Tocci Does Less, Pockets More

Skips Key Votes In The Assembly
Averages More Than 100 Missed Votes Every Year
Meanwhile, Tocci Collects Westchester’s Highest
“Per Diem” Reimbursements For Time In Albany

Press Release

(October 15, 2002) Since 1990, Assemblyman Ron Tocci has skipped more than 1,300 votes in the State Legislature, an average of more than 100 every year.

Tocci’s absenteeism is not confined to procedural matters. He has skipped important substantive votes involving aid to local schools, hazardous waste remediation, reporting of lost or stolen firearms, domestic violence prevention, stricter standards for cop-killer bullets, health insurance for ovarian cancer testing and mammograms, clinic access protection, safety for students on school property, and anti-discrimination measures, to name a few.

While Tocci fails to perform his duties in the Assembly, he is not hesitant about submitting claims for the daily “per diem” reimbursement available to legislators for their time in Albany. In fact, Assembly records demonstrate that Tocci has pocketed more in “per diems” than any member of the Westchester delegation – a whopping $78,746 since 1996. That figure is nearly $20,000 more than the average for the remainder of the delegation.

“Mr. Tocci is simply not doing his job,” said Alisa Kesten, spokesperson for Assembly challenger Noam Bramson. “He consistently skips votes on issues that matter deeply to our community, but then continues collecting taxpayer reimbursement for his time in the Albany. Exactly what is Mr. Tocci being paid for?”

“Our Assembly representative should be engaged in the important issues of the day, not absent,” added Kesten, “The people of the Sound Shore are Ron Tocci’s employers, and they have a right to be outraged by his failure to show up for work.”

Examples of important votes for which Tocci has been absent or excused for non-legislative business include:

A.2838 – Requires posting a warning sign on any equipment containing PCB’s such as electrical transformers. 3/13/91

A.3034 – Authorizes payment of transportation aid to Rye Neck Union Free School District notwithstanding a clerical error that would have resulted in dismissal of transportation aid. 3/13/91

S.5280 – Requires the Advisory Committee on Poison Prevention and Control to study the use of “aversive agents” in toxic substances which would make a child immediately spit out any toxic substance they ingested. 6/25/91

A.1336 – SONDA (Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act). Provides protection to individuals based on sexual orientation. 2/1/93

A.2103 – Bias Crimes. 2/1/93

A.3933 – Clinic Access Bill. 6/14/93

A.6102 – Mandates that at the time of purchase or lease of a car, a buyer must receive a copy of New York State’s Lemon Law protections. 6/16/93

A.9043 – Increases penalties for use of a gun during a crime. Absent from motion to discharge the bill to the floor. 1/25/94

A.9235 – Prohibits possession of any air-gun, spring-gun or similar device on school grounds. 6/20/94

A.10882 – Establishes a statewide amnesty program for the surrender of deadly weapons. 6/13/94

A.447-A – Creates the class A misdemeanor of placing a false bomb. 6/13/96

A.706 – Directs the adoption of an inactive hazardous waste site citizen participation plan consistent with state policy to provide opportunities for citizen involvement and encourages consultation with the public early in the remedial process; establishes technical assistance grants to enable local communities to obtain technical expertise needed to understand and evaluate the date pertaining to the hazard and the remedial process. 5/19/97

A.988 - Provides that orders of protection may be entered against a family or household member including unrelated persons, for the purpose of allowing a greater number of persons to seek protection in shelters as victims of domestic violence. 5/29/97

A.2058-A – Provides that every health insurance policy which provides coverage for hospital, surgical or medical care shall provide coverage for the standard diagnostic testing for ovarian cancer upon the recommendation of a physician; provides that such standard diagnostic testing shall include a pelvic examination, a sonogram and a CA 125 blood test and related laboratory and diagnostic services. 6/2/97

A.3588-A – Requires that victims be notified of the release or escape of an inmate of a correctional facility or hospital where such inmate is serving a sentence of imprisonment for a violent felony, a designated sex offense or a class A-I felony offense. 5/5/97

A.3869 - Requires environmental impact statements to consider cumulative effects of an action for projects in communities already experiencing the impact by polluting facilities. 6/19/97

A.4537A – Includes within the definition of armor piercing ammunition: ceramic or polymer plastics; defines devastator ammunition as any ammunition capable of being used in pistols or revolvers containing a projectile or projectile core; includes possession of armor piercing or devastator ammunition within the definition of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree. 7/15/97

A.4661-B – Enacts education and juvenile justice reform measures; enacts the safe schools/safe children act; requires that students who have committed violent acts be immediately removed from the classroom; improves school safety; makes provision with respect to the parent/child school visitation act; increases maximum sentences of imprisonment for certain crimes committed on school grounds. 6/2/97

A.7531 – Establishes a Tobacco Education Advisory Committee whose purpose is to prevent tobacco related diseases and diminish tobacco use. 4/2/97

A.1685-A – Requires that any owner or other person lawfully in possession of a firearm,
rifle or shotgun who suffers the loss or theft of such weapon shall within 24 hours of the discovery of such loss or theft, report such loss or theft to a police department or sheriff's office; provides a fine not to exceed $100 for such failure to report. 5/18/98

A.2450-A – Clinic Access Bill. 5/13/98

A.5982 – Provides that a victim of a crime shall have the right to make a victim impact statement either in person or in writing before the state board of parole each time the inmate comes before such board. 6/2/98

A.8400 - Lowers the age for required coverage of annual mammograms, to women aged forty and over, under health and accident insurance policies providing coverage for hospital, surgical or medical care. 5/18/98

A.1573 – Bias Crimes. 1/19/99

X.1128 – Absent from passage of a resolution calling upon Governor Pataki to withdraw his appeal of the Degrasse case that required a more equitable distribution of school aid. 6/13/01

A.2634 – Dignity for all Students Act. Voted against the bill in Education Committee on 1/28/02 and in Ways and Means on 2/11/02. This bill prohibits harassment against all students in public schools including harassment based on a person`s actual or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or sex or perceived race, color, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex. 4/8/02.

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