Senate Bill number 11,295, substituted for the identical Senate Bill 10,262, third reading calendar nine ninety nine.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Constitution. Ordered, secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number nine ninety nine, assembly number 11,295 by assembly member Pretlow and act making appropriations in support of government.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Is there a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: There is a message of necessity and appropriation at the desk.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: I move to accept the message.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Those in favor of accepting the message, please signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed, nay. The message is accepted. The bill is before the House. Phil will be laid aside. Senator Gineris, that completes the reading of supplemental calendar.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Please take up the controversial supplemental calendar. Secretary will ring the

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: bell. Secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number nine ninety nine, assembly bill number 11,295 by a semi member, Pretlow, and act making appropriations for the support of government.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator O'Meara, why do you rise?

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Thank you, mister president. Will the sponsor yield for some questions on this eleventh extender bill?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor will be senator Serrano. Senator Crowder, do you yield?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Yes.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator yields.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Thank you. Thank you, senator. Here we are on Monday, May 11. We are taking up the eleventh extender bill. We're now month and a half late, on this year's budget. Can you tell us, where we stand, on an overall budget agreement? So we actually have budget bills for this current year to to consider. Since the governor announced we had a deal last Thursday, five days ago, and yet apparently there is still no deal. Where where does this process stand?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Through you, mister president. Senator, the negotiations are are still continuing. I think we're in the final stretch here, and we are certainly very close to having a set of budget bills to vote on here. But you are correct. We are this is our eleventh extender, and this will cover us until until May 14, which is a Thursday. It does appropriate $2,900,000,000 to cover a host of of different issues. But, again, I cannot tell you for sure, exactly when we will have a full budget, but the bill before us will get us at least to a point where we can continue the operating of state government. So that's pretty much where we stand right now.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Okay. Thank you. Mister president, will the senator, continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Senator, do you have any updates for us on the major policy issues that have been holding up this process, namely the CLCPA, Seeker, auto insurance cost, and a few others. Where which of these have been nailed down? Which have not been nailed down?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Through you, mister president. Those conversations are certainly winding down, and I think that there has been a tremendous amount of progress made on all of the different policy issues that you've mentioned, and they've been widely reported in the media as well. But until we have a final set of budget bills and language before us that we can look at, and it it's hard to say exactly where we are in those on those issues, but I do feel very confident that we are very close to having all of the outstanding issues resolved and certainly all of the math as well and the the actual budgeting of this budget. So I do feel very confident that we will have more clarity in the coming days and hopefully a budget to vote on.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Thank you, senator. Mister president, if the senator will continue to yield.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: It's it's been reported, senator, that, there's been a deal, to, provide some $1,000,000,000 of relief to ratepayers in this state on their utility bills. Can you tell us how firm that agreement is? Through you, mister president. Again, these are

[Senator José M. Serrano]: these sort of fall under the heading of policy issues that we, will not know until we have a final agreement. I do believe all of those are important issues. All of the policy issues that you've mentioned, both now and in previous discussions on extenders, are all critically important to residents of the state of New York. And I I feel confident that we will get to a resolution very soon. And we're close. We're, I think, in the final stretch here, and we're just getting everything together. And hopefully, we will have, budget language to vote on the remaining budget bills.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: To you, mister president, the senator will continue to yield.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Senator, last Monday, you informed us that we're there were indeed table targets of $380,000,000. I have, not heard of any joint budget conference committees having, been scheduled, to distribute, those funds amongst the various, areas of state government. Can you tell us where we stand on joint conference committees and the formal distribution of that $380,000,000?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Through you, mister president. Thank you for that, question, senator O'Meara. My understanding is the table targets are actually $385,000,000. As far as the, joint conference committees, I don't know of any scheduled, at this time, but, rest assured, I I know that that, that allocation for table targets is being utilized as we wind down this budget process.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Thank you, mister president. The senator will continue to yield.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Sponsor yields. Senator, do you know can you tell us whether or not these joint, budget sub conference committees, are gonna be held at all?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Through you, mister president. To my knowledge, there aren't any scheduled at this time.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Through you, mister president, the senator will yield.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Can you tell us whether or not they're they are actually gonna be held before we finalize this budget?

[Senator José M. Serrano]: Through you, mister president, again, it's, difficult to answer that question because I have no information on that. But just as a reminder, the bill before the house, doesn't deal with any of those issues. This is a a budget extender bill to appropriate for the, for the continuation of state government and things like payroll costs and, things for, the commute commuter transportation mobility tax, WIC payments, and other and other important payments. Mister president, on the bill. Thank you, senator.

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: Mayor on the bill. Thank you. Mister president, we're we're no further along today than we were last Thursday, when the governor announced, that there was a deal, on this budget. We're still in limbo on all the major policy issues. We have no information from the majority where they stand, which may have been which of those may have been, nailed down and and agreed to, which ones are open and outstanding, and what the issue is that is open and outstanding on those major policy issues that New Yorkers deserve to know, where the majorities of this legislature and the governor, are gonna take the state of New York in regards to these very significant policy issues that are holding this budget up. It's very concerning to me that there is no commitment, to hold the budget conference committees to ultimately determine how the table targets will be distributed. My guess is and hunch is that, they probably won't be held as they haven't been held, in prior years under under this majority and under this governor, that we will get the budget bills, in the dead of night, and we'll be asked to vote on them that same night, as has been done far too often, in this legislature. You know, we are now six weeks late on this budget. We are now, eight days away from every school district in this state voting on its budget, not knowing what amount of money is gonna be designated in this budget for the voters to vote on. Those budgets are already in print. They've already been decided based on a number that they've guessed at at this point. If we had a budget done before the budget vote to those schools next Tuesday, at least the voters might have a chance to find out whether those school districts have allocated too much or not enough state aid in those figures. And if they've if they've, calculated too little state aid, that means the property tax levies in these school districts are gonna be raised further than they would need to be raised if that aid was coming from the state. And voters would have a decision to to make and say, well, no, this budget's too much for us. It's not needed. It's over and above, what the state aid number, was factored in to, to formulating that budget. And voters could say, no, we're not gonna support that budget, because we want it to be revised to include the accurate state aid figure. The, there's discussions of, this $1,000,000,000 to be returned to ratepayers, in some form or fashion. I'd like some explanation, to the ratepayers of this state why it's only a billion dollars being discussed. Why isn't the full $3,000,000,000 that NYSERDA and the utility companies of this state are holding in escrow for further green projects to go forward, throwing money down the drain more and more and not returning it to the ratepayers who are in desperate need. Only a third of what's being held is being considered to be returned to these ratepayers. And that amount is basically built into NYSERDA's financial plan for the next several years out to have that excess, in its coffers rather than in the pockets of the ratepayers of New York State. I just wanna know really what the governor and the majorities of this legislature are really doing about the affordability crisis we have in New York State and that we hear day

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: in

[Senator Tom O'Mara]: and day out about the affordability struggles in this state. Yet the state budget continues to rise. Now it's an estimated $268,000,000,000. Around that is gonna be approved, $15,000,000,000 more than last year. As I've said many times, the spending in the state is out of control. It's unsustainable, and it's only exacerbating the affordability issues that we have in this state. And it's only gonna further exacerbate those issues as we continue to have policies in this state that drive businesses out, that drive people out. We'll have less larger taxpayers. So the amount of the spending is going to be spread about even more against lower income households, which is not fair. It's not just. And we're making the wrong policy decisions to move this state forward so we can have for some affordability, some semblance of affordability so that New Yorkers can afford to stay here and raise their families. So that businesses will wanna stay here and invest and provide the jobs that New Yorkers need to sustain themselves and their families. You know, we've now, in this budget extender, have allocated $23,100,000,000 towards this year's budget. Now that's only 8.6% of what the overall prospective budget would be at $268,000,000,000. But an alarming fact is that that amount of $23,000,000,000 is in excess of the entire budget of 22 states in this country. Just to show you how out of whack our spending is in this New York in this state. 11 to 12 times more what 22 states are in this state. Yeah. They're smaller states. I get it. But our spending per capita in these state budgets is out of control, and there's nothing that's been shown to be being done or even considered by the governor or the majorities of the legislature in going after that issue, going after these uncontrolled budgets, going after the impact they're having on businesses and households in this state with no relief in sight. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator O'Meara. Are there any other senators wishing to be heard, seeing and hearing none? Debate is now closed. Secretary Senator Genais.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Thank you, mister president. We've agreed to restore this bill to the non controversial calendar.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill will restore to the non controversial calendar. Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two is asked to defect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, G and R. Skruger, Ortz, Zuka, and Zona.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Mike. Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to calendar, nine ninety nine, vote in a negative. Senator White, class 59, ace one.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed. Senator Gionnaires.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, let's return now to motions and resolutions and recognize senator Sanders for an introduction.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Sanders for an introduction.

