157th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 157th January 1 December 31, 1934 Lt. Gov. M. William Bray (D) John J. Dunnigan (D) Joseph A. McGinnies (R) 51 150 Democratic (26–25) Republican (85–65) 1st January 3 April 28,Note that the last legislative day of the regular session was April 27, and the New York Red Book gives April 27 as the end of this session. In fact, the adjournment sine die occurred at 2.30 a.m. on April 28 1934 2nd July 10 August 18, 1934 156th 158th The 157th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 3 to August 18, 1934, during the second year of Herbert H. Lehman's governorship, in Albany. Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1894, re-apportioned in 1917, 51 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts; senators for a two-year term, assemblymen for a one-year term. The senatorial districts consisted either of one or more entire counties; or a contiguous area within a single county. The counties which were divided into more than one senatorial district were New York (nine districts), Kings (eight), Bronx (three), Erie (three), Monroe (two), Queens (two) and Westchester (two). The Assembly districts were made up of contiguous area, all within the same county. At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Socialist Party and the Communist Party also nominated tickets. The Prohibition Party adopted at this time the name Law Preservation Party: to emphasize that Prohibition should be preserved while it was in the process of being repealed. They endorsed the "dry" candidates (mostly Republicans) and nominated own candidates in many districts where "wet" candidates were the front-runners. In New York City, a "City Fusion" (generally allied with the Republicans) and a "Recovery" (Anti-Tammany Democrats supporting Joseph V. McKee) ticket were nominated for the local elections held at the same time. Elections The 1933 New York state election was held on November 7. The only statewide elective office up for election was a judgeship on the New York Court of Appeals which was carried by the incumbent Democrat Leonard C. Crouch who was nominated by the Democrats and endorsed by the Republicans, the Law Preservation Party and the City Fusion. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Judge of the Court of Appeals, was: Democrats/Republicans/Law Preservation/City Fusion 3,250,000; Socialists 100,000; and Communists 31,000. Doris I. Byrne (Dem.), a lawyer from the Bronx, was the only woman elected to the 157th Legislature. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 3, 1934; and adjourned at 2.30 a.m. on April 28.FINISH COMES AT 2.30 A.M.; Scenes of Wild Disorder Mark the End of the Assembly Session in The New York Times on April 28, 1934 (subscription required) Joseph A. McGinnies (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker. Marguerite O'Connell (Dem.) was elected Clerk of the New York State Senate to fill the unexpired term of her deceased husband Patrick H. O'Connell, becoming the first woman to hold this office.STATE SENATE HAS ITS FIRST WOMAN CLERK in The Troy Times, of Troy, on January 4, 1934 Assembly Clerk Fred W. Hammond (Rep.) encountered opposition from the Republican State Committee Chairman W. Kingsland Macy who instructed his followers not to vote for Hammond. The second ballot for assembly clerk, on January 4, stood: Hammond 66; Louis A. Cuvillier (Dem.) 62; Charles F. Close (Rep.) 16; Ward H. Arburry 3; and Clement Curry 1.HAMMOND JUST HOLDS HIS 66 VOTES in The Troy Times, of Troy, on January 4, 1934 The split persisted, and no clerk could be elected. On January 12, in an unprecedented move, Speaker McGinnies appointed Hammond as Clerk without election.HAMMOND IS NAMED CLERK BY SPEAKER UNDER LEGAL RULING in NYT on January 13, 1934 (subscription required) State Senator Warren T. Thayer (Rep.) was accused to act as a lobbyist for a utility company while having been chairman of the senate committee in charge of the pertaining legislation. He