For IMMEDIATE Release: March 16, 2015Contact: Timothy Lantz, 518-455-5981STEC ANNOUNCES WOMENS EQUALITY BILL PASSES ASSEMBLY

Assemblyman Dan Stec (R,C,I-Queensbury) today announced that the Assembly has passed one of the planks of the Womens Equality Act (WEA) that deals with human trafficking. Stec said this is a major victory for gender equality in New York State and it is unfortunate that legislation of this magnitude took so long to come before members for a vote. Assembly Democrats had refused to pass the 10-bill package as separate pieces of legislation in years past.

I am pleased that my Assembly colleagues are finally joining me in supporting this package as separate pieces of legislation, Stec said. New Yorks women have waited far too long for these measures. Unfortunately, Assembly Democrats prolonged this process by refusing to pass these bills separately in order to advance their political agendas during a campaign year. The Assembly Republican Conference and I have been calling for passage of these bills individually for years because gender equality should not have to ride the coattails of political aspirations.

Stecs comments come after Assembly Bill 506, of which Stec is a co-sponsor, passed the Assembly today. The Assembly Republican Conference introduced an identical bill, A.2704, which is currently being held in committee by Assembly Democrats. ###