Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling on the Assembly Majority leadership to put aside partisan politics and allow important women’s equality bills to come to the floor for an up-or-down vote. Over the past two weeks, the Senate has passed the entire nine-point women’s agenda.

“The Speaker and the Assembly Majority leadership are politicizing women’s equality measures by stubbornly blocking them from coming up for a vote in the Assembly,” said Blankenbush. “I am eager and ready to vote on legislation that will benefit women in our state. We must stand with them and use what time is left in the legislative session to focus on passing these measures.”

The Senate has passed all nine of the Women’s Equality Agenda bills. So far they have approved equal pay for equal work, a ban on pregnancy discrimination, a ban on employment discrimination due to family status, a ban on housing discrimination for domestic violence victims, and outlawing human trafficking. Blankenbush supports these measures and the remaining four, which end workplace sexual harassment, strengthen orders of protection, allow e-filing of orders of protection, and provide for recovery of attorney’s fees from successful sexual discrimination cases.

Blankenbush is pleased that several rank-and file majority members have broken with their leadership, calling for passage of these bills individually. “These aren’t issues that belong only to women or to one party, they’re important to everyone. They are human rights issues, and New York has always been a leader in these matters. It’s time get these bills passed now.”