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Assembly marks Holocaust Remembrance Day as members warn of rising antisemitism; several consent-calendar bills pass
Summary
The Assembly adopted a resolution memorializing Jan. 27, 2026, as Holocaust Remembrance Day after extended floor remarks by members who warned of rising antisemitism and cited recent hate-crime data; the session also enacted several consent-calendar bills with recorded votes.
The New York State Assembly adopted a resolution asking the governor to proclaim Jan. 27, 2026, as Holocaust Remembrance Day, and members used the floor remarks to warn of rising antisemitism, recount family histories, and press for concrete protections for Jewish communities.
Sponsor Nelly Rosic introduced the resolution and told the chamber that remembrance is an active duty, not a passive ceremony. "Remembrance is not automatic," she said, urging lawmakers to confront ideas and words that normalize hatred. Several members followed with personal testimony: Mister Ari Brown recalled his family's refugee passage through Fort Ontario; Mister Eichenstein and Mister Yeager emphasized that the Holocaust began with words and normalization of hate; and Andy Hevesy cited state tracking showing a surge in reported hate crimes.
Speakers cited specific figures during floor remarks: the sponsor and others recited the historic figure of 6,000,000 Jewish victims of the Holocaust; one member said "1 in 4 Holocaust survivors living amongst us lives in poverty today"; Andy Hevesy referred to a state controller report that, he said, showed 1,089 reported hate crimes statewide in 2023, a 69% increase from 2019; and Mister Norber said there are about 1,600,000 Jews in New York State and urged additional safety measures (he referenced a governor proposal to establish a 25-foot distance from entrances to synagogues). A point of order briefly interrupted floor debate when a member asked colleagues to confine remarks to the resolution's subject.
After extended remarks, the chamber adopted the resolution by voice vote. The Assembly then moved to consent-calendar business: the clerk read several bills and recorded votes on multiple items. Examples recorded on the floor include:
- Assembly No. 618 (enact to amend the labor law): recorded vote Ayes 138, Noes 0 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 2239 (an act to amend the penal law): recorded vote Ayes 138, Noes 0 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 3350-A (an act to amend the public health law): recorded vote Ayes 138, Noes 0 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 5383-A (an act to amend the public health law): recorded vote Ayes 138, Noes 0 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 6338 (an act to amend the executive law): recorded vote Ayes 138, Noes 0 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 7894-C (an act to amend the public health law): recorded vote Ayes 131, Noes 7 — bill passed. - Assembly No. 8130 (an act to amend agriculture and markets law): after Miss Walsh briefly explained her 'yes' vote while urging removal of an unnecessary one‑year paper-retention requirement, the recorded vote was Ayes 139, Noes 0 — bill passed.
Miss Walsh explained that she supported moving to electronic delivery of oil/fuel delivery tickets for customers but questioned the bill’s continuing requirement that providers retain a paper copy for one year; she said she would vote yes while urging further modernization of retention requirements.
The session closed with a majority-conference announcement and an adjournment; the Assembly set reconvening for 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 28.
(Quotations are attributed to members speaking on the floor; all quotes in this article come from floor remarks in the session transcript.)
