Ruth Hassell-Thompson's Press releases

New Yorkers Facing Mounting Legal Crises 

On December 3, 2009 Americans nationwide will be participating in It's Time To Talk Day, a day dedicated to speaking about issues that are literally life and death ----domestic abuse and teen dating abuse.  Here’s an alarming statistic:  1 in 2 teens report that they have been personally victimized by controlling behaviors from a

Not only is December a month filled with hope and expectations, and some typical holiday stress, but it is also AIDS Awareness Month.  As a former nurse and health educator who worked with persons infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson urges all New Yorkers to remember that AIDS is still a major health threat.  U

On November 4, 2009, Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson was presented with the Benjamin Ward Leadership Award by the New York State Minorities in Criminal Justice, Inc.  Benjamin Ward served with great distinction as the former Commissioner of both the NYS Department of Correctional Services and the NYC Police Department.

             New York State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chairwoman of the Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction and Senator John Sampson, Senate Majority Conference Leader are calling for public hearings regarding the financial crisis that the New York State Interest On Lawyer Account Fund (“IOLA”) is facing.  The IOLA Fund, in existence since 1983, is used

Today, the NYS Conference of Black Senators announced their support for the Signature Agenda of Legislative Issues that they wish to see passed before the end of this session. The members stressed the need for them to be brought to the floor quickly:

-Article 15-A : Senate Bill 1799, Sponsored by Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson

-Better School Act (School Governance): Senate Bill 5576, sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker

-Foreclosure: Senate Bill 4109A, sponsored by Senator Jeff Klein

(Albany, NY) - On Monday, May 18, 2009, the New York State Senate unanimously passed Senate Bill 3402, introduced by Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson, Chairwoman of the Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections. This legislation would allow for the New York State Crime Victims Board to compensate young victims for property damage, transportation to court and counseling. In previous years, the law stipulated that no compensation would be allowed for child victims unless they were physically harmed.

Some two hundred people filled an auditorium at the College of New Rochelle to hear details on federal economic recovery spending dedicated to New York State.