A3005C
Budget Bill - Public Protection and Criminal Justice amendments — 2023-05-01 · Calendar #716
The New York State Senate passed a public protection budget bill 42-20 on May 1 that includes technical amendments to the Concealed Carry Improvement Act but defers major criminal justice reforms to separate legislation. The bill clarifies definitions of parks and sensitive locations for concealed carry, addressing unintended consequences from last year's law. Specifically, it exempts privately held land within parks not dedicated to public use and the Forest Preserve from the definition of parks where firearms are prohibited. The legislation also allows concealed carry by designated security personnel at places of worship, with the house of worship determining who qualifies. However, the bill does not address constitutional questions raised in pending federal court cases challenging the original concealed carry law. Bail reform modifications proposed by the Governor were excluded from the bill, with sponsors indicating they will be included in separate legislation. Similarly, discovery reform discussions were pulled from budget negotiations. The bill also removes body scanner technology for correctional facilities, moving it to an anticipated ELFA bill. Opponents criticized the deferral of bail reform, with Sen. Weber noting constituents elected him specifically to address public safety concerns. Sen. Borrello expressed frustration with the continued failure to advance Alcoholic Beverage Control law reforms, arguing the SLA remains understaffed and unaccountable despite the state's massive budget. Sen. Skoufis, chair of the Investigations and Government Operations Committee, committed to advancing ABC reforms based on a 100-page commission report released that day.
PASSED
Ayes: 42
· Nays: 20
Debate Summary
The Senate debated a public protection budget bill that includes technical amendments to the Concealed Carry Improvement Act addressing unintended consequences from last year's legislation, modifications to bail procedures, and various criminal justice provisions. Debate focused on the definition of parks and sensitive locations for concealed carry, the exclusion of body scanner technology for prisons, and the deferral of bail reform and discovery reform to separate legislation. Senators questioned why certain provisions were moved to other bills and sought clarification on implementation details.
Recorded Votes
Recorded votes are predominantly dissenting (nay) votes captured from roll call records.
| Senator | Vote | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Borrello | nay | Republican |
| Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick | nay | Republican |
| Gallivan | nay | Republican |
| Griffo | nay | Republican |
| Helming | nay | Republican |
| Lanza | nay | Republican |
| Martins | nay | Republican |
| Mattera | nay | Republican |
| Murray | nay | Republican |
| O'Mara | nay | Republican |
| Oberacker | nay | Republican |
| Ortt | nay | Republican |
| Palumbo | nay | Republican |
| Rhoads | nay | Republican |
| Rolison | nay | Republican |
| Stec | nay | Republican |
| Tedisco | nay | Republican |
| Walczyk | nay | Republican |
| Weber | nay | Republican |
| Weik | nay | Republican |