1 of 13

Ecumenical Advocacy Days

March 3-4, 2025

At Westminster Presbyterian Church and the NYS Capital

Sponsored by the NYS Council of Churches

2 of 13

Why an ecumenical advocacy day??

  • We advocate on public policy issues as an expression of our faith.

​

  • We are called to love God with all our heart, mind and soul, and our neighbors, in this country and around the world, as ourselves.

​

  • We believe ALL people are created in the image of God and are therefore to be respected and treated with dignity and generosity.

​

  • We speak with and for marginalized people. We work with many secular allies who also seek to end hunger, poverty, discrimination and injustice.

3 of 13

What happens on Ecumenical Advocacy Day?

​

  • Monday evening: An ecumenical worship service at Westminster

​

  • Tuesday morning: Training workshops (issues and how to lobby), also at Westminster

​

  • Tuesday Noon: Press conference on the Million Dollar Staircase

​

  • Tuesday afternoon: visits with elected officials or their staff

​

  • 4 PM Tuesday: debriefing at Westminster

​

4 of 13

�What are the issues the NYS Council of Churches advocates for?

​

  • Economic Justice and Taxation
  • Environmental Justice
  • Housing Justice
  • Immigration Justice
  • Criminal Justice Reform

​

5 of 13

Economic Justice and Taxation

  • Increase tax rates by 0.5% on the very highest incomes (over $5 million and over $25 million), make the increase permanent
  • Increase corporate tax rate by 1.75%, make it permanent
  • Reinstitute the stock transfer tax which charges a few cents on stock transactions and could raise $14 billion dollars
  • Overhaul the Industrial Development Agencies, which offer $10 billion in tax abatements a year with minimal economic return and place further tax burdens on property owners, public schools and other businesses.

​

6 of 13

What should NYS do with increased tax income from the wealthiest residents and businesses?

  • More childcare, fewer restrictions on eligibility
  • More affordable housing, especially through the Housing Access Voucher Program
  • Strengthen Medicaid and offer full coverage to all, including undocumented immigrants
  • Invest in home care and long-term care to keep the elderly and disabled out of poverty
  • Offer universal school lunches and increase SNAP benefits
  • Expansion of the Child Tax Credit

​

7 of 13

Our allies on Economic Justice:�

Fiscal Policy Institute

New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness

Re-Invent Albany

Schuyler Center

Unions, such as:

   SEIU199  SEIU32BJ  NYSUT  NYSNA

​

8 of 13

Environmental Justice

We support the recently signed:

    • Climate Change Superfund
    • CO2 Fracking Ban

We also support:

  • incorporation of the NY Heat Act (S4158 / A4870) into the state budget to keep utility costs below 6% of residents' income.
  • The Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act (S1464 / A1749)
  • The Bigger Bottle Bill (S2351)

​

​

​

9 of 13

Housing Justice

  • NYS Council of Churches supports:
    • Housing Access Voucher Programs (S72 / A1704)
    • Right to Counsel for tenants facing eviction (no currently active bill)
    • One Shot Eviction Prevention Funding: $50 million or more (S4446)
    • Increased funding for Public Housing Authorities outside NYC
    • Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act - "TOPA" (S401)
    • Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act (S3397 / A3647): makes it easier for religious organizations to utilize their properties for mixed income and 100% affordable housing projects.
    • Pre-development funding for faith-based groups to hire attorneys and architects
    • Expunge eviction records after 2 years or if no eviction actually occurred

​

​

10 of 13

Immigration Justice

  • More Migrant Relocation Assistance Program (MRAP) funding for immigrant resettlement in rural and suburban areas of the state
  • $150 million to expand access to essential legal services

We thank the Governor for supporting:

  • New York for All Act (prohibits cooperation with ICE)
  • Dignity Not Detention (ends local jail cooperation with ICE
  • Access to Representation (first "right to counsel" law in US)
  • Clemency Justic Act (increases transparency of clemency process)

​

11 of 13

NYS Council of Churches has joined 27 religious bodies in suing ICE, claiming their "Freedom of Religion" is compromised by the new policy allowing ICE to enter "sensitive areas," such as places of worship, to make arrests.

12 of 13

Criminal Justice Reform

  • Thanks to Governor Hochul for signing "Less is More" and "Clean Slate" bills to ease the path from incarceration to reintegration.
  • Elder Parole Act: broadens parole eligibility for incarcerated individuals at least 55 years old who have already served 15 years of their sentence. (S454 / A514)
  • Earned Time Act: Provides for "good time" allowances to be credited on an annual pro rata basis. ("Good time" often withdrawn by DOCCS as punishment) (S342 / A1085)
  • Release of Eligible Individuals: Parole Board shall release eligible individuals unless the case record shows current and unreasonable risk of re-offending (S159A / A127)
  • Authorize Correctional Association of NY to visit prisons at any time, without advance notice.

​

​

​

13 of 13

Criminal Justice Reform, continued

  • Rights Behind Bars: Limits the use of cell or segregated confinement, grants access to tablets, visitation and other items (S3763 / A1261a)
  • Expand and diversify Commission of Corrections from 3 to 9 members, require certain types of professional expertise, reapportion nominations between the legislature, governor and the Correctional Association of NY.

Allies include:

Correctional Association of NY, Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice, RAPP (Release Aging Prisoners Program), Communities Not Cages, #HALT Solitary, NY Immigration Coalition, Brooklyn Defenders Service, Alliance to Protect Kalief's Law

​

​