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184th New York State Legislature
← 183rd 185th →
New York State Capitol (2009)
Overview
Legislative body	New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction	New York, United States
Term	January 1, 1981 – December 31, 1982
Senate
Members	60
President	Lt. Gov. Mario Cuomo (D)
Temporary President	Warren M. Anderson (R)
Party control	Republican (35–25)
Assembly
Members	150
Speaker	Stanley Fink (D)
Party control	Democratic 1981: (86–64) 1982: (88–62)
Sessions
1st January 7 – July 10, 1981 2nd September 16, 1981 – 3rd October 26 – 30, 1981 4th December 3, 1981 – 5th January 6 – July 3, 1982 6th December 13 – 22, 1982

The 184th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 7, 1981, to December 31, 1982, during the seventh and eighth years of Hugh Carey's governorship, in Albany.

Background

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 contiguously without restrictions regarding county boundaries.

At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Right to Life Party, the Libertarian Party, the Communist Party, the Workers World Party and the Socialist Workers Party also nominated tickets.

Elections

The New York state election, 1980, was held on November 4. The only statewide elective office up for election was a U.S. Senator from New York. Republican Al D'Amato was elected with Conservative and Right to Life endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for U.S. Senator, was: Republicans 2,272,000; Democrats 2,619,000; Liberals 665,000; Conservatives 275,000; Right to Life 152,000; Libertarians 21,500; Communists 4,000; Workers World 3,500; and Socialist Workers 3,000.

Twelve of the thirteen women members of the previous legislature—State Senators Carol Berman (Dem.), of Lawrence; Mary B. Goodhue (Rep.), a lawyer of Mount Kisco; Olga A. Méndez (Dem.), of East Harlem, and Linda Winikow (Dem.), of Spring Valley; and Assemblywomen Elizabeth Connelly (Dem.), of Staten Island; Pinny Cooke (Rep.), of Rochester; Joan B. Hague (Rep.), of Glens Falls; Rhoda S. Jacobs (Dem.), of Brooklyn; and Gerdi E. Lipschutz (Dem.), of Queens; May W. Newburger (Dem.), of Great Neck; Toni Rettaliata (Rep.), of Huntington; and Florence M. Sullivan (Rep.), a lawyer of Brooklyn—were re-elected. Geraldine L. Daniels (Dem.), of the Bronx; Gloria Davis (Dem.), of the Bronx; Eileen C. Dugan (Dem.), of Brooklyn; Gail S. Shaffer (Dem.), of North Blenheim; Carol A. Siwek (Rep.), of Buffalo; and Helene Weinstein (Dem.), a lawyer of Brooklyn; were also elected to the Assembly.

The New York state election, 1981, was held on November 3. No statewide elective offices were up for election. One vacancy each in the State Senate and the Assembly were filled.

On April 20, 1982, Aurelia Greene (Dem.), of the Bronx, was elected to fill a vacancy in the Assembly. Thus the 184th Legislature finished having 19 women members, surpassing the previous record of 13 in the 183rd New York State Legislature (1979–1980).

Sessions

The legislature met for the first regular session (the 204th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1981; and recessed indefinitely on July 10.

Stanley Fink (Dem.) was re-elected Speaker.

Warren M. Anderson (Rep.) was re-elected temporary president of the state Senate.

The legislature met again on September 16, 1981, to enact amendments to the election laws, concerning the primary elections in New York City.

The legislature met again from October 26 to 30, 1981, to consider welfare and tax matters.

The legislature met again on December 3, 1981, to override Governor Carey's veto of a new property tax bill.

The legislature met for the second regular session (the 205th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1982; and recessed indefinitely on July 3.

On March 26, 1982, a special panel of federal judges, consisting of Lawrence W. Pierce, Robert J. Ward and Vincent L. Broderick, ordered the legislature to re-apportion the legislative districts by April 16.

On April 19, the federal judges noted that the legislature had not agreed upon a re-apportionment, and announced that they would appoint somebody to elaborate a proposal.

