The proposed lines for districts represented by state Sens. Shirley Huntley (l. to r.), Malcolm Smith and Joseph Addabbo are drastically different than what currently exists.

State Sens. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) may need to sign up for dance lessons if newly proposed district maps are approved because they will be doing the shuffle.

“It looks like a switcheroo,” Huntley said in a telephone interview Monday, comparing how the new lines give her parts of the Rockaways that are now Smith’s constituents.

Under the redistricting proposal submitted by the state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, the Rockaways would be split, with Addabbo’s district representing the western Rockaway neighborhoods, including Breezy Point and Rockaway Park, while Huntley would represent Arverne and Far Rockaway.

Senate, state Assembly and congressional lines are redrawn every 10 years to account for population changes recorded by the census.

Smith now represents the entire peninsula while the Rockaways is split in Congress between U.S. Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village), who has the western part, and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-St. Albans).

The task force’s proposal would take away Lindenwood, Ozone Park, Woodhaven and Richmond Hill from Addabbo and give him part of the Rockaways, Fresh Meadows and Broad Channel.

If those changes go through, Addabbo’s district would be more conservative because of Republican-leaning areas in the Rockaways.

“It’s absurd the Republicans are trying every which way to stay in power,” said Addabbo, who beat longtime Republican Sen. Serphin Maltese in 2008. “The voice of the people has totally been ignored in the process and that’s a problem.”

Both Addabbo and Huntley said they would have preferred the Rockaways to be intact as the area is now. Addabbo represented part of the Rockaways in the City Council.

“I don’t mind representing the Rockaways again — I find it intriguing — but I’ve held the position that communities should not be divided. I don’t think Rockaway should have two state senators.”

The Republican-led Senate drew up the lines for its own chamber while the Democratic Assembly did the same.

Huntley said her district and Smith’s are both heavily Democratic and Republicans would have nothing to gain by tinkering with the lines in southeast Queens.

“I frankly thought our lines would stay the same,” she said. “I have no idea why anybody would do this. They could have left me how I was. It really doesn’t benefit them to do it.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto any redistricting plan that is not drawn up by an independent commission, and Addabbo said it appears the lines will be legally contested.

“We are looking at lines drawn by a court at this point,” the senator said about the likelihood of litigation over the redistricting plan, which was conceived out of “the same politics that have plagued Albany for years.”

The senator said the process should be “about voters choosing their representatives, not representatives choosing their voters.

“The process is flawed to begin with,” he said.

A state task force proposes these state Senate districts for Queens, which has received wide criticism in the borough.

No matter how you slice it, the redistricting plan drawn up by a state task force last week was widely panned in Queens by critics who said the proposal breaks up communities and gerrymanders the lines.

Every 10 years, districts for state Senate, state Assembly and congressional lines are redrawn to reflect population changes recorded in the census.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said he would veto any plan not conceived by an independent commission.

The lines were proposed by the state Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment, a body comprised of elected officials and members of the public selected by elected officials.

Under the group’s plan, Sens. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) and Tony Avella (D-Bayside) would have to run against each other in a primary in one district and Sens. Jose Peralta (D-Corona) and Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) would face off in another contest.

“I can’t believe there are Democrats that would have to primary each other,” said Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), whose southern Queens district would cut Broad Channel and sections of southeast Queens and add parts of the Rockaways if the plan is enacted.

The Woodhaven Residents’ Block Association is against the plan because it would carve up the neighborhood among three different senators: Joseph Addabbo, Malcolm Smith and Shirley Huntley

“When it comes to the Senate lines, the people of Woodhaven are being treated as pawns in Albany’s gerrymandering games,” said Alexander Blenkinsopp, spokesman for the association.

Eastern Queens United, a group of a dozen civic associations, criticized the redistricting process for dividing communities.

The task force “has abdicated its responsibility to serve the needs of the community and instead has served the needs of its politicians,” said Bob Friedrich, president of the Glen Oaks Village co-op and founder of EQU. “The new legislative maps are an abomination and are gerrymandered to break up our communities that have simply asked to remain united.”

Assemblyman David Weprin (D-Little Neck), who represents a portion of the area covered by Eastern Queens United, said he was against the task force’s map.

“Northeast Queens is a special and distinct geographic region, whose residents and community leaders have voiced their desire to be kept together in a contiguous district rather than be divided,” he said in a statement. “I look forward to offering testimony as part of [the task force’s] public review process and for my constituents to do likewise in order to end with a map that truly represents the unique character of northeast Queens.”

The Asian American Community Coalition on Redistricting and Democracy applauded the task force for drawing a new Asian-American majority Senate district in Queens and a new Assembly district but criticized the group for dividing Flushing.

“A compact district in Flushing-Bayside should be drawn to keep Asian-American communities of interest together in these neighborhoods,” the group said.

ACCORD also said the task force “has not brought equality to all Asian-American neighborhoods across New York” because Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park were divided into multiple districts.

A clergy group is holding a rally to suppport David R. Gantt (clockwise from top l.) Patricia D. Savage, Roger N. Scotland and Lynn Smith. Photos courtesy state attorney general's office

A nonprofit comprised of clergy and headed by the Rev. Charles Norris Sr. of southeast Queens plans to rally next week outside Nassau Supreme Court in defense of four associates of state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), who were indicted on grand larceny charges.

The group, Clergy United for Community Empowerment, says the four associates — Huntley staffer Patricia Savage, David Gantt, Roger Scotland and Lynn Smith — are innocent and it planned the Feb. 1 event to show its support for them.

The four were indicted after an investigation by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman that allegedly found they stole from a nonprofit created by Huntley.

Huntley has not been charged.

Norris, president of the clergy group, is leading the rally outside Nassau Supreme Court in Mineola Feb. 1.

“We have received an outpouring of support and hope the court will recognize that a grave injustice has been done,” he said in a statement.

