Green Party Calls for Single Payer Health Care; Climate Action; A Ban on Plastic Bags; and Mass Transit Funding
The Green Party of New York State announced its four top state legislative priorities for 2018: enact a statewide single payer universal health care program; enact a Green New Deal to promote full employment and accelerate the transition to 100% clean energy; provide $40 billion or more in funding for mass transit in NYC and statewide; and enact a statewide ban on plastic bags.The Party will continue to support a broader legislative agenda, including pushing for campaign finance and political reform, criminal justice reform, immigration (DREAM Act) and equal rights, local government revenue sharing, and affordable housing.
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Cassandra Lems speaks on New York Health Act and Taxation Reform
At the League of Women Voters debate* held on Sunday at Hofstra University, Cassandra Lems, Green Party Candidate for Nassau County Executive, announced her support of the New York Health Act.
*A video recording of the entire candidates forum may be found here. (Event begins at 19:05.)
This single payer health insurance bill, if enacted, would bring affordable and expanded health coverage to all New Yorkers, including 1.2 million currently uninsured New Yorkers. The plan would be funded through progressive payroll and self-employment taxes, coupled with a progressive assessment on income from capital gains, dividends and interest.
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Green Party of New York Declines to Endorse Constitutional Convention Vote
The Green Party of New York (GPNY) State Committee made a decision at its quarterly meeting on Saturday, September 16 to issue a statement that it would decline to endorse either the pro or con side of the New York State Constitutional Convention vote in November.
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Good Turnout in Brooklyn's 35th City Council District
By Adrienne Craig-Williams, Treasurer for Jabari 2017
Brooklyn, NY — A convivial Green primary was held in Brooklyn's 35th City Council District. Scott Hutchins and Jabari Brisport campaigned for the Green Party line throughout the late summer.
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Primary Day Means Dems and Republicans Stealing Third Party Ballot Lines Through Obscure Laws, Says Green Party of NY
One of the Dirtier Tricks From This Primary Season: Fake Mailer Using Howie Hawkins' Name and Likeness
ALBANY--The Green Party of New York (GPNY) called on Gov. Cuomo and the state legislature to make immediate changes to New York election law to ban Opportunity-To-Ballot (OTB) petitions and primary elections. Green Party officers stated that OTB has been used by Democrats and Republicans to attempt to hijack the Green ballot line across the state this year. Green Party members have reported people who registered as Greens specifically to sign OTB petitions for Democratic and Republican candidates. Greens also mentioned the OTB law violates the spirit of closed primaries that are the law in New York State.
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GPNY Supports GPUS Statement on the Puerto Rican Day Parade
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Green Party of the United States, led by the party's Latinx Caucus, affirmed its support for the 60th annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on Sunday, June 11.
"Greens called for the release of Oscar López Rivera long before President Obama commuted his prison sentence during the final days of the Obama Administration. We're pleased to see him honored as 'Procer de la Libertad' -- National Freedom Hero -- in the Puerto Rican Day Parade," said Hector López, a member of the Green Party of Connecticut.
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Sanderson-Smith Announces Run For NYC City Council
Persephone Sanderson-Smith Announces Run For NYC City Council
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2017 Platform
View the First Draft produced by the 2017 Platform Process, feedback welcome!
The Green Party of New York will renew our platform at our state committee and rank-and-file gathering on May 20, 2017 in Rensselaer, New York.
... and the GPNY Platform Committee needs your help to ensure our platform is sharp and up to date in articulating the demands of our movement.
The Platform Committee is inviting all Green Party members to contribute proposed planks to a draft platform, on the issues you are active in and/or for which you have expertise.
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Replace ACA and Avoid AHCA with New York State Health Act
Albany --- At a time of federal attacks on healthcare funding, New York legislators should take action to protect and expand healthcare access by sponsoring and voting on New York Health this session. The Green Party of New York wholeheartedly endorses the New York Health Act (A. 4738/S.4840) which would guarantee healthcare for all New Yorkers and calls on the Legislature and Governor to make the bill into a law immediately. Party officers pointed out the just-introduced Republican AHCA would have significant negative impacts on coverage for New Yorkers and health care cost for state government, and that Gov. Cuomo’s budget proposal has no plan to deal with changes to the ACA. The New York Health Act would solve these problems, cover all New Yorkers and lower costs.
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Rest in power, Lynne Stewart
The Green Party of New York mourns the loss of Lynne Stewart, the People's Lawyer and tireless warrior for justice, and expresses condolences to family and close friends. Stewart died at her home on Tuesday after suffering a stroke last week. Lynne Stewart spent most of her career defending the poor, the unwanted and sometimes controversial who were mistreated or ignored by the legal system.
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Lane Announces Run for New York City Public Advocate
James Lane Announces Run for New York City Public Advocate
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Plaat Announces Run for Mayor of Albany
Dan Plaat Announces Run for Mayor of Albany
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Barkenhagen Announces Run for Glens Falls Council-at-large
Barkenhagen announces run for Glens Falls Common Council-At-Large.
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Green Party Says Bag Bill Moratorium Betrayal of Democracy and Environment
Albany, NY -- The Green Party of New York said today that the bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Cuomo yesterday was a betrayal of democracy and environmental stewardship. Party officers stated that the law, which essentially bans local legislation on the 5-cent fee, shows how deeply in the pockets of lobbyists the Legislature and the Governor are, and that the need for home rule on issues like these has never been greater. The Greens – part of the coalition to pass the legislation in NYC – also said that plastic bag fees work and that the arguments made by State Senator Simcha Felder and his cosponsors were disingenuous to the public and their actions harmful to the environment. Green officers said that if the Legislature and Governor were truly concerned about the costs of the fee, they would move quickly to ban plastic bags entirely as California and Hawaii have done.