[Senator James Sanders Jr.]: Thank you, mister president. As the president knows, I'm sure, in 1787, Richard Allen and Absalom Jones was tossed out of the Methodist Episcopalian Church in Philadelphia for a simple crime. Their crime, praying. They wanted to pray to God with other people. These people were white and they were black and they were tossed out. This led to many different things, including the creation of the first black denomination. The AME Church, the African Methodist Episcopalian Church was created. That church has of course been at the forefront of many of the human rights struggles that the world has seen. To speak of them would take days and if months, but they have been at the forefront. In that tradition, the Allen AME Church located in in in my favorite borough, Queens, is also a church that has been at the forefront of every human rights struggle that there is. And now that it is under the the guidance, the pastorial ship of pastor Green, we expect nothing but great things from him. Mister president, will you let them know that their their trip up here has been well received and and now that I've introduced them, pastor Green, we thank you for coming up here with your congregation. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Sanders. To pastor Green and our guests, I welcome you on behalf of the senate. We extend to you the privileges and courtesies of this house. Please rise and be recognized. Senator Gionnaires.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, we have another introduction this time by senator Hinchy. Please recognize senator Hinchy.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Hinchy for an introduction.

[Senator Michelle Hinchey]: Thank you, mister president. If you like a good underdog story, a real David versus Goliath, then you need to know what happened in Middletown, New York in the early nineteen nineties. It happened because of the grit and determination of students and their extraordinary teacher named Fred Issacs. If you were one of Fred's students, he taught you that you learn by doing. In his pioneering electronic English class, he handed students video cameras and together, they investigated rumors of contamination at their local landfill. The kind that showed up through sludgy tap water and birth defects in local children. These teenagers, backed by their teachers' belief in them, became key investigators. They interviewed their neighbors living with the consequences of pollution and collected samples from the landfill that showed dangerous levels of ammonia, arsenic, and other toxic substances. And yet, reporters brushed them off. Local officials put up roadblocks. But still, they pushed forward. Through the work of classes from 1991 to '97, they uncovered a conspiracy of toxic dumping, mafia involvement, and political corruption in their hometown. Despite being underestimated by those in power at every turn, they also gained allies. Among them was my father, who was assemblyman and chair of the environmental conservation committee at the time. He spearheaded hearings and investigations which uncovered a vast organized crime ring dumping toxic materials across the state that led to more than 20 convictions, and was a defining moment for me growing up watching all of that in action. Incredibly, we are not only able to learn about what happened, we can see it unfold. Fred and his students captured about five hundred hours of archival video footage. And in 2025, directors Jesse Moss and Amanda McBain turned it into the acclaimed documentary Teenage Wasteland. The film shows us the incredible gift Fred gave his students. He taught them that being in a democracy means believing it's yours to protect. We feel the turbulence of politics today, and we know that the antidote to apathy in our democratic process is civic courage because the only plague to democracy is indifference. Fred and his students were a model for the kind of change we can make if we stay engaged, and that is a beautiful thing. So tonight, at 6PM, I invite everyone to join us for a screening at the State Museum for a free screening of Teenage Wasteland and the chance to meet the people who unearthed this piece of Hudson Valley and state history. Several of whom are here with us today. They are Fred Issacs, the mentor, former teacher, and believer in the power of collective action, and David Birmingham, one of the former students whose bravery and persistence helped uncover the truth. They are joined today with their families. Mister president, please welcome them to the chamber. Thank them for their incredible work. Everyone should check out this film that the students created called Garbage Gangsters and Greed. I believe that still may be on YouTube, but I'm sure we can get a copy. And please give them all the cordialities and privileges of the chamber. Thank you very much.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Hinche. We thank you for your work. And to our guests, I welcome you on behalf of the senate. We extend to you the privileges and courtesies of this house. Please rise and be recognized. Senator Gianaris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, let's take our previously adopted resolution thirteen forty three by senator Galavan and read its title and recognize senator Galavan.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary Will Reed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Resolution thirteen forty three by senator Galavan, memorializing governor Kathy Hobo to proclaim May 2026 as police week in the state of New York.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Gallivan on the resolution.

[Senator Patrick M. Gallivan]: Thank you, mister president. Law enforcement's been a part of my life as long as I can remember, and so I rise in support of police week in New York State and across the country. We all know the job of a police officer is dangerous and difficult. We were all reminded of this just last week when we gathered in the Plaza here in Albany, pausing in solemn remembrance of 56 officers who made the ultimate sacrifice and adding their names to the New York State Police Officer Memorial's black granite walls. Their names and the names of the other fallen police officers etched on memorials from Albany to Washington, along with the nearly 60,000 police officers who are assaulted each year while on the job, remind us of the cost of our freedom. These fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters sacrifice family dinners, holidays, and personal safety so that the rest of us can live the lives we do safe and secure in our homes and communities. We're fortunate and grateful that hundreds of thousands of dedicated individuals have taken the oath to serve and protect our communities across the country despite the risks and challenges they face. As we honor all who have fallen, let's let us also thank all who have served. Thank them for their service, their sacrifice, their dedication, and their steadfast protection of our families and our communities. And we can support them, mister president, with a commitment to providing the policies, tools, and training they need to protect us and to ensure they return home safely to their own families each and every day. I ask my colleagues to join me in calling on the governor to proclaim this week police officers week in the state of New York. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Galavan. Senator Chan on the resolution.

[Senator Iwen Chu]: Thank you, mister president. I feel compelled to stand up and speak on behalf of, Police Week, and I wanna thank senator Galavan for introducing this resolution. As a retired police officer, I can honestly say and speak with clear conscience that I did my job the best of my ability and with public service in mind. I can't keep a count of how many people I helped, but it was many and many. Today's atmosphere in regards to police officers has changed. I feel very bad for them because the public opinion about the police is definitely on the wrong side. And I would hate for any new police officers today to call this their good old day because I had my good old day and my predecessors had their good old days. And I don't want this kind of atmosphere to be their good old days, especially to the families of all the police officers that gave their lives, made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could stand here today. I just wanted to say thank you and thank you for still running around out there.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Chan. Senator Raulerson on the resolution.

[Senator Rob Rolison]: Thank you, mister president. I wanna thank, the sponsor, senator Galvin, for introducing this resolution. I too attended the memorial of last week, and I remember being here many times over during my career as a Town Of Poughkeepsie police officer. The memorial was dedicated in 1991, and every single service at that memorial is special. It is special to remember the lives that were lost, the families that were affected, and the communities also, mister president, that were affected by the loss of members of law enforcement. This year, there were 56 names added to the memorial, and this year was a special year for members of the city of Poughkeepsie Police Department and the greater city Of Poughkeepsie community. This was the fifteenth anniversary of the death of detective John Falcone, who was shot and killed on 02/18/2011 after he and other officers responded to a shots fired call during the day near the Poughkeepsie Train Station. Ultimately, John lost his life because an individual who was there who had just actually killed his wife, which at the time, the officers did not even know that was the genesis of the shots fired call in a domestic violence incident. And John, in trying to apprehend this individual, was shot and killed. And I've attended many of those anniversaries down at the site by the Poughkeepsie Train Station. This year was no different. But thinking about John's family, his mom and dad, His mom has since left us, but his father, of course, was there. And it is very comforting to know that there were police officers from all over the greater Dutchess County and Ulster County area to remember John. And on that particular morning, I saw John in his city Of Poughkeepsie police car, and I waved at John, and I don't think he saw me. Was at a traffic light in the city of Poughkeepsie. And then several hours later, John would be gone. And it shows you the sacrifices that can come in an instant, and that happened that day. And I can also say, mister president, as this happens, unfortunately, throughout this great state of ours all too often, that there are people that are left behind. And in the city of Poughkeepsie, of course, it was his family, but it was the greater city of Poughkeepsie community that loved John. And they felt that loss just like his family did because John was part of that family. So today, mister president, I wanna I, again, I wanna thank the sponsor. I wanna thank all the police officers and their families that make sacrifices for us every single day. But, today, mister president, on, the fifteenth year of John Felcon's death, I'm remembering detective John Felcon. Thank you, mister president. Crowley vote aye.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Rollison. Senator Wyke on the resolution.

