TIMES BEACON RECORD NEWSPAPERS
Making Democracy Work: Civic education, first hand, at Students Inside Albany conference
by Lisa Scott June 21, 2024
It’s not often that high school students are so positively impacted by a conference held in Albany!
“Now I truly understand the importance of citizens’ perspectives.”
“I feel more empowered to vote and lobby since I am now pre-registered AND I know how to lobby.”
“I learned how to use my voice and know that it is heard even though I’m only one person.”
“It was great to learn about government and hear from the perspectives of students from all over New York State.”
59 energetic and enthusiastic sophomores, juniors and seniors, representing 40 League of Women Voters groups from throughout New York State, were selected to attend the 2024 Students Inside Albany conference in May. They were geographically and politically diverse, with varying backgrounds, interests, and college goals. Over four days, they learned how our New York State government works, including the roles of its various branches and the differences between the state government and the other levels of government (e.g. national and local).
Students started the first full day with a tour of the Chambers of the Court of Appeals (NYS’s highest court) and heard about the different levels of the judiciary. Then they climbed the hill to the Capitol and Legislative Office Building, where they were directed to find their Assemblymember’s offices. Many were able to shadow their Legislator. All of the students were escorted onto the Assembly floor and introduced on the floor of the Chamber. They viewed the legislators at their desks and the Chamber in session.
The day ended with reporters who cover the state politics sharing insights on how to decide what to cover, how to report quickly for social media sites, and how they started their own careers in the media.
The second full day found Blair Horner, Executive Director of NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group), and Alexis Goldsmith, National Organizing Director with Beyond Plastics, presenting information to the students on the methods they use to advocate for issues important to their organizations. These organizations reach the public in diverse ways and use varied techniques. Blair was also able to speak to the students about NYPIRG’s involvement on college campuses, especially of interest to those students moving on to college next year.
Later that day some students were able to shadow their state Senator, but rules prohibited them from the floor so they watched from the Gallery. The long day ended with an engaging session on running for office, including how to gather signatures for petitions, work with the parties, fundraise and participate in candidate debates. The students had many questions about the exact procedures and were encouraged to consider running for office at the local level.
The final day included a review of what the students saw in the Assembly and Senate Chambers, focused on procedures and voting in both Chambers and the role of leadership in each Chamber. The students were also asked if their opinions of the political process had changed and 32 indicated that they now are interested in running for office someday. 13 students were also offered internships with their Legislator.
Voting in New York State was discussed as a method for learning how to make their voices heard and how to influence public policy decision-making. The process for registering to vote and to vote itself were presented to the students and they were invited to complete a voter registration form if they hadn’t done so already. Young people may pre-register at 16 or 17 but cannot vote until they are 18. The options of ways to vote for those going away to college in the fall was also discussed.
How were students affected by this experience? As one wrote: “It’s life changing in the sense that you learn to listen and understand the opinions of others from all over even if they’re conflicting to your own.”
The annual Students Inside Albany Conference is a service of the strictly nonpartisan League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation, Inc. (LWVNYEF) which works primarily on projects that enlighten the electorate and empower through education, without advocating for any particular cause or policy, party or candidate. LWVNYSEF is committed to increasing citizen knowledge of and participation in their government and believes that the basis of a strong democracy is an enlightened, educated citizenry.
Lisa Scott is president of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County. For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
Making Democracy Work: How local libraries work toward sustainability
by Nancy Marr May 25, 2024
As a trustee of my local library, I signed up for a training about “ALA and Sustainability” given by the American Library Association. What I learned was that the ALA at its Annual Conference in 2015 passed a resolution noting that libraries play an important and unique role in wider community communications about resilience, climate change and a sustainable future.
A resolution for the Adoption of Sustainability as a Core Value of Librarianship was adopted in 2019, stating “To be truly sustainable, an organization or community must embody practices that are environmentally sound AND economically feasible AND socially equitable.
In adopting sustainability as a core value of librarianship, ALA recognizes the findings of the UN that the immediate consequences of climate change are far more dire than originally predicted. Libraries today should play a large role in informing and involving the public in actions to transform our local economies to reduce carbon emissions by learning about renewable energy efforts being created locally, by involving residents in efforts to reuse and repair our recyclables, and by sponsoring programs to explain the circular economy that would reduce our waste.
Libraries with youth members could involve them at an early age in activities to reduce waste. For patrons who have questions about climate change, and what it really is, the library is a good place to offer speakers or materials to help them learn more.
Libraries that demonstrate good stewardship of the resources entrusted to them will build community support that leads to sustainable funding. Indeed, most of our local libraries are seen as strong and authentic and rely on an annual vote by community residents. Making choices about their building management can also set an example about the need to reduce carbon emissions and how to do it.
