Sen. John Liu — The Commons Gallery

John Liu is a Democratic state senator representing New York's 16th Senate District, a heavily Democratic district (D+37) in which over half the population is foreign-born and 55.9% identify as Asian. First elected in 2019, Liu has sponsored 107 bills in the 2025 session with a primary focus on education, public health, and tax policy, and has voted with the Democratic caucus 99.9% of the time across 1,443 recorded votes. He raised $409,597 in campaign contributions between 2022 and 2024, accepting no corporate or PAC money, with 82.8% of funds coming from individual donors.AI

Topic Focus AI

Vehicle Insurance & For-Hire Vehicle RegulationS1054 S1407 S1508 hearing Education Standards & Regents Exam RequirementsS1408 S1420 S1423 hearing Foundation Aid Formula & School Funding EquityS1420 S1421 S1423 hearing Transportation Infrastructure & Amtrak ServiceS1054 S1407 S1508 hearing Student Safety & Law Enforcement in SchoolsS1420 S1421 hearing hearing Class Size Reduction in SchoolsS1420 S1421 hearing Immigrant Student Support & AttendanceS1420 S1421 hearing Public Officers Accountability & TransparencyS1418 hearing hearing Public Health & Gambling Harm PreventionS1425 hearing EBT Card Security & Fraud Preventionhearing Election Law & Voting AccessS1649 Property Tax ReformS1053

Topics extracted by AI from floor speeches, committee hearing transcripts, and sponsored legislation. Bill and hearing citations link to source records for verification. Tag size reflects number of supporting citations.

Key Issues

Class size mandate implementation 2023-02-08 2023-02-08

Acting Commissioner status 2025-02-27

Secure Choice retirement program 2025-02-27

Outmigration of millionaires 2025-02-27

No-bid contracts and academic freedom 2025-02-25

Censorship concerns with publishers 2025-02-25

Alignment between labor unions and administration 2025-02-25

EOP program funding 2025-02-25

EBT chip card theft prevention 2025-02-12

Budget allocation for chip cards 2025-02-12

LEAPS program scoring and funding selection 2025-02-12

all-payer claims database 2025-02-11

commuter van insurance 2025-02-11

for-hire vehicle insurance failures 2025-02-11

DFS regulatory responsibility 2025-02-11

From committee hearings, floor debate, and bill sponsorship.

Legislative Activity (2025–2026)

1,443

99.9%

59

107

3

Based on complete Senate roll call records.

Bill Outcomes 2025 Session

101

11 10.9%

3 3.0%

2 2.0%

Covers Senate-sponsored bills only. Status from Open Legislation API.

Committee Assignments

New York City Education Chair

Education Member

Finance Member

Higher Education Member

Judiciary Member

Rules Member

Transportation Member

Electoral History SD-16

General Elections

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Margin
2024	John C. Liu 79.8% (48,470)	Juan M. Pagan 20.2% (12,299)	59.5pts
2022	John C. Liu 57.7% (28,715)	Ruben D. Cruz, II 42.3% (21,033)	15.4pts
2020	Toby Ann Stavisky 100.0% (65,240)	Uncontested	—
2018	Toby Ann Stavisky 95.4% (42,816)	Vincent J. Pazienza 4.6% (2,053)	90.8pts
2016	Toby Ann Stavisky 77.9% (52,495)	Carlos G. Giron 22.1% (14,856)	55.9pts
2014	Toby Ann Stavisky 100.0% (21,166)	Uncontested	—
2012	Toby Ann Stavisky 76.5% (43,980)	J. D. Kim 23.5% (13,507)	53.0pts
2010	Toby Ann Stavisky 87.0% (34,471)	Robert Schwartz 13.0% (5,171)	73.9pts
2008	Toby Ann Stavisky 69.4% (51,076)	Peter А. Koo 30.6% (22,482)	38.9pts
2006	Toby Ann Stavisky 100.0% (36,134)	Uncontested	—
2004	Toby Ann Stavisky 100.0% (54,419)	Uncontested	—
2002	Toby Ann Stavisky 83.9% (28,836)	Julia Harrison 11.7% (4,008)	72.2pts
2000	Toby Ann Stavisky 97.9% (36,913)	Josephine Clay Jones 2.1% (783)	95.8pts
1999	Toby А. Stavisky 92.3% (7,688)	Richard Jannaccio 7.7% (639)	84.7pts
1998	Leonard Price Stavisky 100.0% (24,993)	Uncontested	—
1996	Leonard Price Stavisky 100.0% (33,745)	Uncontested	—

Primary Elections

Year	Winner	Runner-up	Margin
2016 (Democratic)	Toby Ann Stavisky 58.9% (5,690)	S.J. Jung 41.1% (3,966)	17.9pts
2014 (Democratic)	Toby Ann Stavisky 58.3% (5,417)	S.J. Jung 41.7% (3,880)	16.5pts

Source: NYS Board of Elections certified results. ⚡ = margin under 10 pts.

