Video & Transcript Research : '993'
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New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 06/04/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate met on June 3, 2026, approved the prior day’s journal, and then moved through a long list of discharge motions and substitutions to place many bills on the third reading calendar. The chamber also adopted Resolution J.2314 honoring the New York chapter of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, with remarks emphasizing domestic workers’ role in care work, labor organizing, and protections such as paid sick leave and family leave. Another adopted resolution, J.2298, mourned labor and social justice advocate Minerva Solla, with senators highlighting her work with 1199, the Young Lords, Puerto Rican solidarity efforts, and women’s organizing. A third resolution recognized Olympic curler Daniel Casper for representing the United States at the 2026 Winter Games.
The Senate then confirmed a large slate of judicial and executive nominations. It accepted the Judiciary Committee report and confirmed four interim Supreme Court justices, seven Court of Claims judges, and 21 reappointments/extensions by a vote of 44-12. The Finance Committee report was also accepted, and the Senate confirmed a broad set of appointments to state boards and authorities, including the MTA, State Commission of Correction, Power Authority, NYSERDA, Financial Control Board, public health councils, SUNY and Cornell boards, gaming and bridge authorities, and others. One notable confirmation was Alexander Dockery to the State Commission of Correction; supporters called it the first time a formerly incarcerated person had been confirmed to that commission, while Senator Murray criticized the practice of voting on large nomination blocks rather than individually.
The chamber then took up and passed many bills, mostly by wide margins, covering labor, health, education, transportation, public service, criminal justice, municipal, tax, insurance, and environmental topics. Several members explained their votes on major measures: Senator Ramos supported a bill modernizing temporary disability benefits and another protecting construction workers from lost pay when jobs are canceled; Senator Baskin spoke about a correction bill tied to the death of India Cummings; Senator Skoufis described a family-court custody bill intended to prioritize child safety; Senator Mayer backed a proposal to reimburse parents of medically fragile children for providing care; and Senator Hinchey defended a bill requiring employers to report AI-related job impacts, while Senator Borrello opposed it as burdensome. Most bills were passed, some were laid aside, and the session concluded with multiple roll-call votes and confirmations before adjournment-related business.
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Summary:
The meeting was a lengthy floor session in which Senator Loo’s Senate Bill 82B and a large number of other bills were taken up and reported. The transcript repeatedly notes bills being moved and seconded by various senators, with most items described as enacted or reported under different laws, including Education, Labor, Capital, Executive, Vehicle and Traffic, Tax, General Business, Social Services, Public Service, Public Health, Retirement and Social Security, Local Finance, Alcoholic Beverage Control, Civil Service, Penal, Judiciary, Senate, and Supreme Court-related laws. The discussion appears to have been a rapid series of bill readings and motions rather than substantive debate on the merits of each measure.
For many of the bills, the record states that there was no opposition or that the bills were reported after a voice vote. A few items note opposition before being reported, but no detailed arguments or testimony are included in the transcript. The session also references amendments and chapter-law updates, suggesting the chamber was processing a broad package of legislative actions.
The main action taken was the reporting of the bills, with the transcript indicating that the measures were advanced out of the chamber or committee. No roll-call vote details, amendments adopted, or defeats are clearly described beyond the repeated “all in favor, opposed?” style of proceedings and the final statement that the bills were reported.
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Summary:
The committee met to consider a long list of bills, mostly reported out without debate. The measures covered a wide range of subjects, including insurance, criminal procedure, social services, retirement, tax, education, military, civil service, public authority, and local authorization matters. For each bill, a member moved the item and another seconded it, followed by a voice vote; the transcript repeatedly notes that the bills were reported, with no recorded opposition or substantive discussion on the merits.
After the bill list was completed, members briefly exchanged remarks about the chair and ranking member’s working relationship and the length and efficiency of the meetings. Senator Lansing offered thanks and praise for the bipartisan partnership, and the chair responded in kind, noting the long-standing friendship and cooperation across party lines.
The meeting then adjourned. No amendments, roll-call votes, or other formal actions beyond reporting the bills were recorded in the transcript.