A resolution passed in 2015 noted that libraries play a unique role. They are often positioned to reach residents throughout the community and can offer programs to meet the needs of all residents, depending on the time of day that is most convenient, and what language is appropriate. Library patrons can address environmental injustice conditions in their community and learn from other patrons or library staff how to address the issues and encourage the civic participation with others.
Libraries have been known as a place to borrow books. Today, they provide access also to connections to computers, research and referral topics, and information from diverse sources about many topics as well as groups to explore activities, often with instruction or materials provided by the library. For children, the ALA Round Table Book List includes children’s books on nature, health, conservation, and communities that reflect the mission “to exchange ideas and opportunities regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy, and economically viable society.”
Can libraries accomplish these goals? In fact, many local libraries have begun to do so. They offer a wide range of talks, activities, and displays to answer patrons’ questions or broaden their expertise. Some sponsor “carbon crews,” which are small groups of residents working toward reducing their carbon footprints with support from a leader and other members. Some have started “repair cafes” where patrons can get help from other patrons to fix items they want to keep using.
The Suffolk Cooperative Library System has shown the way. Between 2016 and 2023, the system reduced the cost of its electricity consumption by 76.8%. It has calculated the reduction of its use of energy by 85.4% by changing to LED lighting, turning lights off automatically, regularly maintaining of the HVAC system, and improved insulation and auto-sleep settings on computers and copiers and the conversion to laptops, as well as the purchase of solar panels. Local Suffolk libraries that are enrolled in the ALA’s Sustainable Library Certification Program get recognized and are encouraged to host a certification ceremony for the community.
Learn about programs your library sponsors to reduce your community’s carbon footprint. If you have suggestions for library programs, contact your library administration.
Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
Making Democracy Work: Why Planned Parenthood matters
by Lisa Scott April 27, 2024
Nancy Marr’s February 2, 2024 column in this newspaper, “Equal Rights Amendment…It’s Time” explains that the proposed New York State ERA (which will be on the back of the November 2024 ballot) is not “a women’s equality amendment” but seeks to protect women as a class and men as a class against discrimination under the law for any reason. The NYS ERA bill explicitly includes language to clarify that discrimination based on a person’s pregnancy or pregnancy outcomes would be sex discrimination, protecting pregnant people from punishment. These protections will help to guarantee that all people have the right to bodily autonomy.
One organization that has continued to fight to ensure all people have access to the care and resources they need to make informed decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their futures is Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood started in 1916 in Brownsville (Brooklyn) New York. In 1933 and 1951, communities in Westchester and Suffolk counties, respectively, were providing health services, accurate information and education, and advocacy for reproductive rights and justice. Today, these counties (with a total population of close to 3 million residents) are now joined as Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic (PPHP). (All data in this article are as of full-year 2022.)
PPHP now serves as a major provider of sexual and reproductive health care for the region and a leading public advocate in the suburban metro area. There are 10 health centers and 2 mobile health centers, which offer a wide range of sexual and reproductive health care services regardless of the individual’s age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, or ability to pay. In 2022, PPHP provided 45,790 health care visits and served 27,017 patients throughout the 4 counties. Over half of PPHP’s patients are on Medicaid and fall at or below the federal poverty line. Fees for many services are based on a sliding scale tied to income and family size.
PPHP has recently launched initiatives to bring the majority of their health services directly into communities through their mobile health centers, as well as offering expanded telehealth services as an outgrowth of challenges during the COVID pandemic. Reproductive health care cannot wait, so patients can access services such as birth control, emergency contraception, sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment, HIV testing and education, PrEP and PEP for HIV prevention, gender-affirming care, and more, and access these services with fewer visits or without needing to visit a health center at all.
Every person’s personal decision about their pregnancy should be respected and valued. There is widespread disinformation on Planned Parenthood’s services, in particular abortion services. Contrary to popular belief, abortion is common, nearly one in four women, and more gender expansive people in America will have an abortion by age 45. 6 out of 10 people who get abortions already have kids. PPHP performed 1,993 procedure abortions and 6,238 medication abortions in 2022, but also vasectomies, colposcopies (cervical exams), HPV vaccinations, breast exams, and pap tests. STI tests (59,530) and contraception management visits (33,199) were by far the service most in demand/provided.
PPHP is one of eight Planned Parenthood affiliates to offer prenatal care. The organization recently launched Centering Pregnancy in two of its health centers, an innovative style of group prenatal care that empowers pregnant people to be actively involved in their own care and equips them to make healthy choices throughout their pregnancy and beyond. Numerous published studies show that Centering patients have healthier babies and that Centering nearly eliminates racial disparities in preterm birth. PPHP is committed to improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality, particularly among people of color.
We should be empowering people to make their own health and reproductive care decisions, and remind them that there is a team of health professionals at PPHP that can answer questions and address concerns with understanding and respect. And voting yes in November for the NYS ERA will take a big step to protecting a person’s right to make decisions about their own bodies. PPHP can be reached at 800-230-PLAN or visit pphp.org.
