ALBANY, NY – Today, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed bill S8298B into law, which prohibits the State of New York from selling or displaying “symbols of hate.”
The bill reads: the term “symbols of hate” shall include, but not be limited to, symbols of white supremacy, neo-Nazi ideology or the Battle Flag of the Confederacy.
The law prohibits the displaying or sale of the ‘symbol’ on and any state property, including fairgrounds and parks.
No further guidelines were written into the bill–nor did it lay out who would determine what symbols would be deemed hateful.
State Senator Alessandra Biaggi (D-Bronx/Westchester), who sponsored the bill, issued the following statement:
“Symbols of hate have no place in our society, let alone on State property. With the signing of my bill, we are drawing a clear line in the sand. By limiting hateful symbols from being glorified on State property, New York will denounce images that represent violence while still acknowledging our nation’s shameful history of oppression. This bill allows New York State to lead by example, and discourage the perpetuation of symbols that do not represent our values of justice and inclusion. Today we say no to hate.”
The law takes effect immediately.
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