2015 Legislative Session under way

The New York State Legislature officially gaveled in to session on January 7, 2015. In the Assembly, the first order of business was to overwhelming re-elect Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) as the chamber’s speaker. Assemblyman Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua) was reappointed as Minority Leader.

Meanwhile in the Senate, the Republicans, with a narrow 32-seat majority, established new rules that stripped away the co-leadership status of the Independent Democratic Conference along with other procedural changes. There were no surprises in that chamber either, with Senators Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Center) being reconfirmed as majority leader and president pro temp, Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) as minority leader, and Jeff Klein (D-Bronx) as leader of the Independent Democrat Conference.