181st New York State Legislature
← 180th 182nd →
New York State Capitol (2009)
Overview
Legislative body	New York State Legislature
Jurisdiction	New York,United States
Term	January 1, 1975 – December 31, 1976
Senate
Members	60
President	Lt. Gov.Mary Anne Krupsak (D)
Temporary President	Warren M. Anderson (R)
Party control	Republican (34–26)
Assembly
Members	150
Speaker	Stanley Steingut (D)
Party control	Democratic (88–61–1)
Sessions
1st January 8 – July 12, 1975 2nd September 4 – 9, 1975 3rd November 13 – December 20, 1975 4th January 7 – June 30, 1976 5th August 4 – 5, 1976

The181st New York State Legislature, consisting of theNew York State Senate and theNew York State Assembly, met from January 8, 1975, to August 5, 1976, during the first and second years ofHugh Carey'sgovernorship inAlbany.

The U.S. Department of Justice found fault with the congressional, senatorial and Assembly districts inManhattan andBrooklyn under the apportionment of 1971, and ordered a revision to safeguard the rights of minorities.^[1] The legislature enacted an amendment to the 1971 apportionment, remapping the legislative districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn, during a special session on May 29 and 30, 1974.^[2] On July 1, the U.S. Department of Justice accepted the revised districts as passed by the legislature.^[3]

Thus, under the provisions of theNew York Constitution of 1938 and the U.S. Supreme Court decision to follow theOne man, one vote rule, re-apportioned in 1971, and amended in 1974, by the legislature, 60 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 without restrictions regarding county boundaries.

At this time there were two major political parties: theRepublican Party and theDemocratic Party. TheConservative Party, theLiberal Party, theCourage Party, theFree Libertarian Party, theSocialist Workers Party, theCommunist Party, theSocialist Labor Party and theLabor Party also nominated tickets.

The1974 New York state election was held on November 5. CongressmanHugh Carey and State SenatorMary Anne Krupsak were elected Governor and Lieutenant Governor, both Democrats. Carey defeated the incumbent GovernorMalcolm Wilson. The elections to the other five statewide elective offices resulted in a Republican Attorney General with Liberal endorsement; a Democratic State Comptroller with Liberal endorsement; a Republican U.S. Senator with Liberal endorsement; and two Democratic judges of the Court of Appeals, one of them with Liberal endorsement. The approximate party strength at this election, as expressed by the vote for Governor, was: Democrats/Liberals 3,029,000; Republicans/Conservatives 2,220,000; Courage 12,500; Free Libertarians 10,500; Socialist Workers 9,000; Communists 5,000; Socialist Labor 4,500; and Labor 3,000. Gathering from the results for the other offices, the strength of the Liberals was about 400,000 votes, and the Conservatives about 250,000. However, Conservative Barbara A. Keating polled more than 800,000 votes for U.S. Senator.

Of the seven women members of the previous legislature, State SenatorMary Anne Krupsak (Dem.), a lawyer ofAmsterdam, was electedLieutenant Governor of New York, and becameex officio president of the state Senate; and five of the other six—State SenatorsKaren Burstein, a lawyer ofLawrence, andCarol Bellamy, a lawyer ofBrooklyn; and AssemblywomenElizabeth Connelly (Dem.), ofStaten Island;Estella B. Diggs, ofthe Bronx; andRosemary R. Gunning (Cons.), a lawyer ofRidgewood, Queens—were re-elected.Linda Winikow, ofSpring Valley, was also elected to the state Senate.Jean Amatucci (Dem.), a registered nurse ofWhite Lake;Mary B. Goodhue (Rep.), a lawyer ofMount Kisco; andMarie M. Runyon (Dem.), ofManhattan, were also elected to the assembly.

The 1975 New York state election was held on November 4. No statewide elective offices were up for election. One vacancy was filled in the Legislature:Jeannette Gadson, ofBrooklyn, was elected to the assembly.

On February 10, 1976,Gerdi E. Lipschutz (Dem.), ofQueens, was elected to fill a vacancy in the Assembly, making her the eleventh woman member of the Legislature of 1976, surpassing the previous record of eight in the166th New York State Legislature (1947–1948).

The legislature met for the first regular session (the 198th) at the State Capitol inAlbany on January 8, 1975; and adjournedsine die in the morning of July 12.^[4]

Stanley Steingut (Dem.) was electedSpeaker.

Warren M. Anderson (Rep.) was re-elected temporary president of the state Senate.

The legislature met for a special session at the State Capitol in Albany on September 4, 1975;^[5] and adjournedsine die in the early morning of September 9.^[6] This session was called to take measures concerning the financial crisis ofNew York City.

The legislature met for another special session at the State Capitol in Albany on November 13, 1975.^[7] On November 25, a help package worth $200 million was enacted to avert the financial breakdown of New York City.^[8] They adjournedsine die on December 20, after enacting an increase of $600 million in state taxes.^[9]

The legislature met for the second regular session (the 199th) at the State Capitol in Albany on January 7, 1976;^[10] and adjournedsine die in the morning of June 30.^[11]

The legislature met for yet another special session at the State Capitol in Albany on August 4, 1976;^[12] and adjournedsine die on the next day.^[13] This session was called to consider Governor Carey's proposed court reform.^[14]

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature. Franz S. Leichter changed from the Assembly to the Senate at the beginning of the session. Assemblyman Anthony V. Gazzara was elected to fill a vacancy in the Senate.

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

• Secretary:Albert J. Abrams, resigned 1976
  • Roger C. Thompson, in 1976

The asterisk (*) denotes members of the previous Legislature who continued in office as members of this Legislature.

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

• Clerk:Catherine A. Carey

• Legislators' Lulu List: Who Gets $$ in theCivil Service Leader (Vol. XXXVI, No. 27, issue of September 30, 1975; pg. 10)
• Democrats Control State Assembly by Betsy Buchner, inThe Evening News, ofNewburgh, on November 6, 1974

• New York (state) legislative sessions
• 1975 in New York (state)
• 1976 in New York (state)
• 1975 U.S. legislative sessions
• 1976 U.S. legislative sessions

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