Judge Toko Serita (c.) performed a wedding ceremony for Therese Lendino (l.) and Laura Casini at Queens Borough Hall July 24, when same-sex marriage went into effect in New York state.

Supreme Court Judge Darrel Gavrin (front l.) completes marriage documents for Darryl Wong and Michael Kandel (r.), of Douglaston, who were one of the 90 couples to get married in Queens the first day same-sex marriages could be performed.

Desiree (l.) and Katrice Bussell, of Jamaica, were one of 90 pairs to get married in Queens July 24, when same-sex marriage was able to be performed in New York state.

Before Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill June 24 that would legalize same-sex marriage in New York state, Astoria LGBT activist Brendan Fay and his husband, Dr. Thomas Moulton, helped same-sex couples in New York cross the border into Canada or into neighboring states to get married.

Now he receives messages from people in Ireland and Poland eager to marry in New York state.

“It was just so great to see couples getting married and right here in our city,” Fay said.

The June 24 vote came down to four Republican senators from upstate New York who voted in support of the measure, but the debate had been fought in Queens for years. The state Assembly had voted for marriage equality in 2007 and 2009.

While 2011 would see all seven Queens senators vote in favor of the bill, in 2009 five of Queens’ senators voted against the measure: current state Sens. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) and former Sens. George Onorato, Hiram Monserrate and Frank Padavan.

In 2011, the Queens political scene looked much different. Onorato retired and was replaced by Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria). Monserrate had been booted from the Senate following a misdemeanor assault conviction and lost the special election for the seat to Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst). Padavan, Queens’ only Republican senator, lost to Tony Avella (D-Bayside) in a contentious race.

Queens also now had two openly gay city councilmen — Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) — to advocate for the issue.

“The presence of these two capable, community-oriented, active councilmen has shown that gay legislators will do a good job of representing their constituents across the board, which in turn reinforces the idea of gay people as members of the community,” Queens College political science professor Michael Krasner said in an e-mail.

In mid-June, a large swath of Queens legislators, led by U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), held a news conference at Queens Borough Hall in support of marriage equality. Shortly afterward, Huntley and Addabbo announced they had taken polls of their districts and found their constituents now supported it.

Their flipped votes, along with a change of heart by then-Brooklyn Sen. Carl Kruger, meant all New York Senate Democrats except for Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. (D-Bronx) were in support of the measure.

The act passed June 24 and was signed by Cuomo the same day. A month later, 90 same-sex couples lined up at Queens Borough Hall to be married.

In November, Van Bramer and his longtime partner, Dan Hendrick, announced they will be joining those who have been married in Queens next year.

“I think the main impact has been to solidify the alliances between the gay community and the other liberal groups in the Democratic Party,” Krasner said. “I also think it may have the long-term effect of isolating anti-gay marriage groups.”

Some states have seen a backlash after granting same-sex marriages. The Supreme Court of California’s decision to allow gay couples to marry ended when voters passed the constitutional amendment known as Proposition 8. Iowa voters defeated three judges who ruled in favor of marriage equality.

Krasner said Assemblyman David Weprin’s (D-Little Neck) pro-marriage equality vote may have contributed to some religious groups voting for now-Rep. Bob Turner (R-Middle Village) in the race for the 9th Congressional District, but he said the main reasons for Weprin’s defeat were his weakness as a candidate and an anti-President Barack Obama sentiment.

Krasner said Addabbo and Huntley, as incumbents, will remain hard to beat.

Fay said that while a potential backlash was a concern, he nevertheless believes the vote was a turning point.

“I look forward to the day when all other states follow New York,” he said.

The state attorney general indicted four people associated with a non-profit that was created by state Sen. Shirley Huntley, David R. Gantt (clockwise from top l.) Patricia D. Savage, Roger N. Scotland and Lynn Smith. Photos courtesy state attorney general's office

A member of state Sen. Shirley Huntley's staff and her niece were indicted for allegedly taking thousands of dollars from the state.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) went on the defensive last week after state prosecutors indicted four of her associates, including her niece, as part of an investigation into state money that went into a nonprofit that the senator created.

Although state Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli have not charged Huntley, investigators maintain the thousands of dollars in member item money she gave to Parent Workshop Inc. was squandered by the group’s administrators.

Huntley, who created the educational outreach group before being elected to office in 2006?, contended that she did not knowingly shortchange taxpayers.

“The joint investigation by the attorney general and the comptroller found no wrongdoing on my part. I am confident that when all of the facts are presented they will prove I acted appropriately,” she said in a statement.

Member items are funds in the state budget given to lawmakers to dole out to nonprofits primarily in their legislative districts.

Patricia D. Savage, an aide to Huntley, and Lynn H. Smith, the senator’s niece who lives in her home, were indicted Dec. 7 on 11 counts of grand larceny and offering a false instrument in the theft of nearly $30,000 that was set aside for Parent Workshop Inc., which operates out of southeast Queens, the attorney general said.

“The charges announced today send a strong message that those who abuse their positions to rip off taxpayers will be prosecuted,” Schneiderman said in a statement.

Two other Parent Workshop associates, David R. Gantt and Roger N. Scotland, were charged with falsifying business records for allegedly trying to cover up the theft, according to the attorney general.

Scotland, who is the president of the Southern Queens Park Association, was also charged with tampering with physical evidence, Schneiderman said.

The group was created to give support to schools and parents with outreach and educational enhancement programs, according to the attorney general.

Savage, who was the president of Parent Workshop, and Smith, who acted as the group’s treasurer, falsely asserted that the member item money given to the nonprofit would be used to “hold workshops for and conduct outreach to parents on the workings of the New York City public school system,” Schneiderman said.

The pair allegedly submitted a fraudulent contract and fake vouchers to claim the $29,950 they received from the state between April 2008 and March 2009, according to the attorney general.

