Give me liberty and my birth certificate now! No Americans should have their personal information withheld from them by the government.
Albany legislative session is underway with Assemblymember David Weprin introducing bill A5494 and Senator Velmanette Montgomery introducing bill S3419. Bill A5494 is assigned to assembly health committee once again. Every year since the bill was first voted on and passed on 6/6/2006 the bill is reported to the codes committee which is known as "hell where bills go to die". It is in codes committee where the bill is tabled by the chair Joseph Lentol and Assemblymember Helene Weinstein every year.
The senate bill is assigned to health committee chaired for the first time in session by Senator Gustavo Rivera. We are contacting the members of the health committee to put bill S3419 on the agenda for a vote. Links to health committee members to contact are on the home page of our website http://www.unsealedinitiative.org We want bill S3419 on the committee agenda for a vote.
Members of the Unsealed Initiative lobby team have had our grassroots Albany lobby going strong since 2005 and have gained the support of many legislators. We are happy to announce our worst senate opponents are no longer in the legislature. Senator Kemp Hannon who tabled our legislation with no discussion for twenty-five years in health committee lost his bid for re-election. In case you don't know the chairs of the committees have too much power taking away from the democratic process.
This legislative session we have more hope for passage of a senate bill. A5494/S3419 are direct access bills that will cover access to birth certificates not only adult adoptees but, for those who were raised in foster care.
