R Sen. Peter Oberacker
Key Issues
From committee hearings, floor debate, and bill sponsorship.
Legislative Activity (2025–2026)
Based on complete Senate roll call records.
Top Co-Sponsors
District 51 Profile
Voter Registration
Demographics
Voting Record
Dissenting Votes by Topic
30 additional dissenting votes across other topics
From 1,443 recorded floor votes via OpenLeg API. Dissenting votes grouped by law section to reveal policy patterns.
Floor Speeches: In Support (8)
As a food scientist and cosponsor, he praised the bill for promoting healthy alternatives to ingredients and cited specific alternatives like lycopene and oleoresin of paprika that could replace synthetic dyes derived from insects.
Argued that home-schooled students should be allowed to participate in school sports, noting they can join chess clubs, school plays, and math teams but are barred from athletics. Stated these students meet vaccination requirements and already play alongside public school students on travel teams, making the exclusion discriminatory and contrary to values of equity and inclusion.
School-based health is essential in rural districts like the 51st Senate District where transportation distances are vast and healthcare access is limited. The bill allows children to receive needed healthcare and enables parents to maintain their livelihoods.
Cosponsor supported the bill as addressing safety concerns in rural areas, emphasizing the need for drivers to slow down, be aware, and move over.
A 38-year volunteer firefighter, Oberacker described his experience with untreated trauma and lack of debriefing after difficult calls. He praised the bill as overdue and called for breaking down the cultural 'macho' attitude that discourages discussing mental health in the first responder community.
Floor Speeches: In Opposition (4)
Voted against the bill.
Voted in opposition to the measure.
Voted in the negative on the Public Health Law amendment.
He expressed concern that the legislation reflects a blanket anti-chemical sentiment and argued that not all chemicals are bad. He questioned the carveout for solar panels, suggesting that PFAS leaching from treated panels under UV exposure and rain could pose greater health risks than paint products.
Committee Hearing Engagement (5)
| Date | Committee | Engagement | Stance | Focus Areas | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-02-26 | Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | low | unclear | Sen. Oberacker was present but did not ask questions during the hearing. | |
| 2025-02-25 | Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee (Joint) | moderate | supportive | SUNY technical colleges capital needs Antisemitism task force support SUNY Delhi support | Sen. Oberacker expressed support for SUNY technical colleges and SUNY Delhi specifically, and thanked the Chancellor for addressing antisemitism concerns. |
| 2025-02-06 | Joint Legislative Hearing - Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | moderate | skeptical | CHIPS funding Electric vehicle infrastructure Worker safety Green hydrogen rail | Ranking Member Oberacker expressed concern about flat CHIPS funding and proposed a CLEAR program to address emergency assistance. He questioned EV infrastructure readiness and proposed alternative solutions like green hydrogen rail. |
| 2025-02-05 | Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee | moderate | supportive | Rural mental health services Decommissioned facilities Transportation barriers Mental wellness terminology | Sen. Oberacker invited Commissioner Sullivan to visit his rural district and discussed utilizing decommissioned facilities for mental health services. He advocated for using 'mental wellness' terminology. |
| 2025-01-27 | Senate Finance Committee and Assembly Ways and Means Committee (Joint) | moderate | supportive | Park accessibility and boat launches Park safety and security | Sen. Oberacker asked about accessibility improvements at parks in his district and expressed concern about park safety following recent incidents. |
Floor Amendments (1)
| Date | Bill | Description | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-06-12 | S8077 | Amendment to allow home-schooled students to participate in school athletic activities | defeated |