Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, D-Manhattan. Associated Press/Mike Groll, File
Caribbean Life, February 4-10, 2022 3
By Nelson A. King
The New York Immigration Coalition
(NYIC), an umbrella policy and
advocacy organization for more than
200 immigration groups in New York
State, is urging the State Legislature
to pass urgently pass a redistricting
plan that keep immigrant communities
together.
“The blunt fact remains that we
worked far too hard to secure an
accurate count of our communities
to settle for anything less than a
truly fair set of district maps,” said
Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s executive
director.
“Now, it is incumbent upon our
state legislature to pass a redistricting
plan that keeps communities
together and is fully inclusive of their
input — including communities of
color and immigrant communities,”
he added. “The State Legislature
must use the input submitted to the
Independent Redistricting Commission
when drawing its maps, and it
must hold a hearing for public comment
after it draws its maps and
before they are voted on.”
On Tuesday, NYIC and several
community-based organizations
held a media briefing focused on the
impact of New York’s redistricting
process on immigrant New Yorkers.
The briefing came after the NYS
legislature’s release of new congressional
and state legislative districts.
Last month, the Independent
Redistricting Commission failed to
meet the Jan. 25 deadline to send a
final set of proposed district maps to
the NYS Legislature.
Earlier this year, Albany legislators
voted down the two sets of maps
the commission unveiled. The maps
detail New York’s congressional and
state legislative districts.
With the Democrats holding a very
narrow majority in the US House of
Representatives, Awawdeh said these
maps will have a national impact.
By Nelson A. King
The New York State Senate Health
Committee on Tuesday voted to move
bill S1572, also known as Coverage For
All, forward to the Finance committee,
allowing health coverage for all
immigrants.
The legislation passed with seven yes
votes to six no votes.
With this move, both versions of the
legislation have progressed out of each
legislative houses’ Health committees.
“Today’s Senate Health Committee
vote reflects the growing momentum
and recognition of the need for
Coverage For All,” said Murad Awawdeh,
New York Immigration Coalition
(NYIC) executive director. “This is an
urgent bill that state lawmakers must
pass in this year’s budget to ensure
the well-being of the entire state and
workforce.
“The pandemic has made it clear
that lack of health coverage is a life
or death issue,” he added. “We thank
Sen. Gustavo Rivera for long championing
immigrant health and moving
Coverage For All forward in this critical
time.”
Coverage For All (A880/S1527) would
create a state-funded essential plan eligible
to New Yorkers up to 200 percent
of the federal poverty line, regardless of
immigration status.
New estimates place the cost of the
bill at $345 million in order to cover
tens of thousands of uninsured New
Yorkers.
In 2021, a FamiliesUSA report found
that one-third of COVID related deaths
were due to insurance gaps.
“Today, my colleagues and I passed
my bill to expand our State’s Essential
Plan through the Senate Health
Committee,” said Rivera, chairman of
the Senate Health Committee and the
bill’s Senate sponsor. “This measure
will undoubtedly ensure more lowincome,
immigrant New Yorkers, who
have been particularly impacted by
the COVID-19 pandemic, have access
to the healthcare coverage they need
and deserve.
“With the Assembly Health Committee
passing this bill last week, we
are building the necessary momentum
in both chambers to ensure we are able
to expand access to coverage to more
New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration
status,” he added.
“No New Yorker should be denied
health care because of immigration
status,” said Assembly Health Committee
Chair Richard Gottfried. “New
York should be a progressive leader
in promoting health equity. Expanding
health coverage to undocumented
adults is good fiscal and moral policy
and I commend the Senate Health
Committee for advancing the bill today
and hope we can enact Coverage for All
in this year’s budget.”
“Health care is a human right. Every
New Yorker, regardless of immigration
status, deserves access to affordable
care,” said Sen. Brad Holyman. “I’m
proud to support Coverage For All
(A880/S1527) and to have the opportunity
to vote for it in the Senate Health
Committee today.
“I appreciate Sen. Rivera and the
New York Immigration Coalition for
leading this fight to make sure undocumented
New Yorkers can access our
state’s Essential Plan for health coverage.”
“A New Yorker’s immigration status
should not be a hindrance to receiving
health coverage,” said Sen. Julia
Salazar. “This bill passing the Senate
Health Committee is an important step
towards making Healthcare accessible
for all. It addresses a severe insurance
gap that’s gone on for too long. I am
grateful for Senator Rivera for pushing
for such an important cause.”
Murad Awawdeh, NYIC’s executive
director. NYIC
New York Senate Health Committee
passes Coverage For All immigrants
NYIC wants
State Legislature
to pass a
redistricting plan