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. Continue reading

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. Continue reading

UHGP Supports Momentive Strikers

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

Green Party Calls Cuomo's Tuition Plan Wholly Inadequate

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

Green Party of New York Supports Stein Campaign Recount

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

Green Party of New York Calls on Legislature to Undertake Ethics & Campaign Finance Reform This Session in Light of Percoco Scandal

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]  

Statement from the Green Party of NY on “Open” Primaries Lawsuit and Need for Democratic Reform

New York - The Green Party of New York (GPNY) has issued the below statement in response to frustrated voters calling for "open" primaries in the state of New York, and the recent lawsuit filed to that effect. GPNY will not participate in the April 19th Primary Election for president, and instead New York Greens will vote for the Green Party's 2016 presidential nominee at a June 11 state nominating convention in Troy, NY (with a mail-in ballot available for Greens who cannot attend). The Green Party of the United States national convention will take place in Houston, TX from August 4-7. The winner of the GPUS nomination will appear on the November 8 General Election ballot for all New York voters. Continue reading

Green Party's Howie Hawkins Arrested for Civil Disobedience at #WeAreSenecaLake Veterans Action

Green Party 2014 candidate for governor Howie Hawkins has been arrested for his participation in the We Are Seneca Lake blockade against the Crestwood gas storage facility. Continue reading

GPNYS Blasts Ballot Bandits as "OTB Thursday" Looms

NEW YORK (July 15, 2015)—The Green Party of New York State (GPNYS) has launched a "Wall of Shame" page to name Democrats and Republicans who are attempting to sneak their way onto the third party's hard-won ballot line. Seven candidates submitted designating petitions for the Green Party line last week, even though they had no "Wilson-Pakula" authorization from the GPNYS leadership. Continue reading

Upper Hudson Green Party Announces Candidate Slate

Green Party of Upper Hudson Media Release June 2, 2015The Upper Hudson Green Party announced a slate of candidates that Continue reading