175th New York State Legislature

The 175th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to June 23, 1965, during the seventh year of Nelson Rockefeller's governorship, in Albany.

175th New York State Legislature
174th 176th
The facade of the New York State Capitol building in bright daylight
Overview
Legislative bodyNew York State Legislature
JurisdictionNew York, United States
TermJanuary 1 – December 31, 1965
Senate
Members58
PresidentLt. Gov. Malcolm Wilson (R)
Temporary PresidentJoseph Zaretzki (D)
Party controlDemocratic (33–25)
Assembly
Members150
SpeakerAnthony J. Travia (D)
Party controlDemocratic (88–62)
Sessions
1stJanuary 6 – June 23, 1965

Background

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Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 Senators and 150 assembly members were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were Kings (nine districts), New York (six), Queens (five), Bronx (four), Erie (three), Nassau (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Onondaga (two). The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county (except Hamilton Co.), or of contiguous area within one county.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down several decisions establishing that State legislatures should follow the One man, one vote rule to apportion their election districts. A special Federal Statutory Court declared the New York apportionment formulae for both the State Senate and the State Assembly unconstitutional, and the State Legislature was ordered to re-apportion the seats by April 1, 1965. The court also ruled that the 1964 legislative election should be held under the 1954 apportionment, but those elected could serve only for one year (in 1965), and an election under the new apportionment should be held in November 1965. Senators John H. Hughes and Lawrence M. Rulison (both Rep.) questioned the authority of the federal court to shorten the term of the 1964 electees,[1] alleging excessive costs for the additional election in an off-year.[2]

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Socialist Labor Party, and the Socialist Workers Party also nominated tickets. At the New York state election, 1964, on November 3, Democratic majorities were elected to both the State Senate and the State Assembly for the session of 1965.

The lame-duck Legislature of 1964 met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany from December 15 to 31, 1964, to re-apportion the legislative districts for the election in November 1965, gerrymandering the districts according to the wishes of the Republican majority before the Democrats would take over the Legislature in January.[3][4] The number of seats in the State Senate was increased to 65, and the number of seats in the Assembly to 165. County representation was abandoned in favor of population-proportional districts which could lie across county lines, and the new Assembly districts were numbered from 1 to 165.

Elections

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The 1964 New York state election, was held on November 3. The only statewide elective office up for election was a U.S. Senator from New York. Democrat Robert F. Kennedy defeated the Republican incumbent Kenneth B. Keating. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for U.S. Senator, was: Democrats 3,540,000; Republicans 3,104,000; Liberals 285,000; Conservatives 212,000; Socialist Labor 7,000; and Socialist Workers 4,000.

3 of the 4 women members of the previous legislature State Senator Constance Baker Motley, a lawyer of Manhattan; and Assembly Members Constance E. Cook (Republican), a lawyer of Ithaca, and Aileen B. Ryan (Democrat), a former school teacher of the Bronx—were re-elected. Shirley Chisholm (Democrat), a preschool teacher of Brooklyn; and Dorothy H. Rose (Democrat), a high-school teacher and librarian of Angola, were also elected to the Assembly.

Sessions

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The Legislature met for the regular session (the 188th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1965;[5] and adjourned on June 23.[6]

Due to the split of the Democratic majorities in both Houses into followers of Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, neither House could be organized, and a month of deadlock ensued.

On February 1, the United States Supreme Court confirmed the Federal Statutory Court's order to elect a new New York Legislature in November 1965.[7]

On February 3, Joseph Zaretzki (Dem.) was elected Temporary President of the State Senate with the votes of the Wagner Democrats and the Republicans.[8]

On February 4, Anthony J. Travia (Dem.) was elected Speaker.[9]

On April 14, the New York Court of Appeals declared the apportionment of December 1964 as unconstitutional, citing that the New York Constitution provides expressly that the Assembly shall have 150 seats, not 165 as were apportioned. The court also held that, although the constitutional State Senate apportionment formula provides for additional seats, the increase from 58 to 65 was unwarranted.[10]

On May 10, the Federal Statutory Court ordered that the election on November 2, 1965, be held under the December 1964 apportionment, and that the Legislature thus elected re-apportion the seats again by February 1, 1966.[11]

On August 24, the Federal Statutory Court clarified that, if the Governor and Legislature should not have enacted a new apportionment by February 1, 1966, then the Court would draft a new apportionment for the next election.[12]

On October 11, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed four appeals against the ruling of the Federal Statutory Court, and upheld the election of a new New York Legislature on November 2.[13]