During that time, however, Parent Workshop had no events or outreach, the attorney general said.

Gantt allegedly falsified records to make it look like he was paid in cash for the phony workshops and Scotland allegedly created a false record in an attempt to hide the theft once the investigation started, according to Schneiderman.

The attorney general’s and state comptroller’s offices would not comment on whether there were more indictments to come as part of the investigation.

“Abuse and fraud will not be tolerated. By combining forces, my office and the attorney general have exposed and are prosecuting this egregious theft of state funds which were intended for the public good,” the comptroller said.

PS/IS 48 Principal Patricia Mitchell (from l.) state Sen. Shirley Huntley, a student and Borough President Helen Marshall cut the ribbon at the school's new auditorium. Photo by Ivan Pereira

Students at PS/IS 48 in Jamaica have been yearning for a school building where they did not have to share a single room in which to eat, play and assemble and this year their wishes were granted.

The young learners joined their teachers and elected officials at the school’s new building Friday to celebrate their all-new, all-different space and show off their school spirit. The five-story structure, at 108-25 155th St., features state-of-the-art classrooms, an auditorium, science labs and other amenities that were not possible in their old building next door.

Principal Patricia Mitchell said parents have always complimented her staff for their work, but was always frustrated with the overcrowded conditions in the old school. When word came four years ago that the building would get an upgrade, the parents were excited, according to the principal.

“We’ve been waiting for this day for a long time,” she said.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) led the campaign to improve PS/IS 48 long before she was elected to the state Legislature in 2006. During her time as a parent advocate and member of School District 28’s Community Education Council, Huntley heard frequent complaints from the community about PS/IS 48 and pushed for a bigger space.

She said she was appalled that the pre-K to fifth-graders had to use a small, multipurpose room as their gym, cafeteria and auditorium.

When she got into office, Huntley was able to work with the city School Construction Authority to create the space after the city rezoned 368 blocks in downtown Jamaica in 2007.

“This has been a 30-year project. It’s not about me. It’s about you,” the senator told the children.

The school now has three separate rooms for the auditorium, gym and cafeteria and has the latest school textbooks, computers and other supplies.

Dorothy Cash, who teaches second-grade and has been with the school for many years, said the new facility had everything an instructor could ask for.

“It has been a fabulous transition,” she said.

Borough President Helen Marshall applauded the staff and parents for their work over the years and urged other parents to keep fighting for their children.

“It’s important for them to get the best education they can get,” she said.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley and Dr. Robert Evans are teaming up to come up with a way to fill the health void in southeast Queens. Photo courtesy Shirley Huntley's office

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) announced a new plan last week she hopes will solve the health crisis that has been gripping southeast Queens for years, but health advocates want to make sure the proposal has enough meat on its bones to make a change.

Huntley said she will be working with Dr. Robert Evans, the founder of Community Wellness Centers of America, a Jamaica-based nonprofit that develops programs for underprivileged communities, to create the Prescription for Change program.

The initiative that is in the early stages aims to bring an integrated care network that would take care of the health needs of the community and possibly create new jobs, according to the senator.

“Our primary objective is to bring about coordinated, cost-effective changes in the health care delivery system, which supports all local hospitals, and addresses the health disparities and lack of resources by responding to the community’s medical needs,” she said in a statement.

A “community steering committee” will be created as part of the plan and create an accountable care organization that would share medical data and coordinate care among smaller health service providers in the area. The committee will discuss ways to improve access to care, state health initiatives and securing appropriate grants, according to Huntley.

The senator also said the group would push for additional resources from the city Economic Development Corp.’s bioscience initiatives program and create new health care-based jobs in the area.

After Mary Immaculate Hospital closed two years ago, southeast Queens has had to struggle with the lack of a large, stable, primary care facility. Other medical centers like Jamaica Hospital and Queens Hospital Center have had a surge in emergency room patients.

Kevin Forrestal, a member of the grassroots health group Southeast Queens United in Support of Health Services, applauded Huntley’s initiative but said it needed to be more substantial.

Forrestal’s group has been trying to come up with new ways to bring better health care to the neighborhood since the closure of Mary Immaculate and said the community needs results as soon as possible.

“The devil’s in the details,” he said. “This is a very broad announcement about talking about goals.”

Forrestal added that the city’s bioscience initiative is still in the request for proposals stage, but a call for it to be brought to the borough is a plus.

“There is a disparity of health access in southeast Queens and anything to help? would be good,” he said.

Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (l.) and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio (r.) speak to PS 16 PTA president Maria Quiroz at a signature drive at the school against teacher layoffs. Photo by Rebecca Henely

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras (D-East Elmhurst) visited Corona’s PS 19 last week and collected about 100 signatures from parents and students within an hour imploring Mayor Michael Bloomberg not to fire 4,100 teachers from city schools.

He then took his call for action to the borough streets last Thursday.

“The issue here is to get parents engaged and make sure parents’ voices are heard,” de Blasio said.

The May 24 visit was part of a campaign de Blasio has been waging to prevent Bloomberg from laying off 4,100 teachers as proposed in his city budget. Wylie Norvell, a spokesman for de Blasio, said the public advocate has been collecting signatures, testimony and videos of parents who do not want teachers laid off.

As part of the campaign, de Blasio has also been going to schools throughout the city, and Norvell said last week he planned to visit one in each of the five boroughs. PS 19, at 98-02 Roosevelt Ave. in Corona, one of the most crowded schools in the city, was where de Blasio decided to appear in Queens.

The public advocate said the layoffs would create an “unprecedented danger” to the city school system and would constitute the largest number of teachers lost at one time since the 1970s.

“We’re going to make a bad situation worse in those schools that are overcrowded,” de Blasio said.

Ferreras, who went to PS 19 as a child, said she remembers the school bursting at the seams as a student there. She said that as the school is now, special education is taught in the hallways and lunch periods begin at 10:30 a.m.