[Senator Alexis Weik]: Thank you, mister president. Police week has always been a big deal in my family. It's always been a week of celebrating and acknowledging all the hard work that law enforcement does. We typically will go out to Yaphank Headquarters, which is Suffolk County Police headquarters, to see all the different skills that law enforcement is required to do, whether it's helicopters, marine bureau, highway officers, and the many many life saving skills that they need to acquire and to be able to perform in order to save all of us on our worst day. And it's usually the most interesting place you can be and and to see how many different things they have to do. My late uncle who was Suffolk County deputy Suffolk County police commissioner back in the eighties is actually in the Suffolk County Museum. He was shot in the line of duty and many years later passed away due to those injuries. So it's always been something of my family that we celebrate law enforcement. Police week means a celebration for all families of law enforcement to be able to acknowledge what a difficult job this is. Every day when my husband put on his uniform and left the house, I did not know if he was going to return that day. And now as a mom, I have that same worry about my son who's a state trooper. It's a difficult job not just being law enforcement police officers, but it's a difficult job to be the family of law enforcement. They perform so many good deeds, whether it's helping someone who's got a flat tire on the side of the road. But then when you read in the news how many people get hit and killed while they're changing a tire on the side of the road, you realize the dangers. You know, my husband was hit and severely injured, like so many other officers on the job. Luckily, he is still alive, thank goodness. But we don't see that with so many officers, and that's why we have these memorials. My husband always attended the memorial in Washington DC and now I get the great privilege to be able to attend the ones that we have here in Albany, which truly means so much to us, the families of law enforcement. But more than that, I want all of my dear police officers to know how much we love and support the work that you do and that there are so many people out there that rely on you and think of the world of you. And I wanna thank all of our law enforcement today more than any other day. We love you, we support you, and we're here for you. Thank you.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Wyke. Senator Ryan on the resolution.

[Senator Sean Ryan]: Thank you. Mister president, I wanna say thank you to, senator Gallivan for bringing this up. I just wanna mention, I too was at the memorial service, and I brings back memories in April 2024. I hate a high speed chase. Two officers, officers were led on a chase. The person who led them in a chase went back to their house, barricaded themselves in more than a 100 law enforcement agencies. More than a 100 law enforcement officers responded that scene after a six hour standoff to officers, officers Husak and Jensen were brutally murdered, gunned down, that terrible night, and it was a bad week, month for law enforcement leaving behind families. So I too wanna mention that and, you know, that scenario tragically happens in far far too many times. But so I wanna say to our state law enforcement agencies, to our county sheriffs across the state, to our local town and village municipalities, our police officers, to our police chiefs, our detectives, lieutenants, but also to because I'm a union guy, our union rank and file police members, I wanna say thank you. Thank you for all you do. Thank you for putting on the badge. Thank you for putting on the uniform and and keeping us keeping us safe, and allowing us to sleep at night knowing that there's somebody out there making sure that our community. So I wanna say thanks again, and, you know, we owe you a debt of gratitude.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Ryan. Senator Myrie on the resolution.

[Senator Zellnor Myrie]: Thank you, mister president. I just wanted to thank senator Galvin for bringing this resolution. We have very spirited conversations in this chamber and the codes committee around public safety, but there's rare if ever a time that our families have to worry about whether we will return home from the job that we do for people. And this is something that everyone who puts on a uniform, their family has to endure on a daily basis. So I just wanna say thank you for the service that you provide to keep us safe. We are grateful for that service. We appreciate that service, and I'll be proudly voting and affirmative for this resolution. Thank you.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Myrie. The resolution was adopted on January 13. Senator Gianaris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, let's take a previously adopted resolution eighteen fifty one by senator Sepulveda. Read that resolution's title, call on senator Sepulveda.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary Will Reed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Resolution eighteen fifty one by senator Sepulveda commemorated Dominicans in Albany, a celebratory event of empowerment on 05/11/2026.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Sepulveda on the resolution.

[Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda]: Thank you, mister president, for allowing me to speak on this resolution. Today, I rise before this chamber with a deep sense of pride and a steadfast commitment to the communities that enrich and strengthen the great state of New York. I have the honor of introducing a resolution to recognize Dominicans in Albany event. It's happening today in the well. It's been going on since ten this morning. New York State is the home to the largest Dominican community outside of Dominican Republic with about 900,000 of them calling New York State home. They live in The Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, and all the other counties throughout the state of New York. Dominicans have become an essential part of the social, culture, and economic, and civic fabric of New York. Their contributions continue to shape the identity, strength, and future of our great straight state and great country. Along with my Dominican colleagues in the assembly, today we aim to celebrate and honor the Dominican community, a community that has contributed immeasurably to the economic, cultural, and social growth of our great state and nation. The Dominican presence in this region tells us a story of constant hard work, sacrifice, entrepreneurship, and dreams built through determination and perseverance. This resolution is not merely a symbolic act. It is an institutional recognition of a community that has helped strengthen and shape the diverse identity of New York State. It also serves as a reminder that our great state grows stronger when we embrace our differences and celebrate our roots. To my colleagues, I respectfully ask for your support on this resolution not only as a legislative gesture, but as affirm affirmation of the values that unite us. New York state is built by immigrants, enriched by diversity, and guided by the hope of a better future for all. Now in Spanish. Thank you, Ivorah.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: You, senator Sepulveda. Senator Chan on the resolution.

[Senator Iwen Chu]: Thank you, mister president. I rise to support, senator Sepulveda because I proudly represent the neighborhood of Sunset Park in Brooklyn with a large Dominican community. I wanna especially thank my older daughter Elizabeth's godmother. I'm giving her a shout out, Maria Padilla, who is in fact Dominican and she's happily retired in Florida, a retired cop. So she gets a double thanks today both as a police officer and as a Dominican woman who is the godmother to my child. And I wanna thank, the Hispanic community in my neighborhood of Sunset Park, especially the Dominicans. We have many eateries that I enjoy very much from the Chicharron to the the Pernice and the senator knows what I'm talking about. So I I thank you for this resolution. I proudly support it. Thank you.

