State Senate candidate challenges incumbent Amedore on women’s rights, sets stage for debate tonight

Oct 25, 2016 Ali Hibbs Government, Guilderland, News, Schenectady County, Towns

GUILDERLAND – In advance of their debate tonight at the Guilderland Public Library, Sara Niccoli has challenged current state Sen. George Amedore (R-46) for his record of voting on women’s rights and what she characterized as his work hinder progress on protecting women’s equality and healthcare.

While she feels that Amedore has attempted to distance himself from his anti-woman record and quotes, Niccoli said she will continue to hold him accountable for his actions.

“It is completely disingenuous for George Amedore to proclaim himself a supporter of women’s rights. The simple reality is that he spent years fighting against equal pay for women, paid family leave, protecting the victims of domestic violence, and raising the minimum wage, which disproportionately impacts women,” she said. “Senator Amedore has even said he is anti-choice with no exceptions, making him even more extreme than Donald Trump on women’s rights and protections.”

As an assemblyman, George Amedore voted at least twice against legislation that would protect women from sexual harassment and five times against equal pay for equal work. As a senator, Niccoli criticized women’s rights initiatives for which he voted as scaled down versions of pre-existing bills and said that they fail to to adequately address women’s rights in New York state.

“Thanks to George Amedore’s antiquated stances, women’s reproductive health care in New York remains at risk and contraception can still be excluded from insurance coverage,” said Niccoli.

“My opponent is being disingenuous and her claims are the same political rhetoric that everyone is tired of,” responded Amedore. “The first bill I voted on as a Senator was the Women’s Equality Act that ensured equal pay for equal work and provided important protections again pregnancy discrimination, sexual harassment and domestic violence. I also helped pass the most comprehensive family leave program in the nation, and made sure women have easy and affordable access to breast cancer screenings. That is my real record on women, and it’s one I’m proud of.”

Residents of the 46th state Senate district will have a chance to hear the candidates speak about this and other campaign issues tonight from 7 to 8:45 p.m. at the Guilderland Public Library during a Meet The Candidates event.