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60-597: The bill was introduced in April 2021. It was approved as Bill S4104A by the New York Senate on June 3, 2022, and previously as Bill A7006B by the New York Assembly . It was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on December 28, 2022 (Right to Repair advocate iFixit had foreseen this as likely to occur), though the bill was amended following opposition of some of its parts by technology industry lobbyists. With

120-483: A Long Island company in return for favorable legislation. The new indictment charged that Skelos procured a position for his son at a medical malpractice insurance company with business before the state, that Adam Skelos was not qualified for the position, that Adam Skelos threatened his supervisor, and that Adam Skelos asserted that "he didn't need to show up to work because his father was the Majority Leader of

180-670: A decisive majority. In total, enrolled Democrats won 40 of the chamber's 63 seats, including all but one seat in New York City and six of the nine seats on Long Island, the latter of which has been under GOP control for decades. Felder offered to rejoin the Democratic Conference, but was turned down in December 2018. Senate Republicans won 23 seats in the 2018 elections. Stewart-Cousins was formally elected Majority Leader and Temporary President on January 9, becoming

240-569: A national laughingstock as the feuding factions shouted and gaveled over each other in simultaneous legislative sessions." The "coup" also led to litigation. On July 9, 2009, the "coup" ended. Espada rejoined the Senate Democratic Conference after reaching a deal in which he would be named Senate Majority Leader, Sampson would remain Senate Democratic Leader, and Smith would be Temporary President of

300-514: A post which is normally also held by the Majority Leader. The Senate has one additional officer outside those who are elected by the people. The Secretary of the Senate is a post that is chosen by a majority vote of the senators, and does not have voting power (the Secretary is allowed, though officially discouraged, from discussing and negotiating legislative matters). The Secretary of the Senate

360-463: A prearranged deal, Espada was elected temporary president and acting lieutenant governor while Skelos was elected majority leader. Following the "coup", Senate Democrats voted for John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) to replace Smith as Democratic Leader. On June 14, Monserrate declared that he would once again caucus with the Democrats. This development meant that the Senate was evenly split, 31–31, between

420-520: A second conviction on July 17, 2018. Skelos was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, and he began his prison term in January 2019. In April 2020, Skelos tested positive for COVID-19 and was released from prison to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest . Skelos was born on February 16, 1948, in Rockville Centre, New York , the oldest of four children. He is

480-536: A senate roll-call vote on the Marriage Equality Act , which narrowly passed the Senate in a 33–29 vote. In a statement made prior to the vote, he said: "This is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate." In 2013, as Senate Majority Leader, Skelos was responsible for suspending Senate rules and bringing the NY SAFE Act (a firearm-related bill) to

540-563: A total of 33 seats for a three-seat majority. Democrats gained seats in Senate Districts 17 (where Democrat Simcha Felder defeated Republican incumbent David Storobin), 41, and 55 (where Ted O'Brien defeated Sean Hanna to win the seat vacated by the retiring Republican Sen. Jim Alesi), and won the election in the newly created Senate District 46 (discussed below). The election in Senate District 46—a new district that

600-445: Is responsible for administering the Senate's office space, overseeing the handling of bills and the oversight of the sergeants-at-arms and the stenographer. Alejandra Paulino was appointed to the position in December 2018. * First elected in a special election. Dean Skelos Dean George Skelos (born February 16, 1948) is an American former politician and convict from Long Island, New York. A Republican , Skelos served in

660-722: Is the upper house of the New York State Legislature , while the New York State Assembly is its lower house . Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York , its members are elected to two-year terms with no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. The Democratic Party has held control of the New York State Senate since 2019. The Senate Majority Leader is Andrea Stewart-Cousins . The New York State Senate

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720-655: The 2018 elections , Democrats gained eight Senate seats, taking control of the chamber from the Republicans. In the 2020 elections , Democrats won a total of 43 seats, while Republicans won 20; the election results gave Senate Democrats a veto-proof two-thirds supermajority. As of October 2024, the Democratic Party holds 41 seats in the Senate. The Republicans hold 21 seats, and one seat is vacant. Democrats won 32 of 62 seats in New York's upper chamber in

780-627: The New York State Assembly and later represented the Ninth District in the New York State Senate from 1985 through 2015. He served as Senate Majority Leader in 2008 and again from 2011 to 2015. Skelos forfeited his Senate seat when he was convicted on federal corruption charges in 2015. In 2017, his conviction was overturned following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in McDonnell v. United States . His retrial resulted in