[Senator Jack M. Martins]: Thank you.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Chan. The resolution was adopted on April 21. Senator Gineris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Mister president, the sponsors of today's resolutions, we'd like to open them for cosponsorship.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The resolutions are open for cosponsorship. Should you choose not to be a cosponsor, please notify the desk. Senator Gionnais.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Let's take up the calendar. Secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number two fifteen, senate print seventy six eighteen d by senator Hinchey and Act, chairman of agriculture and markets law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action taken effect on 01/1980 of day. Shall I come along?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: It's called the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, GNR, Scooper, Ork, stool cuttings, Zelman.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to calendar two fifteen, voting in negative r, senators Ashby, Barello, O'Mara, Orsted, Walzik, and White. Ayes, 53, and aye seven.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number two fifty eight, senate print sixteen seventy six by senator Scufus enact, too many environmental conservation law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action will take effect one year after Trump come along.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Paul de Rolle.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo. GNR, Krueger, Hort, Surcund, Zellner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to counting the two fifty eight vote in the negative r, Senators Ashby, Morello, Chan, Gavin, Griffin, Helmy, Martinez, Obrak, Romero, Ort, Rhodes, Steck, Walzwick, Weber, and White. House forty six, names 14.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Child number 262, center print 4691 b by senator Clearing that too many environmental conservation law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section three, this action of the defendant of thirty year bait shall come along.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call to roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Gabo. GNR's Kugel Hortz will come Zealand.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to counter two sixty two voting in negative are senators Barrella, Kansas A. Fitzpatrick Chan, Gallatin, Griffin, Helming, Matera, Murray, Obraka, O'Mara, Ort, Rhodes, Stan, Todisco, Wozick, and White. Ayes 44 and aye 16.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 512, senate print seven zero three by senator Kruger, an act to amend the agriculture and markets law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this act should defect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, GNR, Kruger, Ort, Sukuttens, Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Relationship calendar five twelve, voted in negative. Senator Briskor, ayes 59 ayes one.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: That was passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 659, assembly number ten thousand seven hundred ten by assembly member Delon, enact too many insurance laws.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Veto aye, section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action is expected immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, GNR, Scruggar, Ort, Sukhan, Zelman. Now the results. In relation to calendar six fifty nine, voted in a negative r, senators Ashby, Barello, Cassidy Fitzpatrick Chan, Gallowan, Griffin Helming, Lands and Martins Ventura, Murray, Oberaclin, Merrill Orpolumbo, Rose Ross, and Steck, Titus Goldwasser, Webern White. Ayes, 38, and age 22.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill has passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number July, center print 9611 by senator mayor, enactment chapter two seventeen of the laws of 2015.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section three, this action takes effect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, Junar, Krueger, Ork, Stuart Cuddens, Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye, '60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: That was passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number July, center print 7053 by Senator Webb, an action from the county law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action will defect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, GNR, Scruger, or Stuart Cuddens, Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye 60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 801, senate print forty three eighty nine by senator May, enact to amend the executive law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action took effect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, GNR, Scruger, or Stuart Cuddens, Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Release the calendar eight zero one voted a negative. Senator Briskor, ayes 59, ayes one.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill has passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number eight thirty nine, set up for an 88 a by senator GNR, so that to amend the election law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Will be laid aside.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number eight fifty six, senate print eighty one ninety nine by senator Sanders, enact to direct the Department of Financial Services to conduct a study on the banking development district program.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section four, this action to defect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo. GNR, Spruger, Hort, Sukhan, Zelman.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Relations calendar August, voting in the negative, senate walls of aye 59, aye one.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 870 '1, set up for 9331 by senator Ramos, an action on the workers compensation law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section five is action to defect on the sixtieth date shall come along.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adaben, GNR, Skuga, Ort, Zuka, and Zelner. Mhmm.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: results. Relations calendar August, voting in a negative r. Senators Lanza, Walzig and White, odds 57 three.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill has passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number August, senate print ninety six seventy seven by senator Baskin, enacting relation to enacting the city of Buffalo Historic Preservation Receivorship Act.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section 12 is action taken effect on the ninety eighth day. Shall come along. All in all. Dabo, GNR, Sprueger, Ort, Sukha, and Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye, 60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number eight ninety seven, senate print two sixty five by senator Harkom, enacting religious of directing the state board of real property tax services to conduct a study on a pardon me, to conduct a study on real property tax saturation.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section four. This action took effect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, Junar, Spruger, or Sukad, and Zauner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye. 60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 903. Assembly number 11008 by assembly member Hunter, enactment of the county law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action to expect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, junior high schooler, Ort, Sukad, and Zelman.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye 60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill has passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 918, senate print 9848 by senator Salazar, Enact to win the Court of Claims Act.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this act shall take effect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo. GNR Scuba Orts, Vuka and Zama.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Relations calendar 09/18 voted a negative r. Senators, Kansas City, Fitzpatrick, Rhodes, and Walzik. Ayes 57, ayes three.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number '9 45, set up for ninety two zero six by senator Lantz, enactment chapter three zero six, with the lowest 2011.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action would expect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo. Junior speaker, Ort, Sukun, Zelner.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Check. Announce the result.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: A high 60.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The bell is passed. Calendar number 966 will be laid aside. It is high.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 971, senate print thirty three sixty six by senator Rivera, an act of public health law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this act shall defect immediately.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Hold the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, junior high schooler, or Sukadan Zona. We just did. Yeah.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to counter nine seventy one voted in a negative r, senators Ashby, Morello, Kansas City, Fitzpatrick, Chan, Gallivan, Griffon, Helming, Lanza, Martin, Potera, Murray, Oberac, O'Mara, Orpolumbo, Rolls, Rolls, and Stets, Todisco, Walls of Weber and White. Ayes, '38, and ace 22.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar number 982, senate print three eighty one by senate Brooke, inactive in the labor law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section two, this action of the confederate on 01/1980 of date. Shops come along.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Gabel. GNR, Schmucker, Ort, Suhlcuttens, Zelman.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Now is the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to the calendar, nine eighty two voted in a negative. Senator Walton, ayes 59, nays one.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The bill is passed.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Excuse me. Also, Senator Gallivan, ayes 58, nays two.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The bill is passed. Senator Gionnaires, that completes the reading of today's calendar.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Let's take up the controversial calendar, please.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Secretary will ring the bell. Secretary will read.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Calendar August, senate print 88 a by senator Gennaro is an act to to amend the election law.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Lanza, why do you rise?

[Senator Andrew J. Lanza]: Mister president, I believe there's an amendment at the desk. I waive the reading of that amendment and ask that you recognize senator Walzik.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Lantz. Upon review of the amendment in accordance with rule six, section four b, I rule out non germane and out of order.

[Senator Andrew J. Lanza]: Mister president, I appeal the ruling of the chair and ask that senator Walzik be heard on that appeal.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The appeal has been made and recognized. Senator Walzik may be heard.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Thank you, mister president, and thank you, mister floor leader. Appreciate the appeal here. I needed an ID to drive here today. I also needed an ID to swipe into the building. The bill before us will automatically register people to vote when they meet various state agencies and file paperwork, including the DMV who actually issues IDs. Aside from common sense and common practice, this idea, this helpful amendment that I offer here today is also immensely popular by the majority of New Yorkers. Sienna polled just a couple of weeks ago, and I know we follow polls around here, but just a week a couple of weeks ago, they showed that a majority of New Yorkers support voter ID. In New York, we also have an affidavit system that if somebody forgets their ID on election day, has lost their ID or just didn't bring it to the polls that day, we have a robust affidavit system that would allow them to vote and continue the franchise. Nonetheless, they would just vote on another ballot. So this bill that I offer up, this helpful amendment to the bill in chief that we'll talk about in a moment, doesn't solve all of the problems of the bill, but it is one helpful way that New Yorkers have consistently been asking for. They want to believe in full faith that our elections are secure by having voter ID at the polls. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator. I wanna remind the house that the vote is on the procedures of the house and the ruling of the chair. Those in favor of overruling the Chair signify by saying aye. Aye.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Show of hands.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Show of hands has been requested and so ordered. Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Aye. It's 22.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Ruling of the Chair stands and the Bill in Chief is now before the House. Read the last section. Section

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: nine is action for the fake January. Senator Walzik, why do you rise?

