Sen. Shelley Mayer

Mayer, the bill sponsor, described the legislation as addressing a broken EMS system revealed during COVID-19. She emphasized that the county-by-county assessment process will provide a roadmap for statewide improvements and that EMS providers deserve respect, recognition, and resources to continue serving New Yorkers.

Mayer argued that parents who experience stillbirth should be entitled to family leave benefits they have paid into the system, noting that one in four families knows the pain of child loss and that current law leaves these grieving parents without support during their most difficult moments.

The bill honors DJ Henry's memory and his family's advocacy by implementing best practices on police handling of moving vehicles, consistent with federal DOJ and NYPD standards, to prevent similar deaths.

Mayer voted aye, arguing the bill codifies disparate impact analysis to protect New York's tradition of robust workplace antidiscrimination protections against the Trump administration's efforts to eliminate such analysis at the federal level.

Voted in favor after internal debate, arguing that New Yorkers with terminal illness suffering immensely deserve the opportunity to choose to die on their own terms with dignity under the bill's safeguards.

The bill addresses prolonged rate case delays and retroactive make-whole provisions that result in rate compression and unexpectedly higher consumer bills. Extending the statutory timeframe by three months will give parties more time to reach negotiated settlements.

Since the Dobbs decision, extreme states have curtailed abortion access and targeted LGBTQ Americans. The bill shores up protections not only for providers but for individuals and organizations assisting those seeking legally protected healthcare, reaffirming New York's commitment to protecting women and trans Americans.

A long-time advocate for this legislation, Mayer noted that recent storms including Sandy, Isaias, and Ida killed people and exposed the state's lack of preparedness and inter-agency coordination. She stated the Office of Resiliency is overdue and will bring New York in line with better-prepared states.

Highlighted education investments including BOCES salary cap increase from $30,000 to $60,000 over three years, career and technical education funding, English language learner weighting increase, and electric school bus implementation flexibility with extensions and funding support.

Explained her vote in favor, clarifying that Part RR applies only to parens patriae actions where the Attorney General acts on behalf of the people, not on behalf of agencies. Distinguished this from enforcement actions on behalf of individual agencies.

Explained that the bill provides $12.1 billion in appropriation authority with $2.4 billion for school aid, representing a $2.5 billion increase over the prior extender. Indicated parties are talking and moving in the right direction on budget policy issues.

The bill affirms New York's commitment to learning about the shameful internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII and honors Fred Korematsu's contributions to civil rights advocacy. Given rising anti-Asian hate, the state must acknowledge this painful history and recommit to protecting constitutional rights for all.

Emphasized the bill's provision for paid leave following stillbirth, noting that 3,000 New York families experience stillbirth annually and advocated for addressing the stigma and lack of state support these families face.

She stated constituents cannot understand their utility bills and are outraged upon learning costs. She argued the bill is an important step to ensure constituents understand who they pay, how much, and the basis for charges.

Mayer argued the bill addresses exorbitant Con Ed delivery charges by changing the PSC rate-setting methodology. She cited constituent complaints about unsustainable rates and called for the preferred rate approach with a rebuttable presumption, allowing utilities a return but not at constituents' expense.

Mayer voted aye and urged colleagues to support the bill, arguing it strengthens protections for New York providers prescribing medication abortion via telehealth. She emphasized that providers face significant personal risk and that the legislation allows them to use practice names instead of personal names on drug labels to shield their identities.

She acknowledged implementation challenges and costs but stressed the overwhelming need to address excessive heat in schools caused by climate change and aging buildings. She committed to working with school communities on logistics and budget solutions in the coming year.

Highlighted the bill's provision for temporary paid family leave coverage for stillbirth from 2026-2029, calling it transformative for women who have experienced stillbirth.

The bill's sponsor emphasized that EMS providers perform critical work that was highlighted during COVID but remains undervalued and under-resourced. She noted the bill establishes statewide coordination, enhanced training, and municipal flexibility while reflecting the sacrifice of EMS providers.

The bill ensures student voices are heard in school governance and gives students opportunities to build civic engagement skills. Districts currently using student members report meaningful dialogue, valuable learning opportunities, and increased student body interest in school boards.

The bill honors Fred Korematsu's resistance to Japanese-American internment and his lifelong civil rights advocacy. It affirms the state's commitment to teaching about this difficult history and comes at a time of rising anti-Asian hate and discrimination.