Vulnerability Index SD-16

Base lean: D+28

Favorable D

Safe D

Neutral

Safe D

Favorable R

Safe D

Scenario model: ±5pt national environment shift applied to district base lean (D+28). Base lean blends voter registration (40%) with recent contested general election margins (60%), using up to the last 4 general elections with margins under 40 points. Ratings: Safe D/R = 20+ pts, Likely = 10–19 pts, Lean = 4–9 pts, Toss-up = within 3 pts. "Generic ballot" refers to national partisan polling used to model favorable/unfavorable cycle environments. Not a prediction — reflects structural competitiveness under different cycle environments.

Top Co-Sponsors

D Liz Krueger 45 bills D Robert Jackson 45 bills D Jessica Ramos 31 bills D Brad Hoylman-Sigal 31 bills D Andrew Gounardes 30 bills D Julia Salazar 26 bills D Gustavo Rivera 26 bills D Zellnor Myrie 25 bills D Lea Webb 21 bills D Pete Harckham 20 bills

District 16 Profile

Population 293,961

Median income $74,106

Median rent $1,869

Homeownership 48.2%

Education (BA+) 36.1%

Poverty rate 15.8%

Uninsured rate 7.8%

Unemployment rate 6.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Voter registration: NYS Board of Elections (Nov. 2025).

Voter Registration

52%

15%

32%

Dem 52.3% Rep 15.5% Ind/Other 32.3%

Campaign Finance (2022–2024)

Total raised $409,597

From individuals $339,047

Other $70,550

Top Donors

Soohyung Kim $12,500

Raymond Fong $10,000

Thomas Chen $7,500

Joseph Liu $6,000

Jamy Liu $6,000

Jia Shu Xu $5,000

Derek Chan $5,000

Zd Jasper Realty Inc. $5,000

Goode Realty Co. $5,000

Lung Fong Chen $5,000

Donor Industries top donors

Real Estate / Construction $10,000

Source: NYS Board of Elections via data.ny.gov. Itemized monetary contributions only. ↔ Bills = donor industry aligns with bill sponsorship focus area.

Data through 2026-03-28.

Lobbying Activity 2025

Top Lobbying Issues

Budget/Appropriations ↔ Overlap 476 disclosures

Health – General ↔ Overlap 343 disclosures

Human Rights/Civil Rights 255 disclosures

Criminal Justice – general ↔ Overlap 218 disclosures

Criminal Justice – Criminal Law & Procedures (includes sentencing) ↔ Overlap 213 disclosures

Corrections ↔ Overlap 188 disclosures

Health – Medicine/ Medicaid ↔ Overlap 184 disclosures

Energy & Natural Resources – Environmental Conservation/Preservation ↔ Overlap 126 disclosures

Energy & Natural Resources - general ↔ Overlap 120 disclosures

Insurance - Health ↔ Overlap 116 disclosures

Top Organizations Lobbying This Senator

CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES, INC. 1043 disclosures

Association of Counties and Its Affiliated Organizations (NYS) 455 disclosures

BAR ASSOCIATION (NYS) 393 disclosures

BENNINGTON COLLEGE 342 disclosures

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS, DISTRICT II 277 disclosures

CENTER FOR INDEPENDENCE OF THE DISABLED IN NEW YORK, INC. 170 disclosures

ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, INC. (NYS) 169 disclosures

CALLEN-LORDE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER 100 disclosures

ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS (NYS) 70 disclosures

CATHOLIC CONFERENCE (NYS) 67 disclosures

Source: NY Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government via data.ny.gov. Counts reflect bi-monthly disclosure records filed with the Ethics Commission — not individual meetings. ★ Chair = lobbying issue overlaps with a committee this senator chairs. ↔ Overlap = matches committee membership or bill sponsorship focus.

