S4305

The New York State Senate voted 53-0 to reconsider its previous passage of S4305, an act to amend the Public Service Law, sponsored by Sen. Parker. The reconsideration motion, made by Sen. Gianaris, restored the bill to the Third Reading Calendar. Following the successful reconsideration vote, Sen. Gianaris offered amendments to the legislation, though the specific details of those amendments were not disclosed in the floor session. The bill's return to the Third Reading Calendar suggests further consideration and potential revision before a final vote.

The Senate passed S4305, sponsored by Senator Parker, an act to amend the Public Service Law, on a 41-19 vote. The bill, which takes effect immediately, advanced without recorded debate. Voting in opposition were 19 senators, primarily from the Republican conference, including Senators Ashby, Borrello, Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Martins, Mattera, Murray, Oberacker, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Weber and Weik. The measure received support from 41 senators.

The New York State Senate passed legislation requiring cellphone tower operators to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2031, despite opposition from rural lawmakers who warned the measure could endanger emergency services and force tree cutting in protected forests. Senate Print 4305 passed 42-20 on a roll call vote. Sen. Walczyk, voting against the bill, argued it would eliminate necessary backup generators in remote areas where long transmission lines are vulnerable to outages and where emergency services prioritize restoring power to densely populated urban areas. He warned that off-grid towers in forest preserves like the Adirondack Park would require transmission line installation or expanded footprints for renewable energy infrastructure, necessitating tree removal. Walczyk contended the bill threatens the coordination between counties, emergency services, and cellphone tower operators that ensures first responders can maintain connectivity during power outages. Twenty senators voted against the measure, including Ashby, Borrello, Gallivan, Griffo, Helming, Lanza, Murray, Oberacker, O'Mara, Ortt, Palumbo, Rhoads, Rolison, Stec, Tedisco, Walczyk, Weber, Weik, Martins, and Mattera.