“This is not a new issue. The problem is that we haven’t applied new solutions,” Ferreras said.

Yoselin Genao, Ferreras’ chief of staff, said PS 19 has the capacity for 1,305 students but there are 2,012 students currently enrolled.

“In the average class there’s 30 students,” said Maria Quiroz, president of the PTA who has two children at the school. “Where would all these students go?”

Eddie Paez, a fifth-grade student at the school who lives the Corona, said he signed the petition to help his teachers.

“They teach us a lot and they show us how to improve in life and what to do,” Eddie said.

De Blasio and state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) gathered more signatures and support with a series of rallies in Queens last Thursday. The public advocate’s supporters met at the Parsons Boulevard-Archer Avenue subway station, PS 40 and PS 30 in Jamaica, the Queens Plaza subway station and the Roosevelt Avenue subway station to voice their disdain against the city.

“That is 4,100 less teachers that our children will have to educate them, 4,100 less teachers our children can go to for help and guidance and 4,100 less teachers to make our schools tolerant, safe and productive,” Huntley said in a statement.

At the PS 19 drive, Ferreras said now that Dennis Walcott has become city schools chancellor, the lines of communication have been better. She said previous Schools Chancellor Cathie Black never returned her calls, but Ferreras was one of the first electeds to meet with Walcott.

“For me personally, it’s been day and night,” she said.

But the public advocate said Walcott needs to demonstrate that policy has changed among the administration.

“He has to show people there’s a change in direction at the Department of Education,” de Blasio said.

Visit parentsforteachers.com for the petition.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley is facing probes from both state and federal investigators.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-St. Albans) is under federal investigation, a legislative source familiar with the probe said.

While the source could not say exactly why federal investigators were looking at Huntley, the New York Post reported the southeast Queens senator received a federal subpoena in connection with $400,000 in member items she helped steer toward a nonprofit connected to her family and friends.

Neither Huntley nor her attorney, Mark Pollard, would comment.

Both the Manhattan and Brooklyn U.S. attorneys have ongoing probes into Huntley, the Post said, but it was unclear whether the two offices were investigating the same matters.

The source said the investigation comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo has called on legislators who are attorneys and have clients who do business with the state to disclose their clients as well as how much they are getting paid.

The federal investigation follows subpoenas issued by state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to the nonprofit Parent Information Network Inc., which is run by Huntley’s daughter, Pamela Corley, according to the Associated Press, and received $400,000 in member item funding from the state Assembly between 1993 and 2008 and another $30,000 from Huntley in 2008.

Another subpoena from Schneiderman’s office was received by the group Parent Information, which Huntley created before she was elected in 2006 and was formerly run by one of her staffers, the AP said.

Campaign finance records show Corley and Savage were paid thousands of dollars by Huntley ?for various events over the last couple of years.

In July, Corley was paid $1,000 for consulting, the next month she was paid $5,000 for polls and in September she was paid $2,400 for “office” and more than $37,000 for wages, according to state campaign finance records.

Savage was paid $425 in July 2009 for campaign literature, $974 in September 2009 and $1,100 in December 2009 for fund-raising, campaign finance records show.

In January, she was paid more than $573 for office expenses, a month later she was paid $400 for a census kickoff and in November she was paid $200 for refreshments and $5,000 the next month for consulting services, according to campaign finance records.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley paid her daughter thousands of dollars for various jobs on her election campaigns, according to campaign finance records.

Taxpayer money that was distributed to education groups with close ties to state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) has caught the state attorney general’s eye, according to a published report.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has issued subpoenas to the nonprofit Parent Information Network Inc., which is run by Huntley’s daughter Pamela Corley, and another group called Parent Information, which the senator created before she was elected to office in 2006 and was formerly run by one of her staffers, the Associated Press reported.

The subpoenas request information from the groups about grant money that was distributed to them from discretionary funds distributed by Huntley, who sits on the Senate Education Committee, according to the AP.

The attorney general’s office and Huntley declined to comment about the ongoing investigation. The senator’s district includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and parts of Forest Hills.

Parent Information Network received more than $400,000 in state Assembly funding between 1993 and 2008 to advise parents how to “navigate New York City schools,” according to records from the state Department of Education. Two requests made by the Assembly in 2006 for grants to the group, which totaled $33,000, and another request made two years later for a $30,000 grant, were not approved, the records show.

Some of the money was allocated by state Assemblywoman Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica), who the AP said dispensed $30,000 in taxpayer dollars to the group in 2008.

Cook did not return phone calls for comment.

In 2008, Huntley also awarded Parent Information a state grant of $30,000 for training and supplies, according to the AP. In that same year, the nonprofit’s president, Patricia Savage, ended her term as the head of Parent Information and joined the senator’s staff as a “confidential assistant” and earns $85,000 a year, the AP reported.

Campaign finance records show Corley and Savage were paid thousands of dollars by Huntley ?for various events over the last couple of years.

In July, Corley was paid $1,000 for consulting, the next month she was paid $5,000 for polls, and in September she was paid $2,400 for “office” and more than $37,000 for wages, according to state campaign finance records.

Savage was paid $425 in July 2009 for literature, $974 in September 2009 and $1,100 in December 2009 for fund-raising, campaign finance records show. Last January, she was paid more than $573 for “office,” a month later she was paid $400 for a Census kickoff and in November she was paid $200 for refreshments and $5,000 the next month for consulting services, according to campaign finance records.

The U.S. attorney’s office is also investigating U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) over a nonprofit they created. The investigation into the now-defunct New Direction Development Corp. began after the charity’s income and spending practices were questioned.

State Sen. Tony Avella has been appointed the ranking minority member of the Cities and Environmental Protection Committees. Photo by Christina Santucci

State Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) is one of three freshmen Democratic senators to be appointed as ranking minority members of legislative committees in Albany, Sen. Democratic Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) announced last week.

