E.N.D. BACKS SCHNEIDERMAN FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL AS “POWERHOUSE” CRIME FIGHTER WHO “WALKS THE TALK ON CRIME, ETHICS AND EQUALITY”.

[b]Cites “Whirlwind” 12 year History of Bi-Partisan Anti Crime, Legal Reform and Anti Prejudice Legislation[/b]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) October 15, 2010 --October 15, 2010, New York, N.Y.: End Discrimination Now, the leading advocacy for Protected Classes, announced today it’s support of Eric Schneiderman for Attorney General. “Eric has been an outstanding Senator, and we have watched him fight for the people of New York on the toughest issues from Ethics Reform, strengthening our laws against crime including the landmark Fraud, Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2007 which modeled the federal New York’s False Claims Act, and an unprecedented number of Bills which he sponsored or co-sponsored, at least 191 in 2010 alone.” E.N.D President Kathryn Jordan was quoted.

While Mr. Schneiderman has big shoes to fill in the wake of Mr. Cuomo’s departure, he has proven to be a formidable Senator who has stood up against Wall Street criminals, demanded a new level of integrity in the Legislature, and articulated the importance of equality and justice in our society. While Schneiderman has long led in the polls, E.N.D. urges all New Yorkers to "Get Out & VOTE" as it will be a tight race. The Attorney General job is the third most important job in the State, after the Governor and Judiciary Chair.

“He isn’t just a big talker who relies upon rhetoric; Mr. Schneiderman’s Record in the Senate is unparalled. He 'walks the talk'. He’s a powerhouse. He grasps complex legal issues quickly. Wherever he goes, he galvanizes the action. No NY Senator has done more to advance the reform and modernization of our Laws”. E.N.D. President Kathryn Jordan affirmed. “His Record is awesome”.

Eric T. Schneiderman grew up on Manhattan's Upper West Side where he attended Trinity School. After earning a B.A. in English and Asian Studies at Amherst College, Eric served for two years as a Deputy Sheriff in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, where he started the first comprehensive drug and alcohol treatment program at the Berkshire House of Corrections. After graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, Eric clerked for two years in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He later entered private practice and became a partner at the firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart.

Senator Schneiderman has worked as an anti-crime advocate for his entire career. He served for over 10 years as counsel to the West Side Crime Prevention Program, representing tenants, neighbors, and community groups in eviction proceedings against crack dens and drug dealers. As a founder of the Attorney General's Anti-Crime Advocates program and a member of the board of the Lawyer's Committee on Violence, Eric recruited, trained, and counseled private attorneys representing community groups striving to protect their neighborhoods from crime.

He was elected to the New York State Senate in 1998. During his first term, Senator Schneiderman was an instrumental leader in successful campaigns to pass New York's first pro-choice legislation in decades – the Clinic Access bill – as well as a Hate Crimes law, and a historic package of gun control legislation. Each of these bills had been stalled in the state senate for years

Senator Schneiderman continued his work as a public interest lawyer throughout his years in office. In 2001 and 2003 he served as lead counsel to the Straphangers Campaign in challenging the unlawful practices of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, obtaining an injunction keeping dozens of token booths open and exposing fraud in the MTA’s bookkeeping.
From 2003-2006, Senator Schneiderman served as the Senate Deputy Democratic Leader. During that period, the Democratic Conference became the leading voice for reform of New York's state government, and successfully fought to pass legislation to raise the minimum wage, to provide mental health parity in health insurance coverage, and to make initial changes to the state’s draconian drug laws.

In 2007, He was appointed to the New York State Commission on Sentencing Reform. In his role as a Commissioner, he advocated for reforms to our criminal justice system, including an expansion of alternatives to incarceration programs, an improvement of our re-entry services, as well as reforms to the sentencing guidelines for non-violent drug offenses. In 2008, Senator Schneiderman became a national co-founder of Legislators Against Illegal Guns. Since January of 2009, Senator Schneiderman has served as the Chair of the Senate Codes Committee, which considers criminal and civil justice legislation in New York State. In addition to his committee assignments, he also serves as the Senate Deputy Majority Leader for Policy.

Over the past ten years, Senator Schneiderman has been recognized by groups and organizations throughout the state for his leadership in efforts to pass gun control, pro-choice and environmental legislation, to reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws, restore progressivism to our tax code and to provide universal health care for all New Yorkers.

Mr. Schneiderman’s own words attest to a realist with a “get it done” attitude:

"Enacting significant ethics reform is my top priority this year, and it is a mistake for the Governor to veto our ethics bill. I agree that this legislation doesn’t fix everything that’s wrong with the culture of Albany, but on nearly every measure – transparency, disclosure, accountability, enforcement – it represents an across-the-board improvement. I sponsor a whole host of reform bills that go further, but this bill provides a solid foundation to restoring confidence in our government. The Governor should lock in the real reforms it provides and convene three-way negotiations on our next set of ethics and campaign finance reforms." [i/]

E.N.D. lauds Mr. Schneiderman's "practical" approach to legislation and his willingness to tackle the toughest issues
related to law enforcement. E.N.D. also re-affirmed the “obvious value” that primary competitor Kathleen Rice could bring as a partner in the AG’s office. “Her experience as a Prosecutor who, like Mr. Schneiderman, has demonstrated fearless dedication to eradicating crime, could be of enormous value to the new administration. I personally believe they would make a great team and there's plenty of work to go around. Fortunately, Eric definitely has the leadership skills to hold his own with Mr. Cuomo and the AG's office", Jordan said. "There's no doubt in my mind he will take the lead and make a huge impact"

Eric’s Record on Anti Fraud Legislation:
http://www.nysenate.gov/press-release/senator-eric-t-schneiderman-shepherds-historic-anti-fraud-taxpayer-protection-measure-

Eric’s Record on Public Corruption Act
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/html/bill/S7707A

Eric’s Record on Consumer Credit Fairness
BILL S4398 - Enacts the "consumer credit fairness act"

Eric’s Initiative to Begin Modernization of Courts via Electronic Filing
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S7806

Eric’s Legislation Against Fraud
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/S8378

Eric’s Bill Making Crime Pharmacies Who Refuse to dispense medication solely for philosophical, moral, or religious reasons
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/1.0/html/bill/S2979

For more information visit: www.ericschneiderman.com

More information can be found online at http://www.enddiscriminationnow.com

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