Government and Policy Updates

by Nada Khader | Jan 8, 2025 | Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Immigration, Movement Building, Progressive News Network

Government and Policy Updates

To support you in your advocacy, here are some things happening in government and public policy across New York State.

Gov. Kathy Hochul will propose initiatives in her State of the State address to reduce delays and improve travel on Metro-North and Amtrak in the Lower Hudson Valley.
Governor Kathy Hochul plans to expand involuntary mental health commitments and strengthen Kendra’s Law to address recent violence in New York City.
The one hundred and twenty-four laws that Kathy Hochul vetoed in 2024.
How New York prisons collaborate with Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).
New York State Senator Sean Ryan and Assemblymember Jon Rivera partnered with local organizations to announce state funding for afterschool programs.
The New York State Legislature returns this week, focusing on affordability, school reform, and protecting vulnerable groups from the incoming Trump administration.
The fatal beating of an incarcerated man at an upstate prison highlights abuse claims involving Corrections Emergency Response Team (CERT) units across the correctional system.
A City Council bill requiring co-op boards to justify rejections is stalled, with limited support from Manhattan councilmembers.

WESPAC on Facebook

Explore WESPAC

5 days ago

This is Tara Taylor, the new Food Forest Manager at Unadilla Community Farm & Education Center after a warm hand off of operations. We’re excited to be carrying the torch of bringing you and yours fresh food, medicinal herbs, and paid education opportunities, season over season!I am writing with a brief update, and a humble request.We’ve just opened up the applications for our 2025 Beginning Farmer Training Program, a 22-week paid fellowship teaching the planting, care & maintenance, and harvesting of our Food Forest crops for donation to food pantries, mutual aid groups, and free herbal clinics. We couldn’t have provided 8,758.90 lbs of food to over six thousand people last year, saving them $129,653.17 in grocery and healthcare costs, without these limited experience growers engaging in fellowship with us. Our incoming leadership team is excited to continue this program’s many years of success with students across 7 continents by seeking out more beginning farmers local to the tri-state region to invite to join us.We humbly ask that you help us make this paid opportunity accessible by posting up a flyer within your community on our behalf. The flyers can be taped up on doors or walls for set and forget support. If printing is a challenge, let us know and we’re happy to drop off or snail-mail you some perforated copies.The description below can also be forwarded to email lists and organizers in your community with the description below to multiply our outreach with the click of a button.Thank you for your ongoing support of the Unadilla Community Farm & Education Center!Beginning Farmer FellowshipUnadilla Community Farm is a 501(c)3 non-profit farm education center in West Edmeston, NY, donating 100% of harvest from our multi-story Food Forest to food pantries, mutual aid groups, and free herbal clinics, serving low-income and historically underserved communities.Our Farm Fellowship is a paid, season-long opportunity for experiential, hands-on learning of the humble tasks that ensure the planting, care & maintenance, and harvesting of our Food Forest crops for donation to food pantries, mutual aid groups, and free herbal clinics.Fellows will learn how to: 1) tend to a food forest by applying principles of no-till organic farming, regenerative agroforestry, and permaculture design, with a focus on growing perennial fruits & herbs, cover crops, and annual vegetables; 2) carry out sustainable harvest, storage & distribution techniques at-scale; and 3) participate in public education through Community Volunteer Days and optional weekly classes.Time Commitment: 23 weeks from April 27-October 4, 2025. Fellows who live on-site must be able to commit to the full season. This is a seasonal part-time contracted position.Schedule: 8:00am-12:00pm Mondays-Saturdays. We offer paid sick days and unpaid vacation (with two weeks notice).Wage: $20 per hour. Must be authorized to work in the U.S. (we cannot offer work visas).Required Experience: Applicants must have 1 season of farming experience (at a production farm/nonprofit farm or other farm type), OR must have completed Unadilla Community Farm’s Permaculture Internship.Work Environment: Fellows should be able to carry 40 pounds and be on their feet walking, standing, moving, or squatting for up to 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. Fellows should feel comfortable with a variety of outdoor working conditions, including full sun, light rain, or light frost.Room & Board: Fellows may commute to the farm, or apply to live on-site. For fellows who live on-site and can commit to the 24 hr/wk full-season schedule, room and board are provided at no charge. ... See MoreSee Less

unadillacommunityfarm.org

View on Facebook

Explore WESPAC is at White Plains Public Library.

