BUFFALO — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo proposed the “New York Promise” agenda on Monday – a sweeping, unprecedented package of reforms he says will advance principles of social justice, affirm New York’s progressive values, and a set a national standard for protections against all forms of discrimination.
“At these stormy times of instability and confusion, New York must serve as a safe harbor for the progressive principles and social justice that made America,” Governor Cuomo said. “We will hold the torch high to light the way toward opportunity, because that is New York’s promise. This promise is not just in words but in actions and we will push even further to advance the social progress we have made and continue the fight.”
The “New York Promise” Agenda will:
Reform the Criminal Justice System: The Governor proposes a comprehensive set of reforms from arrest to trial that will ensure equal justice for all citizens. The Governor will advance the following new measures:
- Overhauling New York’s antiquated bail system
- Ensuring access to a speedy trial
- Raising the age of criminal responsibility
- Improving witness identification procedures
- Recording police interrogations for serious offenses
- Extending the Hurrell-Harring settlement reforms statewide
- Eliminate the Wage Gap: Governor Cuomo signed two executive orders to put New York on the fast track to eliminate the wage gap. The concurrent executive orders will strengthen equal pay protections in New York by prohibiting all state entities from evaluating candidates based on their prior salary or asking prospective employees their wage history. New York will also require state contractors to disclose data on the gender, race and ethnicity of employees – leveraging taxpayer dollars to drive transparency and advance pay equity statewide.
Expand Opportunity to Immigrants: The “We Are All Immigrants” Initiative will support the success of immigrant families and communities in New York . The initiative includes:
- Implementing the Empire State Immigrant Defense Project;
- Expanding the naturalization services offered at the state’s Office of New Americans;
- Pressing for passage of the DREAM Act; and
- Convening the New York State Blue Ribbon Panel on Immigrants to make recommendations that support the integration and success of immigrants and their families.
- Combat Hate Crimes and Encourage Tolerance: The Governor will launch of a statewide Hate Crimes Task Force charged with investigating and deterring incidents of bias and discrimination. The Task Force includes members from New York State Police and the New York State Division of Human Rights, who will investigate hate crimes and conduct community outreach to educate New Yorkers of their rights. In addition, the Governor announced the formation of a new Interfaith Advisory Council, led by Cardinal Dolan, to help achieve a greater understanding and tolerance of all religions and cultures, promote open-mindedness and inclusivity, and bolster the state’s efforts to protect all New Yorkers.
The New York Promise agenda also includes a series of actions, unveiled Sunday, to modernize New York’s voting system, including early voting, automatic voter registration and same day voter registration.