resigned his seat on June 11. He was tried before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and on June 19, the State Senate in special session found Thayer guilty of official misconduct by the unanimous vote of the 47 senators present.THAYER HELD GUILTY BY STATE SENATE in The New York Times on June 20, 1934 (subscription required) The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 10, 1934;REPUBLICANS BACK GOV. LEHMAN'S PLAN ON COUNTY REFORM in The New York Times on July 11, 1934 (subscription required) and adjourned on August 18.PUSH COMPROMISE ON MORTGAGE BILL in The New York Times on August 18, 1934 (subscription required) State Senate Districts 30em 1st District: Nassau and Suffolk counties 2nd and 3rd District: Parts of Queens County, i.e. the Borough of Queens 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th District: Parts of Kings County, i.e. the Borough of Brooklyn 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th District: Parts of New York County, i.e. the Borough of Manhattan 21st, 22nd and 23rd District: Parts of Bronx County, i.e. the Borough of the Bronx 24th District: Richmond County, i.e. the Borough of Richmond (now the Borough of Staten Island), and Rockland County 25th District: Part of Westchester County 26th District: Cortlandt, Greenburgh, Mount Pleasant, Ossining and part of Yonkers; in Westchester County 27th District: Orange and Sullivan counties 28th District: Columbia, Dutchess and Putnam counties 29th District: Delaware, Greene and Ulster counties 30th District: Albany County 31st District: Rensselaer County 32nd District: Saratoga and Schenectady counties 33rd District: Clinton, Essex, Warren and Washington counties 34th District: Franklin and St. Lawrence counties 35th District: Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer and Lewis counties 36th District: Oneida County 37th District: Jefferson and Oswego counties 38th District: Onondaga County 39th District: Madison, Montgomery, Otsego and Schoharie counties 40th District: Broome, Chenango and Cortland counties 41st District: Chemung, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties 42nd District: Cayuga, Seneca and Wayne counties 43rd District: Ontario, Steuben and Yates counties 44th District: Allegany, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming 45th and 46th District: Monroe County 47th District: Niagara and Orleans counties 48th, 49th and 50th District: Erie County 51st District: Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties Members 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)..." District Senator Party Notes1stGeorge L. Thompson* Republican2ndJoseph D. Nunan Jr.* DemocratChairman of Civil Service3rdFrank B. Hendel* DemocratChairman of Public Printing4thPhilip M. Kleinfeld* DemocratChairman of Excise5thJohn J. Howard* DemocratChairman of Penal Institutions6thMarcellus H. Evans* DemocratChairman of General Laws; on November 6, 1934, elected to the 74th U.S. Congress7thGeorge Blumberg* Republican8thJoseph A. Esquirol* DemocratChairman of Public Health9thHenry L. O'Brien* DemocratChairman of Labor and Industry10thJeremiah F. Twomey* DemocratChairman of Finance11thJames J. Crawford* DemocratChairman of Pensions12thElmer F. Quinn* DemocratChairman of Codes13thThomas F. Burchill* DemocratChairman of Public Service14thSamuel Mandelbaum* DemocratChairman of Cities15thJohn L. Buckley* DemocratChairman of Taxation and Retrenchment16thJohn J. McNaboe* DemocratChairman of Conservation; and of Re-Apportionment17thAlbert Wald* DemocratChairman of Revision18thJohn T. McCall* DemocratChairman of Banks19thDuncan T. O'Brien* DemocratChairman of Insurance20thA. Spencer Feld* DemocratChairman of Public Education21stLazarus Joseph Democratelected to fill vacancy, in place of Henry G. Schackno; Chairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills22ndJulius S. Berg* DemocratChairman of Privileges and Elections23rdJohn J. Dunnigan* DemocratTemporary President; Chairman of Rules24thHarry