Activist groups seek meetings with Sen. John Flanagan

Several Long Island activist groups were scheduled to hold a community forum Thursday night in Setauket to criticize Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-East Northport) for refusing to meet with them on their legislative priorities before the March 31 state budget deadline.

The advocacy groups include Long Island Jobs with Justice, the Long Island DREAM Coalition, SEPA Mujer, Long Island Wins, Make the Road New York, Long Island Bus Rider’s Union, the Long Island Transgender Advocacy Coalition and the Move to Amend Coalition.

Event organizer Victoria Daza said the groups are pushing for legislation to increase the state minimum wage, provide tuition assistance to undocumented immigrants, greater protections for transgender individuals and more funding for public transportation.

The groups, Daza said, have asked to meet individually with Flanagan, but the senator has offered to have a staff member participate in meetings instead.

“It’s important for elected officials to be transparent, especially if they are making decisions that will be important to the entire state,” Daza said.

Flanagan spokesman Scott Reif said the senator “routinely meets with all groups, as he has done for 30 years throughout his entire public career, regardless of whether he agrees with them or not. The decision to take a meeting is never influenced by a group’s position on an issue; it is dictated solely by what his schedule will allow.”