The Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act ( SONDA ) is a New York law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, credit, and the exercise of civil rights. Passed in 2002, SONDA added the term " sexual orientation " to the list of specifically protected characteristics in various state laws, including the Human Rights Law, the Civil Rights Law, and the Education Law.
103-603: SONDA was first introduced in the New York State Assembly on February 16, 1971, by Assemblymember Al Blumenthal (D-Manhattan) and in the New York State Senate by Senator Manfred Ohrenstein (D-Manhattan), only to be defeated. The bill was reintroduced in the Assembly in 1983 but was again defeated by a narrow margin. In 1990, Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) became the first openly gay member of
206-583: A born again Christian, and his last child, Amy , was born during this time. In the 1970 gubernatorial election, liberal former governor Carl Sanders became Carter's main opponent in the Democratic primary. Carter ran a more modern campaign, employing printed graphics and statistical analysis. Responding to polls, he leaned more conservative than before, positioning himself as a populist and criticizing Sanders for both his wealth and perceived links to
309-451: A B.A degree, cum laude. He thereafter attended Columbia Law School from 1948 to 1951, where he was designated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and graduated with the degree of Juris Doctor . From 1952 to 1954, Ohrenstein served in the U.S. Army as a first lieutenant, Judge Advocate General Corps. After leaving active duty he continued to serve in the military as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1954-1960. On leaving active duty he
412-604: A four-year college program by the state, and Carter saw Callaway—who had switched to the Republican Party —as a rival who represented aspects of politics he despised. Carter was reelected to a second two-year term in the state Senate, where he chaired its Education Committee and sat on the Appropriations Committee toward the end of the term. He contributed to a bill expanding statewide education funding and getting Georgia Southwestern State University
515-548: A four-year program. He leveraged his regional planning work, giving speeches around the district to make himself more visible to potential voters. On the last day of the term, Carter announced his candidacy for the House of Representatives. Callaway decided to run for governor instead; Carter changed his mind, deciding to run for governor too. In the 1966 gubernatorial election, Carter ran against liberal former governor Ellis Arnall and conservative segregationist Lester Maddox in
618-645: A friend of his sister Ruth. The two wed shortly after his graduation in 1946, and were married until her death on November 19, 2023. Carter was a sprint football player for the Navy Midshipmen . He graduated 60th out of 821 midshipmen in the class of 1947 with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned as an ensign . From 1946 to 1953, the Carters lived in Virginia , Hawaii , Connecticut , New York , and California , during his deployments in
721-518: A liberal to the New York State Senate , Ohrenstein became a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 25th district of the New York State Senate against the incumbent State Senator John H. Farrell , who was supported by DeSapio. Ohrenstein defeated Farrell in the Democratic primary. Ohrenstein then won the general election with about 57 percent of the vote. In a 1965 editorial, The New York Times said "Senator Manfred Ohrenstein
824-452: A lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times." This response and his admission in another interview that he did not mind if people uttered the word "fuck" led to a media feeding frenzy and critics lamenting the erosion of boundary between politicians and their private intimate lives. Carter once had a sizable lead over Ford in national polling, but by late September his lead had narrowed to only several points. In
927-566: A member of the Baptist Church and chairman of the Sumter County school board. In 1962, he announced his campaign for an open Georgia State Senate seat 15 days before the election. Rosalynn, who had an instinct for politics and organization, was instrumental to his campaign. While early counting of the ballots showed Carter trailing his opponent, Homer Moore, this was later proven to be the result of fraudulent voting. The fraud
1030-466: A moderate when it became clear Wallace could not win the region. In the North, Carter appealed largely to conservative Christian and rural voters. While he did not achieve a majority in most Northern states, he won several by building the largest singular support base. Although Carter was initially dismissed as a regional candidate, he would clinch the Democratic nomination. In 1980, Lawrence Shoup noted that
1133-599: A national energy policy that included conservation, price control, and new technology. Carter successfully pursued the Camp David Accords , the Panama Canal Treaties , and the second round of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks . He also confronted stagflation . His administration established the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Education . The end of his presidency was marked by
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#17327836237421236-402: A news conference on July 13, 1971, Carter announced that he had ordered department heads to reduce spending to prevent a $ 57-million deficit by the end of the 1972 fiscal year, specifying that each state department would be affected and estimating that 5 percent over government revenue would be lost if state departments continued to fully use allocated funds. On January 13, 1972, he requested that