J. Palmer* DemocratChairman of Internal Affairs25thWalter W. Westall* Republican26thSeabury C. Mastick* Rep./Law P.27thThomas C. Desmond* Republican 28thJ. Griswold Webb* Republicandied on May 5, 1934Frederic H. Bontecou Republicanelected on July 5 to fill vacancySTATE SENATE SEAT IS WON BY BONTECOU in The New York Times on July 6, 1934 (subscription required)29thArthur H. Wicks* Rep./Law P.30thWilliam T. Byrne* DemocratChairman of Judiciary; and of Agriculture31stOgden J. Ross* DemocratChairman of Military Affairs32ndAlexander G. Baxter* Republicandied on August 30, 193433rdBenjamin F. Feinberg* Republican34thWarren T. Thayer* Republicanresigned his seat on June 11W. T. THAYER QUITS HIS SEAT IN SENATE FOR GOOD OF PARTY in The New York Times on June 12, 1934 (subscription required)35thHenry I. Patrie* Rep./Law P.36thMichael J. Kernan* DemocratChairman of Affairs of Villages37thPerley A. Pitcher* Republican38thGeorge R. Fearon* RepublicanMinority Leader39thWalter W. Stokes* Republican40thBert Lord* Rep./Law P.on November 6, 1934, elected to the 74th U.S. Congress41stFrank A. Frost* Rep./Law P.42ndCharles J. Hewitt* Republican43rdEarle S. Warner* Republican44thJoe R. Hanley* Rep./Law P.45thCosmo A. Cilano* Republican46thFred J. Slater* Republican47thWilliam H. Lee* Republican48thLawrence G. Williams* Republican49thStephen J. Wojtkowiak* DemocratChairman of Commerce and Navigation50thNelson W. Cheney* Republican51stLeigh G. Kirkland* Rep./Law P. Employees Clerk: Marguerite O'Connell State Assembly Assemblymen Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Assemblymen Party Notes Albany1stJohn H. Cahill* Democrat2ndJohn P. Hayes* Democrat3rdS. Earl McDermott* Democrat AlleganyHarry E. Goodrich* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies Bronx1stMatthew J. H. McLaughlin Dem./Rec.2ndDoris I. Byrne Dem./Rec.3rdCarl Pack* Dem./Rec.4thSamuel Weisman Dem./Rec.5thBenjamin Gladstone Dem./Rec.6thChristopher C. McGrath* Dem./Rec.7thMagnus Lipton Rep./City F.8thJohn A. Devany Jr.* Dem./Rec. Broome1stEdward F. Vincent Rep./Law P.2ndMartin W. Deyo* Rep./Law P. CattaraugusJames W. Riley* Republican CayugaAndrew D. Burgdorf Rep./Law P. Chautauqua1stDavid L. Brunstrom* Republican2ndJoseph A. McGinnies* Republicanre-elected Speaker ChemungThomas Jacob Banfield Democrat ChenangoIrving M. Ives* RepublicanChairman of Public Education ClintonLeo E. Trombly* Democrat ColumbiaFrederick A. Washburn* Republican CortlandAlbert Haskell Jr. Republican DelawareE. Ogden Bush* Republican Dutchess1stHoward N. Allen* Rep./Law P.2ndEmerson D. Fite Rep./Law P. Erie1stJoseph A. Nicosia Democrat2ndHarold B. Ehrlich Republican3rdFrank X. Bernhardt* RepublicanChairman of Excise4thAnthony J. Canney* Democrat5thEdwin L. Kantowski* Democrat6thHoward W. Dickey* RepublicanChairman of General Laws7thArthur L. Swartz* RepublicanChairman of Penal Institutions8thR. Foster Piper* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages EssexFred L. Porter* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means FranklinJames A. Latour* Republican Fulton and HamiltonHarry F. Dunkel* Republican GeneseeHerbert A. Rapp* Republican GreeneEllis W. Bentley* RepublicanChairman of Conservation HerkimerDavid C. Wightman Republican JeffersonJasper W. Cornaire* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Motor Vehicles Kings1stCrawford W. Hawkins* Dem./Rec./Law P.2ndAlbert D. Schanzer* Dem./Rec.3rdMichael J. Gillen* Democrat4thGeorge E. Dennen* Dem./Rec.5thJohn J. Cooney* Dem./Rec.6thSamson Inselbuch Rep./City F.7thWilliam Kirnan* Dem./Rec.8thLuke O'Reilly* Dem./Rec.9thDaniel McNamara Jr.* Dem./Rec.10thWilliam C. McCreery* Dem./Rec.11thEdward J. Coughlin* Dem./Rec.12thEdward S. Moran Jr.