First off, we have several policy developments to celebrate:
- Two of our re-entry bills and a number of others that we and other advocates fought for have now been signed into law!
- In a tremendous victory on the AIDS policy front, the Legislature passed a bill amending New York’s HIV Testing and Confidentiality Law in ways that will greatly increase New Yorkers’ access to HIV testing – and continue to safeguard people’s rights to be tested only with their informed consent. The legislation – born of joint work between community-based advocates, the legislative sponsors Senator Tom Duane and Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, and state and city health officials – will require providers to offer HIV testing as a routine part of health care, streamline the process for offering and obtaining consent for testing, help to eliminate HIV stigma, and get more people tested.
- In another huge step forward, both houses of the State Legislature have passed legislation to clarify New York's syringe access law – a move toward public health and safety and away from prosecution of people who have obtained the syringes legally. The bill, which the governor is expected to sign, would decriminalize possession of trace amounts of drugs when they are in a used syringe.
Many thanks to Senator Duane and Assemblyman Gottfried, who backed both measures, and fellow advocates for all your hard work!
In other news:
- The Albany Times Union published LAC Vice President Anita Marton's letter defending the merits of the Second Chance bill, which would allow some misdemeanors to be sealed. Congrats, Anita!
- If you haven't had a chance to answer our call for help urging Governor Paterson to sign a bill to help New Yorkers with criminal histories fight illegal discrimination, click here now – and don't forget to pass it on.
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Headlines on Our Issues
State
- State legislators rejected Gov. David A. Paterson's budget extenders and passed their own spending bills, which Paterson began vetoing, as promised. Legislators left Albany on Thursday, the budget still unfinished.
- In New York City, the Council approved a $63.1 billion budget, drastically reducing spending on programs from senior centers to schools and earning praise from The New York Times editorial board. Mayor Bloomberg later said, however, that more cuts may be needed if federal Medicaid funds did not come through as expected.
- City health officials announced that Bronx residents had received more than 375,000 HIV tests since the launch of its “The Bronx Knows” HIV Testing Initiative, exceeding its three-year goal in only two years.
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