Vincent Leibell

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New York State Senator Vincent L. Leibell III was born in New York City on August 6, 1946. He was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1994 when he defeated a former New York State Lieutenant Governor. Previously, he had worked as an Assistant District Attorney in the Westchester County District Attorney's office and served five terms in the state Assembly, where he had risen to the position of Assistant Minority Leader pro tempore. He is a member of the Republican party and represents New York's 40th District which includes Putnam County and parts of southern Dutchess and northern Westchester counties.

As Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Corporations, Commissions and Authorities, Senator Leibell authored the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2005 to tighten up control and oversight measures of New York State's public authorities. Following passage of the bill, legislators on both sides of the aisle commended Senator Leibell and his staff for one of the largest authorities reform bills in the history of the chamber. [1]

In January of 2007, Senator Leibell was named Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs. During the course of his chairmanship of that Committee, Leibell has expressed concern on the controversial liquified gas storage facility off Long Island and successfully prevented the implementation of Governor Spitzer's plan to provide illegal aliens with New York State drivers' licenses.

Senator Leibell is part of a Republican majority in the Senate which has held power without interruption since 1965, versus a large Democrat majority in the State Assembly. A study in 2004 from the Brennan Center for Justice of New York University described the New York State Legislature as dysfunctional. [2]

New York State Senators serve 2-year terms, and Senator Vincent Leibell was reelected in the 2006 elections, in which he faced Westchester County Legislator Michael Kaplowitz, Chair of that Body's Budget and Appropriations Committee.

[edit] External links

• The senator's home page
• Press Release from the Office of Majority Leader Bruno on Authorities Reform Act

Preceded by Gordon Burrows	New York State Assembly, 90th District 1983–1992	Succeeded by Sandra Galef
Preceded by George Pataki	New York State Assembly, 91st District 1993–1994	Succeeded by Willis Stephens, Jr.
Preceded by George Pataki	New York State Senate, 37th District 1995–2002	Succeeded by Suzi Oppenheimer
Preceded by John Bonacic	New York State Senate, 40th District 2003 – present	Incumbent