The 175th New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 6 to June 23, 1965, during the seventh year of Nelson Rockefeller's governorship, in Albany.

Background Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938, re-apportioned in 1953, 58 Senators and 150 assembly members were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. 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 Kings (nine districts), New York (six), Queens (five), Bronx (four), Erie (three), Nassau (three), Westchester (three), Monroe (two) and Onondaga (two). The Assembly districts consisted either of a single entire county (except Hamilton Co.), or of contiguous area within one county.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down several decisions establishing that State legislatures should follow the One man, one vote rule to apportion their election districts. A special Federal Statutory Court declared the New York apportionment formulae for both the State Senate and the State Assembly unconstitutional, and the State Legislature was ordered to re-apportion the seats by April 1, 1965. The court also ruled that the 1964 legislative election should be held under the 1954 apportionment, but those elected could serve only for one year (in 1965), and an election under the new apportionment should be held in November 1965. Senators John H. Hughes and Lawrence M. Rulison (both Rep.) questioned the authority of the federal court to shorten the term of the 1964 electees,2 STATE SENATORS FIGHT TERM RULING in The New York Times on August 2, 1964 alleging excessive costs for the additional election in an off-year.Two State Senators Fight Redisricting in The New York Times on August 25, 1964

At this time there were two major political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. The Liberal Party, the Conservative Party, the Socialist Labor Party, and the Socialist Workers Party also nominated tickets. At the 1964 New York state election on November 3, Democratic majorities were elected to both the State Senate and the State Assembly for the session of 1965.

The lame-duck Legislature of 1964 met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany from December 15 to 31, 1964, to re-apportion the legislative districts for the election in November 1965, gerrymandering the districts according to the wishes of the Republican majority before the Democrats would take over the Legislature in January.ROCKEFELLER CALLS SESSION FOR DEC. 15; Legislature Told to Draw Redistricting Formula in The New York Times on December 2, 1964 (subscription required)Reapportioning New York State in The New York Times on December 3, 1964 The number of seats in the State Senate was increased to 65, and the number of seats in the Assembly to 165. County representation was abandoned in favor of population-proportional districts which could lie across county lines, and the new Assembly districts were numbered from 1 to 165.

Elections The 1964 New York state election, was held on November 3. The only statewide elective office up for election was a U.S. Senator from New York. Democrat Robert F. Kennedy defeated the Republican incumbent Kenneth B. Keating. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for U.S. Senator, was: Democrats 3,540,000; Republicans 3,104,000; Liberals 285,000; Conservatives 212,000; Socialist Labor 7,000; and Socialist Workers 4,000.

3 of the 4 women members of the previous legislature State Senator Constance Baker Motley, a lawyer of Manhattan; and Assembly Members Constance E. Cook (Republican), a lawyer of Ithaca, and Aileen B. Ryan (Democrat), a former school teacher of the Bronx—were re-elected. Shirley Chisholm (Democrat), a preschool teacher of Brooklyn; and Dorothy H. Rose (Democrat), a high-school teacher and librarian of Angola, were also elected to the Assembly.

Sessions The Legislature met for the regular session (the 188th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 6, 1965;SESSION IS OPENED; Two Attempts to Elect Officers Fail in The New York Times on January 7, 1965 (subscription required) and adjourned on June 23.ASSEMBLY PASSES CITY FISCAL BILLS in The New York Times on June 23, 1965 (subscription required)

Due to the split of the Democratic majorities in both Houses into followers of Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. and U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy, neither House could be organized, and a month of deadlock ensued.

On February 1, the United States Supreme Court confirmed the Federal Statutory Court's order to elect a new New York Legislature in November 1965.HIGH COURT BACKS DISTRICTING EDICT in The New York Times on February 2, 1965 (subscription required)

On February 3, Joseph Zaretzki (Dem.) was elected Temporary President of the State Senate with the votes of the Wagner Democrats and the Republicans.ZARETZKI WINS AS G.O.P. STEPS IN, GIVING WAGNER MAN NEEDED VOTES in The New York Times on February 4, 1965 (subscription required)

On February 4, Anthony J. Travia (Dem.) was elected Speaker.TRAVIA ELECTED SPEAKER in The New York Times on February 5, 1965 (subscription required)

On April 14, the New York Court of Appeals declared the apportionment of December 1964 as unconstitutional, citing that the New York Constitution provides expressly that the Assembly shall have 150 seats, not 165 as were apportioned. The court also held that, although the constitutional State Senate apportionment formula provides for additional seats, the increase from 58 to 65 was unwarranted.G.O.P. PLAN VOIDED; Constitution Is Cited as Requiring 150 Seats in Assembly State's Legislative Reapportionment in The New York Times on April 15, 1965 (subscription required)

