Video, Audio & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on One Bills Live

Earlier today, Governor Hochul joined the hosts of One Bills Live while attending the Buffalo Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher University where she signed legislation S.5539A/A.785A, also known as Desha’s Law, that will save countless lives by requiring cardiac emergency response plans in public schools.

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Kathy Hochul joining us, making a visit out here to training camp — great to have you, as always. But I understand there are a few reasons why you're joining us here today. I mean, you're going to say hi to the Pegulas, obviously, see what your team's looking like —

Governor Hochul: That's right.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: — but there are some other, alternative reasons.

Governor Hochul: Well, I was looking at the team very seriously.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yes.

Governor Hochul: I was standing out there with the card with Terry Pegula, and I was doing my own analysis. He wanted my feedback, I'm sure.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah. But you invited some kids out here today, right?

Governor Hochul: We had kids out here today from PrimeTime585. It's a great organization, an online platform of positive messages and online news for children because there aren't a lot of places they can go. They can get unfiltered positivity because there's so much negativity with social media these days, and it also ties into our cell phone ban. Starting this fall, we're going to say we're going to have a distraction-free environment in schools so our kids can finally learn again, they can engage with each other and not have the mental health challenges that they're experiencing now.

So, today was about kids. We also signed a bill into law today that was named after a young woman who was 12 years old. She collapsed on the playing field out on the basketball court, and there was a defibrillator in the building but there was not access to it and no one was trained. And so, we signed a law requiring schools to make sure that people have a plan in place and there's training — so, that was important to do here today.

So, got a lot done, but it's great to just walk around and see the fans. I signed a lot of autographs — not sure all the kids knew who I was.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Well, they're a little focused on Josh and some other people, so you understand —

Governor Hochul: They were good, I was just teasing. They all were happy. One young man said, “You're the greatest Governor in the whole world.” I was like, “Okay, put him in an ad.”

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah, yeah, you'll take that.

Governor Hochul: I love this kid.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Can you vote yet?

Governor Hochul: Great, great fan base here because they know I'm the greatest Bills fan who’s ever sat in this seat — ever in history.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah.

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: Governor Hochul, signing this bill into law. There's a Damar effect —

Governor Hochul: Yes.

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: — that has happened since Damar went through his cardiac arrest. How are you still feeling the benefits of everything that happened after that?

Governor Hochul: Yeah. His name is synonymous with the need for immediate response. And he was fortunate to get his life back, literally, as the world watched in shock and horror, and then ultimately joy. But he had the best professionals taking care of him instantaneously.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Right.

Governor Hochul: They knew what they were doing. When a young athlete collapses on a football field during practice, you don't know they're going to get that — they're probably not. So this was the focused attention based on his experience where he has been a great champion. He supported legislation we did last year that required that there be people trained in this also on sports fields outside the schools.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Right.

Governor Hochul: I mean, you're at a baseball diamond far away from a building or anywhere where kids congregate and use sports — you want to make sure that they would have access to this life-saving technology if so needed. So, I feel good about that.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah. And Damar has done great things in Western New York getting AEDs in school buildings or to athletic complexes. But to your point, Desha’s Law takes the next step, which is putting that emergency response plan—

Governor Hochul: Yes.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: — into place, right?

Governor Hochul: That's exactly the difference.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah. Okay, so you enact that and then how does that roll out? Because you get — is it just simple instructions training?

Governor Hochul: Yeah.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: And you guys provide the support for that?

Governor Hochul: Yeah. The Department of Education will make sure that they comply with all state laws. This is now a new state law as of my signing a few minutes ago, and school districts are on notice that they need to submit a plan by a certain date.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Okay.

Governor Hochul: — show us what they're going to be doing. We do this all the time. We're doing it now with our cell phone ban, is that we're saying you need to give us your plan for implementation by Aug. 1. So, there has to be accountability, no doubt about it, otherwise it's meaningless.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Does that law extend to the SUNY college system as well, or is that a separate entity?

Governor Hochul: That’s separate.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Okay.

Governor Hochul: This is for K through 12.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: K to 12, yeah.

Governor Hochul: But, let me check on that. What the policy is —

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah, I was just curious more than anything else. I didn't know how far it reached.

