State Legislative Update - January 23, 2009

Senate Leadership and Committee Assignments

As the State Senate gets down to business, the Majority and Minority leaders have begun to release their full listings of leadership and committee assignments.  These appointments help clear the way for more focused advocacy on our budget issues.

During our meetings in Albany the past few days, Senate members are now getting ready to move their offices as the swap of space between majority and minority members takes place.  So, it seems there will be some distractions over the next week as these moves take place.

Leadership - The following represents the Senate Majority and Minority leadership:

Senate Majority:

Temporary President and Majority Leader - Senator Malcolm A. Smith
Chair of Senate Finance Committee - Senator Carl Kruger
Vice President Pro Tempore - Senator David J. Valesky
Vice President of the Senate for Urban Policy and Planning - Senator Pedro Espada Jr.
Deputy Majority Leader for Legislative Operations - Senator Jeffrey D. Klein
Senior Assistant Majority Leader - Senator Martin Malave Dilan
Assistant Majority Leader on Conference Operations - Senator Neil D. Breslin
Assistant Majority Leader for House Operations - Senator William T. Stachowski
Chair of Majority Conference - Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson
Chair of Majority Program Development Committee - Senator Thomas K. Duane
Majority Whip - Senator Kevin S. Parker
Vice Chair of Majority Conference - Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
Secretary of Majority Conference - Senator Jose M. Serrano
Deputy Majority Whip - Senator Antoine M. Thompson
Chair of Majority Steering Committee - Senator Diane J. Savino
Assistant Majority Whip - Senator Vulcanite Montgomery
Deputy Majority Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs - Senator Suzi Oppenheimer
Deputy Majority Leader for Policy - Senator Eric L. Adams
Deputy Majority Leader for State/Federal Relations - Senator John L. Sampson

A complete listing of the Senate Majority leadership and committee appointments are be found here.

Senate Minority:

Minority Leader - Senator Dean G. Skelos
Deputy Minority Leader - Senator Thomas W. Libous
Ranking Member of Finance Committee - Senator John DeFrancisco
Chair of Minority Conference - Senator Kenneth P. LaValle
Assistant Minority Leader for Policy and Administration - Senator Owen H. Johnson
Assistant Minority Leader for Floor Operations - Senator Hugh T. Farley
Vice-Chair of Minority Conference - Senator James L. Seward
Secretary of Minority Conference - Senator Kemp Hannon
Minority Whip - Senator William J. Larkin Jr.
Assistant Minority Whip - Senator Stephen M. Saland
Deputy Minority Whip - Senator Michael F. Nozzolio
Assistant Minority Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs - Senator Vincent L. Leibell
Chair of Minority Policy Committee - Senator Thomas P. Morahan
Chair of Minority Program Development - Senator Elizabeth Little

Senate Committee Appointments – Here are the committee assignments for the key committees dealing with higher education issues: 

Higher Education: Chairperson Toby Stavisky (D-Queens)
   Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester)
   Eric Schneiderman (D-Bronx)
   Liz Krueger (D-New York)
   Kevin Parker (D-Kings)
   Shirley Huntley (D-Queens)
   Brian Foley (D-Suffolk)
   George Onorato (D-Queens)
   Jose Serrano (D-Bronx)
   Darrel Aubertine (D-Jefferson)
   Vacancy
   Kenneth LaValle (R-Suffolk) - Ranking
   Joseph Griffo (R-Lewis)
   John Flanagan (R-Suffolk)
   Catharine Young (R- Allegany)
   James Alesi (R-Monroe)
   Joseph Robach (R-Monroe)
   George Maziarz (R-Monroe)
   Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau)   

Finance:  Chairperson Carl Kruger (D-Kings)
   Vice Chairperson Liz Krueger (D-New York)
   William Stachowski (D-Erie)
   Suzi Oppenheimer (D-Westchester)
   John Sampson (D-Kings)
   Toby Stavisky (D-Queens)
   Martin Dilan (D-Kings)
   Jeffrey Klein (D-Bronx)
   Eric Adams (D-Kings)
   Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester)
   Antoine Thompson (D-Erie)
   Velmanette Montgomery (D-Kings)
   Neil Breslin (D-Albany)
   Thomas Duane (D-New York)
   Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx)
   Kevin Parker (D-Kings)
   David Valesky (D-Oneida)
   Bill Perkins (D-New York)
   Pedro Espada (D-Bronx)
   John DeFrancisco (R-Onondaga) Ranking
   Owen Johnson (R-Nassau) Vice-Ranking
   Kenneth LaValle (R-Suffolk)
   Vincent Leibell (R-Dutchess)
   Kemp Hannon (R-Nassau)
   Hugh Farley (R-Schenectady) 
   Dale Volker (R-Erie)
   Michael Nozzolio (R-Cayuga)
   Stephen Saland (R-Dutchess)
   James Seward (R-Chenango)
   George Maziarz (R-Monroe)
   Carl Marcellino (R-Nassau)
   William Larkin (R-Orange)
   Vacancy

Commerce & Economic Development:
   Chairperson William Stachowski (D-Erie)
   Ruth Hassell-Thompson (D-Bronx)
   Kevin Parker (D-Kings)
   Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Westchester)
   Darrel Aubertine (D-Jefferson)
   Pedro Espada (D-Bronx)
   Brian Foley (D-Suffolk)
   James Alesi (R-Monroe) Ranking
   Dale Volker (R-Erie)
   Joseph Robach (R-Monroe)
   Joseph Griffo (R-Oneida)
   Charles Fuschillo (R-Nassau)

Senate Majority Staff Appointments – Senate Majority Leader Smith continues to build his staff team.  Of particular interest to SUNY are the following individuals:

Senate Counsel to the Majority – Shelley Mayer
Senate Director of Intergovernmental Relations -Indira Noel
Senate Finance Higher Education – Felix Muniz
Senate Program Higher Education – Greg Roberts

Additional key appointments can be found here.

Jim Campbell
Director of Legislative Relations
Office of University Relations
518-443-5148