New York State Insider: New York State Senator Pete Harckham: Feb 27th: Albany Event.

 

New York State Insider: New York State Assemblyman Mary Jane Shimsky 92nd District: Assembly Votes to Expand Justice for Victims of Sexual Assault.

 

Make no mistake: All forms of forcible,
nonconsensual sexual acts are rape.

The numbers are sickening. Every 68 seconds, a person in America is sexually assaulted. Every 9 minutes, that victim is a child. But, out of every 1,000 perpetrators, only 25 will end up serving a prison sentence. These abusers must be held accountable for their heinous actions, and that’s why I’m working to create a criminal justice system that empowers survivors of sexual assault. To that end, I have joined my Assembly colleagues in once again passing the ‘Rape is Rape’ bill to expand New York’s rape statutes and help more survivors seek justice (A.3340).

This bill removes the penetration requirement from the State’s rape statutes, and expands the definition of rape to include oral and anal sexual conduct crimes. Under current law, oral and anal sexual conduct are referred to as ‘criminal sexual acts’ and are not recognized as rape. Not calling these crimes what they are has both legal and emotional consequences for survivors — invalidating and adding to the trauma they’ve already endured.

In passing this bill, we’ve taken another step toward helping survivors seek the justice they deserve. I’ll always work to ensure that New York is a place where victims are heard and supported, and perpetrators are held accountable under the law.

MaryJane Shimsky
Assemblymember 92nd District

New York State Insider: New York State Senator Pete Harkcham: Feb 27th: Albany Event.

 

New York State Insider: New York State Senator Pete Harckham: REMINDER: Join us TOMORROW for a Victory Celebration!

 

New York State Insider: New York State Senator Pete Harckham: SUNDAY: Join us for a Victory Celebration!

 

New York State Insider: New York State Conservative Party Releases 2023 Legislative Program.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 31, 2023.

NEW YORK STATE CONSERVATIVE PARTY RELEASES 

2023 LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.

Brooklyn, NY...New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar today released the Party’s 2023 Legislative Program. The Conservative Party publicly submits its agenda each year to make clear its beliefs and priorities for the annual legislative session in Albany.  

The Conservative Party is building on one of its most fruitful years ever. In 2022, it played a key role in the successful litigation effort that forced fair, court-ordered redistricting lines across the state. With reasonable district lines established, the Conservative Party supported 11 winning congressional candidates from New York, four of whom won with margins provided by line “C.” Newsmax called the New York State Conservative Party “The Majority Makers” for its role in the Republican takeover of Congress. 

“Political parties have a duty to spell out in detail the ideas and legislative measures they support, and we are pleased to do so again in 2023,” Mr. Kassar said. “Unsurprisingly, we continue to call for fiscally sound, pro-economic-growth policies; respect for human life; strong public safety laws; religious and other constitutional freedoms; free-market solutions to healthcare and housing shortages; accountability in education, and government reforms, including the return of powers to the State Legislature, a co-equal branch of New York State government. We urge that members of all political affiliations review and consider these prescriptions for a better state.”

New York State Insider: Joint Statement from Senator Shelley Mayer, Senator John Liu, and Senator Robert Jackson on Governor Hochul's Budget Plans Regarding Charter Schools.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 1, 2023

Joint Statement from Senator Shelley Mayer, Senator John Liu, and Senator Robert Jackson on Governor Hochul’s Budget Plans Regarding Charter Schools.

While we are pleased to see Governor Hochul follow through our mutual promise to fully fund Foundation Aid, we are deeply disturbed and disappointed by the Governor’s proposal – which she failed to include in the State of the State – to eliminate geographic restrictions on the charter cap.

The New York Charter Schools Act of 1998 allowed 100 charters to be authorized in the state, 50 by the Board of Regents on the recommendation of SUNY and 50 issued on the recommendation of other charter entities. The cap has ballooned over the last two decades with amendments to the law in 2007, 2010, and 2015.

As of October 5th, 2022, the State Education Department (SED) recognized 357 charter schools operating across the state, of which 287 are located in New York City. By removing the geographic restrictions for charter authorization, NYC could see an increase of more than 100 new charter schools. This will further increase the financial burden on NYC traditional public schools, taking much-needed resources away from schools serving the vast majority of our children. NYC Department of Education (DOE) is required to provide space for charter schools in DOE buildings or pay the rent for charters operating in private buildings.

Outside of NYC, many communities are overburdened and oversaturated by charter schools – including Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Lackawanna, which all have more than 20% of their students enrolled in charter schools. These schools place significant financial strain on school districts, sapping their ability to serve traditional public school students. All of these districts deserve our attention and action to limit the growth of charters, and ensure the financial stability of districts, so that every child is served with the best education possible. 

It is our duty to ensure each child in New York State receives an equitable education, with the resources and attention they deserve. Governor Hochul’s decision will leave students in our public schools with less. We urge the Governor to reconsider her proposal.

In Unity,

                      

             Shelley Mayer                                John C. Liu                            Robert Jackson

          Senate District 37                            Senate District 16                    Senate District 31