Avella, who represents the 11th Senate District, is the ranking member for the Democrats of the Cities and Environmental Protection committees and will serve on the Education, Aging and Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs committees.

“As a freshman senator, it is an honor to have been tasked to serve on five committees and to be a ranking member on two,” Avella said. “As ranking member, I will be the point person for the members of my conference on bills that will go before my committees. This will allow me to point out any problems or flaws pertaining to a particular bill to emphasize the importance of specific legislation.”

The other new Democrats who were appointed ranking members were Sens. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) and Tim Kennedy (D-Erie County). Gianaris will head the Codes Committee and Kennedy will lead the Commerce, Economic Development and Commerce Committee.

Ranking members review all bills that go before their respective committees and serve as the authority to whom other committee members can direct questions regarding the bills. Ranking members are also influential in the appointment of new commissioners for state agencies.

After being sworn into office in the beginning of January, Avella, who toppled former Republican Sen. Frank Padavan in November’s election, said he planned to focus on the state budget and ethics reform.

“I’m worried about how the budget cuts will impact everybody — in the state, in New York City, in Queens and in my district,” Avella said last week. “Will the discretionary funds, which the nonprofits depend upon, be cut like they were last year?”

A number of Queens lawmakers landed leadership positions in a number of committees. Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) is the ranking Democratic of banks, Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) was appointed the minority party’s leader of the Ethics and the Mental Health and Development Disabilities committees, Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), is the ranking minority member of the Higher Education Committee, for which she had served as chairwoman when Democrats were in the majority, Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) is the ranking member of the Labor Committee and Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) is the ranking member of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee.

“The economic crisis of the last two years has demonstrated to all New Yorkers that government cannot function as it always has,” Sampson said in a statement announcing the ranking members. “In order to create jobs and rebuild our economy, we need to do things differently. Our conference is taking that approach to governance by championing ethics, budget and redistricting reform.”

Ruben Wills (c.) greets potential voters on Sutphin Boulevard Tuesday morning. Photo by Christina Santucci

Ruben Wills won the special election to fill the Council seat held by Thomas White with a modest lead over Nicole Paultre-Bell, unofficial election results from New York 1 said.

With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, the longtime activist and political aide had about 31.2 percent of the total vote with 3,347 votes in the election for the District 28 seat, according to NY 1. Paultre-Bell, the fiancée of police shooting victim Sean Bell, had roughly 25.3 percent of the total with 2,721 residents choosing her at the polls, the station reported.

Albert Baldeo came in third with 1,512 votes, or about 14.1 percent, followed by former Councilman Allan Jennings, with 1,068 votes, or 9.95 percent; Charles Bilal, with 925 votes, or 8.6 percent; Harpreet Toor with 728 votes, or 6.8 percent; and Martha Butler with 436 votes, or 4.1 percent, according to NY 1.

The city’s Board of Elections said there were problems at polling stations in southeast Queens, which delayed the count for the election.

In other southeast Queens races, state Sen. Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) won his bid for another term in Albany with 17,801 votes, roughly 74.1 percent of the total, and defeated GOP opponent Samuel Benoit, who had 5,089 votes, or about 21.2 percent of the total, and Conservative candidate Everly Brown, who had 1,146 votes, or 4.8 percent, according to NY 1. Only 72 percent of the precincts reported their results, NY 1 said.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and state Assembly members William Scarborough (D-St. Albans), Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village), Michelle Titus (D-Far Rockaway) and Vivian Cook (D-Jamaica) all ran opposed in the general election and will be serving another term in Albany this January.

Wills, who was supported by state Huntley and City Councilman Leroy Comrie (D-St. Albans), said he was positive that he would pull through to capture the seat.

“I look forward to working with the diverse neighborhoods of the 28th Council District to address the challenges we face together,” he said in a statement.

Paultre-Bell, who was backed by U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) and Councilman James Sanders (D-Laurelton), could not be reached for comment.

Wills’s backers said he had proven himself for years during his work with Huntley and Comrie as well as community groups.

“I like that he lives in the community and has been part of the community for years,” said voter Evelyn Rucker, 40, after she cast her ballot at August Martin HS.

Voters choosing Paultre-Bell, who had to move into the district last month, said her fresh face in southeast Queens politics gave them confidence in putting their trust behind her campaign.

“I figured she’s new so they didn’t have a chance to corrupt her,” said Bernie Williams, a 59-year-old voter from Jamaica.

But others thought that her naivete would hinder her from getting positive results for the neighborhood.

“She has a reason, she has a cause, but we need a leader who knows what to do,” said Abigail Thomas, 22, who voted for Wills.

The special non-partisan election was held following White’s death in August. Seven candidates from all over the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, South Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and Rochdale Village, threw their hats into the ring following the election’s announcement.

The large number of candidates on the ballot and the short time they had to get their message out on the streets made some voters a little confused about whom to choose.

“I was interested in the race, but I didn’t have any of the histories on them,” said a Jamaica voter who would only identify herself as Johnnise.

The 38-year-old said she ultimately omitted that race on her ballot.

“I would have made a choice, but I didn’t see them do anything for the community,” she said.

The winner will serve a term that lasts until Dec. 31, 2011 and will have to face another election next year to retain the Council seat.

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman and state Sen. Shirley Huntley talk about the hospital closure act. Photo by Ivan Pereira

State Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Fresh Meadows) and state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) appeared in front of the former site of Mary Immaculate Hospital Friday to urge the governor to sign a bill they sponsored that would help New York communities that face similar health-care voids.

The state legislators are the co-sponsors of the Hospital Closure Planning Act, which would mandate that the state Department of Health go through a process that would prepare neighborhoods around hospitals that are slated for closure.

