Albany, January 14, 2019 – At a meeting of the Green Party State Committee in Rensselaer on Saturday, the Green Party of New York affirmed its legislative priorities for 2019: Climate Change, Electoral Reform, Single-Payer Healthcare, and Marijuana Legalization. Party officers said they were committed to organizing for the passage of bills on these issues in 2019. They also said that they would be a presence at the State of the State address on Tuesday in Albany.

Green Party of New York

www.gpny.org

For Immediate Release

January 14, 2019

Contact:

Gloria Mattera, chair@gpny.org

Peter LaVenia, chair2@gpny.org

“On Tuesday we intend to let Governor Cuomo and the Legislature know that we need to take immediate, serious action on climate change in New York before it is too late. We need a Green New Deal that includes passage of the OFF Fossil Fuels Act and a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030 that creates thousands of living-wage public sector jobs for New Yorkers,” said party co-chair Gloria Mattera.

“We also intend to let the Governor know that we need single-payer universal healthcare. Now that the Democrats control all three levers of government, there are no more excuses. It’s cheaper, covers all New Yorkers, and is a baseline for a truly just and equitable society,” added Mattera.

“The Party is also committed to a robust expansion of grassroots democracy in New York and real electoral reform that includes: public financing of elections, ranked-choice voting, and proportional representation,” said party co-chair Peter LaVenia.

“Finally, Greens have supported the legalization of recreational marijuana use for decades. Now that the Governor is on board, we want to ensure that the bill that gets passed includes criminal justice provisions: releasing nonviolent drug offenders from prison, expunging their records, allowing them to apply for licenses to run cannabis dispensaries, and funding reconstruction in neighborhoods and cities devastated by the drug war. We are also concerned that cannabis not be unreasonably taxed and that tax-free home-grown be permitted for personal use with fewer restrictions on the number of plants allowed. Cannabis should be organic and GMOs, additives, and pesticides should be banned,” added LaVenia.