An analysis by Politico found Assemblyman Andrew Goodell had spoken 300,372 words on the Assembly floor over the past two years, roughly 13% of the total words spoken from the floor of the Assembly. Meanwhile, state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, spoke the most (76,247 words) on the Senate floor.

“When we say that we are your voice in Albany, we really are,” Goodell said. “Much to the chagrin of some of my Democrat colleagues.”

Often, arguments made by Goodell and Borrello end up on the wrong side of the ensuing vote, but Borrello said it’s important to make the argument.

“So often I hear from the people that we serve that they often feel that their voice is not being heard,” Borrello said. “This shows that we are speaking up and making a difference. Yes, it is still an uphill battle in so many ways. But I am proud that the voice of our rural region is heard loud and clear in Albany.”

State Sen. George Borrello debates on the Senate floor earlier this year.

Goodell is often leading floor arguments in his position as the floor leader. The Jamestown Republican often leads the Republicans’ line of questioning on legislation on the Assembly floor or explains a bill that isn’t being hotly contested and explains why Assembly Republicans are generally in favor or disapprove of that legislation. Goodell was a frequent debater on the Assembly floor even before becoming floor leader.

Now, as floor leader, Goodell spends many of his weekends during the legislative session making recommendations on every bill that is on the Assembly calendar each week. That process includes deciding if the bill is innocuous and should proceed directly to a vote or if it should be laid aside for more questions and debate. Goodell reviews legislative memorandums prepared by legal counsel and the Assembly’s Republican staff members as well as reading the text of the legislation on that week’s agenda. That process is what makes it possible to debate so many bills on the floor.

“Before I was floor leader I believe I was second or third in the entire Assembly,” Goodell said. “It’s because I have an interest in the legislation. So as you know I read it, and think about it and part of that may also reflect the fact I have the longest drive. So when I’m driving for over five hours to ge there it gives me plenty of time to think about the legislation.”

Borrello, meanwhile, is a regular speaker on the Senate floor, often leading questioning on controversial bills despite his shorter tenure in the Senate. Borrello said that was by design.

“First and foremost, even throughout the pandemic, I never missed a single day in-person for our regular session,” Borrello said. “There were many days when there were just a handful of us there. I felt it was my duty to be there so that I can speak out and debate so many of these bills that are truly damaging to the people of New York state.”

The Sunset Bay Republican was especially outspoken on the floor when it came time to debate new ward lines for state Senate, Assembly and U.S. House of Representatives districts. The maps were approved over Republican opposition and eventually ruled that the House and Assembly lines were illegally gerrymandered and had to be redrawn. The GOP lawsuit cited computer simulations by election analyst Sean Trende, who found the maps were gerrymandered. The court relied on that analysis in its ruling.

A New York appeals court allowed this year’s state Assembly elections to proceed this year under redistricting maps drawn by Democrats but ordered lawmakers to revise the maps in time for the 2024 elections.

“The debate over the unconstitutional gerrymandered redistricting process was critically important,” Borrello said. “Our debate became part of the arguments in the lawsuit that ended up with the highest court in New York state throwing out the maps that were illegally drawn by the Democratic leadership. That debate in particular helped to bring about our victory in court.”