Demographics

White 22.2%

Black 3.8%

Hispanic 16.8%

Asian 55.9%

Median age 45.5

Foreign born 56.6%

Limited English households 31.9%

Veterans 2.1%

Disability rate 10.8%

Commute Mode

Drive alone 35.3%

Public transit 30.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2024). Race and ethnicity figures may not sum to 100% — Hispanic/Latino is an ethnicity category that overlaps with racial groups.

Voting Record

1442 Aye 1 Nay 0 Excused

1 additional dissenting vote across other topics

From 1,443 recorded floor votes via OpenLeg API. Dissenting votes grouped by law section to reveal policy patterns.

Votes through 2026-02-10.

Floor Speeches: In Support (5) AI

S5963A An act to amend the Education Law 2024-05-21 PASSED

Argued that teaching AAPI history is crucial to removing the invisibility of Asian-Americans and combating hate and discrimination. Cited survey data showing most Americans cannot name Asian-Americans and emphasized that Asian-Americans have been integral to building American history.

A7768 An act to amend the Education Law - designating Asian Lunar New Year as a statewide school holiday 2023-06-10 PASSED

Expressed that the holiday is very important to Asian Americans and thanked Sen. Kavanagh for sponsoring the bill, noting the significance of recognizing diverse cultural celebrations.

A7769 An act to amend the Education Law - designating Diwali as a school holiday in New York City 2023-06-10 PASSED

Noted that Diwali is very important and meaningful to the growing population of New Yorkers of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist faiths. Thanked Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins and colleagues for their support.

S5963A An act to amend the Education Law 2023-06-08 PASSED

The bill's sponsor emphasized that education is a long-term solution to eradicate hate and bigotry by teaching students that Asian-Americans have been part of building the country and deserve recognition beyond harmful stereotypes.

S5905 An act to amend the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law 2023-05-08 PASSED

Called the bill common sense, noting that naming children in eviction papers causes permanent harm beyond the immediate harm of removal from homes.

