Contact: Roslyn Singer
Director of Communications, OU Advocacy
212-613-8227
rsinger@ou.org

February 24, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OU Advocacy-Teach NYS, the non-partisan public policy arm of the Orthodox Union, applauds Governor Andrew Cuomo for his commitment to the Education Investment Incentives Act (EIIA), also known as the Education Tax Credit, as one of his top priorities this legislative session and for his willingness to hold up the New York State budget unless and until it includes approval of the EIIA.

Governor Cuomo supported the Education Tax Credit prominently during his reelection campaign and advanced it early in his second term by including it in his joint State of the State and Executive Budget speech in January.

“We view the governor’s willingness to play ‘hardball’ as a clear indication that he intends to pass the Education Tax Credit this year, to benefit all of New York’s children,” said Maury Litwack, Director of State Political Affairs for OU Advocacy.

The top priority during the 2015 Legislative Session for OU Advocacy-Teach NYS is passing the Education Tax Credit—which could provide an unprecedented amount of funding for New York’s non-public schools—and ensuring that the program benefits the broadest swath of New York’s schoolchildren.

“By providing tax credits in return for donations to both not-for-profit scholarship granting organizations as well as public schools, the tax credit would benefit all schools across the state, both public and non-public,” said Jake Adler, New York State Policy Director for OU Advocacy-Teach NYS.

OU Advocacy-Teach NYS is also mobilizing the Jewish day school community around the Education Tax Credit as well. Between now and the end of March, when the New York State budget must be approved, OU Advocacy-Teach NYS will bring hundreds of representatives of the Jewish community from throughout New York State to Albany to advocate for the bill.