In Albany: How local lawmakers voted on the first six bills passed in the 2019 state legislative session

Below are the bills that passed in both chambers of the State Legislature this week (Jan. 14-18) and delivered to the governor for signature and how our local lawmakers — State Senator Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Assembly Member Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) and Assembly Member Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) — voted on them.

Assembly Bill A576
Designates as professional misconduct, engaging in sexual orientation change efforts by mental health care professionals upon patients under 18 years of age.
Passed Senate 57-4; passed Assembly 141-7
LaValle: No (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)
Thiele: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)

Assembly Bill 747
Prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or expression; defines “gender identity or expression” as having or being perceived as having a gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior or expression whether or not that gender identity, self image, appearance, behavior or expression is different from that traditionally associated with the sex assigned to that person at birth; further includes offenses regarding gender identity or expression within the list of offenses subject to treatment as hate crimes.
Passed Senate 42-19; passed Assembly 105-43
LaValle: No (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: No (floor vote Jan. 15)
Thiele: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)

Assembly Bill A774
Amends the election law to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to pre-register to vote.
Passed Senate 47-14; passed Assembly 107-39
LaValle: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: No (floor vote Jan. 14)
Thiele: Yes (floor vote Jan. 14)

Assembly Bill A775
Provides that the board of elections shall transfer a registration and enrollment of a voter to wherever they move in the state.
Passed Senate 49-12; passed Assembly 114-31
LaValle: No (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: No (floor vote Jan. 14)
Thiele: Yes (floor vote Jan. 14)

Assembly Bill A776
Limits contributions by limited liability companies (LLCs) to $5,000 per calendar year and requires the disclosure of the identities of all LLC owner-members and proportion of ownership.
Passed Senate 55-6; passed Assembly 133-13
LaValle: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: Yes (floor vote Jan. 14)
Thiele: Yes (floor vote Jan. 14)

Assembly Bill A779
Relates to primary elections and amends certain deadlines to facilitate the timely transmission of ballots to military voters stationed overseas; relates to filling vacancies in elective offices; relates to the date of primary elections.
Passed Senate 52-9; passed Assembly 120-24
LaValle: Yes (floor vote Jan. 15)
Palumbo: Yes (floor vote Jan. 14)
Thiele: No (floor vote Jan. 14)