Current Office: Senator
First Elected: 11/05/1996
Next Election: 2012
Party: Democratic

General

Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Leslie Yvette; 3 Children: Damaris, Samuel, Ruben Junior
Birth date: 04/22/1943
Birthplace: Bayamón, Puerto Rico
Home City: Bronx NY
Religion:

Profession

Ordained Minister, Church of God Pastor, Church of God, Seward Avenue, the Bronx, 1976-1978 United States Armed Forces, 1960-1963

Education

BA, Philosophy/Political Theory, Herbert H. Lehman College, 1976 Theological Degree, Damascus Bible Institute Matriculated, LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York

Committees

Aging
Banks
Finance
Housing, Construction, and Community Development
Insurance
Investigations and Government Operations
Transportation

S 1707A Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 6735 Amends Pensions for New State Employees
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9525 State Legislative Redistricting
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9525 State Legislative Redistricting
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

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S 1707A Authorizes Mixed Martial Arts
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 6735 Amends Pensions for New State Employees
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9525 State Legislative Redistricting
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9525 State Legislative Redistricting
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9556 Authorizes Casino Gambling
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6733 Expands DNA Database to Include Misdemeanors
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6735 Amends Pensions for New State Employees
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 6087-A Authorizes the Use of School Property for Religious Meetings and Worship
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 5560-A Requires DNA Testing of All Persons Convicted of Certain Crimes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 8354 Marriage Equality Enactment
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8496 Increasing The Number Of Taxicabs Serving New York
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 8354 Marriage Equality Enactment
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8496 Increasing The Number Of Taxicabs Serving New York
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 5596 Revising The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8446 Extension of Rent Control Laws
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8446 Extension of Rent Control Laws
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 5596 Revising The Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 1707 Authorization of Mixed Martial Arts Events
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 2808 Implementing the Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 3331 Constitutional Amendment for Non-Partisan Redistricting Commission
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 2706 Limitations on Tax Levies
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 2707 Funding State Mandated Programs
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 1891 New York Jobs Tax Credit
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 1892 Limiting State Spending
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 1919 Amends Rules for Legislature
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 9710D 2010-2011 Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8129B Suspending Hydraulic Fracturing for the Extraction of Natural Gas
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

A 9703 2010-2011 Education, Labor, and Family Assistance Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 1523 Allowing Unmarried Partners to Adopt a Child
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 9705 2010-2011 Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 9709 Omnibus Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 9705 2010-2011 Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation Budget
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 2165B Allows Mixed Martial Arts Performances and Ultimate Fighting
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 5620 Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 3890 Divorce Law Amendments
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 5620 Reducing Drug Penalties for Offenders with Hypodermic Syringes
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8167 Emergency Appropriation Extension
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 8089 Emergency Appropriation Extension
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 2311D Labor Standards for Domestic Workers
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 11310 Education Law Amendments Concerning Charter Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 11308 Emergency State Parks Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 7846 Emergency Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 7777 Emergency Appropriations
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 7678 Amending Charter School Cap
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

R 3904 Expelling Senator Hiram Monserrate from the Senate
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 9544 Election and Campaign Finance Ethics Amendments
Stage: Override of Veto
Vote: Nay

A 9544
Stage: Passage
Vote: Z

A 40022 2009-2010 Budget Amendments
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 40003 Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8903-A Extending City Board Jurisdiction Over New York City Schools
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 8501 Government Consolidation Bill
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 2020 SUNY Buffalo Education Bill
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 8501 Government Consolidation Bill
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 1363 Tenants' Protection In Foreclosure
Stage: Passage With Amendment
Vote: Yea

A 8180 Supplemental Fees and Taxes for MTA
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 157-B Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 158-B Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 159-B Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 156-B Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 163-A 2008-2009 Budget Amendments
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 249-A Budget Financing
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8738 State Spending Cap
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 8736 School District Property Tax Cap
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8736 School District Property Tax Cap
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8736 School District Property Tax Cap
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

A 11258 Mandatory Cigarette Taxation
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8638 Internet Sales Tax Repeal
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 4632 Reinstate the Death Penalty
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 2375 DNA Database Expansion
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 6823 Long Island Affordable Housing
Stage: Passage
Vote: -

S 7594 Gasoline Tax Holiday
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

A 9998 New York Racing Association Funding
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 6484 Driver's License Citizenship Requirements
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 319 Death Penalty For Certain Murders
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

S 3318 Sex Offender Management and Treatment Act
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 8446 DNA Database Expansion
Stage: Passage
Vote: Yea

S 6771 Death Penalty and Life Imprisonment Bill
Stage: Passage
Vote: Nay

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