156th New York State Legislature

New York state legislative session February 2025 October 2019 156th January 1 December 31, 1933 Lt. Gov. M. William Bray (D) John J. Dunnigan (D) Joseph A. McGinnies (R) 51 150 Democratic (26–25) Republican (77–73) 1st January 4 April 10, 1933 2nd July 26 August 24, 1933 3rd October 18 19, 1933 155th 157th The 156th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4 to October 19, 1933, during the first 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, the Communist Party and the Socialist Labor Party also nominated tickets. The Prohibition Party adopted at this time the name Law Preservation Party: to emphasize that Prohibition should be preserved while encountering rampant opposition to it. They endorsed the "dry" Republicans and nominated own candidates in many districts where "wet" Republicans were running. Elections The 1932 New York state election, was held on November 8. Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States; Lieutenant Governor Herbert H. Lehman was elected Governor; and M. William Bray was elected Lieutenant Governor; all three Democrats. Of the other six statewide elective offices, five were carried by Democrats and one by a Republican judge with Democratic endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats 2,660,000; Republicans 1,812,000; Socialists 103,000; Law Preservation 83,000; Communists 26,000; and Socialist Labor 7,000. Assemblywoman Rhoda Fox Graves (Rep.), of Gouverneur, a former school teacher who after her marriage became active in women's organisations and politics, ran for the State Senate in the 34th district, but was defeated in the Republican primary by the incumbent Warren T. Thayer. No women were elected to the 156th Legislature. Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session at the State Capitol in Albany on January 4, 1933;LEGISLATURE OPENS WITH RUSH OF BILLS in The New York Times on January 5, 1933 (subscription required) and adjourned on April 10.TIRED LEGISLATORS HAIL FINAL GAVELS in The New York Times on April 11, 1933 (subscription required) Joseph A. McGinnies (Rep.) was re-elected Speaker. John J. Dunnigan (Dem.) was elected Temporary President of the State Senate. On June 27, a state convention met to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution which proposed to repeal Prohibition. The Legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on July 26;GOV. LEHMAN CALLS THE EXTRA SESSION NEXT WEDNESDAY in The New York Times on July 20, 1933 (subscription required) and adjourned on August 24.LEGISLATURE QUITS; LIQUOR BILLS PASS; Recovery, Mortgage Relief and Anti-Gangster Measures Approved in Stormy Close in The New York Times on August 25, 1933 (subscription required) The Legislature met for another special session at the State Capitol in Albany on October 18;Leaders at Odds as Lehman Sets Special Session for Wednesday in The New York Times on October 14, 1933 (subscription required) and adjourned on the next day.HARMONY IS LIKELY AT EXTRA SESSION in The New York Times on October 18, 1933 (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. Joseph A. Esquirol and Samuel Mandelbaum changed from the Assembly to the Senate. Note: For brevity, the chairmanships omit the words "...the Committee on (the)..." District Senator Party Notes1stGeorge L. Thompson* Republicanre-elected2ndJoseph D. Nunan Jr.* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Civil Service3rdFrank B. Hendel* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Public Printing4thPhilip M. Kleinfeld* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Excise5thJohn J. Howard* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Penal Institutions6thMarcellus H. Evans* Democratre-elected; Chairman of General Laws7thGeorge Blumberg Republican8thJoseph A. Esquirol* DemocratChairman of Public Health9thHenry L. O'Brien* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Labor and Industry10thJeremiah F. Twomey* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Finance11thJames J. Crawford* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Pensions12thElmer F. Quinn* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Codes13thThomas F. Burchill* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Public Service14thSamuel Mandelbaum* DemocratChairman of Cities15thJohn