A NYS Equal Rights Amendment will be on the November 2024 ballot. Currently, our NYS constitution only protects against racial and religious discrimination. The 2024 NYS ERA would prohibit discrimination by the government based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex- including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes. It would also protect against any government actions that would curtail a person’s reproductive autonomy or their access to reproductive health care. If voters approve the constitutional amendment, the ERA gets added to our constitution and millions of New Yorkers gain new protections against discrimination.

I was out walking early one morning a few weeks ago and saw and heard the OGS garbage trucks coming down the road. Several men were collecting trash barrels and emptying them as the truck slowly passed by, and I looked up to see a woman driving the truck. I was exhilarated and excited - like a 3 year old - I waved to her and smiled. And she smiled back...