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. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

Albany, NY - The Upper Hudson Green Party Statement of Support for Workers on Strike at Momentive Performance Materials Continue reading

Albany, NY – The Green Party of New York called the Cuomo tuition-plan unveiled today wholly inadequate and said the reports of it making college free or affordable-for-all were false. The Greens pointed out that Cuomo's plan does not cover the $14,000 in yearly room, board and fees and would still leave students with $55,000 worth of debt from SUNY/CUNY 4-year schools. Party officers also said that it does nothing to address three decades worth of funding cuts at state schools. The Green Party called on Governor Cuomo and the Legislature to fully fund state schools and make college completely free, including tuition, room, board and fees so that students leave with no debt, as they do in most other nations, and to return to a program of open admissions so that college is truly open to all. Continue reading

Contact: Gloria Mattera, Green Party of NY Co-Chair, (917) 886-4538, [email protected] Peter Lavenia, Green Party of NY Co-Chair, (518) 495-8001, [email protected] New York - The Green Party of New York declared its support of the recount effort launched by 2016 Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein. Party officers added the recount effort was focused on election integrity and making sure all votes are counted, a fundamental principle of grassroots democracy and the Green Party. Continue reading

Albany - In light of the ongoing investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's former confidante and campaign manager Joseph Percoco, the Green Party of New York again calls on the New York State Legislature to pass a comprehensive ethics and campaign finance reform package before the end of the 2016 session. Noting the endemic nature of corruption amongst state officials in New York and the frequent indictments brought by US Attorney Preet Bharara, Green Party officers stated that only a strong push to remove the legalized bribery of campaign donations and the lure of outside income for legislators would clean up the cesspool of corruption found in Albany. "We know what will work to change the political culture in Albany: closing the LLC loophole, limiting outside income for legislators, strong disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules for income earned by lawmakers and senior staff, and a fully transparent budget process. While outside income for legislators should be limited to levels akin to those of Congress (15% of the highest salary paid to any sitting legislator), the party supports a full-time, year-round state legislature much like California's. Legislators should consider this their job, and during their terms should worry about people of New York State and not outside income. This would require far more than the 60 calendar days spent in Albany during the year," said Gloria Mattera, state party co-chair. "Alongside this we need a system of full public campaign financing for candidates at the local, state and federal levels modeled on those of Maine and Arizona. The real impetus for corruption arises when campaign donors are able to influence government through the system of legalized bribery that is our campaign finance laws. Creating a system where candidates have no need to solicit those bribes in the first place would move us far closer to cleaning up Albany than any of the so-called reforms have done to this point," concluded Peter LaVenia, state party co-chair. For Immediate ReleaseMay 10, 2016 Green Party of New Yorkhttp://www.gpny.org/ Contact:Gloria Mattera, 917-886-4538, [email protected] O'Neil, 917-825-3562, [email protected]