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Thank you, mister president. Would the sponsor yield?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Yes. I thank senator Rhodes for goading you on to get up. This is your moment, senator Walter. Let's go.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And notice we almost rushed through things. Through you, mister president, how many registered voters are there in the state of New York?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Many millions. If you want an exact number. Second, Senator Walsh. I can give you an estimate if you would like. I would dare say we're probably at seven or 8,000,000, but that's just a guess. I don't have the precise number in front of me.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: yields. Through you, Mr. President. I talked to folks at board of elections this morning. They said it's roughly 13 and a half million currently registered, a little bit lower than that in active voters that have voted in previous elections year past. I think they they look at the five year look back, and that's according to July, but the number is thirteen five. How many New Yorkers are eligible to vote? Do you know that number?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: So you are correct on the number. As I was handed that information after I answered. So probably that number has increased in large part because we have some version of automatic registration in place. Yet estimates are that there remain about 2,000,000 New Yorkers who are eligible yet unregistered. Through

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: you, Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: It's actually according to through you, Mr. President, according to the census's American Community Survey from 2024, there are 14,100,000 New Yorkers eligible to be registered. We're at a about a 96% registration rate for eligible New Yorkers in the state. What what does this bill do?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Well, that's an imprecise estimate that you're using as it relates to the census. It's not an exact figure. As we all know, the census is notoriously inaccurate. But this would allow, even if it's half a million or 2,000,000, I guess we're gonna agree that that's the range we're talking about. That's a significant amount of New Yorkers who are currently disenfranchised even though they are eligible to vote.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: yield. Through you, mister president. So the title of your of the bill here says provides for automatic voter registration and pre registration for persons applying for certain Department of Motor Vehicle documentation and for Medicaid enrollees. What does this bill do?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: It streamlines the automatic registration process we currently have in place. Currently, if you're interacting with the DMV, I believe, you have to fill out paperwork in order to register, which is part of your transaction with the Department of Motor Vehicles. This would have the process be more automatic in the sense that it would be a burden on the agencies themselves to determine if you are eligible and then transmit that information to the Board of Elections. So, would remove a hurdle that the voter would currently have to go through. And I should add that it would also make the process, the reason it's called secure AVR is it would make the process more, secure, for lack of a better word, in a lot of the ways that I would think you would support. So, for example, currently, someone who's filling out that paperwork has to attest themselves to their eligibility, whereas in this under this bill, the agencies which would be armed with the data and information to conclusively prove a voter's eligibility would have that burden.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And, mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: On page three, line 24, you address DMV voter registrations, which we've just talked about a little bit. Line 24 says, provides documentation conclusively demonstrating that such person is not a United States citizen. The checkbox that is currently on the DMV or motor voter registration, the checkbox reads this way. I decline use of this form for voter registration and preregistration purposes. I do not forward my information to the board of elections. If you do not check this box and you provide your signature on the space below, you will have applied to register or preregister to vote, and you will have attested to your eligibility to register or preregister to vote. Is that box going to remain under this law?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: That would be up to the DMV, but it should not have to be there. It would be redundant because the burden, as I just mentioned, would fall on the DMV based on the information the applicant provides to them to make that determination regardless of whether a box is checked or not. And if I could direct you to the next page of the bill on page four, subdivision two, says, in fact that, such person needs to provide documentation to the DMV conclusively demonstrating United States citizenship. And so that it's a little bit the section you outlined is a little bit redundant. It it basically says you have to prove citizenship. And if somehow you prove that you're not a citizen because you registered to vote with some other documentation, be it a green card or what have you, the DMV should definitely not transmit that information. But they're only authorized to transmit the information under this bill if they've already proven citizenship, so it's a little bit redundant.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And what documentation for someone who doesn't have any documentation, often referred to as undocumented, what information would they provide the DMV?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Information would they provide to the Navy? I guess as it relates to this bill, that's irrelevant because they would not have documentation proving citizenship, so the inquiry would end there and the information would not be sent to

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: the Board of Elections. Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: If someone is not a citizen and doesn't have documentation, what would they bring to the Department of Motor Vehicles to prove their non citizenship?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: That's the same question. It is. And what I'm indicating to you is as it relates to this bill, that is an irrelevant question.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: What then would be the actions of the front facing clerk or through you, mister president, what then would be the actions of the front facing clerk at the Department of Motor Vehicles or a a button pusher in the Department of Motor Vehicles if they're doing it online? What would they what documentation would they have to be able to not register someone to vote?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Asking the question in the negative. The fact of the matter is if an applicant does not provide conclusive proof that they are a citizen, the DMV's process as it relates to this, to registering someone to vote is over.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Yeah, and maybe it's, through you, Mr. President, maybe it's, some confusion on the redundancy that you mentioned earlier. But on on page three in section two, notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall not provide an opportunity to register or preregister to vote to or transmit an application for registration or preregistration for any person who, when conducting a Department of Motor Vehicle transaction pursuant to the subdivision one of this section, provides documentation conclusively demonstrating that that person is not a United States citizen. So I know you you said it's a double negative, but I'm wondering about the double negative in that statement. If they don't have documentation, how do they prove that they are not a citizen to the Department of Motor Vehicles?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Well, as I indicated to you, you're harping on this one provision, which I would think should make you happy. But the fact is, in the following page, the bill talks about when the DMV is in fact authorized to transmit someone's information to the Board of Elections. Specifically says after United States citizenship has been conclusively documented. Then there's this extra provision that you're talking about that says, if somehow they've proven they're not a citizen, definitely do not send that information to the Board of Elections. But they're they wouldn't be allowed to send it regardless unless there's something that shows that they are in fact a US citizen.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yield.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, mister president. So on that process on page four that you that you mentioned, there are multiple paragraphs here. The DMV and board of elections will determine what proves citizenship as you outlined, whether they're already registered in that information, how it gets shared. State Board of Elections then sends that registration to the local boards of elections, and then the local board of elections shall register that voter. How will DMV and the board of elections decide what documents are, make someone an eligible citizen to vote in New York state's elections?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: That would be for them to determine. I would think you would have some comfort in the fact that the board of elections decision making process is governed equally by Democrats and Republicans. It's a decision that the commissioners would have to authorize, and that would not have any partisan lean one way or the other. So whatever the board of elections deems sufficient would be something that members of your party would agree to.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yield.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: I asked a question and I would have more comfort if it were outlined in the bill. So I asked the question about what the process for the DMV and the board of elections would be in determining what the that documentation is, which isn't spoken to in the bill. What do you imagine their process in determining what documentation

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: would there be some kind of interagency document that would be agreed upon through whatever authorization those agencies have for the DMV, probably be the commissioner's agreement. For the board of elections, it would be their commissioner's agreement, which as I mentioned, is equally split amongst the parties.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: With three parties in the mix here, the DMV, the Republican elections commissioner, the Democrat elections commissioner, is there a weighted vote for the process for how or do does it need to be unanimous when determining which documentations would

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: be acceptable? The I bill is clear that DMV would have to agree and the state board of elections would have to agree. And so the DMV process would be what it is. Let's presume it's the commissioner single handedly making that determination. But for the board of elections, for them to agree, it would have to be a majority vote of their commissioners. Or else the board of elections is not making a decision, legally speaking.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: So and that does give me comfort. So the the board of election the commissioners of board of elections, both republicans and democrats, would have to agree on which documentation is presented. Correct. Thank you. Through mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Why why would so it and I know we've we've done motor voter and we've done green light law and we do have automatic voter registration. Some of those some of those policies haven't been all the way put in place. I know Board of Elections is still working on agreements for some of the finalization of motor voter automatic registration through the DMV currently. Why would we put more onus on front facing clerks to do more registrations, at this point before those rules are finalized at the board of elections with, as you point out, bipartisan agreement?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Because we have a fundamental disagreement about our democratic process. We like for people to vote who are eligible to vote. And as I just saw from your attempted hostile amendment, you prefer to put obstacles in people's way before we let them vote. So there's a fundamental philosophical difference. I will always be proposing legislation for the last few months I'm here, to make it easier for people who are eligible to participate in the democratic process. And it seems that you would prefer the opposite.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield for another question?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Will sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, mister president. I didn't present this bill today. I'm just asking some questions because I I'd like to know some answers about it. It's a pretty lengthy bill and I'm trying to understand what the implication of the policy that you're proposing here is. On page six, line 45, what if they register through the DMV online?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: They do? Is that your question?

