Long Island Region Women’s Equality Coalition Calls on Dean Skelos and the Entire Long Island Senate Delegation to Represent Their Constituents’ Values by Passing the Women’s Equality Act
(LYNBROOK, NY) Today nearly 200 advocates – including business owners, residents, and students – gathered for a rally to urge Senator Skelos to bring the Women’s Equality Act to the floor of the Senate for a vote. The Women’s Equality Act will advance New York’s long legacy as a model for equality and fairness by breaking down barriers that perpetuate discrimination and inequality based on gender.
Senator Skelos has vowed repeatedly to obstruct democracy and block the legislation from a vote. This runs counter to the wishes of his constituents, thousands of Long Island residents, and the 126 organizations that have joined together to form the Long Island Region Women’s Equality Coalition. This coalition is comprised of businesses, labor groups, religious leaders, women’s organizations, medical associations, and civil liberties proponents, as well as everyday people from all walks of life who agree that the New York State Legislature should seize this opportunity to improve the lives of 10 million women across the state.
Senator Skelos has a responsibility to the people of New York. He is entitled to his opinion, and he can oppose women’s equality all he wants. But what he is not entitled to do is prevent every other member of the Senate from standing up for what they believe in.
“There is no more important legislation for women and families in New York than Governor Cuomo’s 10-point Women’s Equality Act, said JoAnn D. Smith, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Nassau County. “The women and families of New York deserve a vote.”
“I was pushed out of my job and onto public assistance when I was pregnant and needed to temporarily stop heavy lifting, said Armanda Legros, the mother of a 3-year old son and 5-month old son. “My company did this even though they had a policy of accommodating other workers who had been injured on the job. No woman should have to choose between her child’s health and her job. I strongly believe that passing the Women’s Equality Act is taking the right step to creating more balance and fairness in the workplace for women as a whole.”
“The Women’s Equality Act is a comprehensive and commonsense package that recognizes that full equality depends on a wide range of legal reforms, including protections for reproductive rights,” said Andrea Miller, president of NARAL Pro-Choice New York. “It’s clear and straightforward affirmation of a woman’s right to choose is incredibly timely, as so many states across the country are engaged in a race to the bottom to strip women of their rights. Governor Cuomo wants to update New York’s laws to make it crystal clear that the protections of Roe v. Wade remain secure here in the Empire State. We need the State Legislature to pass the Women’s Equality Act, so New York can once again set a standard for equality and fairness for all.”
“Women in New York earn 84 cents for every dollar that a man earns, and women are discriminated against and harassed in the workplace at disproportionate rates” said Alyse Parise, a small business owner and chair of the Suffolk County Women’s Business Enterprise Coalition. “The Women’s Equality Act would allow for more transparency, more accountability, and true pay equity — rights that all New Yorkers deserve.”
“Once again we can make history in New York—the birthplace of the women’s rights movement a century and a half ago—but it requires that we level the playing field for women in the state, said Joan Malin, President & CEO of Planned Parenthood of New York City, and a member of the State-wide Women’s Equality Agenda Steering Committee. The eyes of New York’s women are on the legislature, waiting to see this historic agenda passed. Constituents want to see their elected representatives stand up for the women of the state.”
“In 2010, Senator Skelos made a commitment that New Yorkers expect him to keep. He said that if the Republicans gained back leadership in the Senate they would not stifle discussion or stifle votes,” said Family Planning Advocates of New York State President and CEO M. Tracey Brooks. “He said, and I quote, ‘It’s truly my belief that people should be allowed—especially legislators, that’s what we’re elected to do—to vote their conscience.’ The 850 businesses and organizational members of the Women’s Equality Coalition and the 10 million women of New York deserve to have the Women’s Equality Act voted on this legislative session, and Senator Dean Skelos is blocking the legislation from coming to the floor, contrary to his commitment not to stifle votes.”