Committee Hearing Engagement (59) AI

Date	Committee	Engagement	Stance	Focus Areas	Summary
2025-02-27	Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee (Joint)	moderate	supportive	Acting Commissioner status Secure Choice retirement program Outmigration of millionaires	Sen. Liu expressed support for Commissioner Hiller's work and questioned why she remains in acting status. He sought details on the Secure Choice program rollout and clarified questions about millionaire outmigration, noting that millionaires also move into New York.
2025-02-25	Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee (Joint)	high	skeptical	No-bid contracts and academic freedom Censorship concerns with publishers Alignment between labor unions and administration EOP program funding	Sen. Liu raised pointed questions about SUNY's no-bid contract with a major publisher, expressing concerns about monopolistic tendencies and censorship by foreign governments. He also questioned whether SUNY leadership is sufficiently enthusiastic about EOP programs.
2025-02-12	FINANCE	moderate	skeptical	EBT chip card theft prevention Budget allocation for chip cards LEAPS program scoring and funding selection	Sen. Liu focused on EBT fraud as a critical issue, questioning why $40 million cannot be found in OTDA's $8 billion budget for chip card implementation. He also raised concerns about LEAPS program scoring methodology and the elimination of after-school programs, signaling frustration with implementation gaps.
2025-02-11	FINANCE	high	opposed	all-payer claims database commuter van insurance for-hire vehicle insurance failures DFS regulatory responsibility	Sen. Liu expressed frustration with the 14-year delay on the all-payer claims database and criticized DFS for allowing an insolvent insurer to operate since 1979 while shuttering the only commuter van insurance company, imperiling immigrant communities. He challenged Superintendent Harris to develop solutions rather than 'abdicate responsibility.'
2025-02-06	Joint Legislative Hearing - Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee	moderate	supportive	High-speed rail development Amtrak service improvements Federal funding coordination	Sen. Liu focused on rail service improvements and federal coordination. He asked about high-speed rail progress and Amtrak service enhancements, expressing interest in federal funding opportunities.
2025-02-05	Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee	low	neutral	Problem gambling Casino impact	Sen. Liu asked about problem gambling monitoring and the impact of casinos on gambling addiction.
2025-02-04	Joint Legislative Hearing - Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee	moderate	skeptical	TFA debt capacity ICE enforcement at schools migrant debit card program	Sen. Liu questioned TFA financing expansion and raised concerns about ICE enforcement near schools and migrant services, seeking clarification on administration policies.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Foundation Aid poverty metrics Regional cost differentiation for NYC Weighting for students in temporary housing and foster care Culturally responsive education Title I funding threats	Sen. Liu pressed Commissioner Rosa on Foundation Aid's use of federal poverty guidelines without regional differentiation, noting this reduces NYC funding by approximately $400 million annually. He advocated for better poverty measures and additional weights for vulnerable student populations, while defending culturally responsive education against federal administration threats.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Regents exam requirement elimination Portrait of the graduate initiative feasibility Class size concerns in NYC Immigrant student attendance drops Law enforcement protocols in schools Foundation Aid formula concerns Temporary housing student weight in funding	Sen. Liu expressed skepticism about eliminating Regents exams as a graduation requirement and questioned the feasibility of portrait of the graduate initiatives given NYC's overcrowded classrooms. He pressed Chancellor Aviles-Ramos on immigrant student attendance drops and sought clarity on law enforcement protocols, signaling concern about implementation details.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Foundation Aid formula changes NYC Reads program costs Poverty rate adjustments	Sen. Liu asked pointed questions about how NYC would address the $350 million funding reduction and sought specific cost information on the NYC Reads program, demonstrating concern about the budget proposal's impact on the city.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	high	opposed	Class-size reduction compliance Funding adequacy for class-size reduction Foundation Aid increases	Senator Liu directly challenged the Chancellor's claims about class-size reduction progress, noting that compliance has actually declined from 58 percent to 46 percent. He was skeptical of the department's efforts and questioned whether the law is an unfunded mandate.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	School safety and principal training Class size reduction implementation	Sen. Liu questioned whether all principals have received adequate training on school safety protocols beyond the two webinars offered by the chancellor. He asked about teacher satisfaction with the city's class size reduction efforts and praised the impact of last year's legislation requiring NYC to reduce class sizes.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Rockefeller Institute study cost and recommendations Foundation Aid formula methodology State Education Department recommendations Professional judgment method for formula development	Sen. Liu questioned Rebell about the $2 million Rockefeller Institute study cost versus the State Education Department's original $1 million request, and pressed him on whether the Legislature should fund additional formula development work given the study already provided recommendations.
2025-01-29	FINANCE	low	neutral		Sen. Liu stated he had no questions but thanked the panel for appearing annually and acknowledged disagreement with some testimony while appreciating their engagement.
2025-01-28	FINANCE	low	neutral	nuclear power plant blueprint plan public participation process timeline	Sen. Liu asked brief questions about nuclear development timeline and public participation, noting lack of clarity on deployment timeline.
