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Legislature Backs Unemployment Insurance
Reform
The Legislature, by a vote of 10-3, urged New
York State to “enact measures to bring significant reform” to New York
State’s unemployment insurance system. (Legislators Sigler, Proto and
Hattery voted no; Legislators Mackesey and Randall were absent)
The resolution, sponsored by Legislator Nathan Shinagawa, calls for the
state to provide a “meaningful increase” in the state’s current maximum
weekly benefit of $405 dollars, that it increase the calculation for
lower wage workers and that it eliminate the denial of access to
unemployment benefits for hourly paid employees of educational
institutions. Because of current state law, the resolution notes,
hundreds of educational institution hourly employees in Tompkins County
cannot access unemployment benefits when temporarily laid off between
academic terms or during school break periods, creating hardship for
working families, even though similar employees in most other fields
are able to do so. The presidents of the United Auto Workers
Local 2300, representing hourly workers at Cornell University, and the
Ithaca City School District’s Paraprofessionals Union were among nine
members of the public who urged legislative support of the resolution,
prior to the vote.
The Legislature debated the proposal for more
than half-an-hour, with much of the discussion focused on whether
action should be delayed to permit further examination – since
Legislator Shinagawa filed the proposal as an individual, it had not
gone through the Legislature’s committee process. A proposal to
refer to committee narrowly failed by a vote of 6-7. Advocates of
delay, including Legislator Dick Booth, argued that more information
was needed on matters including financial impact and that the committee
structure should be used to allow further examination. But
Shinagawa countered that expeditious action was necessary to
communicate a sense of priority during the current state legislative
session. Legislator Mike Sigler said he could have supported the
measure, had it gone through committee review.
The resolution also calls for the state to
provide expanded opportunities for jobless workers to upgrade their
skills through job training programs and for improved access to the
system to workers with limited English-speaking sills. It will be
sent to Governor Elliot Spitzer, Acting Labor Commissioner Patricia
Smith; Senators James Seward, Michael Nozzolio and George Winner; and
Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton.
Contact: Legislator Nathan Shinagawa, 280-7557; Legislator Michael Sigler, 339-7978
Legislature Supports Babcock Tract Acquisition The Legislature, by a 12-1 vote (Legislator Mike Hattery opposed; Legislators Mackesey and Randall were absent) approved allocation of $20,000 from the county’s Capital Reserve Fund for Natural, Scenic and Recreational Resource Protection, to help secure the so-called “Babcock Tract”, a 113-acre woodland parcel adjacent to Robert H. Treman State Park, and to provide public access to the area. Through the allocation, the county collaborates with the Finger Lakes Land Trust, which purchased the parcel and is also seeking support from the Towns of Newfield and Ithaca. The Babcock Tract is located in “The Gorges Natural Features Focus Area”, identified in the county’s comprehensive plan, also adjoins Cornell’s Lick Brook Natural Area, and is crossed by both the Cayuga Inlet and the Finger Lakes Trail. Contact: Martha Robertson, Planning, Chair, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee, 272-0584; Planning and Public Works Commissioner Ed Marx, 274-5560; Legislator Michael Hattery, 844-4361. |