One Brooklyn
March 16, 2015
BROOKLYN, NY, March 16, 2015: Yesterday, Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams stood with a citywide coalition of men along with Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, chair of the Committee on Women’s Issues, to demand that leadership in Albany allow the first-ever female, namely State Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to sit in statewide budget negotiations. They rallied outside 250 Broadway, home to the downstate legislative chambers for the Assembly and State Senate, and called for history to be made this Women’s History Month on this important matter of gender equality. Alongside the rally was an empty pink chair, a symbol that has been employed by the Westchester Women’s Agenda, a feminist organization from State Senator Stewart-Cousins’ home county, of the lack of female voices in leadership. Borough President Adams, who previously served four terms in the State Senate, and others argued that State Senate Minority Leader Stewart-Cousins’ inclusion will help shatter the “three men in a room” insider culture that has come to define politics in New York for many disillusioned voters.
“All men must stand up so women can sit down at the negotiating table, in Albany and beyond,” said Borough President Adams. “Despite comprising over half of the state’s population, no woman has ever had a seat in statewide budget negotiations; that is simply incomprehensible in 2015. Now that the leader of a five-member legislative conference has broken the “three men in a room” mold, we must shatter the glass ceiling and allow leaders from all legislative conferences, including State Senate Minority Leader Stewart-Cousins, the female leader of the 24-member Democratic State Senate conference, to ensure every New Yorker’s voice is represented when it counts.”
“We can no longer allow “Four Men in the Room” to decide the fate of New York State’s $133+ billion budget,” said Council Member Cumbo. “New York State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins should be in the room not only because she is a woman, but also because she is the State Senate Democratic Leader. She has earned her seat at the table. Spread the word and urge Governor Cuomo to #letherin.”
Borough President Adams also announced that he would launch a MoveOn.org petition on this issue to be delivered to the current leaders involved in statewide budget negotiations, including Governor Andrew Cuomo, State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, State Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. Within twenty-four hours of its launch, over 200 individuals had signed the petition; those interested in adding their names are encouraged to visit petitions.moveon.org/sign/let-her-in.
Other leaders that participated in Borough President Adams’ rally included Council Members Robert Cornegy, Jr., Mark Treyger, and Jumaane D. Williams; Bedford-Stuyvesant Volunteer Ambulance Corps commander James “Rocky” Robinson; Grand Council of Guardians chair Charles Billups; United Federation of Teachers vice president for career and technical education Sterling Roberson; and civil rights attorney Norman Siegel.
PHOTOS
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams rallies with a citywide coalition of men along with Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo, chair of the Committee on Women’s Issues, to demand that leadership in Albany allow the first-ever female, namely State Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to sit in statewide budget negotiations.
Photo Credit: Lem Peterkin
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