January Recap
The 2024 legislative session is now underway. Below are updates on what’s been happening in Albany throughout the month of January. Be sure to make your voice heard and take action on a number of the issues below.
Stop Assisted Suicide in NY
Proponents of doctor-assisted suicide are continuing to try to legalize this deadly practice in New York. There is a BIG push this year and we need your help.
Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents if we hope to avoid yet another assault on the dignity of human life. Assisted suicide is dangerous for patients, caregivers, and vulnerable populations such as the elderly and people with disabilities. Suicide is not medical care. Please tell your State Senate and Assembly representatives that you oppose this dangerous and deadly practice. Contact your state legislators now!
Resources on Assisted Suicide:
- Read our full memo of OPPOSITION here.
- Learn more about physician assisted suicide from palliative care physician, Dr. Thomas Carroll in episode #14 of our podcast Capitol Compass. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, on our YouTube channel or on our website, https://www.nyscatholic.org/capitol-compass-podcast.
- Learn more about what we can learn from Canada when it comes to assisted suicide from Dr. Catherine Ferrier, a Canadian physician and president of the Physicians Alliance Against Euthanasia, in episode #28 of our podcast Capitol Compass. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, on our YouTube channel or on our website.
Governor’s Executive Budget Proposal
On January 16, Governor Hochul released her Executive Budget Proposal for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The Governor proposes total spending of $233 billion, which represents an additional $6 billion from last year, a 4.5% increase. The big news is a proposed 23% increase in mandated services aid for our schools, as outlined below. This historic increase, which is intended to meet this year’s actual need as well as to backfill shortfalls over the last two years, comes as a direct result of Conference advocacy and your emails to the Governor through CAN.
Education
Mandated Services Aid (MSA) and Comprehensive Attendance Policy (CAP): In her Executive Budget Proposal, the Governor proposes $239,228,000, a $44 million (23 percent) increase, to restore the 4% shortfall from 2023 school year reimbursements and to fully fund anticipated reimbursements payable in school year 2025. The Governor also maintains the state’s statutory obligation to fully reimburse schools for their mandated services to the state.
UPK: The Governor proposes to continue support for expansion of full-day 4-year-old pre-k, served by districts both directly and through contracts with community providers (including religious and independent schools).
Thank the Governor for Catholic School Funding
Respect Life
Prenatal/Maternal Health: As she mentioned during her State of the State address, the Governor is proposing a broad plan to address maternal and infant mortality. The plan includes expanding doula access by eliminating referrals, a first-in-the-nation paid leave plan for prenatal care and eliminating copays and other out of pocket expenses for prenatal care. The Governor also proposes more training to address maternal mental health, as well as oversight and incentives to tackle overuse of c-sections during birth. Plans to provide cribs to those in need, expand Medicaid and Child Health Plus access to age six, and paid leave for breast milk expression in the workplace round out her maternal and infant health initiatives.
Abortion/Contraception: Though not mentioned during her State of the State remarks, the Governor quietly included abortion expansion language in her budget proposal. Language to “affirm” minors’ rights to consent to abortion are included, though minors in New York have been able to access abortion for some time, due to federal case law. The proposal also affirms the rights of minors to access contraception, as well as data privacy protections for abortion providers.
Religious Liberty
Hate Crimes: The Governor proposes expanding the offenses eligible for prosecution as hate crimes. This is in direct response to the many instances of religion-based hate crimes that have taken place since the horrific attacks in Israel last fall.
School Security: The Governor proposes maintaining $25 million for religious and independent schools and programs under the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program.
Capitol Compass
In episode 35, in honor of Catholic Schools Week, Gillian chats with Principal Philip Heide from St. Michael’s Catholic Academy in Flushing, Queens.
They discuss the school’s unique Mandarin-English dual language program and their inclusive community.
