Civil Rights

Senator Stavisky Celebrates March As Women’s History Month

The NYS Department of Financial Services (DFS) is setting new rules to speed the processing of insurance claims in areas affected by Storm Sandy. The new regulation reduces the amount of time an insurer can delay its decision on a claim, and requires insurers to report to the Department on how many claims it is delaying and the reasons for the delays.

Citing overwhelming support and outsize need for higher wages in communities of color, lawmakers seek hike to $8.75, plus indexing to inflation

ALBANY — Members of the Black, Puerto-Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus called Tuesday for the state Legislature to raise the minimum wage to $8.75 and allow for annual increases to keep up with the rising cost of living. Workers of color are the majority of minimum-wage workers in New York State. More than half of the 1.5 million New Yorkers who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage are Black, Latino or Asian. 

Honorable Andrew Cuomo Executive Chamber State Capital Albany, NY 12224

Dear Governor Cuomo:

We write to request changes to your state budget and also to highlight specific changes that would support education, the justice system, MWBE, ELL, minimum wage, and school age children. However, we begin by acknowledging our support for a number of your proposals. We appreciate that your budget reflects an increase in minimum wages, as well as a 4.4% growth in education aid. 

As February begins and the United States observes Black History Month, Sen. O’Brien encourages the people of his district of all races to take some time to reflect on the rich history of African-Americans in the United States and in his district in particular.

“Black history is American history,” O’Brien said.  “I encourage everyone to take some time to look at Rochester’s importance to the African-American community, from its early role as the longtime home of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass to the civil rights struggle of the 1950s and ‘60s that continues today.”

STATE SENATOR TOBY ANN STAVISKY, STATE ASSEMBLYMAN RON KIM,

AND CITY COUNCILMAN PETER KOO, JOIN DR. UMA MYSOREKAR AND THE

HINDU TEMPLE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA TO CELEBRATE LIVES OF MAHATMA GANDHI AND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR