Diane J. Savino

Friday, November 21, 2008

New York State Senator
Diane J. Savino	23rd Senate District

Biography

— Senator Diane J. Savino

Diane Savino has dedicated her entire professional career towards improving the lives of working people and the urban poor. She began her career in public service as a caseworker for New York City’s Child Welfare Administration, providing direct assistance to abused and neglected children.

An active member of her local labor union, the Social Service Employees Union, Local 371, DC 37 of AFSCME, she quickly rose through the ranks to become the Vice President for Political Action & Legislative Affairs, where she became one of the most respected labor leaders in New York State.

As a labor activist, she actively and successfully campaigned for an increase in the minimum wage from $5.15 to $7.15—the first raise for New Yorkers in over a decade.

In 2004, she was elected to represent the 23^rd Senatorial District, encompassing the North Shore of Staten Island and portions of Brooklyn, including Borough Park, Coney Island, Bensonhurst, and Sunset Park.

Senator Savino has introduced legislation in support of working families, including legislation requiring Big Box retailers, like Walmart, to provide basic health insurance for their employees, the Consumer and Worker Protection Act, which would end state taxpayer subsidies for moving American jobs overseas, and the Renter’s Tax Credit for middle and low-income tenants.

She has also sponsored numerous bills addressing pay inequity for women and legislation requiring unpaid leave for victims of domestic violence.

As a strong supporter of health and safety initiatives, Senator Savino successfully passed a law increasing funding for cervical cancer and has been active in educating women about the HPV vaccine, which protects women from this easily preventable disease.

In addition, she successfully championed the elimination of New York State’s five-year statute of limitations for the crime of sexual assault, making it easier to put violators behind bars before they move onto another victim.

Local initiatives include a task force to fight Child Obesity, Small Business Town Halls, First Time Homeowner Workshops, a Women’s Health Fair, free mammograms, and a series of district-wide workshops for seniors on the new Medicare prescription drug plan.

Senator Savino sponsors a wide array of programs in the 24^th District, including the only Kosher soup kitchen in New York City, Staten Island’s Downtown Drive In Movies, a variety of youth programs, and funding for Senior Centers within the District.

Standing Committee Assignments 2006: Civil Service and Pensions (Ranking Minority); Labor; Environmental Conservation; Housing, Construction and Community Development; Judiciary; Tourism, Recreation and Sports Development; Transportation.

VOTE IN 2004 GENERAL ELECTION
Diane J. Savino, Dem. 38,045; Wor. 1,788                                       39,833
Al Curtis, Rep. 18,633; Ind. 2,220; Con. 1,523; SCP. 985                23,361

Site developed by L&P Media