Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Ronald Reagan:

"Each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us -- if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. King's dream comes true, and in his words, "All of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning. . . land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

(President Reagan, Coretta Scott King, Bob Dole and others at the signing ceremony for HR 3706 making the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. a national holiday. 11/2/1983)

Schuyler County Proclaims January 2022 as National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month

The Schuyler County Legislature has passed a resolution to raise awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking and modern slavery.

The resolution, submitted to the legislature by the office of County Attorney Steven Getman, designates January 2022 as National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month, “to acknowledge the vital role that the people of the United States have in ending human trafficking and modern slavery.” It was passed unanimously by the county legislature at its year-end meeting on Monday (December 27).

Human trafficking is a crime in which force, fraud or coercion is used to compel a person to perform labor, services or commercial sex, Getman explained. It affects all populations and all economic classes, including both adults and children.

According to the resolution, human trafficking and modern slavery have been reported and investigated in each of the fifty states. It calls for “continued partnerships with Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as social service providers and nonprofit organizations to address human trafficking with a collaborative, victim-centered approach; and all other efforts to prevent, eradicate, and raise awareness of, and opposition to, human trafficking and modern slavery.”

According to Getman, the recognition period for National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month is because January 1 is the anniversary of the effective date of the Emancipation Proclamation. The month was first federally recognized in 2010.

Getman noted that citizens who suspect an act of human trafficking in their area can report a tip to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. This national, toll free hotline is available to answer calls from anywhere in the country.

A copy of Schuyler County’s resolution is available below:

Schuyler County Proclaims J... by Steven Getman

New York's new laws for the New Year

Here’s a round up of some new laws coming to New York in 2017, including:

An increase in minimum wage;
The cost of naloxone, the drug used to treat drug opiate overdoses, will be covered by insurance companies;
Expanded breast cancer screening and treatment for some;
Teens ages 16 and 17 applying for a learner’s permit can now become an organ donor;
Traffic control devices at rail grade crossings will be inspected more often;
A tax credit extension for some parents;
Measuring window tints during vehicle inspections;

Other new laws include:

Starting Jan. 17, funeral homes statewide will be allowed to serve light fare — such as baked goods, sandwiches, snacks and food platters — and nonalcoholic beverages [to] "provide nourishment to sustain the family of the deceased at their time of need."
A measure, taking effect Jan. 7, that will prohibit the sale under any other name of the fish known to marine taxonomy as escolar. The fish, sometimes marketed as "white tuna," has a unique metabolism that makes it difficult for some diners to digest, often leading to what the bill's authors term "purgative effects that are not associated with eating tuna."
A provision that takes effect Feb. 26 that cracks down on the use of so-called "ticket bots" to unscrupulously scoop up event tickets for resale.