New York Initial Organizing Call Agenda

Tuesday, July 17th at 1:00PM ET
Call-in Number: (530) 881-1400
Participant Access Code: 978895

• Welcome message
  • Introduction and explanation of conference call Q & A
    • Who is on the call?
      Who is not here that needs to be here? 
  • Thank you for joining us for this historic event. The inaugural Secular Coalition for New York monthly conference call!
  • Despite the fact that there are tens of millions of nontheistic Americans, we remain one of the most marginalized groups in the country.
  • The Secular Coalition for America is working to make sure that we are heard on Capitol Hill. We fight in Washington DC against religious privileging on a federal level, yet some of the most egregious violations of separation of church and state are being promoted and passed at a state level.
  • The Secular Coalition for America is forming state chapters across the country. Our chapters will bring together secular Americans in each state to influence government officials, legislation, and regulations.
  • Our first step in forming these chapters is our monthly conference calls.
• Goals/Stages of Chapter Development
  • Development Stage
    • Focus on setting up the structure, identifying leadership, identifying how the legislature in New York operates and the best ways to meet the needs of the Secular Coalition for New York
    • On these initial calls we will be discussing the mission, purpose, and goals of the SCA chapters, the resources SCA can provide to SCA Chapters, the secular lobbying needs of your state, and the organizational structures of the chapters including leadership positions. No one is required to speak up, but there will be opportunities to do so.
  • Official recognition
    • Once your state chapter is organized, the leadership and a representative of the SCA will sign a memo of understanding officially recognizing the Secular Coalition for New York and giving the group access to our resources (to be discussed in more depth later)
    • Future monthly calls will become a way to educate and inform. They will focus on identifying and tracking legislation and regulations that affect the secular nature of state or local governance, or affect nontheists; and coordinate grassroots and in person lobbying efforts
• SCA Chapter Model
  • A Secular Coalition for America state chapter is unlike any other nontheistic state organization -- it brings together interested organizations and individuals for the exclusive purpose of lobbying government officials. 
  • Challenges to past efforts to establish state chapters
    • Lack of support for state volunteers
      • Will provide resources to make it easier and more efficient
    • Past funding challenges
      • SCA will do all the fundraising and provide all resources the chapter needs
  • New chapters are under the umbrella of the national organization
    • Part of the Secular Coalition for America 
    • Under our C4 tax exemption, full C4 lobbying privileges
  • Mission and Purpose of the Chapters
    • Mission - to increase the visibility of and respect for nontheistic viewpoints in the United States, and to protect and strengthen the secular character of our government as the best guarantee of freedom for all. 
    • Purpose - to accomplish its mission through cooperation between local groups and coordinated state lobbying activities
  • Coalition Style
    • Narrow mission and purpose
    • We are the diplomats of the secular movement
    • Not a membership organization - just a show of support for the lobbying activities of the coalition
• Executive Committee
  • No set number of members or roles
    • Flexible to availability and strengths of individuals who want to get involved
    • Examples of Helpful Skills: leadership skills, familiarity with local groups, monitor legislation, conduct lobbying visits, mobilize grassroots, IT or website knowledge, social networking familiarity, comfortable speaking with press
  • Lobbying Rules for New York:
    • A LOBBYIST: means an individual who attempts to influence any legislative or official action of any branch of government.
    • Cost $200 to lobbyists, public corporations, and clients or employees of lobbyists or clients, who in any year during the biennial period either reasonably anticipate expending, incurring, or receiving, or actually expends, incur, or receive, more than $5,000 in combined reportable compensation and expenses for lobbying activities on a state and/or local level. Otherwise free. Online Link: http://www.jcope.ny.gov/
• Legislation/Regulation Update
  • Governor
    • Andrew Cuomo, Democrat who has been in office since 2011. New York governors serve four-year terms (no limits).
  • New York State Legislature
    • Full title: The New York State Legislature
    • Legislature in session
    • Senate has 62 members who serve 2 year terms (no term limit). Republican controlled, 29 Democrats and 33 Republicans
    • All seats up for election in November 2012
    • The State Assembly has 150 members who serve 2 year terms (no term limit). Democrat Controlled: 100 Democrats and 49 Republicans, 1 Independent 
    • All seats up for reelection in 2012.
  • State Legislation
    • Legislative Prayer - The New York state legislature opens with a prayer.
    • AB 592 - To provide protections to parents who decline to have their children immunized on the basis of religious beliefs.
    • AB 8800 - To authorize the use of school buildings and school sites for religious meetings and worship when not in use for school purposes or when such service or worship is deemed not disruptive of normal school operations.
    • AB 5138 - Exempts revenues derived from religious organizations from the temporary state energy and utility service conservation assessment fee.
  • National issues sweeping the states
    • Reframing discrimination as “religious freedom” or “religious liberty”
    • Similar authorization of discrimination, this time by medical professionals with “Rights of Conscience” bills
  • Does anyone know any legislation or regulation in New York we should be watching?