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Yeah. Through you, mister president. I'll clarify. So line 45 says that if such applicant applies to register to vote electronically, such applicant thereby consents to the use of an electronic copy of such applicant's manual signature that is in the custody of the Department of Motor Vehicles as such applicant's voter registration exemplar signature. So if someone is registering online, how will someone at the DMV determine their citizenship?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: To discuss that would be up to the Department of Motor Vehicles and the State Board of Elections to jointly, determine.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Could that still be a checkbox opt out or a self attestation in the case of online registration through the DMV?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: No. That's not the intention. No. That's not documentation.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: On page seven, through you, mister president. And and this is talking about so if they don't check the box, they're essentially registered. For each person who completes an application to register the vote to vote, I won't read the entire paragraph, but it it closes with line 36. The department shall not transmit to the state board of elections an application for registration for a person who indicates on the integrated personal voter registration application that such person does not meet the eligibility requirements for registration. So if they don't check the box, will they automatically be registered?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: And that's the current process.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: I'm trying to remember your question so I answer whether negatively or positively, in the form that you asked it. But if they do not check the box, is that your question? If they do not check the box, the information is provided to the state board of elections for purposes of updating a current registration, but it would not be sufficient documentation to actually register someone who's not registered to vote.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And through you, mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The sponsor yield. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: So under green light, we've obviously been already giving driver's licenses to non citizens in New York State. If they've updated their address, will they be registered to vote when they've updated their address online?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: For undocumented individuals, no.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: yields. Well, this case, they've got a document. It's a New York state driver's license that we've already granted them. And under this provision, we'll be transmitting information to the board of elections when someone changes their address through, my DMV. So will they be registered to vote at that time when they've changed their address?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Like I said, if someone is already registered, that information will be provided so the board can update their current registration, but they would not be eligible to be newly registered. Now mind you, I just extrapolate on that for a second, today someone can walk into the board of elections and register to vote. And it's unlikely they'd be asked for any documentation at all. So this is a much more secure process than currently exists.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, briefly on the bill.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Waldsek, on the bill.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: So today, if somebody walks into board of elections to register to vote, they'll receive they'll get a voter registration form. At the top of your voter registration form, it says, if you do not have a DMV or Social Security number, you may use a valid photo ID, current utility bill, bank statement, paycheck, government check, or some other government document that shows your name and address. You may include a copy of one of those types of ID with this form. Be sure to tape it to the sides of the form closed. And under identification, it says that's block 13. You can provide a New York State DMV number, the last four of your social security number, or you do not have a New York State driver's license or security or social security number, but you are giving a self attestation saying that you're a citizen of The United States and your voter registration form goes, it's at board of elections. It goes to the bipartisan commissioners that we talked about earlier in order to validate your eligibility to register to vote in the state of New York. Through you, Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Will the sponsor yield? Sure. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: On page six or, on on page nine rather, subsection six, what does this bill change about voter registration for convicted felons?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Before I get to that, let me just also address, your comments on the bill. You just basically outlined the exact scenario you were concerned about. If a valid driver's license is good enough when you show up at the board of elections, the undocumented individual who has a driver's license would not be deterred. And so again, this bill would provide a process that would be more secure than someone who's going to walk in in person at a board of elections. Now, to your question about someone who was incarcerated, was that the question? Give me one moment please. My understanding is that the bill would provide for the situation where someone who is incarcerated but would be eligible to vote upon their release, that information would also be transmitted to the state board of elections so that those individuals could be registered, if eligible.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Will the sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Also on the same page in section eight, so we're looking at line 45, it says nothing in this section shall be construed to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize or require the Department of Motive Vehicles to request documentation establishing an applicant's citizenship solely for the purposes of voter registration. Why?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: That is to provide the individual with the option to not provide documentation, and therefore, they would not be registered to vote, absent that documentation. It requires someone to provide this documentation to be transmitted to the state board. But if you don't provide it, you won't be registered through this process.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield?

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Yes. Sponsor yields. I read it a a different and concerning way, but on on page 10, I'll move along to the next point because I think we may have a disagreement on the technical purpose of that section. You're adding a new section to the law that's section five-901A for Medicaid enrollees in the state of New York. When does that part take effect?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: The effective date of the bill is three years from its enactment. It's 01/01/2028, which is probably three years from when the bill was passed in 2025. So it will be 01/01/2028.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: You can receive Medicaid in New York State as a non citizen, is that correct?

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Mr.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Largely some rules for DOH and DSS, these are largely some of the same rules for Department of Health or the Department of Social Services as they are for the DMV outlined in your your, in your bill here? They largely the same rules?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: That's correct.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Yes. Yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, mister president, the New York state comptroller released an audit last year. He found multiple issues with how the state identified out of state Medicaid members and found close to 1,200,000,000 in managed care premiums that were paid for members who have resided outside of New York State. Auditors found the State Department of Health did not properly check to confirm that Medicaid members were New York residents and waited too long to recoup improper payments. The breakdown there is roughly 150,000 non New Yorkers, receiving Medicaid payments and another 600,000 unverified by Social Security numbers, would these people be automatically enrolled to vote under this bill?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Not if there's not conclusive proof of documentation of citizenship that the state board of elections agrees to.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And that onus would be solely on the board of elections, or would, department of health or DSS be the rulemaking body there?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: I believe it's a comparable process to what we earlier discussed about DMV. It would be, kind of joint agreement between the agencies.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields?

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: There's a new section for New York City Housing Authority. Is that correct? Yes. Three, mister president, with the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields?

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Why did you select the New York City Housing Authority to do automatic voter registration in the state of New York?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: What we attempted to do was find the agencies that, have access to citizenship information and documentation and also those that we're most likely to interact with the individuals we believe are eligible yet unregistered, so we can maximize the number of people we're helping.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: On page 13, if, if someone doesn't automatically register to a political party, board of elections will have to mail them an enrollment application. Is that correct? Through you Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, why is that provision in here?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Because there are parts of the state in which primaries are tantamount to elections. In your part of the state, that may be a Republican primary. My part is a Democratic primary. But we want to give every opportunity for someone registering to make a conscious choice if they do not want to be registered in a party because they would in fact be excluded from participating in primaries if they do that.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, will the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, Mr. President, will the forms for NYCHA, for DMV, for the the changes that we've got on Medicaid applications, will they include a party registration opportunity already as the way that you've envisioned it?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Correct.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Sponsored yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Yes. Sponsored yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, mister president, if they've already opted out of enrolling a party, why would we burden local board of elections with mailing them an additional registration form?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Well, we wanted to be sure because it's easily easy to imagine someone who is going to the DMV or to the Department of Health or Social Services or whatever agency we're referring to, their primary purpose is not to register to vote, it's to avail themselves of services offered from those agencies. So they may not be thinking about the voter registration aspect of their interaction.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: If the board of elect through you, mister president. If the board of elections does not have consensus on documentation, would that prevent them being referred to board of elections for registration?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Yes. Or if the or if they were, then the board would decline to to register those people.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: In in 2021, New York City tried allowing non reddit non citizens to register to vote in our elections. Six out of the seven judges of the Court of Appeals found that to be unconstitutional. Is that a problem? No. Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, Mr. President, there's somewhere between 800,000 and a million non citizens in New York. How will this prevent them from being registered to vote in the state of New York?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Because as we've discussed ad nauseam in this debate, there would be conclusive documentation of United States citizenship required before any of this process is implemented.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Does this bill allow social services or the DMV or NYCHA to pull down lists from USCIS on the individuals that are living in New York State that are non citizens, to check their citizenship status against those lists?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: I don't think so, but why would that be necessary? As I have said, if they don't have proof that the person they're dealing with is a citizen, that ends their process.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yields. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Through you, Mr. President, are you familiar with the good moral character test during an immigration process? Vaguely. And mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield. Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: So the good moral character test is a criminal background check and also USCIS is checking as individuals are going through the citizenship process, checking to be to see if they've been registered to vote or if they have voted in elections. You'll actually see this often show up on immigration attorneys websites. If you're registered to vote, that could be a bar to your citizenship in The United States. If you have voted, that could be another bar. In fact, board of elections has reported many non citizens reaching out to board of elections. Sometimes they hear from immigration attorneys asking to be disenrolled, voluntary disenrollment, in the state of New York. Are you concerned, that by more automatically registering with many state agencies and bureaucracies? Non citizens may be registered to vote in the state of New York. In fact, barring them to citizenship are creating another hurdle?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: No. I'm not. And I understand you're caught up with the fantasy that there are hordes of undocumented people dying to fakely register to vote when the data indicates the contrary. But what I'm concerned about is, by your own admission, at least half a million people, by my count, almost 2,000,000 people who are eligible to vote in this state and are not registered to vote.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: And mister president, would the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Alright. All of all of those concerns that you have swayed aside on page 16, line seven. Why why would we exempt people who are automatically registered to vote, saying that they did not willfully or knowingly seek to register if they're registered under the provisions of this bill? Why would we give them that immunity?

