policy statements and testimony

Testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Hearings of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means Committees
Karen L. Nicolson, Esq. | Chief Executive Officer Karen L. Nicolson, Esq. | Chief Executive Officer

Testimony to the New York State Legislature Joint Hearings of the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways & Means Committees

Thank you, Chair Krueger and Chair Weinstein, for the opportunity to submit this testimony to the

Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on Public Protection. We present this written testimony on behalf

of Karen Nicolson, CEO of the Center for Elder Law & Justice. The Center for Elder Law &

Justice (“CELJ”) has been serving the Western New York region for over 40 years, providing free

civil legal services to older adults, persons with disabilities, and low- income families. CELJ’s

primary goal is to use the legal system to assure that individuals may live independently and with

dignity. CELJ also advocates for policy and systems change, particularly in the areas of housing,

elder abuse prevention, nursing home reform, and consumer protection. Currently CELJ provides

full legal representation in ten counties of Western New York. CELJ’s Free Senior Legal Advice

Helpline is open to all of New York State. CELJ operates a central office in downtown Buffalo,

with three additional offices in Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Niagara counties.

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Written Testimony: JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET HEARING ON PUBLIC PROTECTION
Karen L. Nicolson, Esq. | Chief Executive Officer Karen L. Nicolson, Esq. | Chief Executive Officer

Written Testimony: JOINT LEGISLATIVE BUDGET HEARING ON PUBLIC PROTECTION

Simply put, entry level pay for attorneys is 30% to 45% lower than their government counterparts. Those inequities grow as careers advance – at ten years of service, the gaps in pay between civil legal services attorneys and AAGs are as much as 75% in some areas of the state. We are therefore calling for pay equity to justly compensate our workforce. It is the only way that we will ever make great strides in closing the justice gap.

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The Prescription Drug Price and Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2023  - Letter Of Support
Policy Statements and Testimony Center for Elder Law & Justice Policy Statements and Testimony Center for Elder Law & Justice

The Prescription Drug Price and Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2023  - Letter Of Support

The Center for Elder Law & Justice is pleased to sign on to the following letter of support, joining AARP New York and other organizations, encouraging New York State Legislators to support budget legislation proposed by Governor Kathy Hochul aimed at drug price transparency.

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Testimony: State of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Policy Statements and Testimony Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH Policy Statements and Testimony Lindsay Heckler, Esq., MPH

Testimony: State of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

The purpose of our testimony today is to provide examples of what The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) has been able to do on a severely limited budget, and what LTCOP could do to improve the quality of care and lives of older adults and persons with disabilities who are living in nursing homes, if NYS fully invests in the program.

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Testimony: Statewide Right To Counsel For Tenants
Policy Statements and Testimony Kevin M. Quinn, Esq. Policy Statements and Testimony Kevin M. Quinn, Esq.

Testimony: Statewide Right To Counsel For Tenants

We urge you to support the full funding and passage of Right to Counsel in the budget this year. As a society, we cannot stand by any longer while New Yorkers are forced into a confusing, overwhelming and traumatizing court system without counsel by their side. No one should have to face something as devastating as eviction without even the most basic right to representation.

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