Legislative Session Opens; Silver Praises Mario Cuomo
The 238th New York state legislative session opened in a most unusual way this year. There was no fanfare and no State of the State message delivered by a sitting governor because of the death of former governor Mario Cuomo on January 1. According to the New York State Constitution the legislative session must open on the first Wednesday after the first Monday of the secular calendar year. This year that was January 7.
The State of the State message, which outlines the governor’s priorities for the legislative session, usually is like a gunshot at the beginning of a road race. This year it was more like a popgun with blanks in the chamber.
As a result, the action in the Senate and Assembly focused on the ceremonial swearing-in of all the members by the chief judge of the New York State Court of Appeals, Jonathan Lippman. He personally swore in Senator Simcha Felder, a Boro Park Democrat who sits with the Republican majority conference. Five other Democratic state senators have also aligned themselves with the Senate Republicans but are members of an Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) so Democrats can have a seat at the table during tough budget and policy negotiations during the legislative session, according to IDC Leader Jeff Klein (D-Bronx).
Over in the Assembly Chamber, newly elected Assemblyman Charles Barron (D-East New York/Canarsie) was one of only four members in the lower house who did not support Assemblyman Sheldon Silver (D-Lower East Side, Manhattan) for another term as speaker.
Barron had a message for Silver, an Orthodox Jew who has led the Assembly for the past 20 years. “Our politics are different so we’re going to have a few battles throughout the year,” he told The Jewish Press. “This legislative body, if they speak of being progressive, then they should be reflective in the politics and the policies and the budget priorities.”
Barron is not generally considered a friend of Israel or Jews in general. When seating assignments were handed out by the Speaker’s office, guess where Barron was seated? He was surrounded by Jewish lawmakers: Richard Gottfried (D-East Side, Manhattan), Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove), Michael Simanowitz (D-Electchester, Queens), Dov Hikind (D-Boro Park) and Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach). Assemblyman Michael Kearns (D-West Seneca, Erie County), who also opposed Silver and was booted from the Democratic Conference, sits just behind Barron.
Asked by The Jewish Press whether he was surprised by Barron’s vote, Silver had a concise response: “No.”
Giving the opening prayer for the legislative session was Rabbi Reuven Feinstein, rosh yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Staten Island. To bring home his point to lawmakers, Feinstein focused on the words in parshas Vayechi.
“Like Joseph, you too have learned the lesson taught by Jacob, that as leaders, you must serve the people,” Rabbi Feinstein said. “The only way to truly serve is through equality, respect and empathy. It is these qualities that drive you to protect, advocate and promote your individual constituents while at the same time, recognizing the needs of the state and the many.
“You must continue on this path of equality – a path that promotes patience, compassion, peace and prosperity, for your reach and influence, extends well beyond the borders of this great state, it influences and impacts the global community. We all must be judged on action, deed and fact, not on bias, assumption and innuendo.”
Speaker Silver closed the legislative proceedings on the first day of session by voicing a deep appreciation for Mario Cuomo, calling him “one of the greatest leaders in the history of New York State” and someone who “was both a friend and a mentor to me.”