L. Buckley* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Taxation and Retrenchment16thJohn J. McNaboe* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Conservation; and of Re-Apportionment17thAlbert Wald DemocratChairman of Revision; and of Printed and Engrossed Bills18thJohn T. McCall* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Banks19thDuncan T. O'Brien* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Insurance20thA. Spencer Feld* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Public Education21stHenry G. Schackno* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Judiciary; on November 7, 1933, elected to the City Court (Bronx); resigned his seat on November 21SCHACKNO RESIGNS FROM SENATE SEAT in NYT on November 22, 1933 (subscription required)22ndJulius S. Berg* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Privileges and Elections23rdJohn J. Dunnigan* Democratre-elected; elected Temporary President; Chairman of Rules24thHarry J. Palmer* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Internal Affairs25thWalter W. Westall* Republicanre-elected26thSeabury C. Mastick* Rep./Law P.re-elected; contested by Richard E. FitzGibbons (D)DEMOCRATS MOVE TO OUST MASTICK in The New York Times on February 17, 1933 (subscription required)27thThomas C. Desmond* Republicanre-elected28thJ. Griswold Webb* Republicanre-elected29thArthur H. Wicks* Rep./Law P.re-elected30thWilliam T. Byrne* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Agriculture31stOgden J. Ross DemocratChairman of Military Affairs32ndAlexander G. Baxter* Rep./Law P.re-elected33rdBenjamin F. Feinberg Republican34thWarren T. Thayer* Republicanre-elected35thHenry I. Patrie* Rep./Law P.re-elected36thMichael J. Kernan DemocratChairman of Affairs of Villages37thPerley A. Pitcher* Republicanre-elected38thGeorge R. Fearon* Republicanre-elected; Minority Leader39thWalter W. Stokes Republican40thBert Lord* Rep./Law P.re-elected41stFrank A. Frost* Rep./Law P.re-elected42ndCharles J. Hewitt* Republicanre-elected43rdEarle S. Warner Republican44thJoe R. Hanley* Rep./Law P.re-elected45thCosmo A. Cilano* Republicanre-elected46thFred J. Slater* Republicanre-elected47thWilliam H. Lee Republican48thLawrence G. Williams Republican49thStephen J. Wojtkowiak* Democratre-elected; Chairman of Commerce and Navigation50thNelson W. Cheney* Republicanre-elected51stLeigh G. Kirkland* Rep./Law P.re-elected Employees Clerk: Patrick H. O'Connell,EXPECT LEONARD APPOINTEES WILL NOT BE DISTURBED in The Saratogan, of Saratoga Springs, on February 3, 1933 died on June 22, 1933O'CONNELL FUNERAL PLANS in The New York Times on June 23, 1933 (subscription required) 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* Rep./Law P. Bronx1stNicholas J. Eberhard* Democrat2ndWilliam F. Smith* Democrat3rdCarl Pack* Democrat4thHerman M. Albert* Democrat5thHarry A. Samberg* Democrat6thChristopher C. McGrath* Democrat7thJohn F. Reidy* Democrat8thJohn A. Devany Jr.* Democrat Broome1stAlbert L. Brown Democrat2ndMartin W. Deyo Rep./Law P. CattaraugusJames W. Riley* Republican CayugaFred Lewis Palmer* Rep./Law P. Chautauqua1stDavid L. Brunstrom Republican2ndJoseph A. McGinnies* Rep./Law P.re-elected Speaker; Chairman of Rules ChemungG. Archie Turner* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Excise ChenangoIrving M. Ives* Republican ClintonLeo E. Trombly* Democrat ColumbiaFrederick A. Washburn* Republican CortlandIrving F. Rice* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Public Education DelawareE. Ogden Bush Republican Dutchess1stHoward N. Allen* Rep./Law P.2ndCharles F. Close* Republican Erie1stCharles J. Gimbrone* Republican2ndWilliam L. Marcy Jr.* Republican3rdFrank X. Bernhardt* Republican4thAnthony J. Canney* Democrat5thEdwin L. Kantowski* Democrat6thHoward W. Dickey* Republican7thArthur L. Swartz* Republican8thR. Foster Piper* Republican EssexFred L. Porter* RepublicanChairman of Ways and Means FranklinJames A. Latour* Republican Fulton and HamiltonHarry F. Dunkel* Republican GeneseeHerbert A. Rapp* Rep./Law P. GreeneEllis W. Bentley* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Conservation HerkimerEdward O. Davies* Rep./Law P. JeffersonJasper W. Cornaire* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Motor Vehicles Kings1stCrawford W. Hawkins* Democrat2ndAlbert D. Schanzer* Democrat3rdMichael J. Gillen* Democrat4thGeorge E. Dennen* Democrat5thJohn J. Cooney* Democrat6thJacob J. Schwartzwald* Democrat7thWilliam Kirnan* Democrat8thLuke O'Reilly* Democrat9thDaniel McNamara Jr.