COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION
MINUTES: February 13, 2006
LEGISLATION MEMBERS: Chair: Young; Legislators: Bronz, Stewart-Cousins, Oros, Burrows, Myers, Rogowsky, Abinanti, Maisano
IN ATTENDANCE: CEO: B. Randolph, A. Neuman, K. Ryan; CA: E. Cipollo, B. McGrath; BOL: S. Bass, B. Bochow, G. Gantress, M. Amodio; GUESTS: P. Hannum, A. Laager, R. Neilson
With a quorum present, the Committee on Legislation was called to order at 1:36 p.m.
WESTCHESTER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
Patricia Hannum, Executive Director and Alix Laager, President of the Board of Directors of the Westchester Children’s Museum gave a power point presentation about their plan to build at Playland (Power point presentation and additional information on file). The Board Of Legislators has previously approved the location. Ms. Hannum extended an invitation for legislators to visit the site.
MINUTES
(Bronz, Burrows) Motion to approve the minutes of December 5, 2005; January 26, 2006; February 2, 2006 and February 13, 2006. Motion passed 6-0.
STATE LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE
Chairman Young informed the Committee of a letter which he received from The League of Women Voters of Westchester asking the County Executive and Board of Legislators to include in the state package voting reform measures (letter is on file).
The Chairman would like the Committee to consider having a special meeting to adopt the final package next week. The Committee on Legislation will meet next on Tuesday, February 21 at 10:00 a.m. to complete state legislative package.
The County Executive resubmitted four items:
- Criminalizing harboring of a sex offender
- Authorization for Westchester County to charge sex offense probationers a fee for polygraph testing.
- Strengthen the laws relating to human trafficking
- Suspending the liquor and lottery licenses for deli owners who sell alcohol to minors.
Discussion occurred about the four items. Committee members talked about the need to have a Westchester specific package to send to Albany. It was concluded that the committee would not include them.
- Enacting a civil confinement law for sexually violent offenders.
- Increase the frequency with which sex offenders are required to verify their address and mandate jail time for failure to register or verify address.
- Create a new crime of home invasion robbery.
- Require 3rd party insurance reimbursement for early intervention Services, Cap county costs under the pre-k program, and Require the State Education Department to pay for all excess committee on preschoolers with special needs.
- Harsher penalties for violent crimes against children.
- The creation of the State-wide first responder building mapping information system.
- Allow Counties the option of publishing the summaries of local laws instead of the entire text.
The Committee decided the prior seven items would also be deleted from the State Legislative package because many of them did not specifically pertain to Westchester County. Chairman Young stated that there will be continued discussion on the remaining issues at the next meeting and the County Executive can still resubmit two items.
(Abinanti, Stewart-Cousins,) move to adjourn The Committee on Legislation. Motion passed 3-0. Committee on Legislation adjourned at 11:09 a.m.
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