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New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Senate Standing Committee on Finance, Transportation and Corporations - 06/03/2026
Summary:
The joint meeting of the Senate Finance, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, and Transportation committees considered four nominations to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board: Melanie Hartzog, Jeanette Sadecott, Matthew Rand, and James O’Donnell. Each nominee gave opening remarks describing their public service or transportation-related experience and their interest in issues such as affordability, accessibility, state of good repair, regional connectivity, and transit safety. Senators also raised concerns about MTA transparency, the 2025-29 capital plan funding gap, fare and toll evasion, worker safety, and the need for better service in underserved areas.
Members pressed the nominees on several policy questions, including the feasibility of free or reduced-fare buses, expanding bus service and bus lanes, restoring Hudson Valley and Harlem Line service, improving west-of-Hudson and Rockland County transit, and advancing the Second Avenue Subway and accessibility projects. The nominees generally said they were open to studying these ideas, emphasized collaboration with the MTA, governor, mayor, and legislature, and supported greater transparency and investment in transit infrastructure. Senators also highlighted labor concerns, including the MTA workers’ contract and safety for bus operators and other transit workers.
At the end of the hearing, the committees voted separately on each nomination. Melanie Hartzog, Jeanette Sadecott, Matthew Rand, and James O’Donnell were each approved by the committees and advanced to the Senate floor. The meeting then adjourned.
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Summary:
The transcript appears to be a committee vote session on many bills across a range of subject areas, including media rules, highway law, education, health, social services, business, insurance, real property, arts and culture, banking, navigation, and vehicle traffic. For each item, a senator moved the bill, another seconded it, and the chair repeatedly announced that the motion carried, with bills being reported out of committee. The transcript is heavily garbled, so many bill titles and bill numbers are unclear, but the overall pattern is consistent: sequential consideration and reporting of numerous measures.
Most items were approved without recorded opposition, though the transcript occasionally notes “all in favor” or “all in favor, opposed,” suggesting routine voice votes or unanimous consent. A few specific references are legible, such as the highway law, education law, health law, insurance law, social services law, business law, and arts and cultural affairs law, indicating the committee was processing amendments or related bills in those areas. The session also includes repeated references to particular sponsors or bill numbers, but the text is too distorted to reliably identify them all.
No substantive debate, testimony, or amendments are clearly described in the transcript. The main action was procedural: motions, seconds, and repeated announcements that bills were reported out. The meeting ends with additional garbled references to later bills, again suggesting continued routine reporting of measures rather than extended discussion.
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Summary:
The New York State Senate Finance Committee met to consider a slate of roughly 30 gubernatorial nominations to state boards, authorities, commissions, and advisory councils. The nominations included appointments to the Advisory Council on Agriculture, the Dormitory Authority, the Power Authority, NYSERDA, the Public Health and Health Planning Council, the Gaming Commission, the Thruway Authority, the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority, SUNY and Cornell boards, and several other entities. Senator O’Mara introduced the list, and Senator Liu presided in place of Chair Liz Krueger.
During the meeting, Senator O’Mara asked whether Mark Schroeder listed for the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority was the same person nominated to the Convention Center Operating Corporation; Senator Liu confirmed that it was the same individual. No testimony on the merits of the nominations was presented, and no discussion of the nominees’ qualifications was recorded beyond that clarification.
Members were instructed to mark their vote sheets with aye, nay, or aye without recommendation for each nomination. After a brief period for voting, the committee adjourned. No roll-call results or final disposition of the nominations were announced in the transcript.
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New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction - 06/03/2026
Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
Summary:
The Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction met to consider the nomination of Alexander Dockery to serve as a part-time commissioner on the State Commission of Correction (SCOC). Chair Julia Salazar introduced the nomination, noting that the role was created under recent prison reform legislation and that one commissioner must be a formerly incarcerated person. Dockery described his background as a justice-impacted individual who spent years incarcerated in New York, earned a master’s degree, and now works with justice-impacted people on reentry, housing, employment, and education. He said his lived experience and work in a youth detention setting would help him bring both an incarcerated-person and staff perspective to the commission.
Senators asked Dockery about why he wanted the position, how his experience would inform oversight, how to improve correctional conditions, how to reach young people before they enter the system, and how to support the Correctional Medical Review Board in investigating deaths in DOCS custody. Dockery emphasized rehabilitation, education, humane conditions, and collaboration with other commissioners and community networks. He said people with direct experience, including formerly incarcerated individuals and former gang members who have turned their lives around, should be brought back into facilities to speak with youth. On deaths in custody, he said existing reporting laws should be enforced and that timely information to families is important.
