Statement From Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on Assembly Passage of Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation

I commend Speaker Heastie for bringing long-stalled, anti-human trafficking legislation to the floor of the State Assembly as a standalone bill, as Senate Republicans have been calling on the Assembly to do for the better part of two years now.

By doing so, the Speaker has signaled the importance of putting progress ahead of politics, and shown that this Legislature can work together to get a result on issues important to the women of this state.

The Senate has approved the individual components of a comprehensive Women’s Equality Agenda on numerous occasions, including on the very first day of session this year.  We urge the Speaker and members of the Assembly to also join us in taking up and passing legislation to ensure pay equity, prohibit sexual harassment in the workplace, remove barriers to remedying discrimination, prohibit family status discrimination, prevent housing discrimination for the victims of domestic violence, allow for electronic filing for orders of protection and end pregnancy discrimination.