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: First of all, there is no page 16 in this bill.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: Mr. President, I apologize. Page 13 of this bill, looking at lines seven through nine.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Provision there, is that your question? Sure. To deal with a potential administrative snafu, if we're putting the burdens on the agencies as opposed to the individuals, we don't want to hold the individual accountable for a mistake that, an agency representative might have made. Through you, mister president, would

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: the sponsor continue to yield?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Sponsor yield? Yes. Sponsor yields.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: If proof of citizenship is required, how could an agency possibly make a mistake? The humans involved. Mister president, on the bill.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Waldzik, on the bill.

[Senator Mark C. Walczyk]: By the numbers, New York state is actually doing really well on voter registration. Roughly 96% of eligible New Yorkers are registered to vote in the state of New York. This bill will automatically register anybody that bumps into multiple different agencies seeking out those next 4%, those last 4%. If you've walked around New York State or ever talked to people during an election cycle, which we often do, you'll find many people just don't want to register to vote. Some of those people may register by this, but this will also capture an entirely new crowd that did not intend to register to vote in the state of New York and motor voter has already caused, with green light, non citizens to be accidentally registered to vote in the state of New York. We know this. Talk to an immigration attorney. Talk to someone who has gone through the immigration naturalization process. This can actually be a bar to citizenship that we're laying down in our bureaucracy. So with all of the language here, with all of the affirmation that no, we'll have to confirm a million times that they are indeed a citizen and eligible to vote. We have said, but if they're accidentally by an administrative snafu, there is no problem for them. No criminality. No issue whatsoever because that is exactly what this bill is designed to do. Board of Elections has handled our registrations and enrollments for a long time for very good reason. We haven't passed it off to a bunch of different departments that don't do voter registration and enrollment because that is the job of board of elections. And if you give it to the New York City Housing Authority and to Medicaid, which is making payments to non New Yorkers as well as some non citizens, and you say they're going to automatically register people to vote unless all of these hoops are jumped through and everybody dots their i's and crosses their t's, the danger, as the sponsor has said, the danger is that there could be administrative snafu's. Well, of course. And if you have a million non citizens living in New York State, that's a million options for administrative snafus. This bill moves more registration to social services, New York City Housing Authority, and away from our bipartisan local board of elections. Instead of fixing problems, it only causes more. Instead of building faith, it only degrades trust. Instead of protecting the franchise, It threatens to dilute it, and it even creates a bar to citizenship for those who don't want to be caught up in administrative snafus. And for those reasons, mister president, I'll be voting no and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Walzik. Senator Barello, why do you rise?

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Mister president, on the bill.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Barello, on the bill.

[Senator George M. Borrello]: Thank you, mister president. I wanna thank my colleagues for the debate today. I think senator Walzik, did an excellent job of pointing out the issues, with this bill. Now you can go back and forth and you can say, oh, no. No. That's never going to happen. Or no. No. No. We have a check and balance here. But our democracy, in fact, every democracy, is built on faith and confidence that the voters believe that when they cast a vote, it will be counted and it'll be counted fairly. Bills like this undermine that confidence. It is a direct threat to democracy that I hear so much from my colleagues on the side of the aisle talking about their want to protect, protecting democracy. Democracy's foundation is free and fair elections and people having confidence that when they cast a vote, that vote is a vote that will be counted. We are threatening that here. $1,200,000,000 was paid out for Medicaid recipients that don't live in New York State, about a 150,000 people, in fact. Now you might say, well, how is that going to happen here? How are those folks going to be registered here in New York? That's a good question. Undermining the confidence. Because people will ask that question and say, how will they not be registered here in New York State if they're registered automatically because they interacted with the Medicaid office? We do a lot of things here in New York State that undermines confidence. Confidence that we can pass a budget on time. Confidence that we can actually fund things like schools and hospitals. But undermining confidence in democracy is the most dangerous thing that we do here. You don't have to show an ID. We don't want you to show an ID. We insist that you do not show an ID. People have actually been scolded going to a polling place and showing their ID. You can't do that. So a simple thing like showing an ID could actually even offset a little bit of this confidence that we're undermining in the system. But we're not gonna do that here. But here's the bottom line. Please show me that disenfranchised voter. Show me someone that said, I tried really hard to register and vote and I could not. I haven't seen one yet. I don't know anybody that has because it's very easy to vote here in New York State if you choose to vote. And this is still a democracy. This is still where people have freedom of choice. They choose not to vote. So the people that aren't voting are voting because they don't want to. It's that simple. And to undermine the confidence in the process because you think arrogantly that we must have everybody vote and we must register everyone to vote, it's not only arrogant, it's foolish, and it's dangerous. And I'll be voting no. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Thank you, senator Borrella. Are there any other senators wishing to be heard, see seeing and hearing none. Debate is closed. Secretary will ring the bell. Senator Gianaris.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: This bill is restored to non controversial calendar by consent.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Is restored to a non controversial calendar. Read the last section.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Section nine is actually taking effect 01/01/2028.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Call the roll.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: Adabo, Gionaris Kruger, Ort, Sukunins, Zelman.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Gionaris to explain his vote.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: This is still a democracy thundered one of our colleagues despite the best efforts of their president to make it not so. Refusing to accept the results of a previous election to this day claiming it was invalid which led to a bunch of maniacs trying to storm the capital which this party doesn't even recognize as a criminal act. Law enforcement officers were killed. We had the resolution on Police Week today. Where's the outrage that this president's questioning of the democratic process directly led to that outcome? Let's be clear. Thank you for the exhale, Senator Weber. Let's be clear about what's going on here Because there's no undocumented person today under threat of being having their children yanked away from them who's going to sit there, commit some fraudulent registration and go and vote to affect an election as if one vote is going to determine the outcome of a particular election. That's not happening. What is happening is there are people who are eligible to vote who are not voting. Maybe they choose not to vote. That's possible. They can continue to choose not to vote. You can be registered and never show up to vote if you don't want to vote. But we're about removing hurdles to voting for those eligible. Not placing new ones in their place, not asking for ID where there are large communities that don't drive, don't have a driver's license, don't have an ID readily available. This is about voter disenfranchisement for my colleagues on that side of the aisle. Let's not dress it up as some fantastical notion that there's massive fraud going on when all the data in this country for decades proves that that's not the case. One of my colleagues said, oh, the 4% of the people that are not registered or whatever incorrect number was banded about. By his own admission, that's at least half a million people. Now if you want to scoff at half a million people who should be able to vote and are not registered, that makes my point better than anything I've said in the last couple of minutes. Mr. President, this is a bill we've passed before. We've had this debate. We'll have it again. I hope the assembly joins us in passing it for the first time so we can get it done and do something to make sure that more people participate, in our process and not less. I vote aye.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Gineris to be recorded in the affirmative. Senator Zellner to explain his vote.

[Senator Zellnor Myrie]: Thank you, mister president. As a recent elections professional board of elections commissioner for the last nine years, I rise in support of this bill because as senator Gennaro said, we have to remove every hurdle to democracy that we can. And I support this bill because this does. This actually strengthens and streamlines the process as it is now because our agencies will only be sending the people who are eligible to be voters to our boards of elections, and they will then determine but already have that prerequisite from our agencies. So, mister president, I vote aye. Thank you.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Zellner to be recorded in the affirmative. Senator Helming to explain her vote.