State Senate

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Districts

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Senators

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The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Bernard G. Gordon, Robert Watson Pomeroy, William S. Calli and Kenneth R. Willard changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Senator Party Notes
1st Elisha T. Barrett* Republican
2nd Norman F. Lent Republican
3rd Henry M. Curran* Republican
4th Edward J. Speno* Republican
5th Jack E. Bronston* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Cities
6th Irving Mosberg* Democrat Chairman of General Laws
7th Seymour R. Thaler* Democrat Chairman of Public Health
8th Thomas A. Duffy* Democrat Chairman of Codes
9th Thomas J. Mackell* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of the City of New York
10th Simon J. Liebowitz* Democrat Chairman of Motor Vehicles
11th William C. Thompson Democrat Chairman of National Defense
12th Jeremiah B. Bloom* Democrat Chairman of Banks
13th Guy James Mangano* Democrat Chairman of Corporations
14th William T. Conklin* Republican
15th Irwin Brownstein* Democrat Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
16th William Rosenblatt* Democrat Chairman of Judiciary
17th Samuel L. Greenberg* Democrat Chairman of Finance
18th Edward S. Lentol* Democrat Chairman of Civil Service
19th John J. Marchi* Republican
20th Frederic S. Berman Democrat
21st Constance Baker Motley* Democrat Chairwoman of Penal Institutions;
on February 23, 1965, elected Borough President of Manhattan
22nd Jerome L. Wilson* Democrat Chairman of Public Welfare
23rd Joseph Zaretzki* Democrat elected Temporary President; Chairman of Rules
24th Paul P. E. Bookson Democrat Chairman of Agriculture
25th Manfred Ohrenstein* Democrat Chairman of Mental Hygiene
26th Harry Kraf* Democrat Chairman of Taxation
27th Ivan Warner* Democrat Chairman of Education
28th Abraham Bernstein* Democrat Chairman of Excise
29th Joseph E. Marine* Democrat Chairman of Public Service
30th Max Berking Democrat
31st Bernard G. Gordon* Republican
32nd Royden A. Letsen Democrat Chairman of Highways
33rd D. Clinton Dominick III* Republican
34th E. Ogden Bush* Republican
35th Robert Watson Pomeroy* Republican
36th Julian B. Erway* Democrat Chairman of Insurance
37th F. Warren Travers Democrat Chairman of Internal Affairs
38th Owen M. Begley* Democrat Chairman of Conservation
39th Nathan Proller Republican
40th John E. Quinn Democrat
41st Dalwin J. Niles Republican
42nd William S. Calli* Republican
43rd Hugh Douglas Barclay Republican
44th Earl E. Boyle Democrat
45th John H. Hughes* Republican
46th Leighton A. Hope* Republican
47th Warren M. Anderson* Republican
48th George R. Metcalf* Republican
49th William T. Smith Republican
50th Bryce Barden Republican
51st Frank E. Van Lare* Republican
52nd Thomas Laverne* Republican
53rd Kenneth R. Willard* Republican
54th Earl W. Brydges* Republican Minority Leader
55th John H. Doerr Democrat
56th Frank J. Glinski* Democrat Chairman of Labor
57th Bertrand H. Hoak Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Villages
58th Jeremiah J. Moriarty* Republican

Employees

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State Assembly

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Assembly members

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The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Walter E. Cooke changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

