The New York State Legislature Up Close
Why the DEC does not act
The DEC has the authority to change or enact regulations; however some laws can only be enacted by the Legislature and the Governor.
It is purported, that mourning dove hunting must be approved by the State Legislature and Governor, and the DEC cannot act on the matter without that approval.
The members of the Legislature are also called lawmakers, state representatives, state senators, and state assembly representatives. Do not confuse state lawmakers with US lawmakers. Likewise, county representatives are also different.
It is purported, that mourning dove hunting must be approved by the State Legislature and Governor, and the DEC cannot act on the matter without that approval.
The members of the Legislature are also called lawmakers, state representatives, state senators, and state assembly representatives. Do not confuse state lawmakers with US lawmakers. Likewise, county representatives are also different.
The NYS Legislature
The NY State Legislature is made up of two branches. One branch is the (state) senate. The other branch is the (state) assembly.
There are 63 senate districts and 150 assembly districts. That means, with the exception of instances when there are a handful of vacant offices, there are 213 state lawmakers, plus the Governor which decide whether to approve or disapprove hunting-related legislation. Thus, the Governor and the majority of 213 state lawmakers must be on our side of this issue.
These districts are created by drawing a boundary around a certain number of people. The senate districts hold about 307,356 people and the assembly districts hold about 129,089 people. Thus, senate districts are larger and less numerous than assembly districts.
There are 63 senate districts and 150 assembly districts. That means, with the exception of instances when there are a handful of vacant offices, there are 213 state lawmakers, plus the Governor which decide whether to approve or disapprove hunting-related legislation. Thus, the Governor and the majority of 213 state lawmakers must be on our side of this issue.
These districts are created by drawing a boundary around a certain number of people. The senate districts hold about 307,356 people and the assembly districts hold about 129,089 people. Thus, senate districts are larger and less numerous than assembly districts.
The NYS Assembly
There are a total of 150 assembly districts statewide. The denser the population of people, the smaller geographic area of a district is. So in the heavily populated regions of the state such as the Lower Hudson Valley, NY City, and Long Island, there is a dense cluster of districts. This downstate region has 95 assembly districts. This arguably results in a disproportionate representation of down state / NYC values.
There are 21 assembly districts on Long Island alone.
NY City, which is comprised of Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx, and Yonkers has a whopping 66 assembly districts! (Queens = 18, Brooklyn = 20, Staten Island = 4, Manhattan = 12, Bronx = 11 and Yonkers = 1).
There are 21 assembly districts on Long Island alone.
NY City, which is comprised of Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island, Bronx, and Yonkers has a whopping 66 assembly districts! (Queens = 18, Brooklyn = 20, Staten Island = 4, Manhattan = 12, Bronx = 11 and Yonkers = 1).
To see the breakdown of eligible voters vs. overall population in NY (broken down by senate or assembly district)...CLICK HERE.
Downstate republicans?
NY City only has two republicans elected to the assembly over those 66 districts, and both of them are in Staten Island. Joe Borelli is a republican from Annadale, which is assembly district 62.
Nicole Malliokakis is the other republican from Rosebank, which is assembly district 64. However, Malliokakis is endorsed by the Humane Society of the US and other anti-hunting organizations, and likely receives campaign contributions from them as well. Although The Humane Society of the US is an extremely wealthy organization, they apparently are also very savvy in which politicians they contribute to. Since Malliokakis is a republican, her support would have a greater benefit to the agenda of the Humane Society of the US, thus we suspect Humane Society lobbyists targeted Malliokakis. (FYI: Although this is not relevant to this discussion, and we will address it in a different report, the lobbyist firm hired by the Humane Society of the US is the same firm hired by Monsanto).
Fred Thielle, is neither a republican or a democrat, but rather an Independent. Theille is elected to one of the Long Island districts and is also endorsed by the Humane Society and other anti-hunting organizations.
Over the entire state, democrats have been majority in the assembly since 1975.
Nicole Malliokakis is the other republican from Rosebank, which is assembly district 64. However, Malliokakis is endorsed by the Humane Society of the US and other anti-hunting organizations, and likely receives campaign contributions from them as well. Although The Humane Society of the US is an extremely wealthy organization, they apparently are also very savvy in which politicians they contribute to. Since Malliokakis is a republican, her support would have a greater benefit to the agenda of the Humane Society of the US, thus we suspect Humane Society lobbyists targeted Malliokakis. (FYI: Although this is not relevant to this discussion, and we will address it in a different report, the lobbyist firm hired by the Humane Society of the US is the same firm hired by Monsanto).
Fred Thielle, is neither a republican or a democrat, but rather an Independent. Theille is elected to one of the Long Island districts and is also endorsed by the Humane Society and other anti-hunting organizations.
Over the entire state, democrats have been majority in the assembly since 1975.
The NYS Senate
The NYS Senate is comprised of 63 districts. Currently 25 democrats, 31 republicans, and 5 independent democrats are elected to the NYS senate.
Downstate republicans in the senate:
Long Island in districts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,
Senate District 22: (Kings, Brooklyn)
Martin J. Golden
Senate District 24 (Richmond, Staten Island)
Andrew J. Lanza
Senate District 39 (Orange Rockland, Ulster)
William Larkin
Senate District 40 (Dutchess, Putnum, Westchester)
Terrance Murphy
Senate District 41 (Dutchess, Putnum)
Sue Serino
Senate District 42 (Orange, Sullivan Ulster, Delaware)
John Bonacic
Downstate republicans in the senate:
Long Island in districts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,
Senate District 22: (Kings, Brooklyn)
Martin J. Golden
Senate District 24 (Richmond, Staten Island)
Andrew J. Lanza
Senate District 39 (Orange Rockland, Ulster)
William Larkin
Senate District 40 (Dutchess, Putnum, Westchester)
Terrance Murphy
Senate District 41 (Dutchess, Putnum)
Sue Serino
Senate District 42 (Orange, Sullivan Ulster, Delaware)
John Bonacic
The Senate Majority Leader is John J. Flanigan. Senator Flanigan is a republican (hence “senate majority leader); representing state senate district 2, which is the town of Smithtown and portions of the towns of Brookhaven and Huntington within Suffolk County, Long Island.
