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Assembly adopts series of resolutions and consent-calendar bills; floor honors volunteer firefighters and Fort Drum
Summary
The Assembly unanimously adopted multiple ceremonial and awareness resolutions — including Volunteer Firefighters Appreciation Day, Fort Drum Day and several health observances — and passed routine consent-calendar bills while one member cited a recent family diagnosis in explaining a vote on elder-law legislation.
The New York State Assembly adopted a slate of ceremonial resolutions and handled consent-calendar business during the floor session.
Clerk read a series of legislative resolutions memorializing the governor to make proclamations: May 3 as Press Freedom Day (Assembly No. 12,47), May 4 as Volunteer Firefighters Appreciation Day (Assembly No. 12,48), May 4 as Tenth Mountain Division and Fort Drum Day (Assembly No. 12,49), May as Drinking Water Week (Assembly No. 12,50), Legislative Staff Week (Assembly No. 12,51), Postpartum Depression Awareness Week (Assembly No. 12,52), Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month (Assembly No. 12,53), Hypertension Awareness Month (Assembly No. 12,54), and Lupus Awareness Month (Assembly No. 12,55). All were adopted by voice vote.
Miss Barrett, sponsor of the Volunteer Firefighters resolution, cited statewide reliance on volunteers and said nearly 93% of fire departments are volunteer-run. Several members offered floor tributes: Miss Griffin, Mister Durso, Mister Slater, Mister Angelino, Mister Cashman, Mister Conrad and Mister Smolin praised volunteers’ service and training. Sponsor Barrett and others noted recruitment and retention are long-term challenges and outlined proposed legislation such as a bill (A.288) that would allow volunteers to claim certain state tax credits and local property tax relief.
Mister Taig used his remarks to criticize the chamber for not having passed volunteer firefighter tax-credit legislation earlier, calling the disparity between tribute and policy action "hypocrisy." He urged colleagues to reconsider a prior bill that would have provided tax credits to volunteers. That criticism stood in the floor record as a policy admonition tied to the otherwise ceremonial resolution.
On the consent calendar, Assembly No. 98 (Calendar No. 390) amending the Education Law was read and passed (ayes 129, nays 0). Several other bills were read and either laid aside or advanced without floor debate. Separately, Assembly No. 41,95a (an elder-law measure) drew a brief explanatory speech: Miss Walsh described a family member’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis and said she supported the bill to improve information and resources for caregivers; the bill passed (ayes 129, noes 0).
Miss Clark closed floor business by calling an immediate majority conference in the Speaker’s conference room and the House was placed at ease.
