NEW YORK

Few absences for area lawmakers in state sessions

Jon Campbell
Albany Bureau

ALBANY - We're making a list and checking it twice.

Each year, New York lawmakers are required to spend a few days each week at the state Capitol for the first six months of the years, where they vote on hundreds of bills that can shape New Yorkers' tax bills and their quality of life.

The USA Today Network's Albany Bureau tallied up attendance marks for lawmakers across the state using daily records from the Senate and Assembly that show whether they were present or absent each day.

Here's what we found:

Mid-Hudson Valley attends

In general, it was a good year for attendance at the state Capitol for lawmakers, including the nine who represent the mid-Hudson Valley.

This year, two area lawmakers, Sen. Terrence Murphy, R-Yorktown and Assembly member Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston, had perfect attendance, and most were at or above the average attendance rate across the state.

Of 62 total Senate sessions Senate, Sue Serino, R-Hyde Park, was excused once, and Jon Bonacic, R-Mount Hope, was excused twice. William Larkin, R-New Windsor, and George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, missed three and four sessions, respectively.

Of 63 Assembly sessions, Did Barrett, D-Hudson, and Frank Skartados, D-Milton, each attended 61 sessions. Kieran Michael Lalor, R-East Fishkill, missed seven sessions for 89 percent attendance. He was the lone lawmaker in the region below 94 percent.

High marks

Overall, the state's 213 lawmakers posted a 96 percent attendance rate for the 2017 session.

There were 541 collective days missed — an average of about 2 1/2 absences per lawmaker.

More: Overtime: What Albany got done in special session

Each year, the Legislature's session runs from January through mid-June, with lawmakers required to be in Albany a few days a week. Lawmakers returned for an extraordinary session in late June to resolve major issues left outstanding, including the extension of local sales-tax rates.

Lawmakers are paid a base salary of $79,500 a year, plus many get stipends for leadership posts. They also get $172 a day when they are at the Capitol for food and lodging.

GOP (barely) tops Dems

Republicans were more present than Democrats — but just barely.

The 74 Republicans who served in the Legislature this year had a 97 percent attendance rate in 2017.

Democrats came in a touch lower: 95 percent, with 397 collective absences among 141 lawmakers.

The Republican figure includes Sen. Simcha Felder, a Brooklyn Democrat who sits with the GOP, and Joseph Saladino, who left the state Assembly in February for a town supervisor position on Long Island.

The Democrats' numbers, meanwhile, include Sen. Brian Benjamin, a Manhattan resident who took office in June, and Sen. Bill Perkins, whom Benjamin replaced. It also includes Assemblywoman Christine Pellegrino, who replaced Saladino in June.

Perfect attendance

How many lawmakers didn't miss a day? About a third.

Seventy-two lawmakers in office for the full year posted a perfect mark for the entirety of the 2017 session, including 53 Assembly members and 19 senators. (There are 150 seats in the Assembly and 63 in the Senate.)

In all, there were 39 Democrats and 33 Republicans (including Felder) with perfect attendance for the full session.

Benjamin, meanwhile, made all 13 session days after he took office June 5.

Health issues

The lowest attendance rate in the Legislature was driven by health issues.

Assemblyman David Gantt, D-Rochester, had the lowest rate in either house: 36.5 percent. He was present for 23 of the Assembly's 63 session days, according to the house's records.

Assemblyman David Gantt was first elected in 1982, and he revealed Monday, May 1, 2017, that he is suffering from kidney failure and undergoing dialysis. He has missed significant time at the Capitol, but was hopeful to return soon.

In May, Gantt told the USA Today Network's Albany Bureau that he was suffering from kidney failure and was receiving dialysis in Rochester, which prevented him from coming to the Capitol.

He did return to the Capitol in late May, attending 13 of the final 15 session days, the records show.

More: Assemblyman Gantt suffering from kidney failure

"Health is much more important than anything," Gantt said in early May. "I would be there (in Albany), believe me."

On Wednesday, Gantt confirmed his name has been added to the organ transplant wait list. He declined further comment.

Gantt, 75, was first elected in 1982.

Seeking new work

State lawmakers seeking new jobs had mixed attendance records.

Perkins, for example, had the lowest attendance rate in the Senate during his brief time in office this year.

A Manhattan Democrat, Perkins attended just five of 13 session days before he was elected to the New York City Council in mid-February, three months after he was re-elected to his Senate seat.

Alternatively, Sen. George Latimer, D-Rye, posted a 97 percent attendance rate this year while also running for Westchester County executive.

More: George Latimer gets Democratic nomination for Westchester executive

Latimer, who is squaring off in a primary with Westchester County legislator Ken Jenkins, was present for 60 of 62 session days at the Capitol this year, records show.

He said he would often drive back and forth in a single day to vote at the Capitol and attend campaign events in Westchester at night.

"Basically, every day I drove to Albany as early as I could get out of Westchester to be there, participate and vote," Latimer said Tuesday. "I would drive back at night to get to events in Westchester and get up the next morning to do it again."

How'd your lawmaker fare?

Here's a look at lawmakers representing the Hudson Valley and how their attendance records lined up in Albany:

Assembly (63 session days)

  • Kieran Michael Lalor, R-East Fishkill: 56 present; 7 excused; 89 percent attendance
  • Didi Barrett, D-Hudson: 62 present; 1 excused; 98 percent attendance
  • Frank Skartados, D-Milton: 62 present; 1 excused; 98 percent attendance
  • Kevin Cahill, D-Kingston: 63 present; 100 percent attendance

Senate (62 session days)

  • William Larkin, R-New Windsor: 59 present; 3 excused; 95 percent attendance
  • Sue Serino, R-Hyde Park: 61 present; 1 excused; 97 percent attendance
  • Terrence Murphy, R-Yorktown: 62 present; 100 percent attendance
  • George Amedore, R-Rotterdam: 58 present; 4 excused; 94 percent attendance
  • John Bonacic, R-Mount Hope: 60 present; 2 excused; 97 percent attendance

Source: Assembly and Senate attendance records