{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Alexander "Pete" Grannis | image = | caption = | office1 = Commissioner, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation | governor1 = Eliot Spitzer<br>David Paterson | term_start1 = 2007 | term_end1 = 2010 | predecessor1 = | successor1 = | office2 = Member, New York State Assembly<br>68th District (1975&ndash;1982)<br>65th District (1983&ndash;2007) | term_start2 = 1975 | term_end2 = 2007 | predecessor2 = Peter A. A. Berle | successor2 = Micah Kellner | birth_date = January 6, 1942 | birth_place = Chicago, IL | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = Rutgers University<br/>University of Virginia School of Law | profession = lawyer, politician | website = | footnotes = }}

'''Alexander B. "Pete" Grannis''' (born January 6, 1942)<ref name="NYT age">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/nyregion/23grannis.html |title= Cuts in State Agency Are Troubling, Environmentalists and Gas Drillers Agree |work= The New York Times |first= Mireya |last= Navarro |date= October 22, 2010 |access-date= April 13, 2011 |quote= Mr. Grannis, 67 |archive-date= January 26, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210126211443/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/nyregion/23grannis.html |url-status= live }}</ref> is a former Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). Before his tenure as Commissioner, he was a member of the New York State Assembly and represented District 65 as a member of the Democratic Party for the neighborhoods of the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Roosevelt Island. His firing by Governor David Paterson in October 2010 was controversial to many especially environmentalists.<ref name=Legislative /><ref name=Buffalo /><ref name=Counted /><ref name=Advocate /><ref name=Stern />

==Education and early career== Grannis is a graduate of Rutgers University and the University of Virginia School of Law.

His first job with New York state's government was as compliance counsel to the Department of Environmental Conservation.<ref name=OMR>{{cite web |url= http://www.omr.state.ny.us/images/hp_annualreport_2007report.pdf |title= OMR 2007 report |page= 111 |publisher= NYS Office of Mental Retardation (NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities) as of 2010 |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110101144211/http://www.omr.state.ny.us/images/hp_annualreport_2007report.pdf |archive-date= 2011-01-01 |url-status= dead}}</ref>

==New York State Assembly== He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1975 to 2007, sitting in the 181st, 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st, 192nd, 193rd, 194th, 195th, 196th and 197th New York State Legislatures. Grannis served as Chair of the Insurance Committee in the Assembly and was a member of several other standing committees. In his capacity as Chairman he authoring New York State's Community Rating/Open Enrollment Law, as well as the 1996 Managed Care Consumer Protection Act. As Insurance committee chairman, he co-sponsored New York's Stem Cell Research Bill.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/Press/20060110b/ |title= Silver Introduces Bill to 'Realize Great Potential' of Stem Cell Research: Assembly Passes Measure Seeking $300M in Funding to Encourage Life-Saving Medical Advances; Prohibit Reproductive Cloning; Promote Economic Development Strengths |work= Press release |publisher= New York State Assembly |first= Sheldon |last= Silver |date= January 10, 2006 |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= June 14, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110614074823/http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/Press/20060110b/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

He promoted the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) in 1978.<ref name=Adirondacks>{{cite web |url= http://www.protectadks.org/data/images/stories/AfPA-Chronology-45.pdf |title= An Adirondack Chronology |pages= 201, 209, 220, 280–284 |publisher= Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks |first1= Gary |last1= Chilson |first2= Carl |last2= George |first3= Richard |last3= Tucker |year= 2008 |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090106153946/http://www.protectadks.org/data/images/stories/AfPA-Chronology-45.pdf |archive-date= 2009-01-06 |url-status= dead}}</ref>

"Grannis work[ed] for passage of the 'Bottle Bill' and 'brownfields' clean-up legislation [in] 1982."<ref name=Adirondacks />

Other notable pieces of legislation Grannis wrote are New York State's Clean Indoor Air Act (1989),<ref name=Adirondacks /> which severely restricted cigarette smoking within public buildings, and the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act.<ref name=OMR />

He served for a decade as Chairman of the Assembly Housing Committee.<ref name=OMR /> He previously served as chairman of an Assembly Subcommittee on toxic waste issues.<ref name=OMR /> He served on the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee his entire time in office.<ref name=OMR />

