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IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM JOYCE BAHR, NYSAR PRESIDENT
Contact your legislators in their District Offices. To learn who your state assembly member and
senator are call the Albany switchboard at: 518 455-4218. The phone number in New York City for the League of Women Voters is (212)
725-3541. There are 150 assembly members and the link to the assembly website is http://assembly.state.ny.us
There are 62 state senators. One way to find out who your senator is is by logging on to the senate site, www.senate.state.ny.us
We now have 56 assembly sponsors. Although we have only 6 in the senate, we are very hopeful for the future. With more interest and more of us committed to lobby in Albany next session, we are determined to win.
A written letter (snail mail) is of more importance with many legislators. However, some value emails. If your email does not get through, go to SEARCH and type in the name of the legislator for access to their website, as many have their own sites. Then send an email from the site. Be sure to include your address and phone number in your mail.
Urgent!
Write and/or call the Chair of Codes Urge him to allow at vote on A2277 in the 2008 Session
Assemblymember Joseph Lentol
619 Lorimer Street Brooklyn, NY 11211
phone: 718 383-7474
New York State Governor-Eliot Spitzer
State Capitol Albany, New York 12224
Important! Write to the Speaker asking him for a vote on A2277 by the Full Assembly.
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver Democrat LOB 932 Albany, NY 12248 Albany phone (518) 455-3791 Manhattan phone (212) 312-1420
Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno Republican, 43rd District LOB 909 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-3191 Saratoga Springs office (518) 583-1001 Bruno@senate.state.ny.us
Please write, call or email these legislators now regarding:
Bill A2277--for Assembly
Bill S235 for Senate
Be sure to include your address and telephone number.
How to compose an email message in mere seconds!
1) “Click and drag” to highlight the Sample Letter text below (please note there are two Sample Letters below - one for Assembly members and one for Senators). Select “Edit, Copy” on your browser menu (this will place the Sample Letter text temporarily onto the Clipboard).
2) Click on the “email address link” for a legislator from the list below. Doing so should automatically launch your email package, and insert the legislator’s email address into the “To” field.
3) Click in the “Body” area of your email message, and then select “Edit, Paste” from the menu.
4) Lastly, just make the necessary customizations that are in blue text below (i.e. the legislator name, your telephone number, and your name and address).
5) Click on “Send”!
********* Sample Assembly Letter *********
Dear Assemblyperson Bacalles (fill in the appropriate name),
Pass bill A2277 the Bill of Adoptee Rights. Give tax paying citizens the right to their original birth certificates. Data coming from states that have opened records in recent years indicates that very few birth parents want confidentiality. Many birth mothers will tell you that they were not promised confidentiality. Others will tell you they were told they would have confidentiality even though they never wanted it. Why should mothers and fathers who never raised a child prevent that child who is now an adult from access to an original birth certificate? Why should any parent prevent an adult from their birth right? The sealed record law is unfair, outdated and discriminatory.
Although thousands of adoptees have searched and have reunions that work and most citizens believe adoptees should have this right, there are some non-adopted persons who want to deny adoptees this right. Do these non-adopted persons take for granted access to their birth certificates? It is disrespectful to the dignity of an adopted person to have their birth certificates sealed and hidden from them. Bill A2277 gives birth parents the option of stating they want “No Contact”. This bill is fair to all. Now is the time to change the unfair, outdated and discriminatory law that seals records. Pass this bill and bring the law up to date with norms accepted in today’s world.
Please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX (please fill in your phone number) if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
(Please provide your name and address so they will know which District you live in)
********* End of Sample Assembly Letter *********
Senate Health Committee Members
Senator Kemp Hannon
Republican, 6th District
Health Committee Chair
501 Capitol
Albany, New York 12247
Albany office (518) 455-2200
Westbury office (516) 222-0068
Hannon@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Thomas Libous
Republican, 52nd District LOB 512 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2677 Binghamton office (607) 773-8771 senator@senatorlibous.com
Senator Velmanette Montgomery Democrat, 18th District LOB 306 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 445-3451 Brooklyn office (718) 643-6140 montgome@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Hugh T. Farley Republican, 44th District LOB 412 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2181 Farley@senate.state.ny.us
Senator William J. Larkin -- Prime Sponsor Republican, 39th District LOB 915 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2770 New Windsor office (845) 567-1270 Larkin@Senate.state.ny.us
Senator Mary Lou Rath Republican, 61st District LOB 817 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-3161 Williamsville office (518) 455-3161 Rath@senate.state.ny.us
Senator John A. De Francisco -- is a co-sponsor Republican, 50th District LOB 307 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-3511 Syracuse office (315) 428-7632 jdefranc@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. Republican, 8th District LOB 947 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-3341 Freeport office (516) 546-4100 fuschill@senate.state.ny.us
Senator George Onorato
--leaning towards supporting Democrat, 12th District LOB 315 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-3486 Long Island City office (718) 545-9706 onorato@senate.state.ny.us
Senator John L. Sampson-- is in support of our Bill Democrat, 19th District LOB 506 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2788 Brooklyn office (718) 649-7653 sampson@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Thomas Duane -- is in support of our Bill
Democrat, 29th District
LOB 808 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2451 Manhattan office (212) 268-1049 duane@senate.state.ny.us
Senator George H. Winner
Republican LOB 814 Albany, New York 12247 Albany office (518) 455-2091 Fax (518) 426-6976 Elmira office (607) 732-2765
Senator Elizabeth O'C Little -- is in support of our Bill
Glens Falls
LOB 903 Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-2811
Fax (518) 426-6873
Little@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Catherine Young --New member
Republican, Olean
LOB 805
Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-3563
Fax (518) 426-6905
Senator David Valesky-- is in support of our Bill
Democrat, Syracuse
LOB 707
Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-2838
Fax (518) 426-2838
Valesky@senate.state.ny.us
Senator Efrain Gonzalez -- in support
Democrat,New from the Bronx
420 Capitol Building Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-3395
Gonzalez@assembly.state.ny.us
Senator Eric Schneiderman-- in support
Democrat, Manhattan
LOB 315
Albany, NY 12247
(518) 455-2041
Fax (518) 426-6847
New York Senate Bill
S235
is sponsored by Senator William J. Larkin. The Bill is in the Health Committee and it mirrors the Assembly Bill.
********* Sample Senator Letter *********
Honorable Senator Hannon (fill in the appropriate name),
Pass bill S235 the Bill of Adoptee Rights. Give tax paying citizens the right to their original birth certificates. Data coming from states that have opened records in recent years indicates that very few birth parents want confidentiality. Many birth mothers will tell you that they were not promised confidentiality. Others will tell you they were told they would have confidentiality even though they never wanted it. Why should mothers and fathers who never raised a child prevent that child who is now an adult from access to an original birth certificate? Why should any parent prevent an adult from their birth right? The sealed record law is unfair, outdated and discriminatory.
Although thousands of adoptees have searched and have reunions that work and most citizens believe adoptees should have this right, there are some non-adopted persons who want to deny adoptees this right. Do these non-adopted persons take for granted access to their birth certificates? It is disrespectful to the dignity of an adopted person to have their birth certificates sealed and hidden from them. Bill S235 gives birth parents the option of stating they want “No Contact”. This bill is fair to all. Now is the time to change the unfair, outdated and discriminatory law that seals records. Pass this bill and bring the law up to date with norms accepted in today's world.
Please contact me at (XXX) XXX-XXXX (please fill in your phone number) if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
(Please provide your name and address so they will know which District you live in)
********* End of Sample Senator Letter *********
HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW IN NEW YORK STATE:
MAP OF ALBANY:
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