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Consensus Commission’s Metro Government Proposal is the “Consolidation of Segregation”
Green Party Calls for Consolidating Governmental Functions within a Federated Model of Metro GovernmentIn response to the Consensus Commission's proposal for metropolitan government, the Green Party issued a statement today rejecting the Commission's metropolitan government proposal and offering its own “federated model” for metropolitan government as more democratic and more acceptable to city and town residents alike.“This would be the consolidation of segregation,” Howie Hawkins, the Green Party county chair and author of the statement, said of the Commission's proposed structure for metropolitan government.
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GPNY Co-Chair Speaks Against Bag Bill
New York, New York — Green Party of New York co-chair Gloria Mattera stood among fellow Greens and environmental allies to speak on the anti-democratic bill the state senate sent to the Governor. The bill prevents New York City from implementing a law passed by city council to reduce plastic bag waste in the city. The bill singles out New York City while leaving legislation in other jurisdictions in place.
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Green Party Tells Speaker Heastie: If You Can’t Stomach Restricting Plastic Bags, Just Ban Them
The Green Party today said that if Assembly Speaker Heastie is unwilling to recognize the right of NYC to enact a law restricting plastic bags, then he should enact a statewide ban on plastic bags.
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Common Council Called to Take Legislative Action Now to Provide Sanctuary
The Green Party of Onondaga County calls on the sitting Common Council members, and all declared candidates in this election year, to spare no time in declaring support and enacting policy that would unequivocally establish Syracuse as a sanctuary city. Although Mayor Miner has publicly, during her State of the City address, made her support for Syracuse as a Sanctuary City be known, Syracuse is not listed on common sanctuary maps or databases due to no actionable policy on the matter.
Unlike the jurisdiction of Onondaga County where a July 2014 County Sheriff's Office Decision indicates Onondaga County Justice Center Jail will not honor any U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detainer without a signed warrant, the City of Syracuse lacks any formal policy that would limit cooperation between city law enforcement and immigration authorities (limited detainer policies in which cooperation with federal authorities is not a blanket order but pertains to court orders for criminal offenses and not profiling for immigration status as civil crimes).
The city should not cooperate in enforcing a federal “papers please” law that will put us in the shameful company of countries with repressive internal passport systems, including the civil war Confederate States of America, apartheid South Africa, the former Soviet Union, and today's China, Iraq, and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Just as our city honors the 1851 Jerry Rescue in defiance of the Fugitive Slave Law, today the city should defend and honor the right of all of us, documented or not, to be free to move about without law officers demanding that we show our resident status papers.
Meanwhile, GPOC members will continue to work as members of the CNY Solidarity Coalition to protect and educate about items such as ICE prohibited enforcement activities at “sensitive locations” (2011 ICE memorandum policy number 10029.2) including:
schools (including pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools, post-secondary schools up to and including colleges and universities, and other institutions of learning such as vocational or trade schools);
hospitals;
churches, synagogues, mosques or other institutions of worship, such as buildings rented for the purpose of religious services;
the site of a funeral, wedding, or other public religious ceremony; and
a site during the occurrence of a public demonstration, such as a march, rally or parade.
Besides abiding by the the Fourth Amendment, which means you can’t be searched without probable cause or held against your will without a warrant from the court signed by a judge, we call on city officials to provide for voting by resident aliens in local elections. This practice has historic precedent in states across the nation, including New York between 1776-1804. As a refugee resettlement city, and since citizenship has not in all cases been made a condition precedent to the enjoyment of the right of suffrage, individuals of special humanitarian concern being granted entrance into our country through resettlement in Syracuse shall be further ensured safe haven through the right to vote in political elections.
Lastly, The Green Party of Onondaga County reiterates its belief that “the surest path to ensuring public safety involves a strategic approach to building strong neighborhoods and healthy communities where police work together with residents to assess neighborhood problems and craft responses…. with integrated neighborhoods where people who are actively engaged in civic life work, socialize and recreate together applies directly to increasing public safety”(GPOC Platform, Section 5, Public Safety & Criminal Justice, Introduction). NYS Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has just published “Guidance Concerning Local Authority Participation In Immigration Enforcement And Model Sanctuary Provisions” which provides model language for becoming a sanctuary jurisdiction - so there is no reason to delay.
The Green Party of Onondaga County Executive Committee
Howie Hawkins, Chair
Caleb Duncan, Secretary, State Committee Member
Frank Cetera, Treasurer, State Committee Member
Ursula Rozum, State Committee Member
Mary House, State Committee Member
maureen Curtin, State Committee Member
Green Party Condemns Schumer’s Vote for Torture-Supporter Pompeo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Albany – The Green Party of New York denounced Senator Schumer’s Monday evening vote in favor of Mike Pompeo as CIA Director. Citing Pompeo’s own statements that CIA officials who engaged in torture were “patriots” and that he would be open to altering a 2015 law prohibiting the government from using interrogation techniques not listed in the Army Field Manual, his portrayal of the “War on Terror” as a religious conflict between Muslims and Christians, claims that Islamic leaders are potentially complicit in terror because they don’t speak against it, and appearances on anti-Muslim radio programs - Green officers questioned why New York’s senior senator would vote to confirm Mr. Pompeo.
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UHGP Supports Momentive Strikers
Albany, NY - The Upper Hudson Green Party Statement of Support for Workers on Strike at Momentive Performance Materials
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GPNY Stands Up For Health Care!
GPNY showed up outside Trump Towers on Friday, January 13th to demand Health Care Justice.
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