Lisa Scott is president of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
Making Democracy Work: Free breakfast and lunch should be provided for all school children
by Nancy Marr March 29, 2024
Food is one of the more important factors in our lives. Food insecurity troubles many Americans, but for low-income consumers, especially, factors beyond their control affect their nutrition. Many low-income consumers can find lower prices, but consumers with very low incomes may not be able to get to stores that offer these low prices or fresh foods.
Here in Suffolk County, both school and summer feeding programs funded by the Department of Agriculture are making a difference by providing nutritious food for children from homes with food insecurity.
School lunch in America dates back to the late 19th century, when the passage of compulsory education laws and child-labor bans led to more kids in school for more hours per day than ever before. Health screenings in schools gave rise to concerns about malnutrition, which in turn sparked privately funded nutritious school meal programs in many cities. The programs were popular, but most were wiped out by the Great Depression.
In 1946, the federal government passed the National School Lunch Act which provided a way for the USDA to purchase surplus agricultural commodities for use by the schools in the feeding programs they agreed to fund.
The act created a three-tiered system: children in poverty received a free lunch, children whose families were above the poverty line but earning less than 130% of the federal poverty line got a price reduction, and everyone else paid full price. Millions of children have participated in the program.
The Federal USDA now funds the following child nutrition programs: the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Summer Food Service Program, and After-School Snacks and Meals, using the same distribution system.
During the recent pandemic, when schools closed, the federal government funding made it possible for schools to continue the lunch program and changed it to one that served all the children at no charge. Schools arranged for the pick-up of lunches by the students. The USDA pandemic funding ended in June 2022, with an extension through the summer of 2022.
Schools and summer lunch providers then returned to the payment schedule that divided the children. The universal offering of free meals to all students had raised the level of participation by removing the stigma often associated with means-tested school meals and opened the program to children from families who would have struggled to pay the reduced-price copayment.
But so far, there’s no momentum in Congress to bring the free meals back, except for the CEP Program (Community Eligibility Provision) which provides breakfast and lunch free of charge to all the students who are enrolled. Eligible for CEP is any district or school with 25 percent of students who have been identified as in need, and children who are certified for free meals without an application because they are homeless, migrant, enrolled in Head Start, or in foster care.
Food policy councils, appointed by local government or organized independently of government, have proven to be effective in educating community members about local food and nutrition, as well as other issues related to health, such as walkability.
The funding during the pandemic showed how universal feeding encouraged children to participate in a nutritionally sound breakfast and lunch program which provided free food for all children. Federal or New York State funding would make that possible. For more information, go to www.schoolnutrition.org.
And write to Governor Hochul and your State Senator and Assemblyperson, and our United States senators, Senator Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County, a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
Making Democracy Work: League Lobbying NYS Elected Officials
by Lisa Scott March 1, 2024
Every year the League of Women Voters of New York State provides members with key information on issues of interest to us. The 2024-2025 state budget is currently under debate in the NYS Legislature and Local Leagues are asked to lobby our state Senators and Assembly Members on pre-budget issues before late March since the budget deadline is April 1. The non-budget stand-alone bills are considered in committees and on floors during session in late Apr. and the Legislative session ends on June 1.
In 2024 we are concentrating pre-budget on funding for county boards of elections, election reforms, funding for the public campaign finance board, an expansion of the bottle bill, education financing and fair pay for home care. Post-budget, we will focus on LWV priority issues relating to good government, criminal justice reform, rural issues, healthcare, women’s issues, and environmental issues.
Our pre-budget lobbying requests include:
Elections and Good Government: Keeping $114.5M to support the NYS Public Campaign Finance Program and $8.1M to support the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government, and add $10M in funds directed to County Boards of Elections, $4.5M to implement the Doctor John L. Flateau Voting and Elections Database and Academic Center of New York Act and $51,000 for a voter list maintenance organization like ERIC.
Environment: include the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (S237/A6353) in their one house budgets as well as in the final budget.
Education Financing: We strongly oppose Governor Hochul's recent decision to alter the formula that is used to distribute aid to school districts. The changes made in her proposed budget will significantly reduce foundation aid to nearly half of all school districts in the state. The Executive altered both the Consumer Price Index methodology and the policy of reducing aid to no district year to year. As a result, nearly half of school districts will be forced to reduce their 2024-25 school budgets or raise local taxes. They will have no time for planning if the budget is not finalized until the end of March 2024. We are asking that the Governor amend her proposal and reinstate full funding to our schools and that the Senate and Assembly do not include this change in their one house budgets.
Healthcare: We ask that Legislators reject Governor Hochul’s proposal to cut $2.55 an hour from home care workers in the consumer directed personal assistance program (CDPAP) and pass the Fair Pay for Home Care Act (S3189/A8821) in the budget.
