GOP senator accuses Democrats of “arrogance” toward victims
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- April
- 28
Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, Monroe County, is lashing out at Senate Democrats, whom he said blocked a bill he is sponsoring to protect domestic-violence victims from housing-related discrimination yesterday and shot down an amendment today to do the same thing. The debate was “abruptly cut off during floor deliberations yesterday,” and the Senate adjourned without finishing its business for the day, according to Robach.
“Domestic violence is an issue that affects thousands of women across the state, and the state Legislature is doing everything in its power to combat discrimination against victims,” Robach said in a statement. “The Democrats’ refusal to take up this bill shows an arrogance to victims of domestic violence and to all New Yorkers.”
Robach said he would continue to press the issue.
Yesterday, Gov. David Paterson introduced legislation that would change a number of laws on domestic violence. Part of the bill would prohibit housing discrimination. Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Mount Vernon, Westchester County, said she would like to sponsor the governor’s legislation.
Meanwhile, there is a bill sponsored by a Senate Democrat—Sen. Craig Johnson of Nassau County—that would prohibit housing discrimination against victims of domestic violence. It is currently in the Senate’s Investigations and Government Operations Committee.
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on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 at 6:17 pm by Cara Matthews.
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Jay Gallagher has covered Albany for Gannett News Service since 1984 and has been Albany Bureau chief since 1989. He`s a native of the Boston area and likes to point out that in this millennium, the score is Red Sox 1 championship, the Yankees 0. 
Cara Matthews has been a statehouse correspondent in the Albany Bureau since August 2005. Prior to that, she covered Putnam County government and politics at The Journal News for nearly five years. Before that, she worked at newspapers in Connecticut and covered the state Legislature for one of them. 