2024-02-14	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Dodd-Frank sales tax exemption extension Revenue loss from tax exemptions Financial impact of extending exemptions	Sen. Liu pressed Commissioner Hiller on the fiscal impact of extending the Dodd-Frank sales tax exemption for another three years, questioning why the Executive claims no fiscal impact when revenue is being foregone. He expressed skepticism about continuing exemptions for large Wall Street companies.
2024-02-08	FINANCE	none	unclear		Listed as present but did not ask questions in the portions of the transcript provided.
2024-02-08	FINANCE	moderate	neutral	Labor contract funding history Impact of Supreme Court affirmative action ruling on Asian-American students Diversity initiatives	Sen. Liu asked about historical state funding for labor contracts and pressed Chancellor King on progress regarding the impact of the Supreme Court affirmative action decision on Asian-American students, requesting hard numbers on recruitment and enrollment.
2024-02-06	FINANCE	high	neutral	borrowing authority class size reduction capital plan school construction funding	Liu praised the Mayor's responsiveness and commitment to class size reduction compliance, but pressed for details on how much of the requested $19 billion borrowing authority would be dedicated to class size reduction and what the capital plan entails. He requested immediate planning on this issue.
2024-02-06	FINANCE	moderate	neutral	School funding maintenance of effort State vs. city funding allocation	Sen. Liu asked about potential violations of maintenance of effort regarding school funding, questioning whether the city was using increased state funding to reduce its own school contributions. He also posed a lighthearted question about the second-most powerful person in NYC, which drew laughter but was not budget-related.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	high	skeptical	inflation calculation methodology school district reserves Foundation Aid local control vs. state standards	Sen. Liu aggressively questioned the logic of the 10-year inflation average, pressing Commissioner Rosa until she acknowledged SED does not understand the rationale. He challenged the Governor's reserve assumptions and highlighted the 'double cliff' problem for districts.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	Mayoral control study and governance Class size compliance and state aid withholding NYC school system management	Sen. Liu thanked SED for conducting the mayoral control study and acknowledged the volunteer work of staff. He asked about state aid withholding related to class size compliance and confirmed that NYC was denied/delayed funds due to non-compliance.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Federal funding cliff and advance planning Class size reduction compliance and timeline Cost estimates for class size compliance Foundation Aid and sound basic education mandate Continuity of education policy across administrations	Sen. Liu expressed skepticism about the department's preparedness for the federal funding cliff, noting the administration knew funding would dry up when taking office. He pressed Chancellor Banks on specific cost-saving measures and challenged the department's class size compliance timeline, arguing that the five-year phase-in was designed to allow compliance without action in the first few years, and that the department should begin taking action now rather than waiting until Year 3.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Mayoral control governance and stability Class-size law implementation and funding Mixed messaging from DOE leadership False choices presented by city administration	Sen. Liu engaged extensively with Chancellor Banks on mayoral control, raising concerns about administrative whiplash with each new mayor and the lack of long-term stability. He later pressed CSA representatives on the contradiction between the chancellor's statements about needing 10,000-12,000 teachers and the lack of funding communicated to principals. He signaled support for class-size compliance but demanded adequate funding.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	moderate	opposed	10-year average inflation redefinition Asylum seekers vs. migrants terminology	Sen. Liu stated the Legislature will 'fight very forcefully' against the 10-year average inflation redefinition, calling it 'an arbitrary way to cut the budget' and 'a significant cut.' He also corrected terminology regarding asylum seekers in Rochester.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	Federal funding replacement strategy MTA precedent for state bailout	Sen. Liu asked Ms. Levine to explain the proposal for state funding to replace expiring federal education funds, drawing an analogy to the state's MTA bailout from the prior year as precedent for similar intervention in school systems.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	moderate	skeptical	Charter school innovation and knowledge transfer Adoption of charter school practices by traditional public schools	Sen. Liu questioned whether charter schools have actually shared innovative practices that public schools have adopted, or whether public schools simply chose not to implement them. He appeared skeptical about the innovation argument for charter schools.
2024-02-01	FINANCE	low	neutral	Appreciation for testifiers' participation	Sen. Liu made brief remarks thanking testifiers for staying through the entire hearing and congratulating Marina Marcou-O'Malley on her role with AQE, with light humor about the hearing ending three hours earlier than normal.
2024-01-31	FINANCE	low	unclear		Liu was listed as present but did not ask questions during the testimony excerpt provided.
2024-01-31	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	After-school program expansion Program mergers and cost savings Statewide expansion of after-school services	Sen. Liu questioned Commissioner Miles-Gustave about the merger of Advantage and Empire after-school programs and whether savings could fund expansion. He emphasized that 34,000 students served is insufficient and called for broader statewide expansion.