6 days ago

On behalf of the planning team for the 2025 Lower Hudson Valley Social Forum, I am delighted to invite you to our Sunday, April 27th forum where we will join dozens of community organizations to celebrate our work for collective liberation. We will be listing the organizations involved on our page. In the meantime, please see the flyer attached and our registration link here docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSerKHGar0DHB3q7sLVsWKUy_IjnZk4TvuePJN6hThlojgR8IA/viewform?usp=s... ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook

Explore WESPAC

1 week ago

Job Opening!Westchester OrganizerMake the Road New York (MRNY) builds the power of immigrant and working-class communities to achieve dignity and justice through organizing, policy innovation, transformative education, and survival services. Make the Road New York operates community centers in Bushwick, Brooklyn; Jackson Heights, Queens; Port Richmond, Staten Island; Brentwood, Long Island and White Plains, Westchester County. With a membership of 27,000, MRNY tackles the critical issues facing our communities, including workplace justice, tenants’ rights, immigrant rights and civil rights, TGNCIQ justice, public education, health care access, and immigration reform. (TGNCIQ = transgender, gender non-conforming, intersex and queer). MRNY is a newly unionized workplace, currently negotiating its first Collective Bargaining Agreement.MRNY is a multi-service organization. Our member-led organizing committees -- which work on the issues named above -- implement strategies to combat shared problems, and develop leadership and the capacity for civic participation. We also provide an array of high-quality bilingual services: We offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), Spanish-language literacy, computer literacy, citizenship preparation, and in-school and after-school youth programs. We have a robust legal program that offers direct representation across a spectrum of practice areas, including employment law, immigration law, housing and benefits, and TGNCIQ civil rights; we also take on impact litigation as a strategy for achieving broad change. Our health program offers facilitated enrollment into health insurance programs and SNAP benefits, a community health worker home visit program, nutrition education and emergency food pantries, health care navigation, and more."Current Opening:The work of the Westchester County Organizer is to build a strong base of community members and leaders in Westchester County. The organizer will also engage members in leadership development and organizing around various issues at the local, state and federal level. In collaboration with the Housing and Environmental Justice Lead Organizer the Westchester County Organizer will support the growth of the base and nurture the leadership of our members to advance local, statewide and federal campaigns. The organizer will conduct outreach in the community to build an organizing committee, identify key issues that community members care about and recruit them to become members of MRNY.Key Responsibilities but not limited to:Build our base for power by engaging low-income New Yorkers who commit to work together on the issues affecting our communities. Move our base to action to advance campaigns that positively impact people’s lives Develop the skills & consciousness of our base to strengthen the roots of our democracy Support and move campaigns that positively affect our members’ lives and build strong alliances to leverage MRNY’s power Create an effective and collaborative work environment that supports innovation and excellence while creating community support Ensure the success of bi-weekly committee meetings (including outreach, creation of and effective facilitation of meeting agendas, logistics coordination, etc.) Ensure the success of monthly leadership team meetings (including but not limited to: outreach, creation and facilitation of agenda, logistics coordination, etc.) Meet organizing outreach, mobilization, and engagement targets set by the organizing team leadership and that correspond with skills and years of experience. Engage community members in organizing efforts around immigration, education, community safety, LGBTQ rights, housing and environmental justice, workplace justice and more Participate in staff meetings, monthly organizing team meetings and community learning hour Support the electoral work of the organization and the affiliated C4 as assignedRequirements:Eligible to work in the US Fluency in Spanish required; bilingual English / Spanish preferred Be fully vaccinated with FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine prior to first day of employment Have at least 2 years of experience of community organizing, labor organizing, and/or have familiarity with current MRNY community issues Proficiency in basic computer programs (Google Suite, Zoom, Salesforce) Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in multicultural spaces Demonstrated commitment to developing and elevating member leadership Be able to work some evenings and weekends Must have a driver’s license, comfort driving a vehicle that carries up to 7 passengers, and access to a reliable car; willingness to on occasion drive a 15-passenger van; and As needed, be able to travel via public transportation and drive to events, oftentimes driving members, throughout NYC, NYS and to and from Washington DC.Job Competencies:Strong analytical skills and writing skills; Strong content creation skills; Strong teamwork and management skills; Strong time management skills; Strong communication and interpersonal skills; Strong problem solving skills; Ability to adapt to the context and work under pressure High level of accountability and initiative; needs to be a self-starter and eager to do team work to support the organization as a wholeSalary and Benefits:MRNY offers an excellent benefit package including health insurance, 401K, and generous paid vacation, sick, personal days. The salary range for this position is from $50,591 to $77,312.How to Apply:Please attach your resume and cover letter and submit all documents to the Make the Road New York career center.For external applicants, please click here.Make the Road believes that social change is best achieved through grassroots community-based organizing that flows directly from and engages the community demanding the change. As a membership-based organization, we are committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, criminal history, or Veteran status. We strongly encourage those from historically excluded groups to apply. ... See MoreSee Less

Make the Road New York | Se Hace Camino Nueva York

maketheroadny.org

Make the Road New York builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice.

View on Facebook

Explore WESPAC

1 week ago

The Campaign to End Qualified Immunity in New York is kicking off the year with a coalition meeting this Thursday, January 16 at 6pm. Please register here to join: bit.ly/EndQICoalitionCall We will be updating you all on lessons learned from last year, where the bill stands, and all the plans we have for 2025: from local resolutions campaigns to campus outreach and spring advocacy days! We hope you can make it. And if you need a refresher on all things qualified immunity: check out our updated one pager below!In Solidarity,Keli, Katerina, and the EndQI Team ... See MoreSee Less

Call Now

Photo

View on Facebook

Tweets by @WESPAC_NY