Bill Text: NY J02934 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Memorializing Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim March 2020, as Women's History Month in the State of New York

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 40-22)

Status: (Passed) 2020-03-03 - ADOPTED [J02934 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-J02934-Introduced.html

Senate Resolution No. 2934

BY: Senator STEWART-COUSINS

        MEMORIALIZING Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim
        March 2020, as Women's History Month in the State of
        New York

  WHEREAS, March is Women's History Month; and

  WHEREAS, March 8th is International Women's Day; and

  WHEREAS,  Each  year  New  York  State officially sets aside time to
recognize the unique contributions that New York women have made to  New
York State and beyond; and

  WHEREAS,  New  York  State has a distinguished history of monumental
achievements in the area of women's rights; and

  WHEREAS, In 1826, New York State opened one of the first public high
schools for girls resulting in a future for women in which they were  no
longer  confined  to  the home, a future in which they were educated and
able to use this education to better their social and  economic  status;
and

  WHEREAS,  In  1848  in New York, the first women's rights convention
was held at Seneca Falls to secure for all women the right to vote; and

  WHEREAS, In 1903, The Women's Trade Union League  of  New  York  was
formed  to  represent  working women, later becoming the nucleus for the
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union; and

  WHEREAS, In 1917, New York guaranteed women the right to vote in all
elections and in the following year the first two women, Ida Sammis  and
Mary  Lilly,  were  elected to the New York State Legislature and became
the first women to then serve in 1919; and

  WHEREAS, In 1955, Bessie Buchanan  was  the  first  African-American
woman to serve in the New York State Legislature; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1967,  Muriel  Siebert became the first woman to own a
seat on the New York Stock Exchange, opening the door for women to  gain
positions of greater economic power; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1968,  New  York  State Assemblywoman Shirley Chisholm
became the first black woman elected to Congress and in  1972,  she  ran
for President of the United States, another first for black women; and

  WHEREAS,  In  1970,  New York City was the site of the first Women's
Strike for Equality in which 50,000 people marched for equal rights; and

  WHEREAS, In 1978, Olga Mendez became the first Latina woman to serve
in the New York State Legislature; and

  WHEREAS, In 1983, New York State women legislators  established  the
Legislative  Women's Caucus to improve the participation of women in all

areas of government, support issues that benefit  women  and  provide  a
network of support for women in the State Legislature; and

  WHEREAS,  In 2007, Ellen Young was the first Asian-American woman to
serve in the New York State Legislature; and

  WHEREAS, In 2009,  New  Yorker  Sonia  Sotomayor  became  the  first
Hispanic Justice appointed to the United States Supreme Court; and

  WHEREAS,  In  2015, New Yorker Loretta Elizabeth Lynch was appointed
as  Attorney  General  of  the  United  States,   becoming   the   first
African-American woman to serve in this esteemed position; and

  WHEREAS,  New York has been the home of many extraordinary women who
have led society to a better future: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B.
Anthony led the campaign for women's suffrage; Sojourner Truth spoke out
for the abolition of slavery and for suffrage for all women; and

  WHEREAS, Carrie Chapman Catt  became  the  first  president  of  the
League   of   Women  Voters;  Emma  Willard  opened  the  first  endowed
institution for the education of women; Civil War surgeon  Dr.  Mary  E.
Walker was the only woman ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor;
Harriet  Tubman  was an abolitionist who led slaves to freedom by way of
the Underground Railroad in the 19th Century; and

  WHEREAS, Elizabeth Blackwell and Belva Lockwood were the first women
in the fields of medicine and law; pioneer birth  control  educator  and
advocate Margaret Sanger established a research center in New York City;
and

  WHEREAS,  Emma  Goldman  founded the Free Speech League which led to
the American  Civil  Liberties  Union;  humanitarian  Eleanor  Roosevelt
served as United States Delegate to the United Nations; and

  WHEREAS, New Yorker Edith Windsor fought to expand marriage equality
in  the  United  States  prior  to the Marriage Equality Act of New York
which became law in 2011; and

  WHEREAS, Civil rights lawyer and New York  State  Senator  Constance
Baker  Motley  became  the first black woman to sit on the U.S. District
Court in New York, and there have been so many more  known  and  unknown
women who championed rights and opportunity for all; and

  WHEREAS,  New  York State has hosted many conventions, campaigns and
events of the Women's Rights Movement from the 1848 convention at Seneca
Falls to the 1999 Berkshire Conference of Women  Historians,  which  was
held  to  improve  the  status of women in history and in the historical
professions; and

  WHEREAS, 50% of statewide elected officials are women  and  for  the
first  time,  a  woman has been elected Attorney General in the State of
New York; and

  WHEREAS, 2020 marks the 100th Anniversary  of  the  19th  amendment,
which guaranteed women the right to vote in the United States; and

  WHEREAS,  Today,  68  women serve in the New York State Legislature,
making up 33% of the seats, holding leadership positions in both  houses

and  bringing  the  diverse  experiences  of  women  into law and public
policy; now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED,  That  this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim March 2020, as  Women's
History Month in the State of New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED,  That  copies  of  this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the  State  of
New York, and the Legislative Women's Caucus of New York State.
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