One of New York’s U-S Senators hopes to hear the President embrace one of her key issues in the State of the Union address tonight.
Senator Gillibrand will be listening to the State of the union address to hear if President Obama is taking up here ongoing fight against campus sexual assault…which she says just isn’t being taken seriously.
When a university student faces a tougher punishment for cheating on a test than for committing a violent act of sexual assault, then we are failing our young people. We’re failing America’s parents and we are failing to live up to our ideals.”
The backing of the president might push the ideals of better reporting and prevention of abuse. Statistics show 20-percent or more of college women will suffer some sort of sexual assault, but Gillibrand says campuses haven’t moved on the issue.
“About 40 percent of colleges have never reported any rape or sexual assault. It doesn’t mean they didn’t have any. It means they would rather shove these issues under the rug.”
Her proposal would make sure a victim could report to a trained individual to not judge, and to preserve evidence in case a crime needs to be investigated. It would also impose fines against colleges that don’t help out victims, which could top one million dollars.
DETAILS OF CAMPUS ACCOUNTABILITY AND SAFETY ACT
The Campus Accountability and Safety Act would encourage schools to directly address these incidents by:
1. Establishing new campus resources and support services for student survivors;
2. Ensuring minimum training standards for on-campus personnel;
3. Creating new historic transparency requirements;
4. Increasing campus accountability and coordination with law enforcement; and
5. Establishing enforceable Title IX penalties and stiffer penalties for Clery Act violations.
Gillibrand also expects the president to share ways to reduce taxes on middle class and focus on college affordability.
GILLIBRAND FACES A NEW CONGRESS AND WORKING WITH A GOP MAJORITY
Local congress member Richard Hanna invited Afghanistan veteran Ernest Weeks to the address. and John Katko attends his first State of the Union with Iraq war vet Jeff Cleland. The West Genesee grad suffered war injuries that caused him to leave the military.
