177th New York State Legislature


The 177th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4, 1967, to May 25, 1968, during the ninth and tenth years of Nelson Rockefeller's governorship, in Albany.

Background

Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 Senators and 150 assemblymen 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 Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county, 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, and an election under the new apportionment should be held in November 1965. Senators John H. Hughes and Lawrence M. Rulison questioned the authority of the federal court to shorten the term of the 1964 electees, alleging excessive costs for the additional election in an off-year.
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. 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, and the new Assembly districts were numbered from 1 to 165.
On February 1, 1965, the United States Supreme Court confirmed the Federal Statutory Court's order to elect a new New York Legislature in November 1965.
On April 14, 1965, 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.
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.
On August 24, it was clarified that, if the Governor and Legislature should not have enacted a new apportionment by February 1, 1966, then the courts should draft a new apportionment for the next election.
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.
On January 14, 1966, the Court of Appeals moved the deadline for the new legislative apportionment from February 1 to February 15.
On February 23, the Court of Appeal appointed a commission of five members to map out new districts because the Republican-majority Senate and the Democratic-majority Assembly could not agree on a new apportionment. The commission was chaired by President-elect of the American Bar Association Orison S. Marden, of Scarsdale, who was not affiliated with any party and was deemed politically independent. The other members were Ex-Judges of the Court of Appeals Bruce Bromley, of Manhattan, and Charles W. Froessel, of Queens; Ex-Republican State Chairman Edwin F. Jaeckle, of Buffalo; and Robert B. Brady, the Counsel to the Joint Legislative Committee on Re-Apportionment.
On March 14, the apportionment draft was submitted to the Court of Appeals.
On March 22, the Court of Appeals accepted the apportionment as drafted, thus becoming the law, without the need of legislative approval. The number of seats in the State Senate was reduced to 57, and the number of seats in the Assembly to 150.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the Socialist Labor Party and the Socialist Workers Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The 1966 New York state election, was held on November 8. Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Lieutenant Governor Malcolm Wilson were re-elected, both Republicans. The elections to the other three statewide elective offices resulted in a Republican Attorney General; a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement; and a Republican Chief Judge with Democratic, Conservative and Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor and Lieutenant Governor, was: Republicans 2,691,000; Democrats 2,298,000; Conservatives 513,000; Liberals 507,000; Socialist Labor 12,700; and Socialist Workers 12,500.
All four women members of the previous legislature—Assemblywomen Shirley Chisholm, a preschool teacher of Brooklyn; Constance E. Cook, a lawyer of Ithaca; Gail Hellenbrand, of Brooklyn; and Dorothy H. Rose, a high-school teacher and librarian of Angola—were re-elected.
At the same time, 186 delegates to a New York State Constitutional Convention were elected: 15 statewide at-large, and three in each senatorial district. The final result was the election of 101 Democrat/Liberals and 85 Republican/Conservatives.
The New York state election, 1967, was held on November 7. The only statewide elective offices up for election were two seats on the New York Court of Appeals. One vacancy in the State Assembly was filled. The proposed changes to the Constitution were rejected by the voters. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the average vote for Judge of the Court of Appeals, was: Republicans 2,161,000; Democrats 2,070,000; Conservatives 402,000; and Liberals 202,000.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1967; and adjourned in the morning of April 2.
Anthony J. Travia was re-elected Speaker.
Earl W. Brydges was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Constitutional Convention met at the State Capitol in Albany on April 4; and adjourned on September 26. Speaker Anthony J. Travia was elected President of the Convention.
The Legislature met for the second regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1968; and adjourned on May 25.

