Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Rebekah Cook-Mack, Staff Attorney in the Employment Law Unit of Legal Aid Society
4:05:43
ยท
133 sec
Rebekah Cook-Mack from the Legal Aid Society testifies about the critical need for increased funding for the Commission on Human Rights (CCHR). She emphasizes that CCHR remains severely underfunded despite its growing importance, especially for vulnerable populations like transgender and undocumented New Yorkers.
- Advocates are calling for CCHR to be funded at $21 million to address understaffing and lengthy processing times.
- Source of income discrimination remains a significant issue, with complainants facing years-long delays at the commission.
- The federal government's withdrawal from civil rights enforcement makes CCHR's role even more crucial for protecting New Yorkers' rights.
Rebekah Cook-Mack
4:05:43
Hello.
4:05:43
Wait.
4:05:44
Let me see if I can get my video to work.
4:05:48
Hi.
4:05:48
Hey.
4:05:49
Thank you so much for the opportunity to present this testimony.
4:05:53
I'm Rebecca Kukmak.
4:05:55
I'm a staff attorney in the employment law unit of Legal Aid Society and a member of the Human Rights Law Working Group.
4:06:02
Last year, advocates, including legal aid, testified that disinvestment in the Commission on Human Rights had created a crisis.
4:06:10
We explained that due to understaffing and lengthy delays in processing times, it no longer served the needs of New Yorkers.
4:06:18
Unfortunately, city hall did not heed our warnings, council prioritized the commission in its budget response, but it has remained underfunded even as its obligations have grown and its importance has increased.
4:06:30
So thank you very much for the work that goes into today's marathon hearing.
4:06:34
We agree with commissioner Palmer.
4:06:36
CC c CCHR is much more important now than ever before, and we share your position that more proactive work is critical.
4:06:46
We need to prevent problems and proactively improve the lives of all New Yorkers, and funding is necessary to achieving these goals.
4:06:54
Unfortunately, today, CCEHR remains catastrophically underfunded.
4:06:59
The lack of funding is particularly harmful given the federal government's withdrawal from the field as you've heard.
4:07:05
For transgender and undocumented New Yorkers, federal partners are no longer viable avenues for protecting their rights.
4:07:12
And for these New Yorkers, the city commission, which enforces a broad array of laws, more protective than state and federal counterparts has become an indispensable partner.
4:07:21
Source of income discrimination remains rampant in our city and complainants wait years with long delays at the commission.
4:07:29
So we're asking the city, we're asking the mayor to fund CCHR at 21,000,000 to ensure its office of mediation and conflict resolution can provide fast and meaningful relief to New Yorkers, and to provide CCHR with the resources necessary to work through its caseload, decide cases on the merits, and prepare for the possibility of an influx of cases due to changes at the federal level.
Stephen Dunn
4:07:53
Thank you.
4:07:53
Time's expired.
Rebekah Cook-Mack
4:07:54
Thank you very much.