Conservatives Join Chorus Opposed to Grannis

Ft. Hamilton Station, NY – With mounting opposition to the nomination of Assemblyman Alexander “Pete”
Grannis as the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Conservative Party
joined the various groups of sportsmen, hunters and trappers in opposing his nomination. State Chairman
Michael R. Long agrees that the sportsmen’s coalitions have valid points in their arguments and
emphasized the concerns of his membership as well in a letter to Senator Carl Marcellino. The letter
follows:

In the very near future, as Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Environmental
Conservation, you will consider the nomination of Assemblyman Alexander “Pete” Grannis as the
Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation.

We respectfully ask that you reject his nomination.

It is not often that we become involved with the Governor’s nominations to head state agencies, in fact,
we believe that the people who elect the Governor, expect him to place qualified people who will bring
his agenda to the state agencies.

Assemblyman Grannis has been in the Assembly since 1975 responsible to his constituents and overseeing a small staff. For the last fifteen years, Mr. Grannis was Chairman of the Insurance Committee and for ten
years prior to that, Chairman of Housing. Neither of the two committees, Mr. Grannis chaired, specialize
in Environmental Conservation concerns, but we do acknowledge that he has been a member of the
Environment Conservation Committee where he shepherded through the onerous smoking ban known as the Clean Indoor Air Act. As you know, many small businesses have been forced to close because of this law.

Assemblyman Grannis’ voting record indicates his support for limiting the rights of gun owners and
trappers. Additionally, if one reviews the legislation Mr. Grannis is prime sponsor of in this
legislative session, you will note that Mr. Grannis continues to want to limit the rights of smokers.
Assembly Bill 1402 seeks to eliminate smoking in public beaches, parks and golf courses. It would allow
for designated areas, however, we remember when the first clean indoor air act passed that required a
smoke-free area (which many owners invested thousands of dollars to comply with) and within 10 years, it
was no longer a smoke-free area, rather no smoking in any indoor space.

Assemblyman Grannis, we believe, will bring an agenda to the Department of Environmental Conservation,
that is not in the best interest of all New Yorkers and we urge you to examine all the concerns of the
groups who believe Mr. Grannis will not seek a reasonable balance as Commissioner of DEC.

 

 

 

 

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