Report on Meeting of NYS NOW Advisory Committee
Sioux Taylor
State Representative, Westchester NOW
On Jan. 25, I drove to Albany to attend the first NOW/NYS Council meeting of the new year, representing our Westchester Chapter. Happily, Joan Katzman went with me. The meeting was held at the Comfort Inn and Suites. A highlight of the morning session included reports from the various chapter representatives. I gave a brief overview of the activities in which Westchester had been involved, as follows:
1. The highly-successful Roe v. Wade event, which was sponsored in cooperation with Planned Parenthood and others.
2. The NOW phone, a vital service, which has been in operation for many years. Joan, one of the long-time volunteers with this component, gave an "on-target" and poignant summary of some of the callers' requests for help. Based on reports given, Westchester NOW is the only chapter that offers this meaningful service.
3. The monthly meetings of our Planning Committee.
4. The on-going visits to the Bedford Women's Prison
5. The meetings of the Book Group.
6. The meetings of the Post Menopausal Group.
7. The meetings of the Women's Issues Committee and its coming Learn-At-Lunch program, which will be held on May 7 in cooperation with Family Services of Westchester and the National Association of Social Workers, NYS Chapter, Westchester Division.
Following considerable discussion, the State Advisory Committee identified the following priorities:
 Human Rights
Comparable Worth
Emergency Contraception
Father's Rights including custodial rights
Pataki's appointments to the Court of Appeal
Welfare Reform
There was also considerable discussion of the optimum ways in which the State can communicate with its members, i.e. newspaper, newsletter, e-mail, website. An ad hoc committee was convened to deal with this question and report back to the next state committee meeting. I was asked to chair this committee. I accepted. Representatives from five chapters volunteered. Findings will be reported following contact with various ad hoc committee members and following a discussion of this question with members of our Planning Committee.
Although it was not possible for me to attend the Saturday night and the Sunday sessions of the NYS Committee, I was pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the Saturday morning and afternoon sessions. Clearly, Westchester should have a presence at these statewide meetings. Working together, in the interest of making social justice a reality, much can be accomplished.
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