Gov’s State of the State an Outline for a Better New York, But More to Do

“The governor’s priorities for the coming session include some important steps that will bring us closer to a more just and fair New York.

“Governor Cuomo’s renewed commitment to advancing women’s equality and preserving women’s access to reproductive health care should be applauded. New York’s more than 10 million mothers, daughters, sisters and wives need and deserve laws that reflect the complexity of women’s lives – securing equal pay, access to reproductive health care, and freedom from discrimination and violence. New York State needs to update and strengthen its laws to reflect the reality of women’s lives today.

“The governor should also be commended for his efforts to allow medical marijuana to be used by some New Yorkers with cancer, glaucoma and other illnesses. The governor’s executive order serves as an important step towards the wholesale reform of the state’s marijuana laws, which are painfully out of date, needlessly harsh and have a devastating impact on communities of color. The NYCLU supports the full decriminalization of marijuana, and we will continue to document the damage New York State’s marijuana arrest crusade wreaks on communities in all corners of the state, needlessly disrupting people’s lives and fostering distrust between the police and the communities they are sworn to serve.

“Unfortunately, there was still no mention of the statewide structural reforms urgently needed to the state’s public defense system. More than 50 years after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that poor people accused of crimes must have access to a competent attorney, New York continues to shirk its responsibility. The NYCLU and the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP filed a class action challenge to New York’s indigent defense system in 2007, and it appears that lawsuit will finally be heard at trial this spring. But state government shouldn’t be waiting for the courts to order a remedy. Justice has already been delayed 50 years – New Yorkers can’t wait any longer.”