[Senator Pamela A. Helming]: Thank you, mister president. The bill before us continues to shift responsibility to determine voter eligibility and registration from our local bipartisan boards of elections towards state agencies, as we heard, towards the DMV, the Department of Health, and even the New York City Housing Authority. Under the bill, unless identification documents submitted to these agencies conclusively demonstrate someone is not a United States citizen, they may move forward with the automatic voter registration process. I want to clarify something that was said earlier. Every eligible citizen should be able to vote. In this body, both sides of the political aisle have taken past actions to support voter participation. But this bill, for me, raises serious concerns and questions beginning with stripping away local decision making, and it raises concerns about the potential administrative errors in the registration process that could lead to the possibility that non citizens could be improperly registered to vote. For those reasons and many others, I vote no, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Hellman to be recorded in the negative. Senator May to explain her vote.

[Senator Rachel May]: Thank you, mister president. I wanna thank senator Generis for this bill because automatic voter registration is a crucial step toward allowing as many eligible people as possible to exercise their right to vote. A hundred years ago, especially across the Deep South, white supremacists employed a host of methods to make it impossible for black Americans to register. Poll taxes, literacy tests, purges of voter rolls, threats of violence, and actual violence, including murder, were all too common. Everyone in this room understands that noncitizen voting is a nonissue, but it is being used to revive the practice of erecting barriers to registration, once again, for the purpose of blocking eligible citizens from voting. In the past week, we have seen white supremacists newly emboldened by an extremist supreme court revel in their new powers to disenfranchise black voters everywhere they can. We should be proud here in New York that we are making it easier for all eligible New Yorkers to exercise their franchise. I vote aye.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator May, to be recorded in the affirmative, senator Rhodes to explain his vote.

[Senator Steven Rhoads]: Thank you, mister president. We hear a lot of words about barriers to registering to vote. Where are those barriers? Can anyone answer that question? Where are the barriers? What's preventing whether it's 500,000 or 2,000,000 New Yorkers, what's preventing them from walking into the board of elections? What's preventing them from going online to fill a voter registration form? What's preventing them from going to the post office to fill out a voter registration form and submitting it? Nothing. Nothing at all. But what this bill does is remove barriers from noncitizens to be able to go and vote. In fact, it actually encourages the process of noncitizens being able to go in and register to vote because it actually eliminates the presumption of liability from them falsely registering to vote through this either voter motor motor voter process or through the process department of social services in one of your your local municipalities, through Medicaid, through any one of the number of opportunities that are now provided, as in through night shift. Now we're taking the responsibility for making that determination away from the trained professionals at the board of elections, and we're handing it out to untrained administrative agencies like those responsible for administering Medicaid. A 150,000 non New Yorkers receiving Medicaid benefits. The Empire Center did a study. We have eight and a half million Medicaid recipients here in the state of New York, though the Empire Center found that only 5,000,000 are financially eligible. The same individuals who allowed 3,500,000 people to sign up for Medicaid by far, the single greatest expense, a 120,000,000,000 that we have in our New York state budget. The same people who are allowing that kind of fraud will now be responsible for determining who's a citizen and who's not for the purpose of registering to vote. This is an invitation to create a fraud factory. And for that reason, I will leave it to the administrative professionals in our boards of elections, and I will vote no on this legislation. Thank you, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Rose, it will recorded in the negative. Senator Martins to explain his vote.

[Senator Jack M. Martins]: Thank you, mister president. You know, we we talk about, in broad terms, both sides of the aisle, disenfranchisement requiring proof, hurdles to people voting. But it is our responsibility to make sure that everyone who casts a vote has a right to vote. It's as important as anything else that we do to ensure that those who would take advantage of this system are prevented from doing so and that we have means of doing just that. The law is pretty clear here in New York that someone can be criminally charged for voting if they know that they should not have voted. Knowingly is the standard in our statute. It's election law 17 dash one thirty two. So it's clearly more than coincidence that the sponsor decided to put that into this bill to remove the knowingly and allow for that process because it's not that person's fault. It couldn't be. It has to be someone else's fault if someone who shouldn't be voting is allowed to vote. Now let's talk about access to voting. Here's a person who's registering a car or obtaining a license at DMV, and they can't walk into a board of elections or hop online to register to vote. Let's stop for a second. No one's being disenfranchised. No one's been asked not to vote. No one is being prevented. There are no hurdles being placed here. What we're trying to do here, clearly on this side and perhaps not as much on that side, is prevent people given the opportunity to vote who shouldn't be voting. And if there's one right that we have as citizens of this country, it's the right to vote. And to protect the democracy, we should protect that right and not default to allowing anyone to vote who's not a citizen. Mister president, I vote no.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Martin's recorded in the negative. Senator Murray to explain his vote.

[Senator Dean Murray]: Mister president, you know, we keep having these bills back and forth talking about, making it easier for people to vote. You know, I I did one time during a debate. I did an actual side by side comparison of registering your vehicle or registering to vote. It was about four or five times harder to register your vehicle at the DMV, by the way, than it is to register to vote. Registering to vote is probably the most simple interaction you will ever have with government. It's such a simple, simple process. Then we argue back and forth about, is there fraud? One side says, no, there's no fraud. The other, yes, there is fraud and all. And yet, there's a simple way to solve that problem. A way that more than 80% of the country agrees with. And we had that solution in the form of an amendment to simply show photo ID. And yet, this body in the other side of the aisle will do anything, anything, but let that happen. It does have to make you wonder why. I vote no, mister president.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Murray, to record in the negative. Senator Scufus to close.

[Senator James Skoufis]: Thank you very much, mister president. I wanna opine on a subject that's been harped on quite a bit here, which is trust in our electoral system. In 2022, the state of Florida, population of about 23,000,000 people, you may remember, with much fanfare, established a new office for election crimes and security. Governor DeSantis at the podium banging the podium about undocumented people, hordes of undocumented people voting in their elections, People voting twice like they're running into some Coke closet after voting once, putting on a fake mustache to vote a second time. Lots of fanfare. Several election cycles later, several years later, 25 people in a state of 23,000,000 were charged and convicted with election related crimes by this office. After they spent over $10,000,000, by the way, due to the per charge cost on that one for taxpayers in the state of Florida. And just as we heard in 2022 in Florida and around the country in other states, And just as we heard on this floor, these conspiracy theories advanced in the name of creating better trust. It's preposterous. I don't recall seeing, and I'd love to be corrected if I'm wrong. Senator Janaris talked about the big lie from president Trump. In addition to what he shared, we literally had fake electoral slates in countries in states around this country. Slates of fake electoral voters in an attempt to steal a national presidential election. But we'd rather talk about conspiracies. Senator Rhodes mentioned he referenced a think tank, policy experts as it relates to Medicaid enrollment. There's a reason why we didn't hear a single reference to any think tank or policy expert who has weighed in on how many undocumented people vote in our states or in our country's elections because it's near zero. I thank the sponsor for this bill. This, unlike what we heard from the other side, actually would elicit trust in our elections. We have very different perspectives. Senator Martins is right. We have very different perspectives on these issues. We heard from the other side what they think elicits trust in our elections. We believe we elicit trust by getting more people to vote. I vote yes.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: Senator Scufus, to be recorded in the affirmative. Announce the results.

[Secretary of the Senate (Clerk)]: In relation to count eight thirty nine, vote in the negative are senators Ashby, Barlow, Kansas, Fitzpatrick Chan, Gallup, Cliff, Wyoming, Lanza, Martins, Matera, Murray, Obrak, O'Meara, Orpolumbo, Rhodes, Ralston, Sect, Todisco, Wauset, Weber, and White. Ayes, 38, nays, 22.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The bill is passed. Senator Gionaris, that completes the reading of today's calendar.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Back to motions for a moment on behalf of Senator Harko on page 44. I offer the following amendments to Calvin nine seventy five, Senator four nine zero three eight and as the said bill retains place on the third reading calendar.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: The amendments are received and the bill retain its place on the third reading calendar.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: Is there any further business at the desk?

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: There is no further business at the desk.

[Senator Michael Gianaris]: I move to adjourn till tomorrow, Tuesday, May 12 at 3PM.

[Acting President (Presiding Officer)]: On motion, the senate stands adjourned until Tuesday, May 12 at 3PM.