1339-534: A plurality of the vote but less than a majority, allowing the Democratic-majority Georgia House of Representatives to elect Maddox as governor. This resulted in a victorious Maddox, whose victory—due to his segregationist stance—was seen as the worst outcome for the indebted Carter. Carter returned to his agriculture business, carefully planning his next campaign. This period was a spiritual turning point for Carter; he declared himself
1442-645: A president to pursue what had traditionally been the role of Congress. Carter was also weakened by signing a bill that contained many of the "hit list" projects he had intended to veto. In an address to a fundraising dinner for the Democratic National Committee on June 23, 1977, Carter said, "I think it's good to point out tonight, too, that we have evolved a good working relationship with the Congress. For eight years we had government by partisanship. Now we have government by partnership." At
1545-718: A presidential bid for 1976 together. He tried unsuccessfully to become chairman of the National Governors Association to boost his visibility. On David Rockefeller 's endorsement, he was named to the Trilateral Commission in April 1973. The next year, he was named chairman of both the Democratic National Committee 's congressional and gubernatorial campaigns. In May 1973, Carter warned his party against politicizing
1648-517: A press conference on February 23, 1977, Carter stated that it was "inevitable" that he would come into conflict with Congress and added that he had found "a growing sense of cooperation" with Congress and met in the past with congressional members of both parties. Carter developed a bitter feeling following an unsuccessful attempt at having Congress enact the scrapping of several water projects, which he had requested during his first 100 days in office and received opposition from members of his party. As
1751-432: A press conference, Carter said the continued discussions about his energy reform proposal had been "long and divisive and arduous" as well as hindering to national issues that needed to be addressed with the implementation of the law. In an April 11, 1978, news conference, Carter said his biggest surprise "in the nature of a disappointment" since becoming president was the difficulty Congress had in passing legislation, citing
1854-459: A release from active duty so he could take over the family peanut business. Deciding to leave Schenectady proved difficult, as Rosalynn had grown comfortable with their life there. She later said that returning to small-town life in Plains seemed "a monumental step backward." Carter left active duty on October 9, 1953. He served in the inactive Navy Reserve until 1961 and left the service with
1957-580: A reorganization plan submitted in January 1972. Despite initially having a cool reception in the legislature, the plan passed at midnight on the last day of the session. Carter merged about 300 state agencies into 22, although it is disputed whether that saved the state money. On July 8, 1971, during an appearance in Columbus, Georgia , he stated his intention to establish a Georgia Human Rights Council to help solve issues ahead of any potential violence. In
2060-661: A rift ensued between the White House and Congress afterward, Carter noted that the Democratic Party's liberal wing opposed his policies the most ardently, attributing this to Ted Kennedy's wanting the presidency . Thinking he had support from 74 Congressmen, Carter issued a "hit list" of 19 projects that he claimed were "pork barrel" spending that he said he would veto if they were included in legislation. He found himself again at odds with Congressional Democrats, as House Speaker Tip O'Neill found it inappropriate for
2163-687: A speech in Georgia. Carter's appeal to racism became more blatant over time, with his senior campaign aides handing out a photograph of Sanders celebrating with Black basketball players. Carter came ahead of Sanders in the first ballot by 49 percent to 38 percent in September, leading to a runoff election. The subsequent campaign was even more bitter; despite his early support for civil rights, Carter's appeal to racism grew, and he criticized Sanders for supporting Martin Luther King Jr. Carter won
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#17327836237422266-517: A televised joint appearance with Florida governor Reubin Askew on January 31, 1973, and co-sponsored an anti-busing resolution with Wallace at the 1971 National Governors Conference. After the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Georgia's death penalty statute in Furman v. Georgia (1972), Carter signed a revised death-penalty statute that addressed the court's objections, thus reintroducing the practice in
2369-516: A televised speech declaring that the current energy crisis was the "moral equivalent of war". He encouraged energy conservation and installed solar water heating panels on the White House . He wore sweaters to offset turning down the heat in the White House. On August 4, 1977, Carter signed the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 , forming the Department of Energy, the first new cabinet position in eleven years. Carter emphasized that
2472-567: A top aide employed by Ohrenstein, used public money to pay for campaign workers, and that legislative staffers continued to collect their salaries while working full-time on political campaigns. Despite the indictment, Ohrenstein, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was easily reelected in 1988 and continued to serve as minority leader. On November 27, 1990, the New York State Court of Appeals dismissed 445 counts against Ohrenstein, stating that "the point we are making in this case