State Senate

Senators

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Douglas Hudson and James E. Powers changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of the session. Assemblyman Robert García was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictSenatorPartyNotes
1stLeon E. Giuffreda*Republican
2ndBernard C. Smith*Republican
3rdHenry M. Curran*Rep./Lib.
4thEdward J. Speno*Republican
5thJohn D. Caemmerer*Republican
6thJohn R. Dunne*Republican
7thNorman F. Lent*Republican
8thMurray Schwartz*Dem./Lib.
9thJack E. Bronston*Dem./lib.
10thSeymour R. Thaler*Dem./Lib.
11thIrving Mosberg*Dem./Lib.on November 7, 1967, elected to the New York City Civil Court
11thJohn J. SantucciDemocraton February 20, 1968, elected to fill vacancy
12thWilliam C. BrennanDem./Lib.on November 5, 1968, elected to the New York City Civil Court
13thNicholas Ferraro*Democrat
14thEdward S. Lentol*Democrat
15thSimon J. Liebowitz*Dem./Lib.on November 5, 1968, elected to the New York City Civil Court
16thWilliam Rosenblatt*Dem./Lib.
17thJeremiah B. Bloom*Dem./Lib.
18thWilliam C. Thompson*Dem./Lib.on November 5, 1968, elected to the New York City Council
19thSamuel L. Greenberg*Dem./Lib.
20thAlbert B. LewisDemocrat
21stWilliam T. Conklin*Republican
22ndWilliam J. Ferrall*Democrat
23rdJohn J. Marchi*Rep./Cons.
24thPaul P. E. Bookson*Democrat
25thManfred Ohrenstein*Democrat
26thWhitney North Seymour, Jr.*Republican
27thBasil A. Paterson*Dem./Lib.
28thJoseph Zaretzki*Dem./Lib.Minority Leader
29thDemocratdid not take his seat; on January 13, 1967, convicted of perjury and extortion
29thRobert García*Democraton March 28, 1967, elected to fill vacancy
30thHarrison J. Goldin*Dem./Lib.
31stIvan WarnerDemocraton November 5, 1968, elected to the New York Supreme Court
32ndAbraham Bernstein*Dem./Lib.
33rdJohn D. Calandra*Rep./Cons.
34thJohn E. FlynnRepublican
35thAnthony B. Gioffre*Republican
36thBernard G. Gordon*Republican
37thD. Clinton Dominick III*Republican
38thJay P. Rolison, Jr.Republican
39thDouglas Hudson*Republican
40thJulian B. Erway*Democrat
41stDalwin J. Niles*Republican
42ndRonald B. Stafford*Republican
43rdHugh Douglas Barclay*Rep./Cons.
44thJames H. Donovan*Republican
45thJohn H. Hughes*RepublicanChairman of Judiciary
46thTarky Lombardi, Jr.*Republican
47thWarren M. Anderson*RepublicanChairman of Finance
48thWilliam T. Smith*Republican
49thTheodore D. Day*Republican
50thThomas Laverne*Republican
51stJames E. Powers*Dem./Lib.
52ndEarl W. Brydges*Republicanre-elected Temporary President
53rdWilliam E. Adams*Republican
54thThomas F. McGowan*Rep./Lib.
55thFrank J. Glinski*Dem./Lib.
56thJames D. GriffinDemocrat
57thJames F. Hastings*Republicanon November 5, 1968, elected to the 91st U.S. Congress

