Power and Importance of State Legislatures
Class is back in session!! Our civics teacher, L. Joy Williams is back with our Social Justice “Lawya” Lurie Daniel Favors and June to bring us back to the basics discussing the power and importance of State Legislatures with our guests New York State Assembly member & Vice Chairman of the Democratic Party Michael Blake (Assembly District 79 Bronx, NY) and New York State Senator Kevin Parker (21st Senate District, Brooklyn NY).
Our “Lawya” will break down the importance of the Supreme Court. L. Joy and Lurie catch us up with how they’ve been taking civic action while we were on summer break, and they have been doing A LOT! Lurie comes to the front of the class to teach us about the courts. The Supreme Court to be specific, using crosswalks, Plessy vs Ferguson and Brown vs The Board of Education to explain why and how we need to elevate our engagement around the courts and why we should also be focused on Supreme Court nominations and confirmation hearings.
Our Guests:
Assembly Member Michael Blake shares his #FirstCivicAction story as a student at Northwestern University where he and his fellow students turned their anger into action. Since they are both educators, Assembly Member Blake and
Senator Parker break down the history of how state government is structured, how state legislators oversee the state’s budget and the creation of legislation which holds more sway over our everyday lives than on the federal level. Senator Parker continues the conversation explaining how we can enhance our engagement with our state legislators around the budget process and the distribution of resources.
HOMEWORK
Do you have a primary election coming up or want to get ready for November? Create your Vote Plan NOW! Know the time you are going to vote and who are you taking with you. Know who is on the ballot, reach out to your local Board of Elections for that information.
What is the budget calendar in your state? Find out when the budget hearings are in your state and if applicable, formulate a plan to participate
Become aware of the process for getting your issues heard by your state legislature. Sharing your brilliant idea in line at the grocery store may not be the best way to get your point across. Process matters.
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