Several senators offered supportive comments, calling the nomination historic and stressing the importance of lived experience, credibility, and the responsibility of being the first formerly incarcerated commissioner. After discussion, the committee moved the nomination, with Senator Harckham making the motion and Senator Bailey and Senator Bullitt seconding. The committee voted to report the nomination to Finance, and the motion carried without opposition.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 06/03/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the journal, and then moved through a large number of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate bills for third reading. The chamber also received and accepted a Finance Committee report on nominations for Kathleen Mosier as Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, Terrence O’Leary as Commissioner of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and John Kagia as Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management. All three nominees were confirmed, with Mosier and O’Leary confirmed unanimously and Kagia confirmed 57-1, with Senator Walczyk voting no.
The Senate adopted previously approved resolutions recognizing June 2026 as LGBTQIA+ Pride Month and mourning the death of Susan Irene Wright of Harlem. Senators Brisport and Bottcher spoke at length in support of Pride Month, emphasizing LGBTQ+ history, resilience, and ongoing threats to the trans community. On the Susan Wright resolution, Senators Cleare, Bailey, and Bottcher praised her community leadership, philanthropy, and family legacy, and Assembly Member Jordan Wright was recognized in the chamber.
The body then considered and passed many bills on the calendar, including measures on insurance, environmental conservation, public health, education, business law, labor, social services, highway law, and local tax exemptions. Several bills drew brief explanations of vote, including a measure to end higher insurance premiums for widows, a bill to prohibit correctional facilities from denying visitation because of menstrual products or IUDs, and a Medicaid-related bill to expand access to blood pressure monitors for pregnant people. Most bills passed with broad support, though some had notable opposition from a small group of senators.
Late in the session, the Senate took up a proposed constitutional amendment on redistricting. Senator Stewart-Cousins sponsored the measure, and Senator Walczyk questioned it extensively, arguing voters had previously approved an independent redistricting process and objecting to changes that would remove the Legislature’s two-thirds map-approval requirement and alter the commission’s role. The sponsor said the changes were needed in response to aggressive partisan redistricting in other states and would still require voter ratification in future sessions. The transcript ends during that debate, with no final vote on the amendment shown.
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New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
Joint Standing Committee on Finance and Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks and Recreation - 06/02/26
Summary:
The joint meeting of the Senate Finance Committee and the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Tourism, Parks, and Recreation considered Governor Hochul’s nomination of Kathleen “Kathy” Moser to serve as Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. Moser described her background in conservation and public lands, and said her priorities would include improving access and belonging for all New Yorkers, maintaining health and safety, modernizing infrastructure, addressing climate change and sustainability, and strengthening partnerships with local governments, community groups, and the Legislature.
Members questioned her on a range of park issues, including visitor fees, safety at swimming areas such as Lake Welch, security measures at parks, access for urban residents through nature buses and school transportation grants, maintenance and capital needs, event permitting, workforce recruitment and retention, and coordination around the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Moser said the department has targeted capital and safety investments at popular parks, is installing fencing, lighting, cameras, and license plate readers at entrances at selected sites, and is planning extensive 250th commemoration programming and historic-site renovations.
She also discussed efforts to expand community stewardship, including partner groups, culturally specific amenities like cricket fields, and outreach through traveling exhibits and social media. Senators raised concerns and suggestions about renewable energy siting, cell service in rural areas, invasive species prevention, and local infrastructure needs. After questioning concluded, the committees voted to advance the nomination, and the motion was reported to the Senate floor.
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Summary:
The Committee on Rules met and considered a long list of Senate bills, most of them identified only by number and sponsor. For each measure, the chair called for a vote, and the committee repeatedly reported the bills without recorded opposition. The topics referenced in the transcript included amendments to the Highway Law, Mental Hygiene Law, General Business Law, Uniform City Court Act, Local Finance Law, Retirement and Social Security Law, Village Law, Real Property Tax Law, and various chapters of prior laws, along with several authorization and technical amendment bills.