The Majority Leaders
The majority leaders control the flow of legislation. This means, the leaders decide which bills will advance in the process. Each bill has two years to complete the process, after two years it will expire.
The Committees
Bills may also be held up in committees. All hunting-related bills must first pass the Environmental Conservation Committee(s). Sometimes, hunting-related bills get referred to other committees besides En Con, and likewise must be approved by those.
There is an Environmental Conservation Committee in both the state senate and the state assembly. The committee chairman controls the flow of legislation through the committee. Thus, if the chairman does not like a bill, he has the power to prevent the bill from advancing. Once a dove bill reaches the En Con Committee(s), anti-hunters will flood the chairperson(s) with letters, phone calls, petitions, and office visits by professional lobbyists to urge him not to advance the dove bill. When a pro-hunting bill advances out of En Con Committee, anti-hunters track the bill through the entire process and systematically lobby each committee, leader, and state legislator all the way to the Governor, if it makes it to him/her.
The Chairman of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee is Steve Englebright, a democrat, who represents assembly district 4, which is Suffolk County, Long Island.
The Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee is Tom O’Mara, a republican, who represents state senate district 58, which surrounds the town of Elmira and includes the counties of Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, and part of Tompkins County.
There is an Environmental Conservation Committee in both the state senate and the state assembly. The committee chairman controls the flow of legislation through the committee. Thus, if the chairman does not like a bill, he has the power to prevent the bill from advancing. Once a dove bill reaches the En Con Committee(s), anti-hunters will flood the chairperson(s) with letters, phone calls, petitions, and office visits by professional lobbyists to urge him not to advance the dove bill. When a pro-hunting bill advances out of En Con Committee, anti-hunters track the bill through the entire process and systematically lobby each committee, leader, and state legislator all the way to the Governor, if it makes it to him/her.
The Chairman of the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee is Steve Englebright, a democrat, who represents assembly district 4, which is Suffolk County, Long Island.
The Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee is Tom O’Mara, a republican, who represents state senate district 58, which surrounds the town of Elmira and includes the counties of Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, and part of Tompkins County.
Independent Democratic Party
We also want to call attention to the Independent Democrat Party; which are not the same as the Democratic Party or the Independent party.
Particularly, Senator David J. Valesky who has a history of sponsoring a dove bill and introducing a number of pro-hunting bills.
Other members of the ID Party are:
Senator Jeffrey D. Klien
Senator David Carlucci District 38 (Rockland and Westchester Counties)
Senator Diane J. Savino
Unfortunately, Tony Avella, is also an ID, however he is the Legislature’s top anti -hunters, heavily endorsed (and likely financed) by state and national anti-hunting organizations. It should also be noted that Avella is the Vice Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. Should he ever become chairman, the impact can be disastrous.
Particularly, Senator David J. Valesky who has a history of sponsoring a dove bill and introducing a number of pro-hunting bills.
Other members of the ID Party are:
Senator Jeffrey D. Klien
Senator David Carlucci District 38 (Rockland and Westchester Counties)
Senator Diane J. Savino
Unfortunately, Tony Avella, is also an ID, however he is the Legislature’s top anti -hunters, heavily endorsed (and likely financed) by state and national anti-hunting organizations. It should also be noted that Avella is the Vice Chair of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. Should he ever become chairman, the impact can be disastrous.
Seeking a Bill - "Make Friends, Not Enemies"
Jeb Bush was recently quoted saying that you cannot insult your way to the presidency. The NY State Assembly and Senate are very diverse and come from diverse backgrounds. Insults get you nowhere and do not persuade people that you are important or what you want is worth listening to.
Who Can I Contact?
NY Dove Hunting seeks a bipartisan and bicameral dove bill. We ask you to focus (first and then branch out) on who we think are likely to be interested in sponsoring a dove bill:
Democrat Assembly Representative William Magee (District 121 Oneida)
Independent Democrat State Senator David J. Valesky (District 53 Syracuse and Madison County)
Do you live HERE? Contact Senator Valesky HERE
Do you live HERE? Contact Assemblyman Magee HERE
Another potential supporter is moderate democrat Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. (Senate district 32, Bronx) Diaz might conceivably leave the democrat party for the ID party or even the republican party? An ordained minister, born in Puerto Rico, who wears his trademark cowboy hat around the Bronx. Diaz is known for being part of the “Gang of Three” – three democrats who pushed back against other democrats. We might add, Diaz, not only receives our newsletter, he reads it.
Contact Senator Diaz HERE
Democrat Assembly Representative William Magee (District 121 Oneida)
Independent Democrat State Senator David J. Valesky (District 53 Syracuse and Madison County)
Do you live HERE? Contact Senator Valesky HERE
Do you live HERE? Contact Assemblyman Magee HERE
Another potential supporter is moderate democrat Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. (Senate district 32, Bronx) Diaz might conceivably leave the democrat party for the ID party or even the republican party? An ordained minister, born in Puerto Rico, who wears his trademark cowboy hat around the Bronx. Diaz is known for being part of the “Gang of Three” – three democrats who pushed back against other democrats. We might add, Diaz, not only receives our newsletter, he reads it.
Contact Senator Diaz HERE
Read the next article : Letter writing