NYC IT IS TIME TO CHOOSE FOR YOU, Say NO to LaSalle, or Say Yes, New York
New York’s highest court is at risk of getting an anti-choice, anti-union top judge — and we need your help to ask our State Senate to stop his appointment.
We’ll go into more detail about Justice Hector LaSalle’s nomination to the Court of Appeals and his conservative judicial philosophy, but we urge you to use this tool to email your State Senator and ask them to publicly commit to finding a new nominee:
Tell the Senate: Say NO to LaSalle!
Send an email, call directly, or tweet at your State Senator with just a few clicks
(organized by TheCourtNYDeserves)
Don’t know where your State Senator stands on LaSalle?
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So who’s Justice Hector LaSalle? And why is this so urgent?
Here’s some background…
At the end of December, Governor Hochul named Hector LaSalle as nominee for Chief Judge of New York’s Court of Appeals. LaSalle is currently Presiding Justice of the appellate courts of Brooklyn, Queens, and a number of suburban counties.
During his time on the bench, Justice LaSalle has ruled to allow employers to sue union leaders for defamation1, ruled in favor of the deportation of an immigrant minor2, and sided with anti-abortion “crisis pregnancy centers.”
The outcry was almost immediate.
While LaSalle’s nomination has been called historic for the Latine community – he would be the first Latine and Puerto Rican to hold the position of top judge for the state – over 70 progressive, Latine, New York-based leaders of workers rights groups, labor unions, reproductive rights groups, and advocacy groups have opposed his nomination. In an open statement released by these leaders, they point out that diversity on the court is a step in the right direction, but not enough – and demand that ‘Latinx candidates for higher office demonstrate values and principles that uplift Latinx communities and working class communities’.
Alexandria signed the open statement this week, and added on Twitter:
Why is this so important now?
New York’s highest court has taken a sharply conservative bend in recent years, curtailing New Yorkers labor rights, making it more difficult to enact environmental protections, and ruling against workers, tenants, and immigrant rights.
With LaSalle’s confirmation, the right-wing would keep a majority in the 7-person Court of Appeals. The GOP State Senate Leader Robert Ortt has already shown support for the upcoming confirmation hearing.
New York deserves a Chief Judge who can make history without contradicting our communities’ values or putting our rights at risk. We deserve so much better. We strongly urge you to contact your State Senators today!
Tell the Senate: Say NO to LaSalle!
Send an email, call directly, or tweet at your State Senator with just a few clicks
(organized by TheCourtNYDeserves)
Don’t know where your State Senator stands on LaSalle?
Use this tracker to find out.
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