Praised the bill as the culmination of good faith negotiations among all key education stakeholders. Highlighted that the legislation prioritizes teacher and administrator growth, decouples evaluations from tenure, provides parents with transparency on evaluation scores, and allows districts flexibility in designing evaluation processes suited to their communities.

Supported the budget while expressing deep disappointment about the single fiscal intermediary transition and committing to continued advocacy for CDPAP recipients and providers.

Highlighted education victories including $1.3 billion increase in school aid and $934 million for Foundation Aid. Defended compromise approach and praised groundbreaking tenant protections for rental tenants outside New York City.

Defended new assault on retail worker crime and aggregation of stolen goods values as practical tools for police and prosecutors. Argued the bill balances addressing retail theft without mass incarceration, and noted the assault crime is not bail-eligible on first offense but becomes so on second offense involving harm to person or property.

Contextualized the late budget within the Governor's disproportionate power during budget negotiations and emphasized that the Majority is fighting for every school district regardless of party affiliation to reject the Governor's proposed cuts.

Sen. Mayer credited her Veterans Advisory Group for bringing to her attention that the chamber had not previously honored Korean War veterans, and committed to making this an annual recognition, noting that veterans have changed the face of the Senate through their continued community engagement.

Emphasized that ensuring child safety in schools is paramount and that the bill would remind parents of the urgency of safe gun storage at home, thereby reducing the potential for accidents involving firearms.

The bill creates an essential senior-level office to coordinate flood response across state agencies and help municipalities access resources and federal programs. After Superstorm Ida killed three constituents in her district, the need for centralized expertise and coordination became clear, as communities struggled to identify available assistance.

Emphasized that diversity in the educator pipeline is important for reaching a growing diverse student body and that this task force does not preclude examining other diversity concerns like Jewish representation in higher education.

Corrected the record that the Legislature has substantially increased STEM funding for nonpublic schools and expedited security funds for Jewish day schools, demonstrating strong bipartisan support for religious schools.

Education Committee chair who praised colleagues for expanding school holidays and making Lunar New Year a statewide holiday. Noted the need to work with the State Education Department to ensure flexibility with the 180-day school requirement.

Supported the bill as essential to protecting Yonkers' economic revitalization tied to the Hudson River and preventing harm to the community.

The bill is simple and common-sense, allowing constituents who see downed lines to call the utility directly rather than figuring out which municipal official to contact. This aligns with what utilities already encourage on their websites and will be helpful to utilities in responding to emergencies.

The bill addresses serious health consequences for minors from unregulated diet pills and supplements marketed to young people. The revised approach removes the Department of Health from enforcement, addressing the Governor's veto concerns, and instead empowers the Attorney General to bring court proceedings with judicial discretion and specific factors to consider.

The bill addresses a critical need exposed during COVID when unemployment applicants faced significant delays in learning whether their applications were approved or denied. A 30-day determination requirement would align the Department of Labor with timelines for other state benefits like SNAP and medical assistance.

The bill enables victims of domestic violence and sexual assault to ensure their extreme risk protection orders are filed in a statewide computerized registry accessible to all police departments, providing additional personal safety and security without changing underlying red flag law principles.

Noted step forward in hospital and nursing home funding, praised EMS companies' access to Empire Plan health insurance, and acknowledged continued need for essential worker language.

Sponsor clarified that the bill authorizes county comptrollers to conduct audits of IDA projects. Acknowledged that the State Comptroller has audit authority and does conduct audits, citing six audits in 2022, five in 2021, and two in 2020.

Sponsor argued the bill is common-sense legislation ensuring transparency and accountability for tax breaks granted to developers. Noted that 109 IDAs and 279 LDCs oversee approximately 4,200 active projects worth $100 billion, and the State Comptroller audits only a handful annually, making local county audits essential.

She noted that mothers who experienced stillbirth had felt ignored by state policy and lacked paid leave support. She emphasized the obligation of elected officials to address this issue and bring these stories out of the shadows into policy-making.

Mayer argued the bill provides critical legal protections for New York healthcare practitioners offering telehealth reproductive services to patients nationwide. She emphasized New York's responsibility as a sanctuary state following Dobbs and noted that 66 clinics closed in 15 states within seven months of the decision, with abortion now unavailable in 14 states.

The bill addresses lack of confidence in boards of elections following documented failures. A bipartisan Senate Elections Committee found numerous confidence-shaking incidents in the prior 18 months and recommended full-time commissioners in every county. All voters, regardless of county size, are entitled to the same protections and confidence in election administration.