Shelley Mayer Joins In Calling for Passage of Tough Sex Trafficking Bill

Shelley Mayer, Democratic and Working Families candidate for the State Assembly in Yonkers (93rd District), stood today at the Yonkers Courthouse with Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, sponsor of a pioneering antisex
trafficking bill (A01898D) to demand that the Senate and Assembly come together to pass this critical legislation.

Two other cosponsors, Democratic Assemblymembers Amy Paulin and Sandy Galef, also joined to voice their support for the bill. Despite widespread agreement that stronger laws were needed to fight the heinous practice of sex trafficking, the Assembly and Senate were unable to come to a compromise during the last legislative session over two slightly different versions of the bill.

The Dinowitz bill, known as the Anti-Human Trafficking Act of 2006, would make it a felony to traffic a person for sexual or labor servitude, and provide some legal defense and certain services for trafficking victims. Assemblyman Dinowitz said, “I’m pleased that Shelley Mayer is a strong advocate for a tough anti-human trafficking law.

Human trafficking is a heinous crime that is nothing less than 21st century slavery. It’s an absolute disgrace that this modern-day slavery exists in the United States – and it’s a bigger disgrace that so little has been done about it. Sadly, there was no legislative agreement this year to combat human traf- ficking. How many more victims will there be before my bill becomes law? With support from colleagues such as Amy Paulin, Sandy Galef and, hopefully, Shelley Mayer, I am confident we can put an end to human trafficking in New York.”