John Bonacic
| John J. Bonacic | |
|---|---|
| Member of the New York State Senate from the 42nd district |
|
| Assumed office January 1999 |
|
| Preceded by | Charles D. Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 14, 1942 New York City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Pat Bonacic |
| Residence | New York |
| Alma mater | Fordham University |
| Website | Official website |
John J. Bonacic (born June 14, 1942 in New York City) is the Republican New York State Senator from the 42nd District (which includes all or parts of Delaware, Sullivan, Orange, and Ulster Counties). Bonacic was first elected in November 1998.
Personal life and education
Bonacic is of Croatian ancestry,[1] his grandparents were immigrants from Croatia.[2] He received his Bachelor of Arts from Iona College in 1964, majoring in Economics. He received his Doctorate of Law at Fordham University School of Law in 1968.
Political career
On February 20, 1990, Bonacic was elected to the New York State Assembly, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Mary M. McPhillips as Orange County Executive.[3] Bonacic was re-elected four times and remained in the Assembly until 1998, sitting in the 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st and 192nd New York State Legislatures. In November 1998, he was elected to the New York State Senate, and has been re-elected every two years.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Housing, Construction & Community Development. He is also the Co-Chair of the Senate Task Force on Health & Wellness and is the Senate's Representative on Governor Pataki's Small Cities Advisory Committee. He is also a member of the Senate's Budget Sub-Committee on Housing, Agriculture, Environmental Conservation, and Transportation.
In addition, Senator Bonacic serves as a member of several other Senate committees, including: Tourism, Recreation & Sports Development; Judiciary; Local Government; Commerce, Economic Development & Small Business; Banks; Codes; and Labor.
Senator Bonacic is recognized as an independent leader within the Senate. From nearly his first day in the Senate, he has challenged the conventional thinking of the long-time Majority on issues relating to healthcare, property tax reform, and government reform. Bonacic was the Senate sponsor of the Women's Health and Wellness Act, legislation so significant it was featured nationally on NBC Nightly News and has been called the most comprehensive women's healthcare law in the nation.[citation needed]
Bonacic was also the first voice within the current Senate membership to articulate a series of arguments against the current property tax system. He held statewide hearings in 2003 that led to the development of property tax reform legislation. That legislation, while supported in the Senate, was not brought to a vote in Assembly Committees, which are controlled by downstate Democrats. In addition, he offered legislation to remove the property tax, at local option, on primary residential property. That concept was picked up and passed in the Senate in 2006; again, without any action in the Assembly.[citation needed]
Bonacic voted against same-sex marriage legislation on December 2, 2009; the bill was defeated.[4] He also voted against the state's 2011 Marriage Equality Act, which the Senate passed 33-29.
External links
References
- ↑ Dnevno.hr Ratko Martinović: Loš PR u dijaspori - Koje su svjetski poznate osobe podrijetlom Hrvati, a da to niste ni znali, 28. listopada 2012. (Croatian)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3 Assembly Victors Favor Death Penalty in the New York Times on February 21, 1990
- ↑ Vote against same-sex marriage by Bonacic.
| New York Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | New York State Assembly 94th District 1990–1992 |
Succeeded by Nancy Calhoun |
| Preceded by | New York State Assembly 95th District 1993–1998 |
Succeeded by Howard Mills III |
| New York State Senate | ||
| Preceded by | New York State Senate 40th District 1999–2002 |
Succeeded by Vincent Leibell |
| Preceded by | New York State Senate 42nd District 2003–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by | New York State Senate Chairman of the Judiciary Committee 2011–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by | New York State Senate Chairman of the Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering 2011–present |
Incumbent |
- Articles with unsourced statements from April 2011
- Pages using div col with unknown parameters
- 1942 births
- Living people
- Fordham University School of Law alumni
- Iona College (New York) alumni
- Members of the New York State Assembly
- New York State Senators
- People from the Catskills
- County legislators in New York
- New York Republicans
- American people of Croatian descent
