Humanists Influence Public Policy in New York State

This year the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS) launched a new programme to lobby the New York State Legislature on key Humanist issues, hiring Dr. Timothy Gordinier, a registered lobbyist with New York State, as full-time public policy director. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The State of New York has a bicameral legislature. The Assembly is controlled by the Democrats while the Senate has a large Republican majority. The Governor is a Republican. The result is what Americans call ‘gridlock’: New York State hasn’t passed a budget by the legal deadline since 1984. Yet despite this institutional paralysis, the IHS’s first year in the world of New York politics has been an unmitigated success.

Two Laws Passed

In the 2003 legislative session, IHS focused on bills in two specific areas: making emergency contraception available to rape survivors (see IHN, May 2003) and repealing archaic ‘Blue Laws’ that restrict activity on the Christian Sabbath. At the start of the year, both these proposals had a measure of cross-party support, but most observers thought they would take several more years to reach fruition. We are pleased, and not a little surprised, to report that the bills we supported in both these areas were passed into law.

Our New York public policy campaign included meeting with State Senators and Assemblymen, letter writing campaigns, media coverage, and collaboration with other organizations with similar goals. In particular, IHS worked very closely with the New York State Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the Family Planning Advocates of New York State to push for legislation requiring all hospital emergency rooms to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.

After much struggle, the New York State Senate finally passed the Emergency Contraception in the Emergency Room Act on 19 June, 2003, the last day of its 2003 session! The bill has now become law, ending the scandal whereby religious dogma denied as many as 1,000 rape victims a year access to emergency contraception.

Dr. Gordinier met with many legislators during the 2003 legislative session to urge them to end the ‘Blue Laws’ that prevent liquor stores from opening on a Sunday. In Gordinier’s conversations with representatives and their staffs, many officials expressed a keen interest in repealing these laws, not only for economic reasons, but also to support separation of church and state.

In a compromise measure aimed at protecting small family-run stores, the ban on Sabbath liquor sales was replaced by a law allowing liquor stores to open on any six days of their choosing. As a result, many liquor stores are now open for business on Sunday.

Politics of Influence

American Humanists are sometimes too ready to believe that they cannot influence the political process. With the religious right controlling the White House, Senate and House of Representatives, it is all too easy for progressive activists to fall back on a ‘politics of protest’. Protest politics focuses on denouncing national developments but does little to encourage positive legislation. This approach may help Humanists vent their frustrations but it keeps them as a marginal force, shouting from the sidelines while the political decisions are made by others.

Humanists actually have the support of most voters on a number of issues. But to convert public support into legislative achievement, we must switch our efforts from the ‘politics of protest’ to the ‘politics of influence’: building relationships with individual politicians, generating positive media coverage on key issues, establishing alliances with influential advocacy groups. Focusing on achievable public policy goals enables Humanists to build credibility with opinion formers and policy makers. This not only helps us attain our positive goals but increases our effectiveness when we do take a stand against regressive legislation. Even in today’s America, Humanists can use politics to change society for the better.

Matt Cherry