Several bills were moved and seconded by different senators, including Griffo, Stec, Myrie, Bailey, Comrie, Mayer, Liu, Gallivan, González, Helming, Dabab, and others. The transcript suggests the committee was processing both new legislation and chapter amendments/repealers, but the audio is garbled and many bill titles are unclear. No testimony or substantive debate is reflected in the record beyond the motions and calls for votes.
In each instance, the committee asked whether members were in favor or opposed, and the bills were reported. No roll-call vote counts, amendments adopted during the meeting, or negative votes were clearly recorded in the transcript.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 06/02/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the prior day’s journal, and then processed a large number of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate or Assembly versions for third reading. The chamber also adopted the resolution calendar with exceptions and took up several resolutions and ceremonial recognitions, including a resolution mourning Hudson Talbott, a Dairy Month resolution highlighting New York’s dairy industry, and introductions honoring Niskayuna academic teams, Gabriella Scheer for receiving the Liberty Medal, the Hartstein family’s civic engagement, and Diana Cochran’s advocacy for safe firearm storage.
The Senate then moved through the calendar and passed many bills on topics including insurance, public health, education, labor, social services, banking, local government, veterans, public service, consumer protection, criminal procedure, cannabis, parks, taxation, election law, and highway matters. Several members explained votes on notable measures: support for acupuncture insurance coverage, consumer protections for doorbell-camera data sharing, expanded protections in debt collection cases, trauma-informed procedures for sexual assault survivors, a Legionnaires’ disease awareness program, changes to mandatory minimum sentencing, and universal safe storage of firearms. A number of home rule and local authorization bills were also approved, including parkland alienation measures and local tax exemption authorizations.
Most measures passed with broad bipartisan support, though some drew recorded opposition. Notable roll calls included the consumer debt uniformity bill, the mandatory minimum sentencing bill, the safe storage/firearms bill, and the public housing and public health measures, each with more divided votes. The chamber also accepted a lengthy Rules Committee report sending many additional bills directly to third reading, and then began the supplemental calendar, passing at least the first items before the transcript ended.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 06/01/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then processed a series of motions to discharge bills from committees and substitute identical Senate bills, which were so ordered. Several bills were also recalled from the Assembly, had reconsideration votes taken, and were restored to the third reading calendar after receiving 58 ayes. Amendments were received on a number of bills, and those measures retained their place on the calendar.
The main business of the day was Privileged Resolution 2318, sponsored by Leader Stewart-Cousins, honoring Senator Michael Gianaris with the President Pro Tempore and Senate Majority Leader’s Legislative Legacy Award. The resolution and floor remarks reviewed his long career in the Assembly and Senate, his role as Deputy Majority Leader and floor leader, and his work on housing, criminal justice, voting rights, labor, environmental, consumer, transit, animal welfare, and other major legislation. Members from both parties spoke at length, praising his strategic skill, mentorship, humor, and influence, while also noting his support for younger members and his commitment to family.
Several senators described personal experiences showing Gianaris’s mentorship and political guidance, and many referenced his Greek American identity, Queens roots, and interests such as Star Wars and the Mets. Senators also emphasized that he was leaving on his own terms to spend more time with his wife and daughters. The resolution was adopted with broad support, and Gianaris then spoke in response, reflecting on nearly 30 years in state government, the major laws passed during his tenure, and the relationships he built in the chamber.
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Summary:
The Senate Standing Committee on Rules met and reported a long list of bills, with most measures advancing on unanimous or near-unanimous voice votes after motions and seconding by various senators. The bills covered a wide range of topics, including Environmental Conservation, Education, Executive Law, Civil Service, Public Health, Public Service, Election Law, Social Services, Correction Law, Traffic Law, General Law, Administrative Code, Retirement and Social Security, and several chapter-amendment or authorization measures. In many cases, the chair noted the bill number, sponsor, and subject area, then asked for objections; none were recorded, and the bill was reported.
A few measures were laid aside by the sponsor, including bills referenced as 5711, 5727, and 9539, though the transcript is repetitive and some bill numbers/topics are difficult to discern because of transcription errors. Several bills involved retirement-related changes, including retroactive Tier 4 membership and other retirement system provisions, while others amended existing laws or chapters. The committee also reported bills affecting city administrative code provisions, public authorities, elder law, and public officers law.
