Group releases report card on legislators

ALBANY -- Who was the top state legislator the for 2011 session? Long Island's Sen. Kemp Hannon (R-Garden City) by one measure.

From measures covering "sexting" to concussions to drug overdoses, 31 bills sponsored by Hannon were passed by the State Senate and Assembly -- the most of any legislator, according to an analysis by the New York Public Research Group. As chairman of the Health Committee, Hannon supported a range of legislation that found favor in both houses.

"After the last few years, there was a lot of policy shaping that needed to be done," Hannon said, citing Medicaid, hospice and developmental disabilities. The regular session closed last Friday, with the dramatic passage of the same-sex marriage law.

Hannon finished just ahead of state Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn), who had 30, and state Sen. Kenneth LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), 28. Golden served as chairman of the Civil Service and Pension Committee, which traditionally has among the most bills passed because it often deals with a slew of individual pension cases.

That was a factor in Assemb. Peter Abbate Jr. (D-Brooklyn) leading the Assembly with 26 bills that passed both houses. Take out the pension bills and another Long Islander, Assemb. Robert Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst), was tops with 22. Sweeney bills included measures to protect Long Island Sound, extend a first-time home buyer's tax credit and expand the Broad Hollow Bioscience Park at Farmingdale State College.

At the other end of the tally, 15 Assembly members failed to even get a bill through their house, including Brian Curran (R-Lynbrook) and Edward Ra (R-Franklin Square). No senator was shut out from getting at least the Senate to approve one of his/her proposals.

Most Prolific

When it came to introducing bills, state Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) led everyone with 372 -- although one of them was approved by the Senate and none by the Assembly. Assemb. Steven Englebright (D-Setauket) topped the other house with 343 bills; 11 were approved by both houses.

LaValle was No. 2 in the Senate with 251 bills. Assemb. Fred Thiele Jr. (I-Sag Harbor) was No. 3 in his chamber with 225.

Governor

NYPIRG's study showed that Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo fashioned a narrower agenda than his recent predecessors.

He submitted just 45 of his own bills - roughly half of the previous low for a governor over the last decade.

George Pataki submitted 88 in 2004.

Still, Cuomo finished with 16 of his bills approved by the legislature, a number comparable with previous governors.