GOVERNOR’S 20-POINT ‘JUSTICE AGENDA’

On Spending, Pot, LGBTQ Rights, Cuomo Charts Path

Editor’s Note: With Democrats taking control of the state Senate Jan. 1, 2019, Governor Cuomo’s party now controls the state Legislature and his office for the first time in years, prompting him not to wait of the traditional State of the State message, but to issue a first-100-days “Justice Agenda,” a call to action for the state’s Democrats.  Here are the 20 points:

►Ensure a Progressive Tax System, maintaining millionaire’s tax, permanently capping property-tax increases at 2 percent.

►Cut Middle-Class Taxes while Fighting to repeal SALT, the federal limits on state and local deductions.

►Protect Quality, Affordable Health Care by ensuring the health exchange and coverage of pre-existing conditions will be protected at state level.

►Codify Reproductive Rights by passing the Reproductive Health Act and the Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act within 30 days to protect Roe v. Wade protections.

►Enshrine Gender Equality into Law, by passing Equal Rights Amendment to add sex as a protected class.

►Combat Gun Violence, by passing bump-stock ban, extending waiting period to buy a gun from three to 10 days.

►Expand $150 Billion Infrastructure Plan, adding $50 billion for new airports, bridges, train stations across state.

►Ease Traffic in NYC Business District by overhauling Mass Transit Authority.

►Ensure Education Equity by
increasing funding for poor schools.  (A coalition of public educations is seeking a $2 billion increase)

►Pass a Dream Act, to ensure a higher education system that opens the door of opportunity to everyone.

►Launch the Green New Deal,
to make New York’s electricity 100-percent carbon-neutral by 2040 and put state on path to eliminating carbon footprint.

►Ensure Clean, Safe Drinking Water for All, by investing in our water infrastructure and clean our water for our children and our children’s children.

►Improve Our Democracy, by enabling voting by mail, early voting, same-day and automatic voter registration, synchronizing federal and state elections, and make ►Election Day a state holiday to ensure as much participation as possible.

►Increase Trust in the Democratic System, by closing the LLC loophole, banning corporate campaign contributions, overhaul our campaign finance system and ending outside income for lawmakers.

►Protect Public Sector Unions, by expanding protections for public sector labor unions at the local level, and to ensure workers have labor rights in the gig economy.

►Keep Housing Affordable, by reforming rent regulations, including ending vacancy decontrol, repealing preferential rent and limiting capital improvement charges to protect affordable housing and respect tenants’ rights.

►Pass the Child Victims Act, to ensure those who abuse our children are  accountable criminally and civilly.

►Protect LGBTQ Rights, by codify the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act into state law and end conversion therapy.

►Legalize Adult Use of Recreational Marijuana, ending the disproportionate criminalization of one race over another by regulating, legalizing and taxing adult use of recreational marijuana.

►Ensure Fairness in the Criminal Justice System, by ending cash bail and enacting speedy trial and discovery reforms.