A bill which would prevent the 26 anti-poverty agencies in New York City from holding annual elections for their boards on Saturdays was approved today by the New York State Assembly by a vote of 127-9 and now goes to the State Senate Judiciary Committee. Such elections are now permitted by the Council Against Poverty, New York City’s central agency for the 26 community corporations, the formal name for the anti-poverty agencies.
Assemblyman Leonard Silverman, a Brooklyn Democrat, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that an effort would be made to get the legislation out of the Senate committee for a vote next week. The fight there is being led by State Sen. Albert Lewis, Brooklyn Democrat. The reason for the intensity of the effort to get Assembly and Senate approval quickly is the need for the legislation to be approved for Gov. Nelson Rockefeller’s signature in time to affect the next community corporation board elections in April.
Initial plans were for a bill barring elections only on Saturdays but the measure was broadened to ban elections on the holy days of members of all religious groups in the state to make it more acceptable to the state solons.
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