8 days. That's all that's left in this
legislative session. 8 days for the legislature to take action to be
remembered for more than corruption and scandal this year. 8 days to
pass campaign finance reform. 8 days to pass the Women's Equality
Act (WEA). 8 days for them to act on the host of other League issues
being stalled in the Senate. We continue to work hard to make this
happen.
This past week was largely focused on
the Women's Equality Act. Tuesday, June 4th, at a press
release attended by the League and the other steering committee
members of the Women's Equality Coalition, the governor announced the
release of the Women's
Equality Act language.
During the press conference, various members of the coalition spoke
on different points of the 10-point legislation. Brianna, a survivor
of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, also told her story and
shared her support for the WEA. There didn't see to be a dry eye in
the room by the time she was finished speaking.
Following the press release, The League
joined the Women's Equality Rally in West Capitol Park. League
members, along with many many other organizations and WEA advocates,
from across the state were out in force! There were a number of
passionate speakers, including Sarah Weddington, attorney who argued
Roe v Wade before US Supreme Court, and Cynthia Nixon, TV star of Sex
and the City. I spoke after Cynthia Nixon and was joined on stage by
a great number of League members (see our website
and facebook
page for photos). Later I was asked for an encore – i.e. to
introduce the governor at Seneca Falls on Wednesday where he spoke
about the WEA at the Women's Rights National Historical Park.
Yesterday, the governor's office picked
me up at the League office for the three hour drive up to Seneca
Falls, where I was joined by League members who came out to support
the WEA. It was very exciting to be at this historic site where New
York's long struggle for Women's suffrage began. I met Governor
Cuomo's car as it arrived and walked with the Governor across the
lawn to the chapel (was careful not to get my heels stuck in the lawn
so I didn't walk out of my shoes)! I then introduced the event and
the list of local elected officials. I spoke about how important
Seneca Falls was to women's rights and how important this current
Women's Equality Agenda was to achieving equality and fairness for
the women of New York.
I then introduced Mylan Denerstein, the
governor's counsel, who walked the gathering through the ten point
act. The governor then spoke and credited his father for guiding him
toward this agenda. (Yes, I did, I called the current governor,
“Mario.” I recovered quickly and told the gathering that one of
my first legislative victories was with his father on women's
equality.. Everyone laughed and it gave Andrew the opportunity to
then go on thank me and his father, whew!) The Governor gave an
impassioned speech about the societal bias against women and why the
WEA is so important. I then closed the event after which the Governor
took questions from the local press as he moved toward the door to go
on to Vassar college for another WEA event. His staff then drove me
the three hours back to the League office. It was a long but very
exciting day.
At the rally on Tuesday, the crowd was
majorly energized as the sizable Greater Capital Region contingent of
the Women's Equality Coalition marched onto the lawn from State
Street, chanting “There ain't no power like the power of women
'cause the power of women don't stop!” The power of women was
certainly evident at Tuesday's rally. And it was certainly evident
in Seneca Falls on Wednesday. We need now to make sure the power of
women (and our allies) remains evident on every single one of these
final days of the legislative session. Call, write, visit your
legislators, NOW! Call, write, visit Senate co-leaders, Senator
Klein and Senator
Skelos., NOW! Tell them they cannot
leave this legislative session without passing the WEA and campaign
finance reform. Tell them to bring the bills
to the floor on these and other important issues, including
hydrofracking waste and GENDA. At the very least, the people of
New York deserve a vote on the issues that matter to them.
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