PLEASE NOTE CORRECTION to Elected Officials/"They Represent You 2013":
NYS Senate 43rd District - Kathleen Marchione. The correct phone number is 518-455-2381.
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Support for Women’s Equality Agenda Spreads
(Drawn from a statement released by the New York Women’s Equality Coalition on April 4, 2013)
On April 4, members of the New York Women's Equality Coalition held press conferences across the state to trumpet enthusiastic support for Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Agenda. These events testify to the widespread, grassroots appeal of the Governor's groundbreaking 10-point plan that addresses many gender-based problems that women in New York State still face.
The Governor's Agenda:
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Protect a Woman’s Freedom of Choice
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Achieve Pay Equity
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Stop Sexual Harassment in All Workplaces
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Allow for the Recovery of Attorneys’ Fees in Employment and Credit and Lending Cases
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Strengthen Human Trafficking Laws
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End Family Status Discrimination
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Stop Source-of-Income Discrimination
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Stop Housing Discrimination for Victims of Domestic Violence
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Stop Pregnancy Discrimination Once and For All
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Protect Victims of Domestic Violence by Strengthening Order-of-Protection Laws
CLICK HERE for the Governor's webpage
A Siena Research Institute poll conducted in March shows a high level of support for the Governor's agenda upstate, downstate, among women and men, in cities, suburbs and rural areas, and across all age groups and party affiliations.
“New Yorkers know that what is good for women is good for New York, and good for society,” said Amol Sinha, director of the New York Civil Liberties Union’s Suffolk County Chapter. “The Governor’s commitment .... will undoubtedly help level the playing field and ensure that all of New York’s mothers, daughters, sisters and wives can fully and equally participate in society.”
“We believe that passage of the Women’s Equality Agenda would be a monumental step forward for the thousands of low-wage women workers ... By addressing gender-based income inequities and ensuring that victims of discrimination, domestic abuse, human trafficking, and other forms of abuse are able to achieve justice, New York can set a national standard for workplace fairness and equality,” said Milan Bhatt, co-executive director of the Worker Justice Center of NY in Kingston.
NOTE: As of April 3, 2013, nearly 750 organizations had officially signed on as members of the coalition (including the LWV of Rensselaer County), with new groups announcing their support every day. CLICK HERE to view the full list of supporting organizations.
LOCALLY SPEAKING...
- Check out the LWVRC's display on women's history at the Brunswick Public Library. To see an article on the dispaly in the Troy Record, CLICK HERE.
SAVE THESE DATES:
-- Thursday, May 23, 2013 -- LWV of Rensselaer County's Annual Meeting.
Location: Carroll's Place, Pawling Ave., Troy. More information to follow.
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Local Leagues in Our Neighborhood
To learn what nearby Leagues are doing, check out their websites:
* Albany
-- www.lwvalbany.org/
* Schenectady
-- lwvschenectady.org/
* Saratoga
-- www.lwvsaratoga.org/
STATE NEWS......
- Current News from LWVNY -- CLICK HERE.
- Convention: League of Women Voters of NYS in Albany, Saturday and Sunday, June 1-2, 2013. Rensselaer County LWV members wishing to volunteer should click on "Contact Us" above and let us know. As a volunteer, you are entitled to attend the convention as an observer. CLICK HERE for more information.
Capitol Beat -- Check it Out for the Latest Scoop on the NYS Legislative Session
The LWVNY has announced the
return of "Capitol Beat," an informative
and entertaining column/blog, written by the
LWVNYS Legislative Director Barbara
Bartoletti. It contains timely updates on legislative action pertaining to League concerns and shares a bit of political
gossip, as well. Barbara has also been appointed to Governor Cuomo’s Mandate Relief Redesign Team which will look for ways to reduce the costs of mandated programs on schools and local governments. She will be providing updates on this work in her column/blog. To reach Barbara's blog, CLICK HERE: lwvny-capitolbeat.blogspot.com
Campaign Finance Reform - Support lower contribution limits, increased disclosure and public financing. In particular, support stronger and effective campaign finance enforcement with increased civil and criminal penalities for violations.