No substantive debate or testimony appears in the transcript; the meeting was largely procedural, focused on motions, seconds, and reporting bills out of committee. The final action on the listed measures was committee approval and reporting, with no recorded roll-call votes or amendments described in the transcript.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 05/29/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation, then approved the prior day’s journal and proceeded to a lengthy third-reading calendar. Early business included several motions to discharge Assembly bills from committees and substitute identical Senate bills, along with a few bills laid aside for the day. The chamber also recalled two bills from the Assembly, restored one bill to the Third Reading Calendar after reconsideration, and received amendments on two other bills without changing their calendar status.
The Senate then took up a large number of bills across topics including labor, energy, insurance, consumer protection, environmental conservation, health, banking, elections, public service, education, workers’ compensation, criminal justice, local government, and tax law. Most measures passed with broad support, though several drew recorded opposition. Notable debate included Senator Mayer’s explanation for a bill intended to prevent treatment-court participants, including veterans, from losing their driver’s licenses twice after completing diversion programs; Senator Ryan’s support for a bill expanding prosecutors’ ability to treat repeat sexual abuse as persistent abuse; and a sharp exchange on a bill repealing New York’s HIV/STI criminalization law, with Senators Borrello and Chan opposing it and Senator Salazar defending the repeal as necessary to reduce stigma and protect survivors.
The chamber also adopted and recognized several resolutions and guest presentations. Members welcomed the Tri-Valley Secondary School girls cross country champions, Miss America Cassie Donagan and Miss New York Teen Nadia Anwar, and the Hudson High School varsity boys basketball team. Later, the Senate took up a resolution proclaiming May 2026 as Maternal Mental Health Month, with multiple senators speaking in support of greater awareness, reduced stigma, and improved care for pregnant and postpartum New Yorkers. At the end of the session, the sponsors opened the day’s resolutions for co-sponsorship, and the Senate adjourned until Monday, June 1 at 12 noon, with intervening days designated as legislative days.
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Summary:
The committee took up a long list of bills and chapter amendments, largely under the Education Law, Insurance Law, General Business Law, Social Services Law, Election Law, Environmental Conservation Law, and related statutes. The transcript reflects repeated motions and seconds, with members generally voting in favor and no recorded opposition on most items. Bills reported included measures sponsored by Senators Prasad, Martinez, Krueger, Serrano, CUNY, Gianaris, Harckham, Fernandez, and others, along with several technical amendments to prior laws and chapter acts.
Among the topics referenced were education-related changes, insurance and business regulation, veterans services, housing finance, election law, labor and civil rights matters, mental hygiene and health provisions, retirement and social security, property tax and state finance updates, and amendments to older chapters and laws. The meeting also included reports on bills affecting vehicle and traffic law, military law, environmental conservation, and local or municipal law provisions. The transcript is noisy and repetitive, but the overall pattern is that the committee advanced a broad slate of legislation.
No substantive testimony or debate is captured in the transcript beyond the motions, seconds, and the repeated statement that bills were reported, often “in favor” or “all in favor.” The session concluded with the remaining items being reported and “all pieces of business for today being adjourned.”
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Summary:
The New York State Senate Finance Committee met with Senator John Liu presiding in place of Chair Liz Krueger. The committee considered four budget bills: Budget Bill 9-003-D (aid to localities appropriations), Budget Bill 9-004-D (capital projects appropriations), Budget Bill 9-07C (health and mental hygiene budget implementation), and Budget Bill 9-009-C (state fiscal plan implementation for 2026-2027). No substantive debate or testimony was presented beyond brief calls for questions or comments.
Each bill was moved, seconded, and put to a vote. Budget Bills 9-003-D, 9-004-D, and 9-07C were approved and reported with vote sheets submitted. Budget Bill 9-009-C also advanced, with at least one nay vote noted from Senator O’Mara. All four bills were sent to the floor, and the meeting then adjourned.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 05/27/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation, then approved the prior day’s Journal and moved into motions, resolutions, and budget-related business. Senator Gianaris called up Senate Print 5898A for reconsideration; the Senate voted 59 ayes to restore the bill to the third reading calendar. Several amendments were also received on third-reading bills, and the Finance Committee was called into session while the chamber proceeded with resolutions.
