April 2024 | March 2024 | February 2024 | December 2023 | January 2024 |
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
President's Letter March 2024
Dear LWVSC Friends,
I’m writing my letter in the last days of February during Black History Month, and you will be reading it in March, Women’s History Month. Each month has its own special holidays,
commemorations, and events. I’m going to bridge both months and talk a little about the role of Sojourner Truth in the formation of the National Council of Women of the U.S.
The National Council of Women was founded in March 1888, only a few years after the death of Sojourner Truth in 1883. Through her work as an abolitionist and fighter for the civil rights of both Black and Female populations, her extensive lecture tours, and her autobiography, The Narrative of Sojourner Truth”, she became acquainted with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton. By the 1870’s and early 1880’s, Stanton and Anthony were both at work trying to establish an organization for women. This organization became the National Council for Women and was established by Anthony, Stanton, Clara Barton, and Julia Ward Howe. Many references refer to Sojourner Truth as one of the founding members as well because of her influence on these women and the early women’s movement.
The NCW/US is the oldest, non-sectarian organization for women, and encouraged allwomen’s organizations to join them from their beginning. Their mission stated:
We, women the United States of America, believe that the best good of humanity will be advanced by efforts toward greater unity of sympathy and purpose, and that a voluntary association of individuals so united will best serve the highest good of the family, the community, and the state, do hereby band ourselves into a federation of all races, creeds, and traditions, to further the application of the Golden Rule to society, custom, and the law.
As we move towards our vote on the NYS Equal Rights Amendment in November, let’s celebrate all that has been accomplished by these and other women who came before us, working towards true equality in the United States and beyond.
In League, Ann Hatke
President's Letter February 2024
Dear LWVSC Friends,
February is an important month for the League of Women Voters. Local Leagues like ours, as well as State Leagues, will hold their Program Planning Meetings. We will review last year’s program and discuss any additions and/or amendments we wish to make for 2024. The way we come to agreement on our proposed program is by consensus, meaning most members at the meeting feel that they approve of the changes that have been put forward after review and discussion. Our full membership will approve our program at our June annual meeting.
But what is a program anyway? Sometimes it’s easier to think of a program as a set of positions that are important to our League. For example, working against voter suppression is a position, as is improving public education. Our positions allow us to take action on them - hold public education sessions, advocate on policies, lobby our legislators and elected officials, etc.
LWVUS has chosen the theme for this year’s program planning as the Campaign for Making Democracy Work. Our local League will pay particular attention to “voting rights, improving elections, money in politics, redistricting, and abolishing the Electoral College”. In addition, we will also look at how we apply diversity, equity, and inclusion in our program, making sure that we have included all our members in the decision- making process. Once we have discussed and chosen our positions, we must also be sure that they are in line with those of LWVUS. That is usually very easy to do as LWVUS position are broad and cover an enormous number of topics and issues.
Please consider coming to LWVSC’s Program Planning meeting Thursday, February 8 at 5:30 pm. You’ll find your invitation in this Bulletin. You’ll learn a lot about our League, have an evening of good food and conversation, and have a voice in what our League represents.
In League, Ann Hatke
President LWV Schenectady County
President's Letter December 2023/January 2024
Dear LWVSC Friends,
A new month, a new year, and much to be thankful for - best wishes for a most happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year to you! And what an important year it will be...
One responsibility every Local League has at this time of year is to prepare a list of their top three Legislative Priorities and report them to LWVNYS. This isn’t an easy task - there are so many issues that we are all confronting that narrowing them down to three makes for a very thought-provoking and lively discussion. LWVNYS assembles these reports and based on the results decides which issues need advocacy in the upcoming 2024 Legislature. These are the LWVSC priorities listed in our report:
- Energy and Climate Change, including climate emergency decisions based on the best and most current climate science available; funding to facilitate the State’s transitions to green energy; enforcement of laws that address hazardous waste; banning of single-use plastics and creation of alternatives; support for regenerative agriculture, local farms and community gardens; support for local recycling and composting; priority funding given to communities already at risk due to past and present climate changes.
- Public Education, including greater access to broadband; greater response to the unequal needs of students; continued adequate and equitable educational funding; more training for teachers, students and parents in virtual learning; focus on gaps in student progress; attention to student mental and emotional issues with appropriate remediation; financial incentives to attract teachers (for example, educational loan forgiveness after specified years of service); greater attention to safety in schools, assuring that all students, teachers, staff, and administrators are provided a safe environment.
- Immigration, including expansion of resources to support accommodations such as housing, food security, healthcare, clothing, and safety, without reducing similar resources and services to the poor and low-income members already in our community; additional resources to provide legal and timely assistance as requested; expedite process to obtain employment; expedite legal process for those seeking asylum in the US.
- Comprehensive Healthcare, including improving public health systems to address mental and physical issues; greater coordination among local, state, and national health systems; promote accessible, affordable, equitable, and quality healthcare with special attention to underserved communities.
Didn’t I say we send in only our top three priorities? Absolutely! However, each year we try to add an additional statement that we feel is worthy of attention and advocacy, so that’s why you’re seeing a fourth priority listed. Let’s hope that these topics receive the attention and advocacy they deserve.
In League,
Ann Hatke, President, LWV Schenectady County
