6.16.17 – Constituent questions re: New York Health Act, voting reform, Liberty Act, and Reproductive Health Act

On 6.16.17, SD 17 constituent Naomi Rabeeya sent an email to State Sen. Felder’s office requesting comment on four major legislative initiatives introduced in the State Senate: the New York Health Act, the Liberty Act, the Reproductive Health Act, and Early Voting (S2950) and Electronic Poll Books (S2788) legislation.

A response was not received. Rabeeya’s email is below:

From: Naomi Rabeeya <——@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Jun 16, 2017 at 11:10 AM
Subject: Follow-up on calls and emails
To: felder@nysenate.gov

Hello Senator Felder,

I both called and emailed to ask your support/ask where you stand on the below issues on the following dates:

June 2- New York Health Act
June 5-Voting Reform
June 6-Liberty Act
June 7-Reproductive Health Act

I have yet to hear from you.

It is only fair to know where our elected officials stand on issues, and true leadership, takes a person who does research on issues, listens and speaks to constituents. A leader strives for effective government working with peers to do what is best for the people, not just the individual politician or his or her district.

I find it frightening that your stance on many issues is not clear to constituents, your staff does not seem to know where you stand or give us genetic answers that you will review a given issue, but rarely reply. The replies are often vague.

A large part of leadership is about clear communication.

Please support the below and please let the constituents know where you stand. We have a right to this information regardless of whether or not the below end up on the Senate floor.

I would also hope you show leadership in getting the below to the Senate floor if it is in your power to do so.

Society is better is we are all empowered. You are in the unique position to help empower all New Yonkers.

Best Regards,
Naomi

— Posted on 12.24.17, backdated to 6.16.17

6.15.17 – Email from Sen. Felder addresses voting rights, health care and reproductive rights legislation

On June 14, Gerald Cook, a member of NY State District 17 for Progress, received the following email from Sen. Felder’s office:

Dear Gerald,

Thank you for contacting me to share your support for the following legislative measures; S4840, S2788, S2796, S2950, and S5114. It was a pleasure to hear from you and I appreciate your kind words of support.

As you may know, the New York Health Act (Senate Bill 4840) is currently under review in the Senate Health Committee. This legislation would completely change how health care operates in New York State. No other state in the entire country has ever successfully implemented a proposal like this and I believe that legislation of this magnitude needs to be properly vetted by the Senate Health Committee. I would like to hear publically from experts and stakeholders on how a program like this would be implemented and the potential impacts it will have on the health care options of New York State residents.

Also under review in the Senate Health Committee is S2796, the Reproductive Health Act. The chair of the Health Committee sets the agenda and I will be sure to share your support for this measure with him.

S.2788 and S.2950 are currently under review in the Senate Rules Committee and S.5114 is under review in the Senate Elections Committee. Please know that I am not a member of those committees, but I will review the recommendations from those Committees with interest. Voting is a fundamental principle of our democracy and I am committed to seeing that our electoral process is conducted with the utmost integrity.

Once again thank you for contacting me and please let me know whenever I can be of assistance to you or your family.

Sincerely,
Simcha Felder
Senator, 17th District

– Posted by John V. Santore

6.8.17 – Felder has no stated position on major health care, reproductive rights, voting rights, immigration, or Trump tax return legislation

On June 8, John V. Santore, a constituent in New York’s 17th Senate district, called Sen. Felder’s office in Albany to ask if Mr. Felder had taken a public position on any the following bills:

– S4840, the New York Health Act
– S4075, the New York State Liberty Act
– S2950 (regarding early voting)
– S2788 (regarding computerized registration lists)
– S5114 (regarding electronic registration)
– S5572, forcing the release of Donald Trump’s state tax returns
– S2796, the Reproductive Health Act

The Albany staffer who answered the phone said that Mr. Felder did not have a position as of that time on the above bills.

Santore then sent the below email to Mr. Felder’s staff. This blog will be updated with any response received.

I called the Albany office earlier today concerning these bills, and was told that Mr. Felder does not have a position on the above legislation. As a constituent, I find this troubling, considering that these bills would impact many, if not all, of his constituents, either directly or indirectly.

Based on what the office has thus far shared, I’m left to conclude one of the following three things:

1) That Mr. Felder is unaware of these bills.
2) That he is aware of the bills, but does not believe them to be significant enough to merit further consideration.
3) That he does have a position on the bills, but is unwilling to share that position, or share his thinking on them.

Any of these scenarios leaves me as a constituent to wonder what Mr. Felder’s principles are concerning key legislative issues of the day, and what his analytical process is when considering legislation. Whether Mr. Felder is against or for the above bills – or if he has questions about them he needs answered before he takes a position – I’d like to be informed of such, so that I can have a better sense of who Mr. Felder is as a legislator.

– Posted by John V. Santore