Governor Andrew Cuomo came to Syracuse today to promote his legislation for protecting people with special needs and disabilities.
The legislation creates a center which would have primary responsibility for investigating allegations of abuse and neglect of disabled people in state operated or licensed facilities. Last year there were 10,000 such allegations.
"We want fairness. We want people treated like people. We want human rights respected. We want human dignity restored and we will not allow people to be abused in the care of the state of New York, period. It is that simple," Cuomo said.
The governor appeared on the Syracuse University campus and spoke to advocates for the disabled.
As he spoke, the New York state Senate passed the bill 53-0. The Assembly has yet to take it up.