Committee for Progressive Legislation records,
- Author:
- Committee for Progressive Legislation.
- Call Number:
- MSS APAP-123 local
- Abstract:
- This collection contains the papers of the Committee for Progressive Legislation from 1950-1993. The collection documents the organization's activity in lobbying the New York State Legislature for various social issues, but shows their main interests were repealing the New York State abortion law and advocating family planning. Included in the collection are administrative files, records of the group's legislative interests, and research of social issues. Documentation on family planning matters as well as other social welfare issues is abundant in the collection. The numerous news clippings on abortion rights and family planning articles as well as the correspondence between chairperson Kay Dingle and New York State legislators is a strong point of the collection. The legislative correspondence gives an idea of the lobbying methods of the Committee for Progressive Legislation. The collection does not include specific information on the personal lives of the committee members. One letter does imply that a group member resigned due to pressure from her husband, but not much additional information is available.
- Historical Note:
- The Committee for Progressive Legislation began when Kay Dingle, a wife and mother living in Delmar, New York, created a religious liberal voice that would bring attention to social issues important to many New Yorkers. She organized a group of Unitarian women to discuss ways in which they could be effective in supporting or opposing state legislation. They would raise a religious liberal voice in politics by enlisting other members of the Albany and Schenectady First Unitarian Universalist Societies and working together with other organizations interested in dealing with social problems. That group of women became the Committee for Progressive Legislation. In 1969, the organization became widely known for lobbying in favor of the repeal of New York State's abortion law. The group's main concerns were abortion, welfare rights, and the attack on separation of church and state. As time passed, however, they discovered that trying to tackle several issues at once was difficult and they began to concentrate mainly on the repeal of New York State's abortion law and state funds for family planning clinics. Members of the Committee for Progressive Legislation donated their time telephoning legislators, designing posters, and conducting research to support their stance on social issues. Political workshops trained members and volunteers to be effective lobbyists as well as how to deal with disadvantaged communities. Lobbying sessions were also held in which members learned about legislative bills and how to find legislative allies. After the amendment of New York's abortion law in April 1970 the group focused on family planning issues. In their correspondence to legislators, members advocated state sponsored family planning clinics. They also lobbied the state to pay abortion fees for low-income women.
- Physical Description:
- 1.2 cu. ft
- Access Terms:
- Access to the collection is unrestricted.
- Notes:
- Part of the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy. local
- Subjects:
- Abortion Law and legislation New York (State), Birth control New York (State), Pro-choice movement New York (State), Women's rights New York (State), Abortion Law and legislation, Birth control, Pro-choice movement, and Women's rights
- Genres/Forms:
- Minutes. aat, Correspondence. aat, Newsletters. aat, Clippings. aat, and Brochures. aat
- Names:
- Dingle, Kay
- Corporate Names:
- First Unitarian Universalist Society (Albany, N.Y.), Unitarian Universalist Church (Albany, N.Y.), New York (State). Department of Social Services, and New York (State). Department of Social Services
- Geographic Terms:
- New York (State)
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