New York’s Community Commission on Reparations Remedies is asking state lawmakers for more time and funding to complete its $5 million study on the impacts of slavery and systemic racism.
Commission President Seanelle Hawkins cited delays in staffing and the complexity of the work, emphasizing the need for an extension beyond the initial one-year timeline. Public hearings are scheduled in Albany, Rochester, Ithaca, Brooklyn, and Utica in the coming months.
Lawmakers, including Sen. James Sanders and Assemblymember Michaelle Solages, support the request, acknowledging the scale of the task. Discussions are ongoing about whether additional time will require amending existing legislation or passing new laws.
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