2024-01-30	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Tesla clawback status NexGen project clawbacks Micron federal funding leverage rail system integration in economic development	Sen. Liu questioned whether the state has clawed back funding from Tesla and NexGen, and pressed for details on the Micron project's federal funding. He expressed concern that ESD did not have clear projections of federal support despite the project being justified on federal leverage, and advocated for rail system integration into economic development planning.
2024-01-24	FINANCE	none	unclear		Present at hearing but no questions or engagement recorded in transcript excerpt.
2024-01-24	FINANCE	high	skeptical	2020-2024 capital plan execution Bus procurement progress Bus service in outer boroughs Free bus pilot program ridership Infrastructure inspection reports	Sen. Liu questioned the pace of capital plan execution and bus procurement, noting that buses receive insufficient attention compared to subways and commuter rail. He requested specific numbers on buses procured and advocated for greater focus on outer borough bus service.
2024-01-23	FINANCE	moderate	skeptical	DFS accomplishments and areas for improvement Breakdown of $163 million returned to consumers vs. healthcare providers Signature Bank closure credit	Sen. Liu questioned whether DFS was truly a 'perfect agency' and pressed Superintendent Harris on specific areas for improvement. He also sought clarification on whether the $163 million returned was primarily to healthcare providers rather than consumers, and questioned DFS's credit for closing Signature Bank.
2023-03-01	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Affordability vs. density Market-rate vs. affordable housing incentives Definition of affordable housing AMI thresholds	Sen. Liu challenged the Commissioner on whether the Housing Compact adequately incentivizes affordable housing, noting that the plan appears to prioritize density and market-rate housing. He questioned the 2-for-1 counting mechanism for affordable units and sought clarification on affordability definitions and AMI standards.
2023-02-28	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Commuter van subsidy program progress RFP status and timeline DFS accountability and prioritization	Sen. Liu expressed frustration that DFS has made minimal progress on the commuter van program despite pledging to prioritize it. He criticized the lack of mention in the superintendent's testimony and pressed for concrete timelines, noting that DFS's insurance regulations are the primary driver of the industry's failure.
2023-02-28	FINANCE	high	supportive of physicians but pragmatic	scope of practice expansion physician availability in underserved areas regulatory burden on physicians in New York	Sen. Liu expressed agreement with Dr. Pipia's concerns about regulatory burden on physicians while acknowledging the practical reality that some communities lack physician availability. He pressed Dr. Pipia on how to ensure adequate care in underserved areas, suggesting a balanced approach may be necessary.
2023-02-27	FINANCE	low	unclear		Sen. Liu was present but did not ask questions in the transcript excerpt provided.
2023-02-27	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Tuition and enrollment correlation 60/40 SUNY/CUNY funding parity School of Labor and Urban Studies welcome center	Sen. Liu questioned whether tuition increases correlate with enrollment declines and challenged the chancellors on the abandonment of the traditional 60/40 funding split between SUNY and CUNY. He pressed for specific commitments on the School of Labor and Urban Studies project.
2023-02-27	FINANCE	high	skeptical	SUNY program approval delays SED's role in online course approval Institutional responsibility for delays	Sen. Liu pressed Commissioner Rosa on whether SUNY must get SED approval for new online courses, suggesting SUNY was deflecting blame for delays. He appeared to conclude that the problem lies with SUNY, not SED, based on the 22-day approval timeline cited.
2023-02-27	FINANCE	high	supportive	60/40 funding balance between SUNY and CUNY Full-time faculty hiring progress Parity in state investment	Sen. Liu asked detailed questions about maintaining the historic 60/40 funding split between SUNY and CUNY, suggesting that if SUNY receives an additional $1 billion, CUNY should receive approximately $667 million to maintain parity. He appeared supportive of both systems and concerned about equity in funding.
2023-02-15	FINANCE	high	supportive	Charter school cap expansion Foundation Aid and class size reduction Education funding	Sen. Liu strongly opposed the charter cap expansion and praised Mayor Adams for pointing out its costs. He noted that the Legislature has provided $600 million in additional Foundation Aid and will provide another $600 million, arguing that by Year 5 the city will have more than the $1.3 billion needed for class size compliance. He expressed support for the mayor's position on education funding.
2023-02-15	FINANCE	low	neutral		Sen. Liu indicated she had been present since 9:30 a.m. but stated she had no questions for this panel.
2023-02-14	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	Cryptomining moratorium consistency with climate goals Federal Infrastructure Act funding expectations	Sen. Liu asked supportive questions about the cryptomining moratorium and confirmed details about federal NEVI funding, appearing generally aligned with the administration's climate policies.
2023-02-14	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	Flushing River restoration Heat pump effectiveness and cost	Sen. Liu expressed support for Riverkeeper's work and pledged to swim in the Flushing River in his lifetime. He also testified about his personal experience installing a heat pump, noting significant cost savings compared to furnace replacement.
2023-02-14	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	environmental advocacy plastic recycling	Sen. Liu publicly praised Judith Enck for her environmental advocacy and commitment, stating 'This is one awesome person' and thanking her for her work on behalf of New York and the planet.
