July 2024 | June 2024 | May 2024 | April 2024 |
President's Letter July 2024
Good news- New York’s Equal Rights Amendment is back on the ballot! The ERA was scheduled to be a proposed amendment to the State Constitution on the ballot for this November. A lawsuit to remove the amendment from the ballot charged that the State Legislature had not followed proper procedure- they had failed to get an opinion from the State Attorney General at least 20 days before voting. A court in Rochester ruled that the procedure was flawed and removed the amendment from the ballot.
The Appellate Division overturned that ruling so the ERA is back on the ballot (it turns out that over a dozen amendments have used the same flawed procedure and the amendments all made it onto the ballot).
Currently, New York’s Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race or religion. The ERA would greatly expand protection by prohibiting discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, disability, age and sex, including reproductive health care.
So don’t forget to turn your ballot over on Election Day and vote on the ERA.
Cheryl Nechamen, President
President's Letter June 2024
Dear LWVSC Friends,
How time has flown…..and I’m afraid this will be my last letter to you as president of the League of Women Voters of Schenectady County. I’ve had the great good fortune to serve with a board of talented, creative, opinionated (in a good way!), hard-working women who take their positions seriously and who are always thinking of ways that we can best support our community. I inherited the president’s job from Cheryl Nechamen, who had already served in just about every other position in our League. You can be sure that I put her on speed-dial immediately! Cheryl has never failed to answer my questions, give an opinion or suggestion, help me with a new report, and give me support when it was needed. Luckily for our League, Cheryl has agreed to serve as president once again and her name has been listed on the Proposed List of Leaders for 2024. We will vote upon that list at our annual dinner in June.
I’m grateful as well that I had the opportunity to meet and work with so many of our members during the years since I joined LWVSC. I’ve found that our membership is made up of women and men who deeply care about the mission of the League of Women Voters, who volunteer in a variety of ways, and who support us both financially and in spirit. I’m sure you all know that an organization doesn’t run on its own steam but on that of its members.
In the last few years, our League has begun to work on some projects in conjunction with the other capital region Leagues. This has broadened our scope and I’ve been able to meet and work with an even wider group of League members, both officers and committee members. It’s been wonderful to see how many of our board members have joined with members of other Leagues to work on shared projects and programs. I look forward to seeing what new plans emerge in this framework of shared opportunities.
Over the last few years we have gone through several trials together - a multi-year pandemic, a national government that was like no other we had ever seen, culminating in a violent attack on our democratic institutions on January 6, as well as seeing a growing divide between our political parties and our ideas on what truly makes America great. During this uneasy months, I always felt cheered by having our League and members hold together and work with great hope and courage. And so, I want to thank each and every one of you for that spirit and commitment, and I wish all of us a secure and happy future as we go forward.
In League, Ann Hatke
President's Letter May 2024
Dear LWVSC Friends,
I was recently browsing for information on the LWV New York State website and came across a wonderful section, “Civics Education in New York State”. More than just a basic statement on why civics should be taught to NYS students, it’s a complete curriculum for teachers. The sections include:
- Structure of NYS Government
- Individual Rights & Responsibilities in NYS
- Voting in NYS
- The Public Policy Process (Laws) In New York
- Influencing NYS Government
- Participating in Political Action in Your Local Community You can view this site at: https://lwvny.org/civics-lesson-plans/
Each topic includes lesson plans, worksheets, how-to’s, and resources that a teacher could use as a basic curriculum for the classroom or that anyone interested in learning more about New York State government could use as a learning tool.
Since I’ve been involved in our Citizenship Mentoring Group, both teaching citizenship classes and as a tutor, I’ve become much more aware of how little many US citizens actually know about civics. Part of the problem is that it’s often not taught in the earlier grades, which would give students a good head start on learning some of the basic concepts in government. Civics education appears to begin only in high school when NYS Civics is taught to students about to graduate.
Immigrants applying for US citizenship are required to master 100 civics questions about the United States. The questions range from current leaders, parts of our government, duties of the president, important places, people and events. This is hard information for them to learn, often due to language issues, but they do seem to remember this information and pass at the rate of 91% according to government figures (2022). However, several studies also seem to be in agreement that only 4 in 10 Americans could pass the US citizenship civics exam today.
We’ve seen, especially in the last number of years, the problems that a lack of understanding of government can cause. Are Americans learning enough to judge issues critically, to vote in an informed way, and to participate in your democracy as engaged citizens? And more worrisome, do they care?
In League, Ann Hatke President
LWV Schenectady County
President's Letter April 2024
Hello, LWVSC Friends,
The Equal Rights Amendment to the NYS Constitution Needs Your Help
After attending the “Equal Rights for All New Yorkers” campaign kick-off last week sponsored by the Albany, Rensselaer, and Schenectady Leagues, I came away both excited and worried. Although the wording of the Equal Right Amendment might make perfect sense to us, it certainly doesn’t to others. First, I wanted to give you a brief summary of the Amendment from LWVNYS:
“Our state constitution does not protect all of us.
Our New York State Constitution is wholly inadequate when it comes to ensuring equality. We need a constitution with broad protections for every New Yorker. The current New York State Constitution fails to prohibit discrimination against groups who have been historically targeted, including those with disabilities, LGBTQI+ individuals, immigrants, women, and pregnant people. We must pass an equal rights amendment worthy of the 21st century that protects us all.
The NYS Equal Rights Amendment.
The good news is we are already on the path to expanding equal protection for all New Yorkers. In 2022 and 2023, the legislature passed a state constitutional amendment that creates new protections in our constitution against discrimination based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, and sex— including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, and reproductive health care and autonomy. Because the constitutional amendment passed twice in the legislature, the public will have the opportunity to vote on the measure in 2024.”
However, organizations and individuals who do not want to see the Equal Rights Amendment passed in NY are already hard at work to convince voters to say NO on November 5. How can we combat that as League members?
Erica Smitka, Deputy Director of LWVNYS, has some advice:
“This is tricky. Ultimately, we don’t really want to to engage with the opposition. Similar to mis/dis-information, anything done to interact with the opposition boosts their message in some way. If folks ask, we can acknowledge that.....opposition comes in many forms and then pivot back to why it’s important we pass this amendment...that will protect the rights of all New Yorkers. It’s our job to lean into the facts and the values behind the campaign we are running.”
Let’s plan to have our answers ready, without trying to point out flawed arguments that only work to multiply the misinformation. During the next months until November, we’ll be providing as much information on the ERA as we can. Thanks for your help!
In League, Ann Hatke, President