840-445: The 2008 general election on November 4, capturing the Senate majority for the first time in more than four decades. However, a power struggle emerged before the new term began. Four Democratic senators — Rubén Díaz Sr. (Bronx), Carl Kruger (Brooklyn), Pedro Espada Jr. (Bronx), and Hiram Monserrate (Queens) — immediately refused to caucus with their party. The self-named "Gang of Four" refused to back Malcolm Smith (Queens) as

900-422: The 2009–2010 legislative session, there were 32 Democrats and 30 Republicans in the Senate. On June 8, 2009, then-Senators Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr.—both Democrats—voted with the 30 Republican members to install Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre) as the new majority leader of the Senate, replacing Democratic Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith. The Associated Press described

960-411: The 2010 elections, winning 32 seats to the Democrats' 30 on Election Day. One Republican Senate incumbent (Sen. Frank Padavan of Queens) was defeated, while Democratic candidate David Carlucci was elected to an open seat in Senate District 38 that had been vacated due to the death of Republican Senator Thomas Morahan on July 12, 2010. Four Democratic incumbents lost their seats to Republicans in

1020-598: The 2010 elections: Sen. Brian Foley was defeated by Lee Zeldin , Sen. Antoine Thompson was defeated by Mark Grisanti , Sen. Darrel Aubertine was defeated by Patty Ritchie , and Craig M. Johnson was defeated by Jack Martins . Just before the new legislative session convened in January 2011, four Senate Democrats—led by former Democratic whip Jeff Klein—broke away from the Senate Democratic Conference to form an Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Klein said that he and his three colleagues, Diane Savino , David Carlucci and David Valesky could no longer support

1080-484: The Democratic Party holds 41 seats in the Senate. The Republicans hold 21 seats, and one seat is vacant. The Lieutenant Governor of New York is the ex officio President of the Senate. The Lieutenant Governor has a casting vote in the event of a tie; however, there is debate over the meaning of the term "casting vote". With few exceptions, the Senate is presided over by the Temporary President ,

1140-547: The Democrats gained a 32–31 numerical Senate majority; however, Felder continued to caucus with the Republicans, allowing them to maintain a 32–31 majority instead. In 2018, five Republican senators announced that they would not seek re-election in the fall. In the September 13, 2018 Democratic primary elections, all eight Democratic senators who had been members of the IDC at the time of its dissolution faced challengers. Six of

1200-677: The Deputy Democratic Conference Leader. The announcement followed a meeting called by Governor Andrew Cuomo at which Cuomo requested that the IDC reunite with the Senate Democratic Conference. On April 16, the IDC was dissolved. After the IDC dissolved, the Senate Democratic Conference contained 29 Members, the Senate Republican Conference contained 32 Members (including Sen. Felder), and there were two vacant Senate seats. After two April 24, 2018 special elections were won by Democrats,

1260-709: The GOP; Felder's move ensured that the Republicans would retain control of the Senate by a margin of 32–31. Newly elected Democratic Sen. Marisol Alcantara also announced that she would join the IDC, after Klein assisted her campaign. Liberal groups in New York State, including the Working Families Party , called on Gov. Cuomo to intervene and pressure Sen. Felder, the IDC, and the Senate Democratic Conference to unite. On January 2, 2017, Senate Majority Leader Flanagan and Senate IDC Leader Klein announced

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1320-488: The IDC in December 2012. On December 17, 2012, Senate Democrats elected Andrea Stewart-Cousins as Senate Democratic Leader. Stewart-Cousins became the first woman in history to lead a conference in the New York State Legislature . Malcolm Smith was expelled from the IDC in April 2013 due to a scandal in which he attempted to bribe the Republican Party chairs in New York City for a Wilson Pakula to run in

1380-429: The IDC. In June 2014, the IDC announced that it would end its political alliance with the Republicans and create a new one with the Senate Democratic Conference, citing a need "to fight for the core Democratic policies that are left undone." In the 2014 elections, Senate Republicans retook an outright majority in the Senate. The election results meant that Klein lost his position as co-leader, with Skelos taking over as

1440-543: The Republican Conference and the Democratic Conference. Due to a vacancy in the office of the Lieutenant Governor, there was no way to break the deadlock. Between June 8 and the end of the "coup" on July 9, the Senate did not conduct any official business. According to The New York Times , Espada's power play "threw the Senate into turmoil and hobbled the state government, making the body

1500-672: The Republican and Conservative Party lines, defeated Berman, the Democratic and Liberal parties' candidate, in a three-way race, winning 53% of the vote (49,761) to 43.7% (41,005). Right-to-Life party candidate Joan McDermott received 3.2% (2,967) of the vote. From 1995 to 2008, Skelos was Deputy Majority Leader of the New York State Senate. In 2008, he became the Majority Leader of the New York State Senate after Joseph Bruno stepped down from that post. On June 24, 2011, Skelos voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during