===Elections=== Generally, Grannis was re-elected overwhelmingly in his progressive East Side district. In 1998, Grannis received 23,815 votes to Liberal-Republican Mark H. Snyder's 7,841 votes.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/ASSMWEB.pdf |title= 1998 General Election results: State Assembly |publisher= New York State Board of Elections |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 23, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823020634/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/1998/ASSMWEB.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> He was re-elected in 2000 with 34,230 votes, to Peter McCoy (Republican) with 11,357, and Edward V. Price (Independent), with 580.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2000/wasm2000.pdf |title= 2000 General Election results: State Assembly |publisher= New York State Board of Elections |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 23, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823002053/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2000/wasm2000.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref> Grannis had another three-way race in 2002, when he received 18,600 votes on the Democratic and Working Families Party lines, to 9,021 for David A. Friedman (on the Republican, Independence, and Liberal Party lines), and 377 for Ivana M. Edwards of the Green Party.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2002/general/2002_assem.pdf |title= 2002 General Election results: State Assembly |publisher= New York State Board of Elections |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 23, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823004004/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2002/general/2002_assem.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref> In 2004, Grannis was re-elected by a vote of 37,917 to 11,710 for Patricia Leslie.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2004/assembly04.pdf |title= 2004 General Election results: State Assembly |publisher= New York State Board of Elections |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 23, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823020906/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2004/assembly04.pdf |url-status= dead }}</ref> He was last re-elected in 2006 with a vote of 25,334 to 5,499 over Republican Michael Fandal.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2006/general/2006_assem.pdf |title= 2006 General Election results: State Assembly |publisher= New York State Board of Elections |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 22, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120822221121/http://www.elections.ny.gov/NYSBOE/elections/2006/general/2006_assem.pdf |url-status= live }}</ref>

==New York State Comptroller bid== In January 2007 he filed an application for consideration by the State Legislature for appointment as New York State Comptroller, filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alan Hevesi.<ref name=Comptroller>{{Citation |last= Hakim |first= Danny |title= The Candidates for Comptroller |newspaper= New York Times |date= January 19, 2007 |url= http://empirezone.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/19/the-candidates-for-comptroller/ |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= July 14, 2011 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110714223227/http://empirezone.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/01/19/the-candidates-for-comptroller/ |url-status= live }}</ref> He was one of 19 candidates for Comptroller.<ref name=Comptroller /> Alan Chartock called him "One of the most qualified of the legislators" to be Comptroller, but due to "the matter of political balance [it] is tough to imagine either Spitzer or Silver giving the job to another Manhattan politician."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.alanchartock.com/archives/2007_01_15_archive.html |title= Keep politics out of search for new comptroller |first= Alan |last= Chartock |publisher= alanchartock.com |date= January 15, 2007 |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120729154824/http://www.alanchartock.com/archives/2007_01_15_archive.html |archive-date= 2012-07-29 |url-status= dead}}</ref>

He interviewed with the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the search committee. He withdrew his application for Comptroller after being nominated as Environmental Conservation Commissioner.<ref>{{Citation |title= Downstate Legislator Nominated For DEC Post |newspaper= North Country Gazette |date= January 25, 2007 |url= http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/012507DECPost.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120910064659/http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/2007/012507DECPost.html |url-status= dead |archive-date= September 10, 2012 |access-date= October 26, 2010 }}</ref>

==Department of Environmental Conservation== [[File:NYSDEC in Albany.jpg|thumb|DEC Headquarters in Albany]] Grannis was nominated by Governor Eliot Spitzer as DEC Commissioner on January 25, 2007.<ref name=Adirondacks /> He was confirmed on April 1, 2007 by the New York State Senate.<ref name=Adirondacks />

As Commissioner, Grannis managed hundreds of employees and represented the state government's ecological efforts. He appointed Peter M. Iwanowicz, as director of a new Climate Change Office, on May 10, 2007.<ref name=Adirondacks /> He replaced some of the regional directors for DEC.<ref name=Adirondacks /> As part of his duties, he inspected polluted sites, such as Scajaquada Creek in western New York.<ref>{{Citation |last= Kryszak |first= Joyce |title= Officials Inspect Conditions in Scajaquada Creek |publisher= WBFO |date= August 14, 2008 |url= http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1340777 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20120909021147/http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wbfo/news.newsmain?action=article&ARTICLE_ID=1340777 |url-status= dead |archive-date= September 9, 2012 |access-date= October 26, 2010 }}</ref> He had some administrative law duties, which included fining polluters; in July 2007, he assessed "Walter French $48,800 for [a] floating camp at [[Cranberry Lake|Cranberry L[ake]]]"<ref name=Adirondacks />