Employees

Assemblymen

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."
DistrictAssemblymenPartyNotes
1stPerry B. Duryea, Jr.*RepublicanMinority Leader
2ndPeter J. Costigan*Republican
3rdCharles J. Melton*Dem./Cons.
4thPrescott B. Huntington*Republican
5thWilliam L. Burns*Republican
6thJohn G. McCarthy*Republican
7thJoseph M. Reilly*Rep./Lib.
8thMartin Ginsberg*Republican
9thFrancis P. McCloskey*Republican
10thMilton Jonas*Republican
11thStanley Harwood*Democrat
12thJoseph M. Margiotta*Republican
13thJohn S. Thorp Jr.*Dem./Lib.
14thArthur J. Kremer*Democrat
15thEli Wager*Democrat
16thGeorge J. Farrell, Jr.*Republican
17thJohn E. Kingston*Republican
18thVincent R. Balletta, Jr.Republican
19thHerbert A. PosnerDemocrat
20thJoseph J. Kunzeman*Republican
21stMartin Rodell*Dem./Lib.
22ndJohn T. Gallagher*Republican
23rdLeonard P. Stavisky*Dem./Lib.
24thSeymour BoyersDemocrat
25thMoses M. Weinstein*DemocratMajority Leader; Acting Speaker from July 23, 1968
26thKenneth N. Browne*Democrat
27thHerbert J. Miller*Dem./Lib.
28thAlfred D. Lerner*Republican
29thFrederick D. Schmidt*Democrat
30thStanley J. Pryor*Dem./Lib.
31stSidney Lebowitz*Democrat
32ndJules G. Sabbatino*DemocratChairman of Military Affairs
33rdThomas V. LaFauci*DemocratChairman of Codes;
on November 7, 1967, elected to the New York City Civil Court
33rdJoseph S. CalabrettaDemocraton February 20, 1968, elected to fill vacancy
34thThomas P. Cullen*Democratdied on January 24, 1968
35thChester J. StraubDemocrat
36thRudolph F. DiBlasiDemocrat
37thSamuel D. Wright*Democrat
38thAnthony J. Travia*Democratre-elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules
appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern D. of NY
39thLeonard E. Yoswein*DemocratChairman of Mental Hygiene
40thAlfred A. Lama*DemocratChairman of Banks
41stStanley Steingut*DemocratChairman of General Laws
42ndLawrence P. Murphy*Dem./Lib.Chairman of Mortgage and Real Estate
43rdGeorge A. Cincotta*DemocratChairman of Excise
44thBertram L. Podell*DemocratChairman of Local Finance;
on February 20, 1968, elected to the 90th U.S. Congress
45thMax M. Turshen*DemocratChairman of Judiciary
46thLeonard M. SimonDemocrat
47thSalvatore J. Grieco*Democrat
48thJoseph Kottler*DemocratChairman of Penal Institutions
49thDominick L. DiCarlo*Republican
50thRobert F. Kelly*Republican
51stJoseph S. LevineDemocrat
52ndJoseph J. Dowd*DemocratChairman of Commerce and Navigation
53rdWilliam J. Giordano*Democrat
54thGail Hellenbrand*Democrat
55thShirley Chisholm*Democraton November 5, 1968, elected to the 91st U.S. Congress
56thBertram L. Baker*DemocratChairman of Education
57thHarold W. Cohn*DemocratChairman of Public Service
58thLucio F. Russo*Rep./Cons.
59thEdward J. Amann Jr.*Republican
60thLouis DeSalvio*DemocratChairman of Insurance
61stJerome W. Marks*Dem./Lib.Chairman of Aviation
62ndWilliam F. LarkinRepublican
63rdWilliam F. Passannante*DemocratChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies
64thJohn M. Burns*Republican
65thJerome Kretchmer*DemocratChairman of Housing
66thS. William Green*Republican
67thAlbert H. Blumenthal*DemocratChairman of Health
68thFrank G. Rossetti*DemocratChairman of Labor and Industries
69thDaniel M. Kelly*DemocratChairman of Taxation
70thJose Ramos-Lopez*Dem./Lib.Chairman of Social Welfare and Relief;
on November 7, 1967, elected to the New York City Civil Court
70thHulan E. JackDemocraton February 20, 1968, elected to fill vacancy
71stOrest V. Maresca*DemocratChairman of Affairs of the City of New York;
on November 5, 1968, elected to the New York City Civil Court
72ndCharles B. RangelDem./Lib.
73rdJohn J. Walsh*DemocratChairman of Public Institutions
74thMark T. Southall*DemocratChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills
75thHarry KrafDemocrat
76thSeymour Posner*Dem./Lib.
77thRobert García*Democratresigned on April 17, 1967
77thWilliam MartinezDemocraton November 7, 1967, elected to fill vacancy
78thEdward A. Stevenson, Sr.*Democrat
79thManuel RamosDemocrat
80thFerdinand J. Mondello*Dem./Cons.Chairman of Revision
81stRobert Abrams*Democrat
82ndAlexander Chananau*DemocratChairman of Civil Service
83rdBurton Hecht*DemocratChairman of Claims
84thBenjamin Altman*Democrat
85thAnthony J. Mercorella*Dem./Lib.
86thJoseph A. FuscoRepublican
87thThomas J. McInerney*Dem./Lib.
88thGeorge E. Van Cott*Republican
89thAlvin M. Suchin*Republican
90thGordon W. Burrows*Republican
91stJoseph R. Pisani*Republican
92ndRichard A. Cerosky*Republican
93rdPeter R. Biondo*Republican
94thJoseph T. St. Lawrence*Dem./Lib.
95thBenjamin A. GilmanRepublican
96thGordon K. CameronDemocrat
97thWillis H. Stephens*Republican
98thVictor C. Waryas*DemocratChairman of Agriculture
99thKenneth L. Wilson*Republican
100thClarence D. Lane*Republican
101stNeil W. KelleherRepublican
102ndFrank P. Cox*DemocratChairman of Public Printing
103rdHarvey M. Lifset*DemocratChairman of Ways and Means
104thDonald A. Campbell*Republican
105thClark C. Wemple*Republican
106thFred W. Droms, Jr.Republican
107thLawrence E. Corbett Jr.*Republican
108thLouis Wolfe*Democrat
109thGlenn H. HarrisRepublican
110thEdward J. KeenanRepublican
111thDonald L. Taylor*Republican
112thDonald J. Mitchell*Republican
113thEdwyn E. Mason*Rep./Cons.
114thHarold I. Tyler*Republicandied on November 23, 1967
114thRichard A. BrownRepublicanon January 16, 1968, elected to fill vacancy
115thWilliam R. Sears*Rep./Lib.
116thJohn T. BuckleyRepublican
117thEdward F. Crawford*Republican
118thJames J. Barry*DemocratChairman of Affairs of Cities
119thKenneth G. BartlettRepublican
120thMortimer P. GallivanDemocrat
121stJohn H. Terry*Republican
122ndLouis H. Folmer*Republican
123rdKenneth S. LeasureRepublican
124thFrancis J. Boland, Jr.*Republican
125thConstance E. Cook*Republican
126thL. Richard Marshall*Republican
127thCharles D. Henderson*Republican
128thFrederick L. Warder*Republican
129thJoseph C. Finley*Republican
130thDonald C. Shoemaker*Rep./Cons.
131stRaymond J. LillDemocrat
132ndS. William Rosenberg*Republican
133rdFrank A. CarrollRepublican
134thCharles F. Stockmeister*DemocratChairman of Conservation
135thDon W. CookRepublican
136thJames L. Emery*Republican
137thV. Sumner Carroll*Republican
138thGregory J. Pope*Dem./Cons.Chairman of Internal Affairs
139thLloyd J. Long*Republican
140thJames T. McFarland*Rep./Cons.
141stChester R. Hardt*Republican
142ndStephen R. Greco*DemocratChairman of Pensions
143rdArthur O. EveDemocrat
144thAlbert J. Hausbeck*DemocratChairman of Affairs of Villages
145thJohn B. Lis*DemocratChairman of Motor Vehicles
146thFrancis J. Griffin*DemocratChairman of Canals and Waterways
147thDorothy H. Rose*Dem./Lib.
148thFrank Walkley*Republican
149thLloyd A. RussellRepublican
150thJess J. Present*Republican

Employees