Heastie: The Assembly must make commitment to the Latino community

The New York State Assembly majority is committed to advancing public policies and programs that will serve the needs of all communities in our great state. We know all too well that there are still barriers to opportunities in education, housing and employment that continue to limit the growth of economic achievement in lower-income and predominantly minority communities.

Our Families First agenda addresses several issues that many New Yorkers are facing with the flexibility to target the problems that minority communities are enduring. Access to quality education, affordable and accessible health care, better wages and employment opportunities, safer communities and affordable housing are concerns that many New Yorkers face. However, when we look at communities of color, the difficulties are more profound and more pervasive.

The annual gathering of lawmakers, community organizers and civic leaders for the New York State Assembly and Senate Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force’s “SOMOS El Futuro” Spring Conference in Albany, now in its 26th year, is a great event to strengthen and unify our efforts to uplift all of New York’s families and communities. The theme of this year’s conference, “Alianza de Culturas, Avanzando Juntos, Porque SOMOS Latinoamericanos” – Alliance of Cultures, Forging Ahead, We Are (SOMOS) Latin Americans – is a reminder of the struggle Latinos have faced and are still facing to achieve fairness and equality. If we are to succeed in our mission to move our state upward and forward, we must continue working together to look past our differences and focus on the shared dream of a brighter future for every community, every family and every child in this state.

With that in mind, the Assembly majority has proposed a series of measures that will benefit all New Yorkers, and, in particular, the Puerto Rican and Hispanic community in our state.

As we have introduced in previous years, a stronger minimum wage is essential for the progress of every worker in our state. Therefore, increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour is necessary to thousands of working families who struggle to put food on the table.

In addition to an increase in the minimum wage, it is imperative that workers are not forced to choose between caring for a new family member or a sick relative and losing their income.

Unlike most industrialized nations, with the exception of a few states and cities, the United States does not guarantee its citizens paid family leave. A recent study by President Barack Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers, “The Economics of Paid and Unpaid Leave,” found substantial disparities in access to paid leave benefits across various employee groups. The greatest disparity was found in access to paid leave benefits for Latino/Hispanic workers employed in low-wage sectors.

When hardworking individuals are able to take care of their family without fear of potential financial ruin, everybody wins. Even businesses will benefit through employee retention, productivity and competitiveness.

The Assembly works hard to provide students with more resources to help them to achieve a brighter future. Because the Assembly believes that education is not a luxury but rather a basic right for all individuals, the Assembly’s SFY 2016-17 budget includes $10 million in funding to support children that are English language learners and $1 million for bilingual education. For many children who were brought to this country by their parents, their dreams of higher education and productive careers are crushed by legal obstacles and limited financial support. As in past sessions, the Assembly is committed to passing the Dream Act and helping “Dreamers” like Cesar Vargas – a CUNY School of Law graduate that became the first undocumented person to become licensed to practice law in New York – to fulfill their dreams. This year, the Assembly demonstrates that continued commitment by including $27 million in the SFY 2016-17 budget proposals to support the Dream Act.

In addition to the barriers many immigrant groups must overcome to obtain higher education, access to health care also remains a significant hurdle many immigrants face. The Assembly majority believes that just as immigrants that came to this country as children should be able to realize their dreams, they should also have access to quality health care. To address this injustice, the Assembly’s SFY 2016-17 budget proposal includes $10.3 million in additional funding to help provide health coverage through the Essential Plan for certain immigrant groups that are ineligible for federal health care subsidies. The Assembly has also allocated $600,000 for immigrant legal services to help them navigate the complex legal system and determine if they are eligible for deferred action.

Additionally, the Assembly continues to work diligently to ensure a safe and equitable working environment for all women – free of discrimination and unfair pay practices. We are also strengthening the protections for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.

The Assembly is committed to investing in the creation and preservation of affordable housing developments, providing more opportunities for economic development, and establishing a fairer tax structure and criminal justice system. To address the many challenges we face and help the 1.4 million New Yorkers living in poverty, I recently created a work group dedicated to finding solutions to help this growing vulnerable population

With our commitment to raising the bar and ensuring pathways to the middle class for our families, we have made significant progress to combat inequality and make this state a better place for future generations. In moments when the national political rhetoric of some candidates is focused on dividing our communities, we as New Yorkers need to stand together against bigotry, selfishness and injustice. We need to send a clear message that every family and every life is a celebrated and an important part of what makes our state great.

¡Muchas Gracias!

Carl Heastie is the speaker of the state Assembly.