2023-02-09	FINANCE	high	skeptical	ESD database transparency and completeness Tesla and Micron inclusion in economic development database Fuller Road nonprofit involvement in Buffalo Billion Database accuracy and public accessibility	Sen. Liu questioned the completeness and transparency of ESD's economic development database, noting that major projects like Tesla and Micron were not searchable or visible in the database. He advocated for including company names and project references to improve public understanding of state economic development deals.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	low	unclear		Sen. Liu, Chair of the Senate Committee on New York City Education, is listed as present but no questions or engagement are recorded in the transcript provided.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Foundation Aid definition and purpose State oversight and accountability mechanisms Class size monitoring Regents exam standards and Asian-American history curriculum	Sen. Liu engaged extensively with Commissioner Rosa on Foundation Aid mechanics and accountability, pressing for clarity on how the state ensures funds are used appropriately and whether class size issues are being monitored. He expressed concern that Asian-American history remains excluded from Regents exams despite decades of advocacy, signaling that the state needs to move faster on curriculum standards review.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	moderate	skeptical	Charter school financial disclosures Class size requirements Charter school accountability	Sen. Liu asked for clarification on SED's inability to obtain financial disclosures from charter schools and indicated the Senate may need to clarify charter school disclosure laws. He also emphasized the importance of class size limits in providing sound basic education.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Class size mandate implementation School construction and capital planning Foundation Aid calculations DOE responsibility vs. school-level responsibility	Sen. Liu expressed serious concerns about Chancellor Banks' framing of class size compliance as a school-level problem rather than a DOE responsibility. He pushed back on the 'unfunded mandate' characterization, noting that Foundation Aid increases of $1.2 billion annually since the legislation passed should enable compliance. Liu emphasized that the 20-23-25 student limits originated from DOE's own Foundation Aid calculations 15 years ago and demanded the DOE develop comprehensive solutions including school construction, not just email principals directives.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	supportive	Asian-American curriculum inclusion Diwali as school holiday Equity in holiday recognition Lunar New Year recognition	Sen. Liu praised Chancellor Banks for embracing Asian-American history in curriculum and announced successful pilot program expansion. He pressed the Chancellor on making Diwali a school holiday, noting the inconsistency of recognizing Juneteenth on Monday when it fell on Sunday but not doing the same for Lunar New Year. He advocated for using the remote learning buffer day to accommodate Diwali without waiting for legislation.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	skeptical	Class size mandate implementation Charter school oversight and local control SUNY Charter Institute authority Diwali as a school holiday	Sen. Liu engaged extensively on charter school governance, expressing skepticism about SUNY Charter Institute overriding local community decisions. He also raised concerns about class size mandate implementation and advocated for Diwali as a school holiday, demonstrating engagement on both equity and practical implementation issues.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	skeptical	School consolidation and charter school expansion Charter school authorization process Public school waitlists	Sen. Liu asked pointed questions about whether districts with 25-28% of students in charter schools should consolidate buildings, and questioned how charter schools are approved over local objections. He sought to understand the mechanics of charter school expansion and whether public schools maintain waitlists.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	neutral	Foundation Aid formula equity and wealthy district funding Need for Foundation Aid formula update Cost implications of formula changes	Sen. Liu engaged in substantive discussion about Foundation Aid formula mechanics, noting that wealthy districts argue they contribute more from local tax bases than they receive from the state. He sought clarification on whether all panelists support formula revision and whether such changes would require proportional increases in total Foundation Aid.
2023-02-08	FINANCE	high	skeptical	New York Times articles about Orthodox Jewish schools Charter school accountability and transparency Charter school funding comparisons Political influence and campaign contributions	Sen. Liu questioned Rabbi Silber about New York Times allegations and pressed charter school representatives on accountability and transparency issues. He challenged Mr. Merriman's funding figures, noting that NYC Foundation Aid increase is 2 percent, not 12 percent, and charter reimbursement is 4.5 percent, not 3.3 percent. He expressed skepticism about charter school claims and suggested political motivations behind charter school advocacy.
2023-02-06	FINANCE	high	supportive	Free bus proposal Comparison to Washington D.C. and other cities Service accessibility outside Manhattan	Sen. Liu strongly advocated for free buses, citing examples from Washington D.C., Boston, and Denver. He challenged Lieber's characterization of free buses as 'frosting' rather than essential service, arguing that buses are integral to transportation, especially outside Manhattan.
2023-02-06	FINANCE	moderate	supportive	Federal infrastructure funding integration Electric vehicle infrastructure Green noise reduction barriers	Sen. Liu thanked Commissioner Dominguez and his team, particularly Assistant Commissioner Jan Ho, for green noise reduction initiatives and confirmed that the $14 billion in federal infrastructure funding is already programmed into the five-year capital plan.
2023-02-06	FINANCE	low	supportive	REAL ID compliance Rest area food vendors	Sen. Liu thanked DMV Commissioner Schroeder for REAL ID outreach and expressed appreciation for replacing McDonald's with Burger King at rest areas.

Floor Amendments (1)

Date	Bill	Description	Outcome
2023-02-07	S2140	Amendments to Calendar 287, Senate Print 2140	received