181st New York State Legislature


The 181st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1975, to August 5, 1976, during the first and second years of Hugh Carey's governorship in Albany.

Background

The U.S. Department of Justice found fault with the congressional, senatorial and Assembly districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn under the apportionment of 1971, and ordered a revision to safeguard the rights of minorities. The Legislature enacted an amendment to the 1971 apportionment, remapping the legislative districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, during a special session on May 29 and 30, 1974. On July 1, the U.S. Department of Justice accepted the revised districts as passed by the Legislature.
Thus, under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision to follow the One man, one vote rule, re-apportioned in 1971, and amended in 1974, by the Legislature, 60 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. Senate and Assembly districts consisted of approximately the same number of inhabitants, the area being apportioned without restrictions regarding county boundaries.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Conservative Party, the Liberal Party, the Courage Party, the Free Libertarian Party, the Socialist Workers Party, the Communist Party, the Socialist Labor Party and the Labor Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1974, was held on November 5. Congressman Hugh Carey and State Senator Mary Anne Krupsak were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats. Carey defeated the incumbent Governor Malcolm Wilson. The elections to the other five statewide elective offices resulted in a Republican Attorney General with Liberal endorsement; a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement; a Republican U.S. Senator with Liberal endorsement; and two Democratic judges of the Court of Appeals, one of them with Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats/Liberals 3,029,000; Republicans/Conservatives 2,220,000; Courage 12,500; Free Libertarians 10,500; Socialist Workers 9,000; Communists 5,000; Socialist Labor 4,500; and Labor 3,000. Gathering from the results for the other offices, the strength of the Liberals was about 400,000 votes, and the Conservatives about 250,000. However, Conservative Barbara A. Keating polled more than 800,000 votes for U.S. Senator.
Of the seven women members of the previous legislature, State Senator Mary Anne Krupsak, a lawyer of Amsterdam, was elected Lieutenant Governor of New York, and became ex officio President of the State Senate; and five of the other six—State Senators Karen Burstein, a lawyer of Lawrence, and Carol Bellamy, a lawyer of Brooklyn; and Assemblywomen Elizabeth Connelly, of Staten Island; Estella B. Diggs, of the Bronx; and Rosemary R. Gunning, a lawyer of Ridgewood, Queens—were re-elected. Linda Winikow, of Spring Valley, was also elected to the State Senate. Jean Amatucci, a registered nurse of White Lake; Mary B. Goodhue, a lawyer of Mount Kisco; and Marie M. Runyon, of Manhattan, were also elected to the Assembly.
The New York state election, 1975, was held on November 4. No statewide elective offices were up for election. One vacancy was filled in the Legislature: Jeannette Gadson, of Brooklyn, was elected to the Assembly.
On February 10, 1976, Gerdi E. Lipschutz, of Queens, was elected to fill a vacancy in the Assembly, making her the eleventh woman member of the Legislature of 1976, surpassing the previous record of eight in the 166th New York State Legislature.

Sessions

The Legislature met for the first regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 8, 1975; and adjourned sine die in the morning of July 12.
Stanley Steingut was elected Speaker.
Warren M. Anderson was re-elected Temporary President of the State Senate.
The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on September 4, 1975; and adjourned sine die in the early morning of September 9. This session was called to take measures concerning the financial crisis of New York City.
The Legislature met for another special session at the State Capitol in Albany on November 13, 1975. On November 25, a help package worth $200 million was enacted to avert the financial breakdown of New York City. They adjourned sine die on December 20, after enacting an increase of $600 million in state taxes.
The Legislature met for the second regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1976; and adjourned sine die in the morning of June 30.
The Legislature met for yet another special session at the State Capitol in Albany on August 4, 1976; and adjourned sine die on the next day. This session was called to consider Governor Carey's proposed court reform.

State Senate

Senators

The asterisk denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Franz S. Leichter changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of the session. Assemblyman Anthony V. Gazzara was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.
Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on..."

