New York, NY – New York State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D–Brooklyn) and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero (D, WFP–Albany, Guilderland, New Scotland) gathered at Foley Square to commend Governor Hochul for including language from their bill, the New York Civil Rights Act (S.8500-A/A.9076-A), in her Executive Budget and to call on the State Legislature to advance this bill without delay. Assemblymember Romero and Senator Myrie were joined by their legislative colleagues, including Assemblymember Grace Lee, as well as a coalition of research and advocacy organizations who support the New York Civil Rights Act such as Common Cause New York and Protect Democracy.

Click here for video of today’s press conference.

“Every day, we see more and more examples of blatant civil rights violations by government officers,” said Senator Myrie. “New Yorkers must have a way of protecting themselves and enforcing the rights generations have fought to secure. I’m grateful to Assembly Member Romero and our partners, and to Governor Hochul for recognizing the urgent need for this legislation. In the coming months, we’ll continue fighting to ensure our rights can be meaningfully enforced under state law.”

“Across the country we have seen federal officials repeatedly violate people’s civil rights, endangering - and sometimes killing - the people they are supposed to serve. This is simply unacceptable, and New Yorkers must have tools to fight back,” said Assemblymember Gabriella Romero. “That’s why Senator Myrie and I introduced the New York Civil Rights Act: to ensure each New Yorkers’ civil rights are protected and to hold government officials accountable. I’m grateful to Governor Hochul for recognizing the urgency of this moment by including similar language in her Executive Budget, reinforcing our shared commitment to ensuring every New Yorker has a meaningful path to justice. I look forward to continuing this important work with Senator Myrie, the Governor and my colleagues in the legislature to deliver these protections for the people of New York State.”

"Introducing this bill when they did put Senator Myrie and Assemblymember Romero way ahead of the game,” said Rachel Goodman, Free Expression Counsel at Protect Democracy. “We need look no farther than the killing of Renee Good in Minnesota to see why this kind of accountability is so necessary: Whether Ms. Good’s family should have a remedy for her killing should turn on whether her constitutional rights were violated, not on which badge the officer was carrying when he shot her."

"Common Cause NY is grateful to Senator Myrie and Assembly Member Romero for recognizing that now is the time to act and help protect New Yorkers from the alarming lawlessness we are seeing by federal agents,” said Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause NY. “We look forward to working with them and Governor Hochul to help pass the strongest possible protections for individuals to vindicate their constitutional rights directly through the NY Civil Rights Act."

With federal agents currently deployed in Minneapolis and throughout the U.S., as well as the broad federal overreach we have seen over the past year, legislation to protect people’s civil rights has become increasingly urgent. Assemblymember Romero and Senator Myrie introduced the New York Civil Rights Act last year to give New Yorkers the ability to sue federal, state, or local officials in state court upon violation of their federal constitutional rights.