Directors / Legislative Directors:
Notwithstanding our long-standing opposition to the “New York Health act” (S5474 by Senator Rivera / A6058 by MoA Gottfried), at the request of Assemblyman Abbate our NYSPEC Legislative Committee’s Sub-Committee on Health Care met twice with Assemblyman Gottfried, who indicated that he would provide proposed modifications to the bill language to address our issues. Unfortunately, his proposed modifications did not even come close to allaying our concerns, which had been repeatedly expressed to him.
As per the discussion regarding the single-payer health care at the NYSPEC Legislative Committee meeting in Albany on May 3, we are distributing the attached letter to each legislator, which directs them to the NEWS section of the NYSPEC website. That section contains our formal opposition memo, which was issued in 2021. Also viewable there is a new document we have compiled, entitled, “Major Concerns in Opposition” to the single-payer health care bill. Each NYSPEC member unit should send its own opposition memo as well. Also attached to this message is a sample opposition memo from an opposition group (“Realities of Single Payer”) that NYSPEC is a member of. You may use the sample memo as a template for your unit’s individual memo, or write your own. The more opposition memos sent to legislators the better!
You are reminded that there are enough sponsors in each house to pass the bill should it come to the floor for a vote, so it is imperative that we all work collectively to educate those members who have signed on to the bill to remove their names and their support. Here is a list of all legislators who are signed on to the proposed legislation:
Senate – RIVERA, RAMOS, ADDABBO, BAILEY, BENJAMIN, BIAGGI, BRESLIN, BRISPORT, BROUK, COMRIE, COONEY, GIANARIS, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, HINCHEY, HOYLMAN, JACKSON, KAVANAGH, KENNEDY, KRUEGER, LIU, MAY, MAYER, MYRIE, PARKER, PERSAUD, REICHLIN-MELNICK, SALAZAR, SANDERS
SEPULVEDA, SERRANO, STAVISKY, THOMAS
Assembly – GOTTFRIED, ABINANTI, ANDERSON, BARRETT, BARRON, BENEDETTO, BICHOTTE HERMELYN, BRONSON, URDICK, CAHILL, CARROLL, CLARK, COLTON, COOK, CRUZ, CYMBROWITZ, DE LA ROSA, DICKENS, DILAN, INOWITZ, ENGLEBRIGHT, EPSTEIN, FALL, FERNANDEZ, FRONTUS, GALLAGHER, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, HUNTER, HYNDMAN, JACKSON, JEAN-PIERRE, JOYNER, KELLES, KIM, LAVINE, LUNSFORD, LUPARDO, MAMDANI, MEEKS, MITAYNES, NIOU, PAULIN, PEOPLES-STOKES, PERRY, PHEFFER AMATO, PICHARDO, AJKUMAR, RAMOS, REYES, RICHARDSON, J. RIVERA, RODRIGUEZ, L. ROSENTHAL, SAYEGH, SEAWRIGHT, SILLITTI, SIMON, SOLAGES, FORREST, STECK, STIRPE, TAYLOR, THIELE, VANEL, WALKER, WALLACE, WEPRIN, WILLIAMS, AUBRY, DAVILA, FAHY, GALEF, GLICK, GUNTHER, MAGNARELLI, O'DONNELL, PRETLOW, QUART, D. ROSENTHAL, ROZIC
I urge you to look at all the legislators who have already signed on and identify those whom you have supported and/or whose districts cover your members’ geographic work area(s). Calls should be placed to these legislators urging them to remove their names from this ill-conceived legislation. You should also advise your members who live in the districts of the listed legislators to make calls to them, at their district offices, identifying themselves as constituents and public employees in opposition to the proposed legislation.
I know that some of you may have been told or heard that the legislation was “going nowhere” and not to worry. We must take the position that it can pass regardless of what you are being told, and therefore we have to once again come out in full opposition to ensure that the legislation does not get to the floor for a vote.
In Unity,
Peter D. Meringolo
NYSPEC
Chairman
