IGR Committee
Committee Members Present: Chair: Jim Maisano; Legislators: George Latimer, George Oros
Others Present: Guests: Vince Marone, Medical Industry Lobbyist; Administration: Bill Randolph; County Departments: Steve Levy, Deputy County Clerk; Staff: David Simpson
I. MINUTES:
Without objection, the minutes of the May 10, 2004 meeting of the Committee on Intergovernmental Relations were approved.
II. DISCUSSION AND ACTION:
Proposed County Clerk Resolution on LGRMIF
Deputy County Clerk Steve Levy presented the revised resolution, which included the amendments proposed by the committee at its the May 10, 2004 meeting. Mr. Latimer noted that the Director of the Archives Center, Patricia Dohrenwend, sent an e-mail communication to the committee reflecting her strong support of the amended resolution. On the motion of Mr. Latimer, seconded by Mr. Maisano, the following resolution was approved by a vote of 3-0.
WHEREAS, the New York State Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) was created in 1989 to provide technical assistance and grants to establish, improve or enhance records management programs in New York’s more than 4,300 local governments; AND
WHEREAS, the closely related Document Heritage Program (DHP) for grants and technical assistance to non-governmental historical records repositories also is supported by LGRMIF; AND
WHEREAS, a sunset date for the LGRMIF was established in the original legislation to permit its operation as a five-year experiment and was twice extended by the New York State Legislature, most recently to December 31, 2005; AND
WHEREAS, the LGRMIF has effectively supported essential advisory services and 6,300 grants totaling over $113 million to improve the management of records for over half of all NYS local governments; AND
WHEREAS, the LGRMIF and the programs it supports continue to operate at a high standard of excellence and provide direct and significant benefit to local governments at no cost to local taxpayers; AND
WHEREAS, the County of Westchester has received seven grants totaling $277,015 since the inception of LGRMIF, in addition to the 346 grants amounting to $6,824,546 awarded to various cities, towns, villages and school districts across Westchester County; AND
WHEREAS, the State Legislature created the closely–related Cultural Education Fund (CEF) to support the New York State Archives, New York State Library, New York State Museum and the Office for Public Broadcasting on behalf of all New Yorkers, and provided the CEF with an identical sunset date to the LGRMIF; AND
WHEREAS, the LGRMIF and the CEF continue to be critically important in the fulfillment of the many records and information related responsibilities of local governments across the state, and to the cultural and scientific interests of the people of New York; AND
WHEREAS, the Westchester County Board of Legislators directed correspondence on April 12, 2004 to the New York State Legislature and to Governor George E. Pataki requesting permanent status for LGRMIF and CEF in support of S.6666 and A.10843; NOW THEREFORE BE IT
RESOLVED, that the Westchester County Board of Legislators urges passage of S.6666 and A.10843 in support of the elimination of said sunset provisions in order to make the LGRMIF and the CEF permanent; AND BE IT FURTHER
RESOLVED, that the text of this resolution be sent to the Assembly and Senate of the New York State Legislature, to Governor George E. Pataki and to the New York State Association of County Clerks so that the will and intent of this honorable board shall be known.
Item B10. Medical Marijuana Law, Hon. Jim Maisano: Memorandum and draft legislation urging the state legislature to pass legislation authorizing the use of marijuana form medicinal purposes (referred on March 8, 2004; also referred to Legislation and Health)
Mr. Vince Marone, an experience state lobbyist for the medical industry, was present to answer the committee’s question on the proposed resolution. He testified that the bill pending in the Assembly, which the resolution was drafted to support, was crafted to follow the Controlled Substances Act. He stated that in order to use medical marijuana, the bill provided that a person’s disease must be life threatening. The bill further provides that potential sources of medical marijuana for patients would be state and county health departments or pharmacies. The bill has the support of the New York Medical Society, several New York medical colleges and universities, many state nursing associations, and the county medical societies of New York City, Westchester, Orange, Rockland, Putnam, and others. Mr. Marone is currently working on a companion Senate bill. Mr. Maisano proposed that the committee wait to take action on the proposed resolution until a companion Senate bill was introduced, which was agreed to by the committee. Discussion ended without action.
III. RECEIVE AND FILE:
None.
IV. ADJOURN:
On the motion of Mr. Latimer, seconded by Mr. Oros and without objection, the committee adjourned.
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