Hugh Farley
Encyclopedia
Early life
Prior to his service in the New York State Legislature, Hugh Farley served in the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and was a high school teacher in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
In 1965, he became a member of the faculty at the School of Business of the University of Albany, since 2000 he has been Professor Emeritus of Business Law at the college.
Farley holds a Juris Doctorate from American University School of Law
Washington College of Law
American University Washington College of Law is the law school of American University. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley neighborhood of northwest Washington. WCL is ranked 50th among law schools by US News and World Report...
, as well as a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from the University of Albany. He is also a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College
Mohawk Valley Community College
Mohawk Valley Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York located in Oneida County, New York in the United States...
.
Career
Farley represents District 44 in the New York State SenateNew York State Senate
The New York State Senate is one of two houses in the New York State Legislature and has members each elected to two-year terms. There are no limits on the number of terms one may serve...
, which comprises Schenectady, Montgomery
Montgomery County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,708 people, 20,038 households, and 13,104 families residing in the county. The population density was 123 people per square mile . There were 22,522 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile...
, and Fulton
Fulton County, New York
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 55,531. Its name is in honor of Robert Fulton, who is widely credited with developing the first commercially successful steamboat...
Counties, as well as a portion of Saratoga County. He currently serves as a Ranking Minority member on the Senate Banking Committee within the State Senate Republican Caucus.
In 1979, Farley was chosen as the first Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Aging. As chairman, Farley authored laws creating New York's hospice care system and a law prohibiting mandatory medical intervention/treatment for terminally ill
Terminal illness
Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe a disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient within a short period of time. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as...
patients.
In 1985 he was named as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environmental Conservation, a position in which he sponsored the 1986 Environmental Quality Bond Act, which disbursed $1.45 billion for the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. Due to his work as Chairman he was named Legislator of the Year in 1986 by the New York State Conservation Council.
In 1989, Farley was appointed to the Chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Banks. In this capacity, he has authored or sponsored numerous laws dealing with banking regulations, including a law enacted in 1994 aimed at making New York's interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...
deregulation
Deregulation
Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces.Deregulation is the removal or...
laws permanent. In addition to this, he is also responsible for sponsoring New York's interstate branching laws, and authoring the law that in 1996 finally allowed New York banks to branch into other states. One year later he would sponsor the law that allows New York's Banking Board to grant state-chartered banks the same powers as banks chartered by the federal government.
Farley has been a member of the Governor's Commission on Libraries, and an elected delegate to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
's Conference on Libraries in both 1979 and 1991.
He is presently a member of the Executive Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures
National Conference of State Legislatures
The National Conference of State Legislatures is a bipartisan non-governmental organization established in 1975 to serve the members and staff of state legislatures of the United States...
and a member of the Governing Board of the Council of State Governments
Council of State Governments
The Council of State Governments is a nonpartisan non-profit organization in the United States serving the state governments. It serves state legislatures, state courts, and executive branch officials and agencies, and is the only multi-branch organization of state governments in the United...
. He has also served as past President of the National Republican Legislators Association, which bestowed upon him the award "Legislator of the Year" in 1989.
Farley voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009; the bill was defeated. After Farley made negative comments regarding same-sex marriage in his 2010 re-election campaign, his opponent, Democrat Susan Savage, denounced Farley's comments at a rally on the steps of the New York State Capitol.
Farley was most recently re-elected on November 2, 2010.
Personal life
His son Robert, hopes to replace him in the Senate one day. He is currently a member of the 13-2 Republican Minority in the Schenectady County Legislature and Counsel to Senator Vincent LeibellVincent Leibell
Vincent L. "Uncle Vinny" Leibell, III is a convicted felon and disgraced politician from Putnam County, New York. After a long career in the New York State Legislature, Leibell ran for and was elected County Executive-elect in Putnam County in 2010, but resigned prior to taking office following an...
, a colleague of his father's.