Legislative Issues
Director: Cindy
Benson-Pollard,
9449
Chalkston Course, Apt. 18-7, Brewerton, NY
email Cindy Benson-Pollard Telephone: 315-676-9437
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Building Better Granges &
Stronger Communities… |
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A strong, diverse legislative
program can be one of the most effective tools of the Grange to
attract new members! When the community becomes aware that your
Grange is actively involved in helping to solve problems and
address issue that affect communities, the state and nation and
our families, respect and prestige will be a natural result.
Neighbors will want to be a part of such a vital rural
organization.
Legislative Conferences
April 21, 2012 Regional Legislative Conference,
Ontario
County
June 9, 2012 Regional Legislative
Conference, Otsego County
September 22, 2012 State Legislative
Day at NYS Grange Headquarters
Questions may be directed to Cindy Benson-Pollard, Legislative Director |
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STANDING
COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS: click on the underlined names to send an
email
AGRICULTURE & ENVIRONMENT
Jared Woolley, 8903 Farmington Rd., Forestville, NY 14062
David Tetor 5626 Rt 82, Clinton Corners, NY 12514
EDUCATION
Donald Drake, 105 John Deere Rd., Cherry Valley, NY 13320
Leslie Rathbun, 3272 Co. Hw. 35, Schenevus, NY 12155
FEDERAL ISSUES
Carl
Bullock,
PO Box 276 McGraw, NY 13101 607-836-7647
Theodore Schwabrow, 334 Moonlawn
Rd., Troy, NY 12080
HEALTH
Laura Palada,
P.O. Box 216, Gilbertsville, New York 13776
David Brands, 54 South Parliman Rd., LaGrangeville, NY 12540
STATE ISSUES
Dorothy Rathbun, 3272 Co. Hwy. 35, Schenevus, NY 12155
Cindy Bullock, 15 OK St., McGraw, NY 13101
TAXATION & FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Rosanna Clark, 4466 State Rt. 37, Malone, NY 12953
Bruce Croucher 2514 County Road 25, Clifton Springs NY 14432
Sections of the 2012 Legislative Handbook:
(Click on the name to display an easy to print copy of that section)
Adobe Reader needed,
 to download a copy
Pages
from the 2012-2013 General Handbook
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
OUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Click
here for a printable version of the Priorities
Agriculture &
Environment
New
York State Grange favors a Fair Market Price for milk based on
regional average cost of production, addressing the impact of
unregulated imports of concentrated dairy products, and eliminating
the use of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) as a price
discovery method.
New
York State Grange favors a system that allows farm employers to more
easily hire migrant labor without jeopardizing the security or
domestic workforce of the United States and relieving farmers of
responsibility for any fraudulent documentation of workers.
New
York State Grange supports the use of good environmental management
practices by all entities to ensure the protection of our water and
air supplies.
Education
New York State
Grange opposes the concept of regional high schools.
New
York State Grange opposes unfunded mandates that drive up costs for
public schools.
Rural Services
New
York State Grange urges the United States Postal Service to proceed
with caution in relation to the proposed Post Office closures,
taking into consideration the special needs of the community as well
as the statistical analysis developed for closure criteria.
Security
New
York State Grange supports the federal government using money
earmarked for lawsuits against the states they feel are in violation
of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution to
properly enforce the existing Federal Immigration and Nationality
Act to stop the influx of illegal immigrants.
Health
New
York State Grange supports legislation that would allow the purchase
of medications from Canada, and we further support continued
legislative efforts to control medication prices in the United
States with price bargaining between the federal government and
pharmaceutical companies.
State
Government
New
York State Grange calls upon the Governor and State Legislature to
repeal costly unfunded mandates on local government, including: (1)
raising the project cost thresholds before WICKS would be
applicable; (2) reform prevailing wage; and (3) including the
ability to pay, without taxes, as a priority consideration for
binding arbitration panels.
New
York State Grange strongly opposes the practice of sweeping
dedicated funds for the purpose of balancing the State Budget, and
that appropriate legislation is enacted to prevent this practice.
Links
to Area Senators and Assembly Representatives
NY
District Senators (with easy search
tools)
Senator Mailing List (PDF document)
NY
Assembly
How to write a resolution
Clear, concise title:
While a resolution need not have a title when it is submitted to
Pomona or State Grange, a title from the originating body is
helpful. It can be modified as the resolution moves along to higher
bodies. If there is not a title to a resolution once it reaches the
State Legislative Director one will be assigned.
Whereas
sections: State
the problem or concern in the first section. State facts, not
opinions! Note that “WHEREAS” is capitalized; and a comma is
followed by “and” at the end of each paragraph.
Each fact should be a separate paragraph, preceded by “WHEREAS,” and
the last paragraph ends with “therefore be it”
Resolve
section: Calls for the desired action and by whom the
action is required…usually in support of some action or opposes some
action. If there is more that one action or solution requested, tie
them together with the words “and be it further” at the end of the
first Resolve section. Properly written, this paragraph is a summary
of action desired and policy to be set. REMEMBER, the RESOLVE
section(s) of a resolution should make sense if none of the WHEREAS
sections are present. Read the RESOLVE to see that the full meaning
is clear when standing alone.
Signature/Date: A resolution submitted to a higher level
of Grange or to elected officials should be signed by two Grange
leaders: Grange Master (President), Grange Secretary, and/or
Legislative Chairman of that Grange. If the Grange can provide a
Grange seal on the document, all the better, but it is not required.
The date in the lower left hand corner is suggested so that the body
receiving the resolution will know when the Grange adopted this
position.
It is suggested that resolutions
pass from Subordinate (Community) Granges through Pomona Granges and
then when adopted at that level, to be forwarded to State Grange
when the issue is of state or national significance.
As the deadline for submission of
resolutions to State Grange is September 1 of each year, a
resolution from a Subordinate (Community) Grange must go directly to
State Grange when there is no meeting of the respective Pomona
Grange prior to the State Grange convention in October.
Resolution postmarked or
personally delivered after September 1 must have 30 copies provided
to be considered by the delegates at the October meeting.
Resolutions submitted to State
Grange are to be sent directly to the Legislative Director at her
home address:
Cindy Benson-Pollard
9449 Chalkston Course, Apt. 18-7,
Brewerton, NY
315-673-7038
email Cindy
April 2, 2010 Press Conference with National
Master Ed Luttrell
National Master Ed Luttrell speaking with Bruce Croucher and reporter NYS Grange Master Oliver Orton welcoming Grangers, reporters and guests to the press conference National Master Ed Luttrell speaking at the NYS Grange Headquarters on broadband issues Craig Schutt, District Manager Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District discussing the current work being done on Recycling Ag Plastics Enjoying Lunch after the press conference
National Master Ed Luttrell speaking with Bruce Croucher and reporter
National Master Ed Luttrell spoke to reporters and Grangers at NYS
Headquarters on Friday April 2nd.
He discussed bringing Broadband
technology to all Americans, especially to rural areas. Encouraging
Grange members to be part
of the process, in similar fashion to the
efforts made to bring mail delivery, telephone and electrical service
to rural homes.
Also
addressing the group was Craig Schutt, District Manager, Tompkins
County Soil and Water Conservation District with an update on the
Recycling Agricultural
Plastics program. For more information on the recycling program please
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