Grannis was also Chairman and ''ex officio'' member of the board of the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC), a public benefit corporation which funds "programs that help New York State municipalities, agencies and businesses undertake projects ... to be environmentally responsible."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.nysefc.org/docs/annualreport08.pdf |title= NYSEFC 2007/2008 Annual Report |page= 3 |publisher= New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation |access-date= October 27, 2010 }}{{Dead link|date=November 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===Firing=== On October 21, 2010, he was fired from that position by Spitzer's successor, Governor David Paterson. The firing came after a memo prepared by Grannis, detailing how the governor's proposed budget cuts would impair environmental protection in New York, was leaked to the press.<ref>{{Citation |last= Hakim |first= Danny |title= Paterson Fires Top Conservation Official |newspaper = New York Times |pages= A28 |date= October 22, 2010 |url = https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/nyregion/22fired.html?emc=eta1 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last= Gormley |first= Michael |title= Pete Grannis, DEC commissioner, fired after leaked memo on staff cuts |newspaper= Associated Press |date= October 22, 2010 |url= http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/10/22/news/doc4cc18447dc4ac148792702.txt |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= March 5, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120305043554/http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2010/10/22/news/doc4cc18447dc4ac148792702.txt |url-status= dead }}</ref>

===Reaction=== Environmental activists unanimously reacted negatively to Grannis' firing.<ref name=Legislative>{{Citation |last= Reisman |first= John |title= Environmentalists react to Grannis firing |newspaper= Legislative Gazette |pages= 3, 9 |date= October 26, 2010 |url= http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2010-10-25-71907.113122-Environmentalists-react-to-Grannis-firing.html |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 2, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120802044511/http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2010-10-25-71907.113122-Environmentalists-react-to-Grannis-firing.html |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name=Buffalo>{{Citation |title= Firing of Grannis draws criticism |newspaper= Buffalo News |date= October 23, 2010 |url= http://www.buffalonews.com/city/capital-connection/albany/article228651.ece |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= November 1, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101101120215/http://www.buffalonews.com/city/capital-connection/albany/article228651.ece |url-status= live }}</ref> A Sierra Club spokesman called his sacking "appalling".<ref name=Legislative /> Rob Moore, director of Environmental Advocates, said "I think Gov. [sic] Paterson has been dismantling the agency for two years and he’s finally cut off its head."<ref name=Buffalo /> Political commentator Alan Chartock opined that the governor "should have counted to 10 before firing Grannis" because of the deep respect that the public has for Grannis.<ref name=Counted>{{Citation |last= Chartock |first= Alan |title= Paterson should have counted to 10 before firing Grannis |newspaper= Legislative Gazette |page= 4 |date= October 26, 2010 |url= http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2010-10-25-71910.113122-Paterson-should-have-counted-to-10-before-firing-Grannis.html |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= August 2, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120802044551/http://www.legislativegazette.com/Articles-c-2010-10-25-71910.113122-Paterson-should-have-counted-to-10-before-firing-Grannis.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Robin Dropkin, director of Parks & Trails New York, called his "firing ... deeply unfortunate. Mr. Grannis always has been a strong advocate for protecting New York's air, land and water."<ref name=Advocate>{{Citation |last= Dropkin |first= Robin |title= Cuts to N.Y. parks hurt economy |newspaper= Times Union |date= October 26, 2010 |url= http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Cuts-to-N-Y-parks-hurt-economy-723377.php |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= September 27, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120927160541/http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Cuts-to-N-Y-parks-hurt-economy-723377.php |url-status= live }}</ref> Henry Stern, former New York City parks commissioner, called the dismissal of Grannis "a new low" and "so ridiculous that it is difficult to comprehend."<ref name=Stern>{{Citation |last= Stern |first= Henry |title= The Pete Grannis Dismissal: A New Low |newspaper= Huffington Post |date= October 22, 2010 |url= https://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-j-stern/a-new-low_b_772668.html |access-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-date= October 26, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101026041357/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/henry-j-stern/a-new-low_b_772668.html |url-status= live }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Further reading== * Paterson, David (2020). ''Black, Blind, & in Charge: A Story of Visionary Leadership and Overcoming Adversity''. New York: Skyhorse Publishing.

==External links== *[http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=065 New York State Assembly Member Website] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060916180303/http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=BS022281&type=category&category=Gun%20Issues Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings] *[http://www.gothamgazette.com/eyeonalbany/assembly/district65.shtml Gotham Gazette's Eye On Albany: New York State Assembly: District 65] *[http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/edocs/education/check92.htm NY State Library Checklist of Official Publications of the State of New York 1992] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101028092255/http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/edocs/education/check92.htm |date=2010-10-28 }} {{ISSN|0077-9296}} January - December 1992 No. 752 Campaign disclosure checklists

{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ny-hs}} {{succession box | title = New York State Assembly <br>68th District | years = 1975–1982 | before = Peter A. A. Berle | after = Angelo Del Toro}} {{succession box | title = New York State Assembly <br>65th District | years = 1983–2007 | before = Steven Sanders | after = Micah Kellner}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grannis, Pete}} Category:Living people Category:State cabinet secretaries of New York (state) Category:Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Category:Rutgers University alumni Category:University of Virginia School of Law alumni Category:Politicians from Manhattan Category:Loomis Chaffee School alumni Category:1942 births Category:21st-century members of the New York State Legislature Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature