Senate passes bill to rename Southern State for McDonald

State Assembly must now approve the bill

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The State Senate last week passed a bill to rename 10 miles of the Southern State Parkway in honor of NYPD Det. and Malvernite Steven McDonald.

The renamed portion would be called the “Det. Steven McDonald Memorial Highway” and would run from the western-most start of the Southern State Parkway to the Meadowbrook Parkway.

The State Assembly must now approve the bill, which has not yet been introduced.

Malverne Mayor Patti Ann McDonald was in attendance on the Senate floor during the proceedings in Albany, as was her son, NYPD Sgt. Conor McDonald, and about 50 police officers, family members and friends.

“The legacy of Steven McDonald reminds us of the sacrifices police make every day on our behalf,” said Sen. Todd Kaminsky (Democrat, Long Beach). “His legacy also reminds us of the enduring human spirit, of the courage to live life to its fullest, and the possibilities of love and forgiveness.”

McDonald was a police officer for only two years when he was shot in Central Park in 1986, which left him quadriplegic until his death in January. Since the shooting, McDonald spent his life preaching forgiveness and peace to groups around the world.