On May 8, Senate Republicans and Assembly Democrats announced that they had agreed upon a new apportionment. The number of seats in the State Senate was increased from 60 to 61. The new district lines were gerrymandered by the Republican Senate majority to increase Republican strength, and by the Democratic Assembly majority to increase Democratic strength.

On June 23, the feral judges ordered Special Master Robert P. Patterson Jr. to revise the new apportionment proposed by the legislature.

On July 3, the revised re-apportionment was approved by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The legislature met for a special session from December 13 to 22, 1982, to consider again measures to balance the budget and to keep the mass transit fare in New York City down.

State Senate

Senators

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. L. Paul Kehoe changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..."

Employees

• Secretary: Roger C. Thompson (1981)
  • Stephen F. Sloan (1982)

State Assembly

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 (the)..."

Employees

• Clerk: Catherine A. Carey

Notes

1. This large number of votes was polled by the incumbent Republican/Liberal Jacob K. Javits who lost the Republican primary to D'Amato, and ran on the Liberal ticket for re-election.
2. A FORMAL TOUCH MARKS CONVENING OF LEGISLATURE by Robin Herman, in The New York Times on January 8, 1981
3. STATE LEGISLATURE RECESSES IN RUSH OF COMPROMISES by Richard J. Meislin, in The New York Times on July 11, 1981
4. LEGISLATURE, SPLITTING RACIALLY, VOTES BILLS FOR CITY PRIMARIES in The New York Times on September 17, 1981
5. LEGISLATORS WEIGH WELFARE CUTS' IMPACT by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on October 27, 1981
6. ASSEMBLY APPROVES BILL THAT CUTS SOME GROUPS FROM WELFARE ROLLS by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on October 31, 1981
7. LEGISLATURE OVERRIDES CAREY; PROPERTY TAX BILL IS NOW LAW by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on December 4, 1981
8. CAREY OFFERS PLAN ON MEDICAID COSTS AND EDUCATION AID by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on January 7, 1982
9. TAX ABATEMENT PLAN FAILS AS LEGISLATURE ENDS SESSION by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on July 4, 1982
10. NEW YORK TOLD TO REAPPORTION BEFORE APRIL 16 by Arnold H. Lubasch, in The New York Times on March 27, 1982
11. U.S. COURT TO PICK A MASTER TO REDISTRICT NEW YORK STATE by Arnold H. Lubasch, in The New York Times on April 20, 1982
12. DISTRICTING PLAN DRAWN IN ALBANY; SOME INCUMBENTS MAY LOSE SEATS by E. J. Dionne Jr, in The New York Times on May 9, 1982
13. HOW NEW LINES WILL AFFECT POLITICAL RACES by James Feron, in The New York Times on May 16, 1982
14. COURT APPOINTEES TO MODIFY REDISTRICTING PLAN FOR STATE by Arnold H. Lubasch, in The New York Times on June 24, 1982
15. NEW REDISTRICTING BY NEW YORK STATE IS APPROVED BY U.S. by Jane Perlez, in The New York Times on July 4, 1982
16. CAREY ORDERS SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION by Josh Barbanel, in The New York Times on December 8, 1982
17. REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: TRANSITION AND TRANSIT by Michael Oreskes, in The New York Times on December 23, 1982
18. Gulotta Wins Approval Of Hempstead's Board in The New York Times on January 11, 1981
19. DELAY IN THE MAIL IN NASSAU LEADS TO VOTE RECOUNT by James Barron, in The New York Times on April 10, 1981

Sources

• List of state legislators in The Public Sector (Vol. 3, No. 32; issue of May 12, 1981;

ISSN 0164-9949; pg. 4)

• New faces appear on Albany scene in the Finger Lake Times, of Geneva, on January 6, 1982
• DEMOCRATS WIN 3 RACES IN LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS by Frank Lynn, in The New York Times on April 21, 1982

v t e New York State Legislatures by year convened
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Senate Assembly List

• New York (state) legislative sessions
• 1981 in New York (state)
• 1982 in New York (state)
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