* Democrat10thWilliam C. McCreery* Democrat11thEdward J. Coughlin* Democrat12thEdward S. Moran Jr.* Democrat13thWilliam Breitenbach* Democrat14thJacob P. Nathanson* Democrat15thEdward P. Doyle* Democrat16thMaurice Z. Bungard* Democrat17thGeorge W. Stewart* Democrat18thIrwin Steingut* DemocratMinority Leader19thJerome G. Ambro* Democrat20thJoseph J. Monahan* Democrat21stCharles H. Breitbart Democrat22ndJacob H. Livingston* Democrat23rdAlbert M. Cohen* Democrat LewisEdward M. Sheldon* Rep./Law P. LivingstonJames J. Wadsworth* Republican MadisonArthur A. Hartshorn* Rep./Law P. Monroe1stDaniel J. O'Mara* Republican2ndGeorge B. Kelly Democrat3rdHaskell H. Marks* Republican4thRichard L. Saunders* Republican5thW. Ray Austin* RepublicanChairman of Public Health MontgomeryL. James Shaver Republican Nassau1stEdwin W. Wallace* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Villages2ndEdwin R. Lynde* Republican New York1stJames J. Dooling* Democrat2ndMillard E. Theodore* Democrat3rdSylvester A. Dineen* Democrat4thLeonard Farbstein Democrat5thJohn F. Killgrew* Democrat6thIrving D. Neustein* Democrat7thSaul S. Streit* Democrat8thJoseph Hamerman Democrat9thIra H. Holley* Democrat10thHerbert Brownell Jr. Republican11thPatrick H. Sullivan* Democrat12thJohn A. Byrnes* Democrat13thWilliam J. Sheldrick* Democrat14thEdward V. Loughlin Democrat15thAbbot Low Moffat* Republican16thWilliam Schwartz* Democrat17thMeyer Alterman* Democrat18thSol A. Hyman* Democrat19thJames E. Stephens* Democrat20thLouis A. Cuvillier* Democrat21stDavid Paris* Democrat22ndBenjamin B. Mittler* Democrat23rdAlexander A. Falk* Democrat Niagara1stFayette E. Pease* Rep./Law P.2ndRoy Hewitt* Republican Oneida1stFrank T. Quinn Democrat2ndRussell G. Dunmore* Rep./Law P.Majority Leader3rdWalter W. Abbott* Rep./Law P. Onondaga1stHorace M. Stone* RepublicanChairman of Judiciary2ndWillis H. Sargent* RepublicanChairman of Banks3rdRichard B. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Affairs of Cities OntarioRobert A. Catchpole* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Public Service Orange1stWilliam J. Lamont* Republican2ndRainey S. Taylor* Republican OrleansJohn S. Thompson* Republican OswegoVictor C. Lewis* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Canals OtsegoFrank M. Smith* RepublicanChairman of Agriculture PutnamD. Mallory Stephens* Republican Queens1stHarold J. Crawford Democrat2ndGeorge F. Torsney Democrat3rdPeter T. Farrell* Democrat4thJames A. Burke* Democrat5thMaurice A. FitzGerald* Democrat6thFrederick L. Zimmerman* Democrat Rensselaer1stMichael F. Breen* Democrat2ndMaurice Whitney* RepublicanChairman of Commerce and Navigation Richmond1stFrancis P. Heffernan* Democrat2ndWilliam L. Vaughan* Democrat RocklandFred R. Horn Jr.*Ferdinand R. Horn Jr. (born 1897), ran sometimes for office as "Fred R. Horn Jr." Democrat St. Lawrence1stW. Allan Newell Republican2ndWalter L. Pratt* RepublicanChairman of Taxation SaratogaBurton D. Esmond* RepublicanChairman of Codes Schenectady1stOswald D. Heck* Rep./Law P.2ndJohn H. Buhrmaster* Rep./Law P. SchoharieWilliam S. Dunn Dem./Soc. SchuylerEdward K. Corwin Rep./Law P. SenecaJames D. Pollard* Republican Steuben1stWilson Messer* RepublicanChairman of Charitable and Religious Societies2ndJ. Austin Otto* Republican Suffolk1stJohn G. Downs* Republican2ndHamilton F. Potter* Republican SullivanBenjamin R. Gerow Democrat TiogaFrank G. Miller* Rep./Law P. TompkinsJames R. Robinson* RepublicanChairman of Labor and Industry UlsterJ. Edward Conway Republican WarrenHarry A. Reoux* Republican WashingtonHerbert A. Bartholomew* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Internal Affairs WayneHarry L. Averill* Republican Westchester1stHerbert R. Smith Rep./Law P.2ndRalph A. Gamble* Rep./Law P.3rdHickson F. Hart* Republican4thAlexander H. Garnjost* Rep./Law P.Chairman of Insurance5thWilliam F. Condon* Rep./Law P. 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 TWOMEY HEADS FINANCE GROUP in the New York Sun on January 10, 1933 McGinnies Gives Post To Friend of Macy in the Syracuse Journal, of Syracuse, on January 15, 1934 156 Category:1933 in New York (state) Category:1933 U.S. legislative sessions