Election Reform - Improve election processes to extend, encourage and protect voting, including paperless and Election Day registration, better ballot design, improved polling place management/poll worker training, and measures to ensure the integrity of all ballots.
Other Government-Related Positions - Support structural reform to legislative redistricting; support effective ethics enforcement and open and transparent government processes; monitor impact of the property tax cap on localities and schools.
Health Care -- Support affordable and effective health care for all New Yorkers.
Natural Resources -- Support protection and management of New York’s natural resources in the public interest, including energy conservation and
energy options from renewable sources.
The League also has positions on the Judiciary; State Finances, and Social Policy.
State Government Transparency and Legislative Websites
* Open Book New York
-- This website is part of State Comptroller Thomas DeNapoli's effort to promote opennes in government and help taxpayers learn more about how their tax dollars are spent. Sections include: (1) Track New York's Stimulus Spending, (2) Search State Agency Spending, (3) Search State Contracts, and (4) Search Local Government Spending.
* New York Open Government (formerly Project Sunlight) -- Attorney General Eric Schneiderman noted in updating the open government website that: “Secrecy breeds corruption, while transparency generates confidence. .... [the revamped website] will help the public keep an eye on what their [NYS] government is doing in order to deter corruption and increase confidence in the public sector.
This site is a one-stop-shop for New Yorkers demanding up-to-date and comprehensive information about their government.”
The website has many of the same features as its predecessor. You can search campaign contributions, lobbying clients, charities, state contracts and more.
* SeeThroughNY -- This website is sponsored by the Empire Center for New York State Policy, part of the non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. The purpose of the site is to give New Yorkers a clearer view of how their state and local tax dollars are spent. They can find out about the NYS Budget. They can also can share, analyze and compare data from counties, cities, towns, villages, and school districts as well as public authorities throughout New York. The information on this website comes from official government sources, but the Empire Center cannot guarantee data accuracy or completeness.
*NYS Legislature:
-- www.assembly.state.ny.us
-- www.nysenate.gov
-- http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menuf.cgi
NATIONAL NEWS.......
(CLICK HERE for recent press releases)
(CLICK HERE for LWVUS blogs)
In June, 2012, the League held its national convention in Washington, D.C. LWV Rensselaer County sent a delegate. For a report on the proceedings, CLICK HERE.
Voter Suppression -- The League is actively engaged in lawsuits to halt voter suppression laws in four states: Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. In March, 2012, the League had a big win in a case brought by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin. The Dane County 9th Circuit Court announced a permanent injunction against implementation of the nation’s most restrictive voter photo ID law.
Voter Registration -- The US Justice Department has objected to new provisions of Florida’s election law that place strict regulations on independent voter registration groups (like the League) and shorten the early voting period. Recent analysis of Florida’s voter registration lists show a dramatic drop in newly registered voters since the state's new law went into effect.
Money in Elections
The League is supporting the Disclose Act of 2012 that deals with the issue of money in politics. The League is deeply concerned about the current state of campaign financing in our nation. Rather than concentrating on the concerns of voters, candidates and their campaigns are busy raising funds. And too often, they raise these funds from sources that seek and receive special access, consideration and treatment once the candidates are elected to office.
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Redistricting
Shining a Light: Redistricting Lessons Learned in 2011. The League has released this new report on the groundbreaking efforts of Leagues and other advocates around the country to promote more fair and transparent redistricting processes. This publication highlights lessons learned during the 2011 redistricting period and outlines potential areas for reforming the process over the next decade.
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Clean Air
The League and other concerned organizations have commended the Obama Administration on its recent release of rules regulating carbon emissions from new fossil-fuel power plants. These rules are an historic step towards protecting our children and the environment.
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Health Care
The affordable Care Act (ACA) has been in effect now for two years. Already this historic law has made a positive difference in the health of millions of Americans, but recently, the U.S. Supreme Court heard three days of oral arguments on various legal challenges to the law. In addition, there are congressional attempts to destructively amend and defund the law. The League has joined a broad coalition of healthcare, education and child welfare organizations in filing an amicus brief on the Affordable Care Act.
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