(Long Island, NY) Today, the New York State Legislature held a joint legislative session in the Capitol with the Assembly and Senate coming together to elect new members to the Board of Regents which presides over both the SUNY system and the State Education Department. Assemblyman Anthony Palumbo (R,C-New Suffolk) released the following statement:
“Today, we have seen yet another example of Assembly Democrats abusing power and putting their own agenda ahead of the needs of Long Islanders and all New Yorkers. There is a process in place for the election of members to the Board of Regents that includes interviews and a vote by the Legislature; that process is a sham. The Assembly Democrats make their choices in back room deals that the rest of the Assembly is not privy to and then they vote lock step for the candidates their Speaker has chosen with very little input from lawmakers on both sides. Year after year we have seen this done, in many cases, with little regard for the lack of qualifications of some of those elected.
“With the state on the verge of overhauling education, we must reform this process. Assembly Bill A.2754, which I support, requires a two-thirds supermajority of the entire Legislature to elect each regent and allows each of the four legislative leaders – the leader of the majority and minority party of both the Assembly and Senate – to appoint one at-large regent. This legislation must be enacted to ensure the will of Long Islanders is fairly and accurately represented.
“I supported the nomination of Manuel Felouzis, who was a dedicated educator for more than 30 years with Eastern Suffolk BOCES. Manny is a wonderful advocate for special education, something that the Board of Regents needs more of. My Republican colleagues and I have been advocating for the need for multiple pathways to graduation and Manny would have been a voice of reason, representing all the students on Long Island who wish to pursue careers right out of high school. It is unfortunate that Assembly Democrats had already chosen the at-large candidate before the matter ever came for a vote. Sadly, they chose a Manhattan bureaucrat to oversee the education of our children.”