District Assembly members Party Notes
Albany 1st Frank P. Cox* Dem./Lib. Chairman of Public Printing
2nd Harvey M. Lifset* Dem./Lib. Chairman of Cities
Allegany Don O. Cummings* Republican
Bronx 1st Donald J. Sullivan* Democrat Chairman of Revision
2nd Seymour Posner Democrat
3rd Jerome Schutzer* Democrat
4th Eugene Rodriguez Democrat
5th Melville E. Abrams* Democrat Chairman of Social Welfare and Relief
6th Murray Lewinter* Democrat
7th John T. Satriale* Democrat Chairman of Ways and Means
8th Alexander Chananau* Democrat Chairman of Canals and Waterways
9th Burton Hecht* Democrat
10th Ferdinand J. Mondello* Democrat
11th Aileen B. Ryan* Democrat Chairwoman of Charitable and Religious Societies;
on November 2, 1965, elected to the New York City Council
12th Fred W. Eggert Jr.* Democrat Chairman of Aviation
Broome 1st Daniel S. Dickinson Jr.* Rep./Cons.
2nd George L. Ingalls* Republican Minority Leader
Cattaraugus James F. Hastings* Republican
Cayuga George M. Michaels* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of Villages
Chautauqua A. Bruce Manley* Republican
Chemung L. Richard Marshall* Republican
Chenango Guy L. Marvin* Republican
Clinton Louis Wolfe Democrat
Columbia Willard C. Drumm* Republican
Cortland Louis H. Folmer* Republican
Delaware Edwyn E. Mason* Republican
Dutchess Victor C. Waryas Democrat
Erie 1st Stephen R. Greco* Democrat Chairman of Pensions
2nd F. James Kane Jr. Democrat
3rd Arthur Hardwick Jr. Democrat
4th Francis J. Griffin* Democrat
5th John B. Lis* Democrat Chairman of Motor Vehicles
6th Albert J. Hausbeck* Democrat
7th Julius Volker* Republican
8th Dorothy H. Rose Democrat
Essex Grant W. Johnson* Republican
Franklin James Edward LaPan Democrat
Fulton and Hamilton Glenn H. Harris Republican
Genesee James A. Carmichael Jr. Democrat
Greene Clarence D. Lane* Republican
Herkimer Donald J. Mitchell Republican
Jefferson Orin S. Wilcox* Republican
Kings 1st Max M. Turshen* Democrat Chairman of Judiciary
2nd Noah Goldstein* Democrat
3rd Joseph J. Dowd* Democrat
4th Harold W. Cohn* Democrat Chairman of Internal Affairs
5th Leonard E. Yoswein* Democrat
6th Bertram L. Baker* Democrat Chairman of Public Education
7th Louis Kalish* Democrat Chairman of Insurance
8th William J. Ferrall* Democrat
9th Robert F. Kelly* Republican
10th Walter E. Cooke* Democrat
11th George A. Cincotta* Democrat Chairman of Excise
12th Dominick L. DiCarlo Republican
13th Lawrence P. Murphy* Democrat Chairman of Mortgage and Real Estate
14th Edward A. Kurmel* Democrat
15th Alfred A. Lama* Democrat Chairman of Banks
16th Salvatore J. Grieco* Democrat
17th Shirley Chisholm Democrat
18th Stanley Steingut* Democrat Chairman of General Laws
19th Joseph Kottler* Democrat Chairman of Penal Institutions
20th Joseph R. Corso* Democrat Chairman of Codes
21st Bertram L. Podell* Democrat Chairman of Local Finance
22nd Anthony J. Travia* Democrat elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules
Lewis Lawrence C. Byrnes Republican
Livingston James L. Emery Republican
Madison Harold I. Tyler* Republican
Monroe 1st Harold P. Garnham Democrat
2nd S. William Rosenberg* Republican
3rd James E. Powers Democrat
4th Charles F. Stockmeister* Democrat Chairman of Conservation
Montgomery Donald A. Campbell* Republican
Nassau 1st Francis T. Purcell Republican on June 18, 1965, appointed as Supervisor of Hempstead
2nd Jerome R. McDougal Jr. Democrat
3rd John E. Kingston* Republican
4th Edwin J. Fehrenbach* Republican
5th Herbert Sachs Democrat
6th John S. Thorp Jr. Democrat
New York 1st William F. Passannante* Democrat Chairman of Claims
2nd Louis DeSalvio* Democrat Chairman of Military Affairs
3rd Jerome Kretchmer* Democrat
4th Jerome W. Marks* Democrat
5th Albert H. Blumenthal* Democrat
6th Paul J. Curran* Republican
7th Daniel M. Kelly* Democrat Chairman of Taxation
8th John M. Burns* Republican
9th S. William Green Republican
10th Carlos M. Rios* Democrat
11th Percy E. Sutton Democrat
12th Mark T. Southall* Democrat
13th Orest V. Maresca* Democrat Chairman of Affairs of the City of New York
14th Jose Ramos-Lopez* Democrat Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
15th John J. Walsh* Democrat Chairman of Public Institutions
16th Frank G. Rossetti* Democrat Chairman of Labor and Industries
Niagara 1st Gregory J. Pope Democrat
2nd Donald J. O'Hara Democrat
Oneida 1st Paul A. Worlock* Democrat Democratic Whip; Chairman of Agriculture
2nd John B. Cosgrove Democrat
Onondaga 1st James J. Barry Democrat
2nd John H. Terry* Republican
3rd Philip R. Chase* Republican
Ontario Frederick L. Warder* Republican
Orange 1st Daniel Becker* Republican
2nd Jack A. Schlosser Democrat
Orleans Alonzo L. Waters* Republican
Oswego Edward F. Crawford* Republican
Otsego Scott E. Greene Republican
Putnam Willis H. Stephens* Republican
Queens 1st Thomas V. LaFauci* Dem./Lib. Chairman of Civil Service
2nd Thomas P. Cullen Dem./Lib.
3rd Robert E. Whelan* Democrat
4th Jules G. Sabbatino* Dem./Lib. Chairman of Commerce and Navigation
5th Martin M. Psaty* Dem./Lib.
6th Michael G. Rice* Democrat Chairman of Public Health
7th Moses M. Weinstein* Dem./Lib. Majority Leader
8th Michael J. Capanegro* Dem./Lib.
9th Fred W. Preller* Rep./Cons.
10th Martin Rodell Dem./Lib.
11th Kenneth N. Browne Dem./Lib.
12th J. Lewis Fox* Dem./Lib. Chairman of Public Service
13th Frederick D. Schmidt Dem./Cons.
Rensselaer James A. Lombard Democrat
Richmond 1st Edward J. Amann Jr.* Republican
2nd Lucio F. Russo* Republican
Rockland Joseph T. St. Lawrence Dem./Lib.
St. Lawrence Verner M. Ingram* Republican
Saratoga Stanley L. Van Rensselaer* Republican
Schenectady John F. Kirvin Democrat
Schoharie Russell Selkirk* Republican
Schuyler John P. Callanan Republican
Seneca Theodore D. Day* Republican
Steuben Charles D. Henderson* Republican
Suffolk 1st Perry B. Duryea Jr.* Republican
2nd Prescott B. Huntington* Republican
3rd John G. McCarthy* Republican
Sullivan Hyman E. Mintz* Republican
Tioga Richard C. Lounsberry* Republican
Tompkins Constance E. Cook* Republican
Ulster Kenneth L. Wilson* Republican
Warren Richard J. Bartlett* Republican
Washington Lawrence E. Corbett Jr. Republican
Wayne Joseph C. Finley* Republican
Westchester 1st Thomas J. McInerney Democrat
2nd Lawrence A. Cabot Dem./Lib.
3rd George E. Van Cott* Republican
4th Anthony B. Gioffre* Republican
5th John J. S. Mead* Republican
6th Richard A. Cerosky Republican
Wyoming Frank Walkley Republican
Yates Paul R. Taylor* Republican