1560-555: The Right-to-Life Party candidate, received 2,520 votes in the three-way race. In 1984, Skelos challenged Berman in a rematch. This time, Skelos, who had President Ronald Reagan visit the district and campaign for him, narrowly defeated Berman in a two-way race, winning by 50.7% to 49.3% (67,834 to 65,875 votes). Skelos represented Senate District Nine from 1985 to 2015. In 1986, Berman challenged Skelos in their third consecutive state senate contest. Skelos, running on

1620-536: The Senate Majority Leader and Temporary President of the Senate and regaining sole control over which bills would reach the Senate floor. After the election, the IDC reversed course and continued its alliance with the Republicans in the 2015 legislative session despite their conference's diminished role. On May 4, 2015, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced the arrest of Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (along with his son, Adam Skelos) and

1680-486: The Senate by a vote of 33–29. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed it into law at 11:55 P.M. On March 15, 2012, Gov. Cuomo signed redistricting legislation that added a 63rd State Senate district. Months prior to the passage of the redistricting legislation, the New York Daily News reported that according to Republican sources, adding a 63rd seat "to the current 62-member body would...make political coups like

1740-476: The Senate during a "transition period" after which Sampson would ascend to the Temporary Presidency. On February 9, 2010, the Senate voted to expel Monserrate from the Senate following a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction. Espada was defeated in a September 2010 primary election in which the Democratic Party backed his challenger, Gustavo Rivera . Republicans retook the Senate majority in

1800-623: The Senate floor. He voted for the SAFE Act and advocated its passage. On May 4, 2015, Skelos was arrested on federal corruption charges. On May 11, he stepped down from his position as Senate Majority Leader. Skelos was convicted on December 11, 2015; he was automatically expelled from the Senate due to his conviction. Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, were arrested and charged with six counts of corruption by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara on May 4, 2015. The criminal complaint included extortion , fraud , and bribe solicitation charges. Skelos

1860-515: The Senate on May 11, 2015; he had already begun a leave of absence from the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. "The criminal complaint against him said he had earned $ 2.6 million there since 1994, despite apparently doing no actual legal work; he was paid instead for referring clients, some of whom had business before the state." In July 2015, in an expanded indictment, federal prosecutors added two new charges of soliciting bribes from

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1920-475: The Skeloses, as there was enough evidence to establish that there had been a quid pro quo arrangement in each of the schemes at issue. The retrial of Skelos and his son began on June 19, 2018. During the retrial, in contrast to the first trial, Skelos took the witness stand and testified in his own defense. On July 17, 2018, Skelos and his son were found guilty of eight felonies. On October 23, 2018, Skelos

1980-484: The State Senate". On December 11, 2015, a unanimous jury convicted Dean and Adam Skelos of all eight counts of bribery, extortion, and corruption. Dean Skelos was convicted of using his position in the Senate to benefit three companies—a real estate developer, an environmental technology company, and a medical malpractice insurer—in exchange for the companies' agreement to give work to his son. Prosecutors said that

2040-550: The amendments, manufacturers are not required to provide passwords or tools for bypassing a device's security features. They can also offer assemblies of parts rather than individual parts "when the risk of improper installation heightens the risk of injury," potentially increasing prices and discouraging these repairs. Furthermore, this law will only apply to new electronic products manufactured or sold in New York State on or after July 1, 2023, and it excludes products sold only for commercial or government use. While initially acclaimed,

2100-473: The arrest of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver . Within days, Skelos announced that he was stepping down as leader of the Republican Caucus and as Majority Leader. Senator John Flanagan , of Suffolk County, became the new Majority Leader, and the first Majority Leader from Suffolk County. After Skelos was convicted in December 2015, his seat was declared vacant, with a special election to be held on

2160-429: The bill was met with mixed reception after Governor Hochul's last-minute amendments. iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, who was thrilled due to the bill finally being passed, said, “This is a huge victory for consumers and a major step forward for the right to repair movement. New York has set a precedent for other states to follow, and I hope to see more states passing similar legislation in the near future.” However, he criticized

2220-493: The bill. Sen. Alesi opted to retire instead of facing a potential primary challenge; Sen. McDonald lost a Republican primary to Saratoga County Clerk Kathy Marchione; and Sen. Saland won his Republican primary, but lost the general election to Democrat Terry Gipson after Saland's Republican primary challenger, Neil Di Carlo, remained on the ballot on the Conservative line and acted as a spoiler. On December 4, 2012, it