The Senate adopted Resolution J.2106 recognizing Second Chance Month and the mental health impacts of incarceration, with Senator Brisport speaking in support and a guest from the community recognized in the chamber. The body also adopted Resolution J.1492 designating May 27, 2026, as Taiwan Heritage Day, with remarks from Senators Sepúlveda, Stavisky, and Liu highlighting Taiwanese contributions to New York and expressing support for Taiwan amid current geopolitical tensions. The Finance Committee then reported several budget bills, including Senate Prints 9003D, 9004D, 9007C, and 9009C, which were moved to third reading.
The remainder of the session focused on the supplemental and controversial budget calendars, especially tax and spending provisions. Senators debated the “Protecting Our Wallets” energy rebate, with supporters describing it as a one-time check for eligible taxpayers and critics arguing it was too small and not tied directly to utility bills; the chamber accepted the message of necessity and laid the bills aside. Members also debated extensions and changes to tax provisions affecting corporations, alternative fuel exemptions, Broadway and theatrical production tax credits, charitable deductions for certain 501(c)(3)s, nicotine pouch taxes, a new New York City pied-à-terre tax, and a standardbred horse-racing testing fee. Several senators criticized the budget as raising costs or favoring certain industries, while supporters defended the measures as revenue-raising, affordability, or public-health policies. No final votes on the controversial budget bills are shown in the excerpt beyond procedural rulings, adoption of the resolution calendar, and acceptance of committee reports.
NY
Summary:
The committee considered Senate Bill 1056, sponsored by Senator Serrano, which would enact appropriations. Senator Lewis moved the bill, and Senator Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The motion carried with all members in favor and none opposed. As a result, the bill was reported directly to the floor for passage.
The meeting then adjourned.
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Summary:
The State Senate Committee on Finance met with Senator John Liu presiding in place of Chair Senator Liz Krueger. The committee considered one measure: budget bill print number 9-0808C, an act amending the law to implement major components of the state transportation, economic development, and environmental conservation budget for the 2026-2027 state fiscal year.
After a brief call for questions or comments, Senator Comrie moved the bill and Senator Hinchey seconded it. The committee voted in favor, with the ayes prevailing, and the bill was reported out of committee to the floor.
Following the vote, the committee adjourned.
NY
New York 2025-2026 Regular Session
New York State Senate Session - 05/26/2026
New York Senate Floor Meeting
Summary:
The Senate convened, approved the prior journal, and then moved through a series of budget-related and ceremonial items. The chamber accepted Rules and Finance Committee reports and took up several budget extender and budget implementation bills, including the main appropriations extender and later a transportation, economic development, and environmental conservation budget bill. Senators questioned the sponsor extensively about the status of the remaining budget bills, the use of messages of necessity, and the absence of joint budget conference committees. The extender bill passed 59-2, and later budget-related measures were advanced after reconsideration and amendment.
A major portion of the session focused on the environmental and energy provisions in the budget bill, especially changes to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. Senators debated extending emissions targets, the role of cap-and-invest, utility affordability, ratepayer impacts, and the structure of a proposed blue-ribbon commission. Supporters said the changes were needed to give the state more time to implement the law and to protect affordability, while opponents argued the bill was a political delay that would not lower energy costs and relied too heavily on subsidies and future planning. The bill also drew questions about electric vehicle rebates, thermostat control programs, emergency diesel generation for Micron, and how imported electricity and out-of-state emissions would be treated.
The Senate also adopted several previously adopted resolutions honoring the 50th anniversary of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, India Independence Day, the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame, and the 50th anniversary of Interfaith Works of Central New York. Senators spoke in support of each resolution, highlighting the contributions of Black legislators, Indian-American communities, veterans, and refugee and interfaith service organizations. The Veterans Hall of Fame ceremony was specifically noted as a chamber event, and guests were recognized from the floor and gallery.
In addition, the Senate restored recalled bills to the third reading calendar through reconsideration votes and amendments, including a highway law bill and another recalled bill, and then stood at ease for scheduled conferences and a Veterans Hall of Fame ceremony before resuming session. The transcript ended with discussion of a separate bill affecting automobile insurance serious-injury standards, with questions about what claims would remain available and whether the change would improve affordability.