Other League lobbying later this spring will focus on Elections and Good Government, including:
Ethics and Campaign Finance Reform – Public Campaign Finance Board:
The League strongly supports the $114.5M allocated for the Public Campaign Finance Board.
This year is the first opportunity for New York to demonstrate a commitment to campaign finance reform and reducing the influence of big money in politics. During the 2022 election, the 200 biggest donors outspent over 200,000 small donors in state races. This groundbreaking state program will ensure that New Yorkers’ voices are heard throughout the political process. The funding for this program included in the Executive Budget will ensure that it can help level the playing field, amplify the voices of small donors, and reduce the impact of wealthy special interest groups in New York. We urge the Legislature to include the full $114.5M in the Senate and Assembly one house budgets.
Funding to County Boards of Election:
Elections are often the last item on the list when it comes to county budgets and many county boards operate with limited resources. The League urges the Legislature to seriously consider the cost of new election improvements when introducing their proposed budgets and to consider setting up a yearly fund specifically for implementing election reforms at the local level.
The League was glad to see that funds were specifically allocated for local boards of elections to invest in new electronic pollbooks ($14.7 M), to cover the cost of absentee and early vote by mail ballot postage ($7.7M). However, there are still limited funds available for educating voters, poll worker training, staffing, and the establishment of new sites to comply with current mandates. It is not possible for boards to continue to expand voting access without funds devoted to these measures. We ask that a minimum of an additional $10M in funding be allocated to county boards of elections so that they may make the upgrades necessary and hire the staff necessary to effectively run our elections in 2024. This is consistent with the bipartisan proposal submitted by election commissioners across New York State.
All voters should consider discussing the above issues with your NYS Assembly and Senate representatives. Educate yourself, your voice matters.
Lisa Scott is president of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
Making Democracy Work: Passing The NYS Equal Rights Amendment Will Protect All New Yorkers
by Nancy Marr January 24, 2024
An Equal Rights Amendment for the United States was first drafted in 1923 by two leaders of the women’s suffrage movement, Alice Paul and Crystal Eastman, who believed that the ERA was the next logical step following the campaign to win access to the ballot.
While the text of the amendment has changed over the years, its focus has remained the same. Article V of the U.S. Constitution requires that a proposed amendment be passed by the Senate and the House in a two-thirds majority in two consecutive legislative sessions in order to be sent to the states for ratification by their legislatures or conventions. The version approved by Congress in 1972 and sent to the states with a deadline of 1979 reads: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.” Although the deadline was extended to 1982, only 37 of the required 38 states ratified the amendment. Opposition to it came from conservative Phyllis Schlafly, saying it would require women to serve in the military or lose protections for alimony or child custody cases. The result? Five states voted to revoke their ratifications, but these reversals were not counted as part of the result, and the count of ratifications remained at 37. The amendment was not passed.
In the absence of a national equal rights law, the constitutions of twenty-five states now do provide guarantees of equal rights on the basis of sex. The New York State Legislature, in 2022 and 2023, passed an ERA bill that has looked further. Currently, our state constitution only protects against racial and religious discrimination. The proposed bill would protect all those who have been discriminated against based on ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, and sex, including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and a person’s reproductive autonomy or access to reproductive care. The new ERA bill explicitly includes language to clarify that discrimination based on a person’s pregnancy or pregnancy outcomes would be sex discrimination, protecting women from punishment. It will also ensure comprehensive and inclusive equal protection that will guard against attacks on our rights from the federal government or federal judges, including threats to the legal equality of LGBTQ1+ people.
Do we need protection if the Fourteenth Amendment already guarantees equal protection of the laws? The Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, added the word “male” to the Constitution but failed to include women in the right to vote. The proposed New York State ERA is not “a women’s equality amendment” but seeks to protect women as a class and men as a class against discrimination under the law for any reason.
The Brennan Center has commented that the amendment process is an ineffective way to correct shortcomings in our United States Constitution. Given the difficulties and delays that have been faced by those who have fought for amendments, is our Constitution unamendable?
Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) is the leading constitutional scholar serving in Congress today. Reflecting on the progressive activism that “built the modern Constitution,” Raskin urges reform-minded Americans to shed their fear of advancing reform through Article V. “It’s a betrayal of our history if we don’t talk about amending the Constitution in order to create a more perfect union,” he says. “We need to be planting flags in the unfolding history of democracy. That’s what the constitutional amendment process is all about.”
Voting to amend the New York State. Constitution with the New York State ERA will provide protection for New Yorkers who have faced discrimination through the years. Make a plan to turn your 2024 ballot over and vote yes on the proposed amendment.
Nancy Marr is Vice-President of the League of Women Voters of Suffolk County a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. For more information, visit www.lwv-suffolkcounty.org.
View the above article on the TimesBeaconRecord Media website here.
