Dear Lucas,
Sometimes it's hard to connect good-government reforms to voters' and activists' real policy concerns. But in the wake of the massive assault on women unleashed by the right wing in recent months, it's time to take a hard look at our State Senate.The battle over a woman's right to choose has expanded into an all-out war against women and women's health. The Susan G. Komen Foundation's attacks on Planned Parenthood and presidential candidate Rick Santorum's opinion that states should be allowed to ban contraception just scratch the surface.
Even here in New York, we have lost seven pro-choice women legislators since 2010. What's more, when I worked to organize the New York State Bipartisan Pro-Choice Legislative Caucus, a number of Assembly Republicans volunteered to join -- including one of my new co-chairs -- but not a single Senate Republican would join the caucus and stand publicly for reproductive rights.
How is this possible in New York, a progressive leader and a state that decriminalized abortion years ahead of Roe v. Wade?
Redistricting is a big part of it. Republicans have controlled the Senate -- and its district lines -- for decades, carving up designer districts every ten years to insulate themselves from the judgment of the voters. And that means that they've grown increasingly out of touch with the vast majority of New York's voters on a lot of issues -- like reproductive choice and women's health.
I need your help. The No Bad Apples PAC is a project to find, recruit, and support pro-reform candidates who can change Albany -- because women's health and reproductive rights are just two among countless issues where the State Senate is simply out of touch. We need to win independent redistricting and campaign finance reform, so our politicians are accountable to the people of the state of New York -- not protected from them.
This sizable workload is equally matched by the potential to move our state forward. I hope that you will consider supporting the vision of the PAC by contributing online here.
Sincerely,