* Dem./Rec.13thWilliam Breitenbach* Dem./Rec.14thAaron F. Goldstein Dem./Rec.15thEdward P. Doyle* Democrat16thRudolph Bauer Rep./City F.17thGeorge W. Stewart* Dem./Rec.18thIrwin Steingut* Dem./Rec.Minority Leader19thAlexander Berley Rep./City F.20thJoseph J. Monahan* Dem./Rec.21stCharles H. Breitbart* Dem./Rec.22ndJacob H. Livingston* Dem./Rec.23rdAlbert M. Cohen* Dem./Rec. LewisEdward M. Sheldon* Republican LivingstonJames J. Wadsworth* Republican MadisonWheeler Milmoe Republican Monroe1stDaniel J. O'Mara* Republican2ndGeorge B. Kelly* Democrat3rdEarl C. Langenbacher Democrat4thPaul R. Taylor Democrat5thDonald J. Corbett Democrat MontgomeryL. James Shaver* Republican Nassau1stHarold P. Herman Republican2ndLeonard W. Hall Republican New York1stJames J. Dooling* Democrat2ndMillard E. Theodore* Democrat3rdEugene R. Duffy Democrat4thLeonard Farbstein* Democrat5thJohn F. Killgrew* Democrat6thIrving D. Neustein* Democrat7thSaul S. Streit* Dem./ICL8thJoseph Hamerman* Democrat9thI. Arnold Ross Rep./City F.10thHerbert Brownell Jr.* Republican11thPatrick H. Sullivan* Democrat12thJohn A. Byrnes* Democrat13thWilliam J. Sheldrick* Democrat14thFrancis J. McCaffrey Jr. Dem./Rec.15thAbbot Low Moffat* Rep./City F.Chairman of Affairs of New York City16thWilliam Schwartz* Democrat17thMeyer Alterman* Dem./Rec.18thErnest Lappano Rep./City F.19thJames E. Stephens* Democrat20thWilbur J. Murphy Rep./City F.21stRobert Bernstein Dem./Rec.22ndDaniel Flynn Democrat23rdWilliam R. Lieberman Rep./City F. Niagara1stFayette E. Pease* Rep./Law P.2ndHarry D. Suitor Republican Oneida1stFrank T. Quinn* Democrat2ndRussell G. Dunmore* RepublicanMajority Leader3rdFred L. Meiss Republican Onondaga1stHorace M. Stone* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary2ndGeorge B. Parsons Republican3rdRichard B. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities OntarioHarry R. Marble Rep./Law P. Orange1stLee B. Mailler Republican2ndRainey S. Taylor* Republican OrleansJohn S. Thompson* RepublicanChairman of Public Service OswegoVictor C. Lewis* RepublicanChairman of Public Health OtsegoFrank M. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture PutnamD. Mallory Stephens* RepublicanChairman of Banks Queens1stHarold J. Crawford* Dem./Rec.2ndGeorge F. Torsney* Dem./Rec./ICL3rdPeter T. Farrell* Dem./Rec.4thJay E. Rice Rep./City F.5thMaurice A. FitzGerald* Dem./Rec./ICL6thFrederick L. Zimmerman* Dem./Rec./ICL Rensselaer1stMichael F. Breen* Democrat2ndMaurice Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation Richmond1stW. Irving Lewis Rep./City F.2ndSidney Jacobi Rep./City F. RocklandLaurens M. Hamilton Republican St. Lawrence1stW. Allan Newell* Republican 2ndWalter L. Pratt* RepublicanChairman of Taxation; died on April 3, 1934Warren O. Daniels Republicanelected on July 5 to fill vacancySTATE SENATE SEAT IS WON BY BONTECOU; Daniels Chosen for Assembly in The New York Times on July 6, 1934 (subscription required) SaratogaWilliam E. Morris Republican Schenectady1stOswald D. Heck* Rep./Law P.2ndHarold Armstrong Republican SchoharieWilliam S. Dunn* Dem./Soc. SchuylerEdward K. Corwin* Republican SenecaJames D. Pollard* RepublicanChairman of Canals Steuben1stWilson Messer* RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industry2ndJ. Austin Otto* Republican Suffolk1stJohn G. Downs* RepublicanChairman of Printed and Engrossed Bills2ndHamilton F. Potter* RepublicanChairman of Pensions SullivanJ. Maxwell Knapp Republican TiogaFrank G. Miller* Rep./Law P. TompkinsJames R. Robinson* RepublicanChairman of Codes UlsterJ. Edward Conway* Republican WarrenHarry A. Reoux* Republican WashingtonHerbert A. Bartholomew* RepublicanChairman of Internal Affairs WayneHarry L. Averill* Rep./Law P. Westchester1stHerbert R. Smith* Republican2ndRalph A. Gamble* Republican3rdHugh A. Lavery Democrat4thAlexander H. Garnjost* RepublicanChairman of Insurance5thWilliam F. Condon* Republican WyomingHarold C. Ostertag* Rep./Law P. YatesFred S. Hollowell* Republican Employees Clerk: Fred W. Hammond Notes Sources Members of the New York Senate (1930s) at Political Graveyard Members of the New York Assembly (1930s) at Political Graveyard McGinnies Gives Post To Friend of Macy in the Syracuse Journal, of Syracuse, on January 15, 1934 157 Category:1934 in New York (state) Category:1934 U.S. legislative sessions