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
2ndGeorge J. HochbruecknerDemocrat
3rdIcilio W. Bianchi, Jr.*Democrat
4thRobert C. Wertz*Republican
5thPaul E. HarenbergDemocrat
6thJohn C. Cochrane*Republican
7thJohn J. Flanagan*Republican
8thRegis B. O'Neil, Jr.Republican
9thWilliam L. Burns*Republican
10thLewis J. YevoliDemocrat
11thPhilip B. Healey*Republican
12thGeorge A. Murphy*Republican
13thMilton Jonas*Republican
14thJoseph M. Reilly*Republican
15thAngelo F. OrazioDemocrat
16thIrwin J. Landes*Democrat
17thJoseph M. Margiotta*Republican
18thArmand P. D'Amato*Republican
19thJohn S. Thorp Jr.*Democrat
20thArthur J. Kremer*Democrat
21stHenry W. DwyerRepublican
22ndHerbert A. Posner*Democraton November 4, 1975, elected to the New York City Civil Court
22ndGerdi E. LipschutzDemocraton February 10, 1976, elected to fill vacancy
23rdJohn A. Esposito*Republican
24thSaul Weprin*Democrat
25thVincent F. Nicolosi*Democrat
26thLeonard P. Stavisky*Democrat
27thArthur J. Cooperman*Democrat
28thAlan G. Hevesi*Democrat
29thGuy R. Brewer*Democrat
30thHerbert J. Miller*Democrat
31stAlfred A. DelliBovi*Republican
32ndEdward Abramson*Democrat
33rdJohn T. Flack*Republican
34thJoseph F. Lisa*Democrat
35thJohn G. Lopresto*Republican
36thAnthony V. Gazzara*Democraton March 2, 1976, elected to the State Senate
36thDenis J. ButlerDemocraton April 27, 1976, elected to fill vacancy
37thRosemary R. Gunning*Cons./Rep.
38thFrederick D. SchmidtDemocrat
39thStanley Fink*Democrat
40thEdward Griffith*Democrat
41stStanley Steingut*Democratelected Speaker
42ndBrian Sharoff*Democrat
43rdGeorge A. Cincotta*Democrat
44thMel Miller*Democrat
45thChuck SchumerDemocrat
46thHoward L. Lasher*Democrat
47thFrank J. Barbaro*Democrat
48thLeonard Silverman*Democrat
49thDominick L. DiCarlo*Republican
50thChristopher J. Mega*Republican
51stJoseph FerrisDemocrat
52ndMichael L. Pesce*Democrat
53rdWoodrow Lewis*Democrat
54thCharles T. Hamilton*Democratresigned
54thJeannette GadsonDemocraton November 4, 1975, elected to fill vacancy
55thThomas R. Fortune*Democrat
56thAlbert VannDemocrat
57thHarvey L. Strelzin*Democrat
58thJoseph R. Lentol*Democrat
59thPeter G. Mirto*Democrat
60thGuy MolinariRepublican
61stElizabeth Connelly*Democrat
62ndLouis DeSalvio*Democrat
63rdAnthony G. DiFalco*Democrat
64thWilliam F. Passannante*Democrat
65thAndrew J. Stein*Democrat
66thMark Alan SiegelDemocrat
67thRichard N. Gottfried*Democrat
68thAlexander B. GrannisDemocrat
69thAlbert H. Blumenthal*DemocratMajority Leader
70thMarie M. RunyonDemocrat
71stGeorge W. Miller*Democrat
72ndAngelo Del ToroDemocrat
73rdEdward H. Lehner*Democrat
74thHerman D. Farrell, Jr.Democrat
75thJosé E. SerranoDemocrat
76thSeymour Posner*Democrat
77thArmando Montano*Democrat
78thEstella B. Diggs*Democrat
79thLouis Niñé*Democrat
80thGuy J. Velella*Republican
81stAlan Hochberg*Democrat
82ndThomas J. Culhane*Democrat
83rdBurton Hecht*DemocratChairman of Ways and Means;
on November 2, 1976, elected to the New York City Civil Court
84thG. Oliver Koppell*Democrat
85thJohn C. Dearie*Democrat
86thVincent A. MarchiselliDemocrat
87thBruce F. Caputo*Republicanon November 2, 1976, elected to the 95th U.S. Congress
88thRichard C. Ross*Republican
89thAlvin M. Suchin*Republican
90thGordon W. Burrows*Republican
91stRichard E. Mannix*Republican
92ndPeter M. SullivanRepublican
93rdMary B. GoodhueRepublican
94thWillis H. Stephens*Republican
95thEugene Levy*Republican
96thRobert J. ConnorDemocrat
97thLawrence Herbst*Republican
98thJean AmatucciDemocrat
99thEmeel S. Betros*Republican
100thBenjamin P. Roosa, Jr.*Republican
101stMaurice D. HincheyDemocrat
102ndClarence D. Lane*Republican
103rdFred G. Field, Jr.*Republican
104thThomas W. Brown*Democrat
105thCharles D. Cook*Republican
106thNeil W. Kelleher*Republican
107thClark C. Wemple*Republican
108thRobert A. D'AndreaRepublican
109thGlenn H. Harris*Republican
110thGerald B. H. Solomon*Republican
111thAndrew W. Ryan, Jr.*Republican
112thK. Daniel Haley*Democrat
113thPeter S. Dokuchitz*Republican
114thDonald L. Taylor*Republican
115thWilliam R. Sears*Republican
116thNicholas J. Calogero*Republican
117thJohn R. ZagameRepublican
118thRonald A. StottDemocrat
119thHyman M. Miller*Republican
120thMelvin N. ZimmerDem./Cons.
121stThomas J. Murphy*Republican
122ndClarence D. Rappleyea, Jr.*Republican
123rdJames W. McCabeDemocrat
124thJames R. Tallon, Jr.Democrat
125thLloyd Stephen Riford, Jr.*Republican
126thL. Richard Marshall*Republican
127thCharles D. Henderson*Republican
128thGary A. LeeRepublican
129thJames F. Hurley*Republican
130thThomas A. Hanna*Republican
131stRaymond J. Lill*Democrat
132ndThomas R. Frey*Democrat
133rdAndrew D. VirgilioDemocrat
134thRoger J. RobachDemocrat
135thDon W. Cook*Republican
136thJames L. Emery*Republican
137thR. Stephen Hawley*Republican
138thJohn B. Daly*Republican
139thMatthew J. Murphy, Jr.Democrat
140thHarold H. IzardDemocrat
141stG. James FremmingDemocrat
142ndStephen R. Greco*Democrat
143rdArthur O. Eve*Democrat
144thWilliam B. HoytDemocrat
145thFrancis J. Griffin*Democrat
146thDennis T. GorskiDemocrat
147thRonald H. Tills*Republican
148thVincent J. Graber, Sr.Democrat
149thDaniel B. WalshDemocrat
150thRolland E. KidderDemocrat

Employees