Employees

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  • Clerk:
  • Sergeant-at-Arms:
    • Raymond J. Roche (Rep.), until March 2
    • William A. Wardlaw (Dem.), from March 2[15]
  • Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms: Raymond J. Roche, from March 2

Notes

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  1. ^ 2 STATE SENATORS FIGHT TERM RULING in The New York Times on August 2, 1964
  2. ^ Two State Senators Fight Redisricting in The New York Times on August 25, 1964
  3. ^ ROCKEFELLER CALLS SESSION FOR DEC. 15; Legislature Told to Draw Redistricting Formula in The New York Times on December 2, 1964 (subscription required)
  4. ^ Reapportioning New York State in The New York Times on December 3, 1964
  5. ^ SESSION IS OPENED; Two Attempts to Elect Officers Fail in The New York Times on January 7, 1965 (subscription required)
  6. ^ ASSEMBLY PASSES CITY FISCAL BILLS in The New York Times on June 23, 1965 (subscription required)
  7. ^ HIGH COURT BACKS DISTRICTING EDICT in The New York Times on February 2, 1965 (subscription required)
  8. ^ ZARETZKI WINS AS G.O.P. STEPS IN, GIVING WAGNER MAN NEEDED VOTES in The New York Times on February 4, 1965 (subscription required)
  9. ^ TRAVIA ELECTED SPEAKER in The New York Times on February 5, 1965 (subscription required)
  10. ^ G.O.P. PLAN VOIDED; Constitution Is Cited as Requiring 150 Seats in Assembly State's Legislative Reapportionment in The New York Times on April 15, 1965 (subscription required)
  11. ^ DECISION IS 2 TO 1; ...that a legislative election be held Nov. 2 under a Republican reapportionment plan that had been invalidated by the State Court of Appeals in The New York Times on May 11, 1965 (subscription required)
  12. ^ Justice Gives Rockefeller a Deadline to Submit Formula, With Judicial Proposal as the Alternative in The New York Times on August 25, 1965 (subscription required)
  13. ^ SUPREME COURT CLEARS ELECTION FOR LEGISLATURE in The New York Times on October 12, 1965 (subscription required)
  14. ^ Legislature Wheels Turning in The Knickerbocker News, of Albany, on February 10, 1965
  15. ^ R. J. Roche Loses Post in Assembly in the Watertown Daily Times, of Watertown, on March 3, 1965

Sources

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