Authorizes and directs the New York state power authority to rename the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant to the Shirley J. Hamilton Niagara Power Plant

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why April Baskin says this is needed

Shirley J. Hamilton passed away on March 26, 2023. She was born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, and graduated from Niagara Falls High school. She attended SUNY at Buffalo for Electrical Engineering, Cornell University School of Labor Studies and was a Licensed Practical Nurse. Ms. Hamilton was employed at the New York State Power Authority (NYPA) since 1979, where she rose quickly through the ranks - from a Seasonal Groundskeeper to serving as the first woman to work on the Ice Boom. She was the first female Warehouse person at the Niagara Project and was once the only woman Senior Operator employed at NYPA throughout the entire state of New York. When she passed, she was the most senior employee at the Niagara Project, working in every union classification in operations and had over 40 years operational experience at the facil- ity. Beyond her historic career at NYPA, Ms. Hamilton was a well-respected leader in the community. She served with distinction as president of the Niagara Falls Branch of the NAACP for several years prior to her pass- ing. She was involved in a variety of environmental and economic devel- opment endeavors, including serving as Secretary to the Niagara County Workforce Investment Board, the NYS Environmental Justice Inter-Agency Task Force, and the Environmental Justice Committee for the NYS Depart- ment of Environmental Conservation. She was the first woman and African American to Chair the Niagara County industrial Development Agency and was appointed by Senator Charles Schumer to the Niagara River Toxins Committee and the Lake Ontario Lakewide Management Planning Committee. In addition, she served on the board of the Buffalo/Niagara Mentorship Program. Ms. Hamilton was the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, includ- ing: the Community Cares Service Award for Economic Development for Niagara County by former Wheatfield Town Supervisor, Timothy E. Demler, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Achievement Award, the AFL - CIO Earl A. Frampton Community Service Award, the National Coalition for Community And Justice (NCCJ) Sister/Brotherhood Award, the Every Woman Opportunity Award of Excellence, the Trinity Baptist Church Community Service Award, the Woman's Award of Excellence for Labor from former NYS Senator Antoine Thompson, the NAACP President's - Political Action Advo- cacy Award, the God's Woman "I Shall Wear a Crown" Award, and the Lion of Judah Award from Dominion Life Christian Center.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.