Lancman and Huntley said that when Mary Immaculate in Jamaica and St. John’s Hospital in Elmhurst? closed last year, the community was given little warning and elected officials, community leaders and other hospitals did not have enough time to adapt.

“You would expect when a hospital this big closes down, the government would give a plan,” Lancman said.

The bill, which has passed in the Assembly and Senate, would require the DOH to hold a special meeting with residents within 30 days before a hospital’s closing. The department would then come back with a detailed report on the state of the health care following the closure and plans on how to meet the community’s needs.

Huntley said that if such a plan were made for Mary Immaculate, which served more than 100,000 patients a year, the other hospitals would have been able to better cope with the extra load.

“My constituents have no place to go,” she said.

The bill is currently waiting for Gov. David Paterson’s signature and must be signed by midnight Friday, according to Lancman. A representative from the governor’s office said Paterson is going over the logistics of the bill.

“The governor is reviewing this bill and will act on it by the deadline,” said spokesman Morgan Hook.

Lancman said the governor needed to put the bill on the top of his priority list, since it was initially vetoed last year over Paterson’s concerns about how the public meeting would be conducted.

The legislators changed the guidelines for the hearings addressing the governor’s considerations.?

“The senator and I have a responsibility to legislate not only for the community but also the state,” he said.

Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (r.) campaigns outside IS 192 with district leader Henry McCoy (second r.). Photo by Christina Santucci

Experience was the deciding factor in the key Democratic primary races as both state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) were returned to office, according to unofficial results.

Huntley defeated Lynn Nunes, 25, with 6,885 votes, or roughly 70 percent of the tally, with 80 percent of the precincts reporting. Nunes captured 2,970 votes, or about 30 percent of the vote, according to the results carried by NY1.

“Sen. Shirley Huntley has been delivering results for her community for almost four years, and residents showed up at the polls today to say thank you by overwhelmingly voting for her,” said Lisa King, Huntley’s spokeswoman.

Nunes, a small business owner from South Ozone Park, could not be reached for comment as of press time Tuesday.

Clark bested Clyde Vanel in her race, with the incumbent collecting 1,206 votes, or 65 percent, with 46 percent of the precincts reporting, compared to her challenger’s 662 votes, or 35 percent, NY1 said.

Neither Clark nor Vanel, 35, an attorney who owns a private practice in Manhattan, could be reached for comment as of press time.

There are no Republican challengers for either race, which means both Huntley and Clark have been re-elected.

Since 2007 Huntley has been the representative of the 10th Senate District, which includes the neighborhoods of Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and parts of Forest Hills. Nunes had attempted a run for the late City Councilman Thomas White’s seat last year, but lost to White in the primary.

At the polls throughout southeast Queens, voters said they went with the Huntley because of her years of work in the community.

“I’ve been following her. She’s been trying hard,” said Chanttale Santana, 25, of Jamaica, who voted at PS 140 at 166-00 116th Ave.

Nunes had been gaining strong support from gay rights groups who decried Huntley’s no vote on the gay marriage bill last year. That issue did not seem to affect voters in the area, as many said they did not think Nunes had enough experience to lead in Albany.

“I didn’t know a thing about him,” said Dorit Bodden, 89, of St. Albans, who voted at the Robert Ross Johnson Family Life Center on Linden Boulevard.

Over in eastern Queens, voters were more mixed about their choice for the Assembly candidate.

Clark represents the 33rd Assembly District, which includes the neighborhoods of Queens Village and Cambria Heights and parts of Bellerose and has been in the Assembly for more than 20 years. Vanel was popular among voters who said they wanted a change in Albany.

“I don’t think she’s doing a good job,” said Jim Douglas, 54, an accountant who voted at PS 147 in Cambria Heights. “There is always room for an improvement.”

Some, however, believed that Clark was performing well as a state legislator and would continue to work hard for constituents.

“She did a good job so far,” said Alexander Smith, 61, of Cambria Heights, who also voted at PS 147.

Clyde Vanel (far l.) and Lynn Nunes (far r.) are aiming to shake up the status quo in southeast Queens by challenging state Sen. Shirley Huntley (c. from l.) and state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark. Photos by Ivan Pereira

Next week’s Democratic primary will be pitting two of southeast Queens’ veteran members of the state Legislature against two challengers hoping to make their mark on the borough’s political scene.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and state Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) have been campaigning over the summer to remain in their offices for another term. Both Lynn Nunes, who is taking on Huntley, and Clyde Vanel, who is challenging Clark, have been using the same time to get their names out to voters around southeast Queens.

The 10th Senate District, which includes Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and parts of Forest Hills, since 2007. Huntley, who previously worked as the president of Community School Board 28, has focused a lot of her efforts in Albany on improving the schools in her district and helping residents with the foreclosure crisis.

She has received a lot of criticism from gay rights groups over her no vote on gay marriage last year. Many of those groups, such as the Human Rights Campaign and the Empire State Pride Agenda, and gay rights activists, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan), have given their backing to Nunes, a 25-year-old small businessman from South Ozone Park.

Huntley has the backing of the Democratic party and many of her state colleagues have rallied to her side during the campaign.

Nunes has been taking a low-key approach to his campaign using his reputation from his run against City Councilman Thomas White last year as his main fighting point. The challenger came six votes shy of knocking out White in last year’s Democratic primary, a feat that Nunes said shows voters want a change in the status quo.

He has been making several door to door visits to promote his agenda that includes improving small business.

Campaign finance records show that she and her challenger have spent a lot to make their cases to the voters.

Huntley raised $137,248 and spent more than $104,028 for her re-election bid, campaign finance records show. The largest donations she received were two $9,500 contributions from Senate Majority Conference Leader John Sampson (D-Brooklyn) and state Democrats, according to the records.

Nunes has raised more than $175,607 and spent a little more than $49,562 on his campaign, according to campaign finance records. The majority of the challenger’s contributions came from individual donors with the largest contribution coming from a $10,000 donation from himself, campaign finance records show.

