National Organization for Women-NYS Decries "Non-Decision" by Special Senate Committee

ALBANY, NY (01/12/2010)(readMedia)-- "Today, 1/12/2010, political expediency took precedence over women's safety in New York State. The NYS Special Senate Committee called it a "decision," but in essence it is a choice to leave NY State Senator Hiram Monserrate in his current seat," said National Organization For Women - NYS President Marcia Pappas. She added that the "Committee's recommendation is in fact a 'non-decision' and definitely not a decision."

The Senate Committee in question was charged with the treatment of NY State Senator Monserrate, who was recently convicted of misdemeanor assault for slashing his woman friend. The Committee's report recommends that the NYS Senate either censures or expels Monserrate for his heinous behavior. But Pappas remarked that this "nebulous nothingness leaves the decision in the hands of the full Senate."

Pappas continued: "We believe anything short of expulsion is nothing more than empty words, and that this meaningless decision is a copout by the Senate Committee, in that they do not insist Monserrate lose his position as a State Senator. According to recent reports, Monserrate says he won't give up his job even if the Senate decides he should be expelled.

Pappas said that "if Senator Monserrate refuses to leave, the Senate should call law enforcement to have him bodily removed, as would be the case were he any other New York citizen."

Pappas reports that "the National Organization for Women-New York State calls upon the Senate to immediately expel the infamous Senator Monserrate, and to prove to New Yorkers that their government cares about the well being of women."