On May 10, the Federal Statutory Court ordered that the election on November 2, 1965, be held under the December 1964 apportionment, and that the Legislature thus elected re-apportion the seats again by February 1, 1966.DECISION IS 2 TO 1; ...that a legislative election be held Nov. 2 under a Republican reapportionment plan that had been invalidated by the State Court of Appeals in The New York Times on May 11, 1965 (subscription required)

On August 24, the Federal Statutory Court clarified that, if the Governor and Legislature should not have enacted a new apportionment by February 1, 1966, then the Court would draft a new apportionment for the next election.Justice Gives Rockefeller a Deadline to Submit Formula, With Judicial Proposal as the Alternative in The New York Times on August 25, 1965 (subscription required)

On October 11, the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed four appeals against the ruling of the Federal Statutory Court, and upheld the election of a new New York Legislature on November 2.SUPREME COURT CLEARS ELECTION FOR LEGISLATURE in The New York Times on October 12, 1965 (subscription required)

State Senate

Districts

Senators The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Bernard G. Gordon, Robert Watson Pomeroy, William S. Calli and Kenneth R. Willard changed from the Assembly to the Senate.

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

District Senator Party Notes1stElisha T. Barrett* Republican2ndNorman F. Lent Republican3rdHenry M. Curran* Republican4thEdward J. Speno* Republican5thJack E. Bronston* DemocratChairman of Affairs of Cities6thIrving Mosberg* DemocratChairman of General Laws7thSeymour R. Thaler* DemocratChairman of Public Health8thThomas A. Duffy* DemocratChairman of Codes9thThomas J. Mackell* DemocratChairman of Affairs of the City of New York10thSimon J. Liebowitz* DemocratChairman of Motor Vehicles11thWilliam C. Thompson DemocratChairman of National Defense12thJeremiah B. Bloom* DemocratChairman of Banks13thGuy James Mangano* DemocratChairman of Corporations14thWilliam T. Conklin* Republican15thIrwin Brownstein* DemocratChairman of Commerce and Navigation16thWilliam Rosenblatt* DemocratChairman of Judiciary17thSamuel L. Greenberg* DemocratChairman of Finance18thEdward S. Lentol* DemocratChairman of Civil Service19thJohn J. Marchi* Republican20thFrederic S. Berman Democrat21stConstance Baker Motley* DemocratChairwoman of Penal Institutions; on February 23, 1965, elected Borough President of Manhattan22ndJerome L. Wilson* DemocratChairman of Public Welfare23rdJoseph Zaretzki* Democratelected Temporary President; Chairman of Rules24thPaul P. E. Bookson DemocratChairman of Agriculture25thManfred Ohrenstein* DemocratChairman of Mental Hygiene26thHarry Kraf* DemocratChairman of Taxation27thIvan Warner* DemocratChairman of Education28thAbraham Bernstein* DemocratChairman of Excise29thJoseph E. Marine* DemocratChairman of Public Service30thMax Berking Democrat31stBernard G. Gordon* Republican32ndRoyden A. Letsen DemocratChairman of Highways33rdD. Clinton Dominick III* Republican34thE. Ogden Bush* Republican35thRobert Watson Pomeroy* Republican36thJulian B. Erway* DemocratChairman of Insurance37thF. Warren Travers DemocratChairman of Internal Affairs38thOwen M. Begley* DemocratChairman of Conservation39thNathan Proller Republican40thJohn E. Quinn Democrat41stDalwin J. Niles Republican42ndWilliam S. Calli* Republican43rdHugh Douglas Barclay Republican44thEarl E. Boyle Democrat45thJohn H. Hughes* Republican46thLeighton A. Hope* Republican47thWarren M. Anderson* Republican48thGeorge R. Metcalf* Republican49thWilliam T. Smith Republican50thBryce Barden Republican51stFrank E. Van Lare* Republican52ndThomas Laverne* Republican53rdKenneth R. Willard* Republican54thEarl W. Brydges* RepublicanMinority Leader55thJohn H. Doerr Democrat56thFrank J. Glinski* DemocratChairman of Labor57thBertrand H. Hoak DemocratChairman of Affairs of Villages58thJeremiah J. Moriarty* Republican

Employees Secretary: Albert J. Abrams (Rep.), holding over until February 9 George H. Van Lengen (Dem.), from February 9Legislature Wheels Turning in The Knickerbocker News, of Albany, on February 10, 1965 Sergeant-at-Arms: John F. O'Hagen, from February 9

State Assembly

Assembly members The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Walter E. Cooke changed from the Senate to the Assembly.

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