Kenneth P. LaValle | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Member of the New York State Senate from the 1st district | |
In office January 1, 1977 –December 31, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Leon E. Giuffreda |
Succeeded by | Anthony Palumbo |
Personal details | |
Born | Brooklyn,New York | May 22,1939
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Penny LaValle |
Residence | Port Jefferson,New York |
Alma mater | Adelphi University (BS) State University of New York at New Paltz (MS) Touro College (JD) |
Website | www |
Kenneth P. LaValle (born May 22,1939 in Brooklyn,New York [1] ) is a former American politician. He represented District 1 in the New York State Senate. The district comprises the five East End towns of Long Island,New York,as well as the central and eastern portions of the Town of Brookhaven,New York. [2] A Republican,LaValle was first elected in 1976. He was the longest-serving member of the Senate [3] and has served more terms in office than any other current state senator in the United States. [4]
Born in Brooklyn,LaValle graduated from Hempstead High School. He received a B.S degree from Adelphi University in 1961 and an M.S. in Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz) in 1964. He also received a Juris Doctor from the Touro College Jacob D. Fuchsberg Law Center in 1987. LaValle is an attorney;he was admitted to the New York bar in 1993. [5]
LaValle is the father of two grown children. He resides in Port Jefferson,New York,with his wife,Penny. [6]
LaValle first ran for the New York Senate in 1976 to succeed retiring Senator Leon E. Giuffreda. He defeated Democratic nominee Barry McCoy,a physicist,winning 51% of the vote. Since then,he has faced very few serious challenges in his re-election campaigns. [7] [4]
In 2007,Gov. Eliot Spitzer appointed LaValle to the New York State Commission on Higher Education,which was charged with identifying ways of improving the quality of higher education in the State.[ citation needed ] LaValle also served on the National Council of State Legislatures’Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education. He played a key role in the development of the School Tax Relief (STAR) program. He also authored the 1993 Pine Barrens Preservation Act. [5]
In 2011,LaValle voted against allowing same-sex marriage in New York during roll-call for the Marriage Equality Act, [8] which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. [9]
The Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University bears his name. [10]
On January 10,2020,LaValle announced that he would not seek re-election to the Senate in 2020. [11] He was succeeded by Anthony Palumbo,and his term ended on December 31,2020. [12]