Research

Through a Concurrent Resolution of February 8, 1944, the New York State Legislature created the Joint Legislative Committee to Inquire Into and Study Legislative Methods, Practices, Procedures, and Expenditures. The Committee consisted of six members, with Senator Floyd E. Anderson serving as Chairman. The Committee was to function for one year. Two subsequent resolutions extended the Committee until April 1946.

The State Nursing Council for War Service was formed in August 1942 to serve as the coordinating body for New York State nursing programs. These programs included conducting studies and inventories of the number of nurses in the State and recruiting students to nursing schools.

A Personnel Relations Board was established by a 1950 executive order (February 23, 1950) to administer a program for resolving employee grievances. The Board consisted of a Chairman appointed by the Governor and two other members selected by the Chairman from each of two panels. The panels were selected by the Governor; one consisted of twelve competitive class employees and the other of twelve State officers and employees who were not necessarily in the competitive class. The Board was placed in the Department of Civil Service (D.C.S.) but reported directly to the Governor.

The Temporary State Commission on Fire Laws was created (Laws of 1953, Chapter 500) to study laws relating to volunteer firemen and fire protection in towns, villages, and fire districts and to make recommendations for the appropriate revision and codification of such laws. The commission gathered a wide range of evidence from local governments on qualifications of firemen, liability insurance, financing of fire protection, relation of fire protection statutes to other local laws, and other topics of concern.

In 1942, the New York City Department of Investigation, under the direction of Commissioner William B. Herlands, conducted a study of irregularities in the Workmen's Compensation Law affecting municipal employees and New York City as an employer. The investigation revealed such problems as the submission by doctors of fraudulent bills to employers and insurance companies. New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia reported these irregularities to Governor Thomas E. Dewey and requested that he order an investigation.

The Office of General Services was established by Laws of 1960 (Chapter 459).

This Commission was created by Executive Order on October 10, 1953 to investigate the operations and management of New York harness racing associations, corporations, and tracks and of the New York State Harness Racing Commission. The investigation was prompted by the August 28, 1953 murder of Thomas F. Lewis, President of Local 32-E, Building Service Employees International Union, A.F. of L. This union claimed jurisdiction over several hundred employees at Yonkers Raceway. Questionable hiring and other practices were revealed at Yonkers Raceway following Lewis' murder.

Composed of ten members appointed in equal numbers by the Senate majority leader and the speaker of the Assembly, the committee held public hearings in the summer and fall of 1943. These hearings and research conducted by the committee's counsel produced over 200 exhibits including charts, tables, maps, engineering reports, and other documents. Many of these exhibits were included in the revised edition of the committee's complete report, which was issued in 1945. The committee's recommendations were enacted with minor modifications as chapter 1035 of the laws of 1957.

The Joint Legislative Committee on Consumer Protection was created by a June 3, 1964 Concurrent Resolution to investigate high prices, consumer fraud, misleading advertising, and other areas involving consumer protection. Each year the committee held a series of public hearings, drafted legislation to remediate unfair practices, testified before other legislative committees and government agencies, and generally attempted to keep the public informed of their rights as consumers.

Earl W. Brydges was a member of the New York State Senate from 1948 to 1972, representing the Niagara County region. From 1966 to 1972, Brydges served as the Senate's Majority Leader. He was very active in the fields of education and mental retardation. In addition to other committee assignments, he was the chairman of the Standing Committee on Education. He was also the chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee to Revise and Simplify the Education Law and of the Joint Legislative Committee on Mental Retardation.