Although Clark and Vanel have not been as visible in their campaigns, both have been raising a lot of money for their races for the 33rd Assembly District seat, which includes the neighborhoods of Queens Village and Cambria Heights and parts of Bellerose.

Clark, who has been in the Assembly for more than 20 years, has raised $8,235 and spent a little more than $10,549, campaign finance records show. Most of the assemblywoman’s donations have come from individual donations and all are under $1,000, according to campaign finance records.

Vanel, an attorney who has a private office that specializes in business law, has raised a little over $3,721 for his election bid, according to the city Campaign Finance Board. Although the board does not list how much he has spent on his campaign, it indicated that his largest donor is his sister, Jessica, who gave $626.03, campaign finance records show.

For the borough’s congressional races, the union has backed incumbent U.S. Reps. Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside), Anthony Weiner (D-Forest Hills), Carolyn Maloney (D-Astoria) and Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights) for their reelection campaigns. However, the union did not give an endorsement to U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) or his Republican opponent Asher Taub.

For state Senate races, DC 37 backed state Senators Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica), Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) and Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone) for their reelection bids, but did not issue endorsements in the races of incumbents Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights), Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans) or Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach), or in the race to replace George Onorato (D-Astoria), in which Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria) is running unopposed.

The union also gave endorsements to several state Assembly candidates including incumbents Audrey Pheffer (D-Rockaway Beach), David Weprin (D-Little Neck), Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth) and Jeffrion Aubry (D-Corona), as well as candidate Francisco Moya, who is facing Hiram Monserrate in a Democratic primary for the 39th Assembly District seat that was vacated by state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-Jackson Heights). The winner of that primary will face Republican Humberto Suarezmotta.

The union did not make endorsements in several Assembly races, including District 26, where there is a Republican candidate and a crowded Democratic primary field vying to replace departing Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza; District 28, currently held by Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills), who is facing Joe Fox in a Democratic primary and a Republican opponent, Alex Powietrzynski; District 34, where incumbent Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) is being challenged in a Democratic primary by Clyde Vanel; District 37, in which incumbent Cathy Nolan (D-Ridgewood) is facing a Republican challenger, John Malone; and District 38, where incumbent Michael Miller (D-Woodhaven) faces a Democratic primary with Nick Comaianni and Republican opponent Donna Marie Caltabiano.

Representatives for DC 37 were not available to comment Friday on why they declined to endorse candidates in certain Queens races.

When the debate began, moderator Leroy Gadsden (c.) only had three candidates to question: Asher Taub (l. to r.), Shirley Huntley and Barbara Clark. Photo by Ivan Pereira

A political debate in St. Albans last Thursday hosted five candidates running for four offices representing southeast Queens, but incumbents and their challengers never once met face-to-face during the forum.

The debate, hosted by the Jamaica branch of the NAACP at the Majority Baptist Church in St. Albans, was supposed to pit U.S. Rep Gregory Meeks (D-Jamaica) against his Republican opponent, Asher Taub; state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) against primary challenger Lynn Nunes; state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) against Democrat Tony Avella; and Assemblywoman Barbara Clark (D-Queens Village) against her primary opponent, Clyde Vanel.

But at the outset of the forum, only Huntley, Clark and Taub were on the stage. Meeks sent word that he could not attend because of a family emergency, and Vanel said Friday that he skipped the debate because he had other community events to go to. Padvan told the TimesLedger Tuesday that he was not invited to the event, despite moderator NAACP Jamaica president Leroy Gadsen’s claim that he sent invitations to all of the candidates.

Under questioning from Gadsden, the candidates who did appear talked about the flooding issues that affect southeast Queens during heavy rains. Two weeks ago, some homes in Springfield Gardens were flooded by torrential rainfall.

Huntley said she has been meeting with representatives from the city Department of Environmental Protection to get more work done on the neighborhood’s sewer system and assured the audience that she would push the city to fix the problem fast.

“I think Queens County gets neglected,” she said.

Taub, a private attorney from Kew Gardens, said the problem was with funding to the state and city and promised that, if elected, he would increase the federal allocation to the district.

“There needs to be more accountability,” he said.

Huntley and Clark were asked about the delayed state budget and what they would do to keep funding for necessary services such as school resources. Huntley said she voted against the governor’s budget this year because there were too many cuts to those services.

“The governor’s budget was bare-bones. Everything was cut,” she said.

Clark said the budget process has become a little more difficult for legislators because of the rising deficit, which this year, fueled by the economic recession, totaled $9.6 billion.

“We never had that deficit before. We had to figure this thing out,” she said.

Lynn Nunes arrived partway through the debate — almost immediately after his opponent, Shirley Huntley, left to attend another event. Photo by Ivan Pereira

After that topic was discussed, Huntley left the forum to attend another event. But the moment she stepped out of the church’s auditorium, Nunes, her Democratic primary rival, arrived and joined the debate without his opponent.

When questioned about how he would improve the economic outlook of the neighborhood, Nunes, who owns a real-estate business, said he would like to increase medical services in the community with new health centers in light of the closing of Mary Immaculate Hospital.

“What we do is create jobs to fill the health-care void,” he said.

Tony Avella, who is running for Padavan’s seat, then showed up for the debate. Avella said that although the 11th Senatorial District covers only a small part of southeast Queens — portions of Queens Village and Hollis — it deserved as much attention as the northern neighborhoods. He said he believed Padavan did not care enough about their needs.

“I’m running to change that seat and make it more responsible,” he said.

When pressed about their positions on the reconstruction plans for the St. Albans VA hospital, all the candidates slammed the current proposal to privately develop 25 acres of the land.

Taub said the problem was with Meeks, who let the developers take control and ignore the community’s need for more hospital space.

“You can use the ballot box to control this,” he said.

But Clark went to bat for Meeks on this issue and told the audience that during her several meetings with the congressman, he has always been in support of a proposal that benefits the veterans.

“I think he has taken a full position that he wants a full-detail hospital,” she said.

[Updated: The TimesLedger was able to reach Padavan on Tuesday. His comments on not attending the debate were added.]

State Sen. Shirley Huntley says she wants to continue to help her constituents in southeast Queens. Photo by Christina Santucci

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) said she has done a lot during her nearly two terms as the elected official for the 10th Senate District and she promised to use her experience over the last four years to make the community better.

Huntley said the campaign for the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, where she is facing 25-year-old real estate business owner Lynn Nunes, is not detracting from her work up in Albany. In fact, the incumbent said her campaign and Senate duties are complementing each other because her constituents are able to see the results of her performance in the Legislature and make the decision to re-elect her.

“I’m campaigning on my record,” she said. “The campaign is one thing, but I continue to do my government business.”

Huntley, who was elected in 2006, said she would like to continue her focus on improving education in her neighborhoods that include Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and parts of Forest Hills. The senator, who was a member of the Community Education Council in District 28, said the biggest problem in today’s schools is that parents are not taking a hands-on role in their children’s academics.

She said she would work to make sure the school governance package law is enforced and see to it that the parents’ training center at York College is properly set up so they can better understand the city’s education system.

“The problem in education is that there is so much red tape with parents,” she said. “I get so many calls where people ask how do you do this? How do you get into certain schools? How do you get things for their children?”

The incumbent is also focusing on health care since southeast Queens has been left with a medical void following the closing of Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica last year. Huntley said she would like to bring a new first-care clinic to Richmond Hill to help fill that void.

“There is nothing like the Joe Addabbo clinic there,” she said. “There are no walk-ins or anything.”

The senator has been criticized by gay rights groups for her no-vote against gay marriage last year, but Huntley said the vote was taken out of context. She said she has been a supporter of gay rights, but for the marriage vote she took a poll of her constituents and voted on their behalf.

“Sixty-two percent of my district said no for [marriage] equality,” she explained. “It was not personal. It was for my district.”

Huntley said she cannot control what reasons people vote for her, but said that her work on all issues as a whole speaks for itself.

“For the past few years, I have done everything that I said I would do when I went to the Senate,” she said.

The non-partisan government watchdog group, Citizens Union, picked the 25-year-old real estate business owner, who is challenging incumbent state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) for being “active in the community to address the fallout from the foreclosure crisis,” according to the candidate.

Nunes has earned several endorsements for his run, including backing from several gay rights groups and activists who have criticized Huntley for her no vote on the gay marriage bill last year.

The candidate has been  pushing Huntley to meet with him in a debate before the voters head to the polls. Nunes appeared alone for a Queens Public Television candidates forum this week, and said he would be appearing in a debate in Richmond Hill next Wednesday and another at the Jamaica NAACP the following day. Huntley’s office has indicated that she would not be partaking in any debate for the primary.

“There are many important issues facing our communities and voters deserve to hear directly from the candidates,” Nunes said in a statement.

State Sen. Shirley Huntley (l.) and challenger Lynn Nunes are rallying their supporters in advance of the Sept. 14 Democratic Primary.

With more than two weeks left before the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, state Sen. Shirley Huntley (D-Jamaica) and Lynn Nunes are strengthening their campaigns to get their voices heard.

Both candidates for the 10th Senate District, which covers southeast Queens neighborhoods such as Jamaica, Laurelton, Springfield Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and parts of Forest Hills, made the rounds during the last week to get their messages across to voters.

The race between the incumbent and the 25-year-old real estate business owner has been heating up over the last couple of weeks with Nunes garnering support from various gay rights groups and supporters, including City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan).

Huntley was criticized for her vote against gay marriage in the Senate last year. The senator, endorsed by the Queens Democratic Party, has been working on her re-election bid with appearances at several events in the area.

On Saturday, she attended the rally outside the St. Albans Veterans Hospital, along with her Senate colleague Malcolm Smith (D-St. Albans), and called on the federal government to stop delaying their plans for a more modernized facility. She also attended St. Luke Cathedral Family and Friends Day in Laurelton.

Her challenger did not attend those events, instead opting for a grassroots effort to get his name out. Nunes said he visited “hundreds” of homes in southeast Queens during the weekend.

“I did a door-to-door to get more contacts,” he said.

The efforts on both sides came days after one of Huntley’s campaign employees had to clarify his role in the race. Queens Tribune Associate Publisher Michael Nussbaum said his public relations and political consulting firm, Multi Media, was misrepresented by the state Campaign Finance Board when it said Huntley paid the group $30,000 for consulting work in the June filing.

“The majority of those fees was not for consulting. It was printing,” Nussbaum said.

Multi Media was also paid for campaign advertising jobs by Democratic candidates Edward Braunstein, who is running for state Assemblywoman Ann-Margaret Carrozza’s (D-Bayside) seat, and Isaac Sasson, who is running against Sen. Toby Stavisky (D-Whitestone), according to campaign finance records. Last year, Nussbaum came under fire for his job as a political consultant to Democrat Kevin Kim during his bid for the City Council, which he lost to Dan Halloran.

The Tribune ran an article after the Democratic primary that exposed challenger Halloran’s pagan religious practices and the Republican candidate went on to win the general election that November.

Both Huntley and Nunes declined to comment about Multi Media’s role.

Nunes, however, questioned why the incumbent has not come out to hold a public discussion in front of voters. He appeared alone Monday during a taping for a candidates forum on Queens Public Television.

“I want to have a meaningful dialogue about issues [that have] affected the community,” Nunes said. “I think it’s the most appropriate forum doing it in front of the community, sitting side by side.”

A spokeswoman for Huntley’s office said the senator would not be participating in any debates for the primary.