There's a lot of athletes there as well, on college campuses.

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: It's so important to get these AEDs in school, but there's another part of it — like Chris was talking about — having a plan in place, and not just regarding this law.

Why are these types of plans and helping coach people to be able to react in the correct way at the drop of a hat so important?

Governor Hochul: I was just speaking to some people here today who turned out they had an AED in the home and did not know it was there. Someone had brought it home one time and no one knew how to use it, and it had dire effects.

And so, no, there's real life experiences. There's stories of people being saved because someone knew what to do. There's positive stories, but there's also so many stories of tragedy and the more we talk about it — shows like yours that are getting people to think about this, “Wait, that could happen to my spouse, that could happen to my grandma, that could happen to my child.”

I think it's that public awareness, and the Bills, and the NFL and Damar using his story have really changed the dialogue on something that others were not even contemplating before. So, that's the power of using his star power—

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Right.

Governor Hochul: —to further a cause that is so deeply personal to him and to all the Bills fans.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: We had a Lancaster High School student just a few months ago. He learned some of the hands-only CPR training through some of the efforts by the Bills and Damar, and saved his stepfather in his home because he learned the hands-only CPR training. So, as much as there are some tragic stories that enact laws like this and make them necessary, there are some positive stories like that, like lifesaving stories — they’re really special.

Governor Hochul: That's right, that's right.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Are you going to get up for a game at any point in time? I'll just tell you, I'm assuming you'll try to carve out some time for Christmas to be home in Western New York. There's a December 28th home game against the defending Super Bowl Champion Eagles. Any chance?

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: Can we make it happen?

Governor Hochul: I'll even do better than that. I'm there opening day.

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: Let's go!

Governor Hochul: As soon as they announced the schedule, I was like, “Okay, team, cancel everything I have. We're going to Buffalo.”

Maddy Glab, One Bills Live: Yes! Field trip!

Governor Hochul: Buffalo is still my home. I mean, I have a place down in Buffalo and I love it there. I mean, summers are magnificent, but the wintertime when you get that Bills vibe, there's such an electricity. And I feel like we've been going through withdrawal pain since the end of the season.

And just — what are you going to do on a Sunday afternoon? I don't know. There's no game on Monday night.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah. You get withdrawal.

Governor Hochul: So it's coming back. The energy's there. The fans here are so enthusiastic. We love Bills Mafia and anything I can do as, guaranteed, the first Governor in the State of New York — there's been 57 of us — who is a diehard Bills fan. Since childhood.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: I don't need to tell you what the weather's going to be like in early September in the evening for Bills-Ravens, week one. I mean, hopefully we get a beautiful evening and 60 degrees. Just a little taste to fall, right?

Governor Hochul: Yeah. We'll guarantee. But here's where it gets a little complicated. If you want to know — when I'm in the city of New York. And I'm surrounded by Jets and Giants fans. And I'm going to a game in September to see at the Meadowlands, I think we're playing the Jets.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah. Week two or three. I think so, yeah.

Governor Hochul: I don't always get applause when I walk in with my Buffalo Bills sneakers and my cap on.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: You got to fly the flag!

Governor Hochul: But at this point you can't say, “Oh, I love them all.” I mean, I love all of them — when they're not playing each other.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Wow. Let's remember where that team plays. They play in New Jersey.

Governor Hochul: No kidding. No kidding.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: They gotta cross state lines for that one.

Governor Hochul: They kind of get annoyed when I point that out. But I have to love all my teeth. I'm thinking, “Someday, wouldn't it be great if I could just carve out that part of New Jersey?”

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Oh, you want to redraw the state line there? Careful now!

Governor Hochul: For now, I love being able to brag that Buffalo is the team — the only team that plays in the great State of New York.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Well, it's great to see you as always.

Governor Hochul: Thank you. Thank you.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: We appreciate you giving us some time. And congrats on Desha’s Law. That's going to help a lot of people and put plans in place.

Governor Hochul: Yes, it will.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: So when tragedy strikes. There's a response. Yeah, absolutely.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Thanks for signing that into law today.

Governor Hochul: Thanks for helping promote it as well.

Chris Brown, One Bills Live: Yeah, absolutely.