2280-464: The boundaries of the 9th Senate District, which previously included parts of Nassau and Queens County. The new district, drawn by Senate Republicans, was entirely within Nassau County and favored Republicans. Skelos was endorsed by the Republican and Conservative parties. Berman, running on the Democratic Party and Liberal Party lines, won the race by 6,108 votes (55,504 to 49,396). Matthew Doyle,

2340-710: The challengers prevailed. Another Democratic incumbent, Martin Malave Dilan , was also defeated by a primary challenger ( Julia Salazar , a self-described democratic socialist ). On November 6, 2018, the Democratic Party gained eight seats and won control of the State Senate. Democratic challengers defeated incumbent Republican Sens. Carl Marcellino, Kemp Hannon, Martin Golden, Terrence Murphy, and Elaine Phillips and won races in three districts (Districts 3, 39, and 42, respectively) in which Republican incumbents had not sought re-election. The mainstream Democrats won 39 seats,

2400-485: The chamber's majority leader and sought concessions. Monserrate soon rejoined the caucus after reaching an agreement with Smith that reportedly included the chairmanship of the Consumer Affairs Committee. The remaining "Gang of Three" reached an initial compromise in early December that collapsed within a week, but was ultimately resolved with Smith becoming majority leader. At the beginning of

2460-505: The conference. In the 2016 elections, Senate Republicans lost one seat on Long Island and gained an upstate seat in Buffalo. On Long Island, freshman Sen. Michael Venditto was defeated in a close race by Democrat John Brooks. In Buffalo, the open seat vacated by Democratic Sen. Mark Panepinto (who did not seek re-election) was won by Republican Erie County Clerk Chris Jacobs. Sen. Simcha Felder announced that he would continue to caucus with

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2520-558: The continuation of their coalition. In late January 2017, Senator Jose Peralta announced that he was joining the IDC, expanding the IDC to 8 members, the Republican-IDC-Felder coalition to 40 members, and reducing the Democratic conference to 23 members. On April 4, 2018, the IDC announced that it would dissolve, that its members would rejoin the Senate Democratic Conference, that Stewart-Cousins would continue as Senate Democratic Leader, and that Sen. Klein would become

2580-481: The court reversed the corruption conviction of a former Virginia Governor. On September 26, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit vacated the convictions of the Skeloses and ordered a retrial, arguing that the district judge had given the jury improper instructions. However the panel wrote that the government's evidence appeared to be sufficient to allow a properly instructed jury to convict

2640-533: The first woman to hold the post. In July 2019, Simcha Felder was accepted into the Senate Democratic Conference; this action gave the Conference a total of 40 members. During the 2019-2020 session, Republican Bob Antonacci resigned his seat to become a trial court judge, and eight other members of the Senate Republican Conference announced that they would not seek re-election in 2020. In anticipation of Leader Flanagan's resignation on June 28, Sen. Rob Ortt

2700-745: The grandson of a Greek immigrant . Skelos graduated from Washington College in Maryland with a B.A. in history in 1970 and earned a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law in 1975. Skelos was of counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C., from 1994 through 2015. Skelos was automatically disbarred in 2016 following a felony conviction. Skelos was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1980. After one Assembly term, Skelos ran for State Senate in 1982, challenging incumbent Democratic-Liberal New York State Senator Carol Berman . The reapportionment earlier that year changed

2760-454: The leadership of Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson. In March 2011, "Gang of Four" member Senator Carl Kruger surrendered to bribery charges. He later pleaded guilty to those charges in December 2011. On March 20, 2012, Republican David Storobin defeated Democrat Lew Fidler in a special election to fill Kruger's vacated seat; results of the special election took weeks to finalize. On June 24, 2011, same-sex marriage legislation passed

2820-474: The lobbying that weakened the bill towards the end. Right to repair activist Louis Rossmann was highly critical of the New York State legislature and Governor Hochul, accusing them of corruption, in a video he posted on YouTube after the passage of the bill. He had predicted the amendments in an earlier video. This legislation article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . New York Senate Minority The New York State Senate

2880-559: The one that shut down the chamber two years ago more difficult". The Daily News added: "Insiders note that adding a 63rd seat in the state Senate would avoid any legislative chaos by ensuring one party would be in the majority – as opposed to now, with an even number of seats". Following a lawsuit, the New York Court of Appeals upheld the enacted redistricting plan on May 3, 2012. In the November 6, 2012 elections, Democrats won

2940-535: The presidential primary of 2016. The special election was won by Democrat Todd Kaminsky, resulting in the Democratic Party having a numerical 32–31 advantage over the Republicans in the State Senate. Despite this, both Senator Felder and the members of the IDC chose to remain in coalition with the Republican majority. Late in 2016, Senator Jesse Hamilton announced his intention to join the IDC if re-elected. The IDC aided Hamilton in his first election in 2014, which had resulted in speculation he would eventually join

3000-491: The shortest-tenured senator in modern New York history. Amedore would eventually win a rematch with Tkaczyk in 2014. Of the four Republican state senators who voted for the Marriage Equality Act in 2011 (Sens. Roy McDonald , James Alesi , Mark Grisanti , and Stephen Saland ), ) only Grisanti was re-elected in 2012. The Conservative Party of New York withdrew support for any candidate who had voted for

3060-516: The state budget". Sens. Klein and Skelos also agreed that the title of Senate President would shift back and forth between the two of them every two weeks. Together, the Senate Republicans and the IDC held enough seats to form a governing majority; that majority was augmented when freshman Sen. Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, a Democrat, joined the Senate Republican Conference. Also, former Democratic Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith joined

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3120-461: The three businesses provided Adam Skelos with about $ 300,000 and other benefits. The trial verdict automatically terminated Dean Skelos from the state legislature. On May 12, 2016, U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood sentenced Dean Skelos to five years in prison, and Adam Skelos to six-and-a-half years in prison. Wood allowed both to remain free on bail pending appeals based on the U.S. Supreme Court 's decision in McDonnell v. United States , in which

3180-407: The upcoming New York City mayoral election . Former Senate Minority Leader John L. Sampson was expelled from the Senate Democratic Conference on May 6, 2013, following his arrest on embezzlement charges. Sampson later forfeited his Senate seat after being convicted of making false statements to federal agents in relation to the initial embezzlement case. In February 2014, Tony Avella joined

3240-426: The vote as a "parliamentary coup". The move came after Republican whip Tom Libous introduced a surprise resolution to vacate the chair and replace Smith as temporary president and majority leader. In an effort to stop the vote, Democratic whip Jeff Klein (Bronx) unilaterally moved to recess, and Smith had the lights and Internet cut off; however, they were unable to prevent the vote from being held. In accordance with

3300-561: Was accused of taking official actions to benefit a small Arizona environmental company, AbTech Industries, and a large New York developer, Glenwood Management , that had financial ties to AbTech. According to the complaint, Senator Skelos agreed to do so as long as the companies paid his son. On May 28, 2015, Skelos and his son were indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts of bribery, extortion, wire fraud , and conspiracy. After his arrest, Skelos asserted that he and his son were innocent. He stepped down from his majority leader post in

3360-439: Was announced that Senate Republicans had reached a power-sharing deal with the four-member Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). Under their power-sharing arrangement, the IDC and the Senate Republicans to "jointly decide what bills [would] reach the Senate floor each day of the session", would "dole out committee assignments", would "have the power to make appointments to state and local boards", and would "share negotiations over

3420-407: Was created through the redistricting process in 2012—was noteworthy because the candidate who was sworn in as the victor was later found, following a recount, to have lost the election. Republican George Amedore was sworn in to the State Senate following the election. However, a recount revealed that Democrat Cecilia Tkaczyk had defeated Amedore by 18 votes; therefore, Amedore vacated the seat, becoming

3480-463: Was dominated by the Republican Party for much of the 20th century. Between World War II and the turn of the 21st century, the Democratic Party only controlled the upper house for one year. The Democrats took control of the Senate following the 1964 elections; however, the Republicans quickly regained a Senate majority in special elections later that year . By 2018, the State Senate was the last Republican-controlled body in New York's government. In

3540-507: Was named the leader of the Senate Republican Conference. On July 20, 2020, Sen. Chris Jacobs stepped down after being elected to the United States House of Representatives . In the 2020 elections, Senate Democrats won a total of 43 seats, while Republicans won 20. Sen. Tim Kennedy ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024 and prevailed; he left the Senate and became a member of Congress. As of October 2024,

3600-674: Was sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison. Judge Wood suggested that he had been unrepentant and that parts of his testimony were outright false. Adam Skelos was sentenced to a four-year prison term. Dean Skelos reported to the Federal Correctional Institute in Otisville , Orange County, New York to begin his prison term on January 8, 2019. Under New York State law, Skelos continued to draw his annual pension of nearly $ 100,000 while in prison. Skelos tested positive for COVID-19 in April 2020 and

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