191st New York State Legislature | |||||||
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New York State Capitol (2009)
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Overview | |||||||
Jurisdiction | New York, United States | ||||||
Term | January 1, 1995 – December 31, 1996 | ||||||
Senate | |||||||
Members | 61 | ||||||
President | Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey Ross (R) | ||||||
Temporary President | Joseph Bruno (R) | ||||||
Party control | Republican 1995: (36–25) 1996: (37–24) |
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Assembly | |||||||
Members | 150 | ||||||
Speaker | Sheldon Silver (D) | ||||||
Party control | Democratic 1995: (94–56) 1996: (95–55) |
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Sessions | |||||||
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1st | January 4 – June 30, 1995 |
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2nd | January 3 – July 13, 1996 |
3rd | December 17 – 18, 1996 |
The 191st New York State Legislature, consisting of the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly, met from January 4, 1995, to December 31, 1996, during the first and second years of George Pataki's governorship, in Albany.
Under the provisions of the New York Constitution of 1938 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision to follow the One man, one vote rule, re-apportioned in 1992 by the Legislature, 61 Senators and 150 assemblymen were elected in single-seat districts for two-year terms. Senate and Assembly districts consisted of approximately the same number of inhabitants, the area being apportioned contiguously without restrictions regarding county boundaries.
At this time there were two major political parties: the Republican Party and the Democratic Party. The Conservative Party, the Independence Party, the Liberal Party, the Right to Life Party, the Tax Cut Now Party, the Libertarian Party and the Socialist Workers Party also nominated tickets.
The New York state election, 1994, was held on November 8. State Senator George Pataki was elected Governor, and Betsy McCaughey Ross was elected Lieutenant Governor, both Republicans with Conservative and Tax Cut Now endorsement, who defeated the incumbent Democrats Mario Cuomo and Stan Lundine. The elections to the other three statewide elective offices resulted in the re-election of State Comptroller Carl McCall and U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, both Democrats; and the election of Dennis Vacco as Attorney General, a Republican with Conservative endorsement who defeated the incumbent Democrat G. Oliver Koppell. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats 2,273,000; Republicans 2,156,000; Conservatives 329,000; Independence 217,000; Liberals 92,000; Right to Life 68,000; Tax Cut Now 54,000; Libertarians 9,500; and Socialist Workers 5,500.