2575-624: A woman's right to choose, education and civil rights has never wavered." Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician and humanitarian who served from 1977 to 1981 as the 39th president of the United States . A member of the Democratic Party , he served from 1963 to 1967 in the Georgia State Senate and from 1971 to 1975 as the 76th governor of Georgia . Carter
2678-503: Is a key figure in the nonprofit housing organization Habitat for Humanity . He has also written numerous books , ranging from political memoirs to poetry, while continuing to comment on global affairs, including two books on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict . Polls of historians and political scientists generally rank Carter as a below-average president, though scholars and the public more favorably view his post-presidency , which
2781-412: Is an outstanding Reform legislator who puts principle first." He easily won reelection (often by lopsided margins) until he retired in 1994. Ohrenstein briefly represented the 29th District after a special election in 1965 (when State Senate and Assembly district lines were reapportioned), but the following year was elected to represent the 25th district again. After district boundaries were redrawn after
2884-506: Is that at the time the defendants acted, their conduct was not prohibited in any manner." On September 5, 1991, at Morgenthau's request, a state judge in Manhattan dismissed the remaining counts against Ohrenstein. In 1992, New York State Comptroller Edward V. Regan awarded Ohrenstein $ 1.3 million in legal costs (but disallowed $ 480,000). Ohrenstein decided not to seek re-election in 1994. Since leaving elected office he has engaged in
2987-508: Is the longest-lived president in U.S. history and the first to live to 100 years of age . Carter was born and raised in Plains, Georgia . He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and joined the U.S. Navy 's submarine service. Carter returned home after his military service and revived his family's peanut-growing business. Opposing racial segregation , Carter supported the growing civil rights movement , and became an activist within
3090-622: Is the longest in U.S. history. James Earl Carter Jr. was born October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia , at the Wise Sanitarium , where his mother worked as a registered nurse. Carter thus became the first American president born in a hospital. He is the eldest child of Bessie Lillian Gordy and James Earl Carter Sr. , and a descendant of English immigrant Thomas Carter, who settled in the Colony of Virginia in 1635. In Georgia, numerous generations of Carters worked as cotton farmers. Plains
3193-528: The 1980 presidential election in a landslide to Ronald Reagan , the Republican nominee. After leaving the presidency, Carter established the Carter Center to promote and expand human rights; in 2002 he received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work in relation to it. He traveled extensively to conduct peace negotiations, monitor elections , and further the eradication of infectious diseases. Carter
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3296-633: The Federal Trade Commission . In 1980, Carter signed Law H.R. 5860 aka Public Law 96–185, known as The Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act of 1979 , to bail out the Chrysler Corporation with $ 3.5 billion (equivalent to $ 12.94 billion in 2023) in aid. Carter attempted to calm various conflicts around the world, most visibly in the Middle East with the signing of the Camp David Accords ; giving back
3399-659: The Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), which added "gender identity" and "gender expression" as protected categories under New York's Human Rights Law. Since November 2024, sexual orientation and gender identity was explicitly added to the New York State Constitution by over 60% of voters at the election. Manfred Ohrenstein Manfred Ohrenstein (August 5, 1925 – November 18, 2024)
3502-875: The Iran hostage crisis , an energy crisis , the Three Mile Island accident , the Nicaraguan Revolution , and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan . In response to the invasion, Carter escalated the Cold War by ending détente , imposing a grain embargo against the Soviets , enunciating the Carter Doctrine , and leading the multinational boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. He lost
3605-642: The Social Security Act , and having a balanced budget by the end of his first term of office. On July 15, 1976, Carter chose U.S. senator Walter Mondale as his running mate. Carter and Ford faced off in three televised debates, the first United States presidential debates since 1960. For the November 1976 issue of Playboy , which hit newsstands a couple of weeks before the election, Robert Scheer interviewed Carter. While discussing his religion's view of pride, Carter said: "I've looked on
3708-612: The Watergate scandal , which he attributed to president Richard Nixon 's isolation from Americans and secretive decision-making. On December 12, 1974, Carter announced his presidential campaign at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. His speech contained themes of domestic inequality, optimism, and change. Upon his entrance in the Democratic primaries, he was competing against sixteen other candidates, and
3811-478: The 1960s and 1970s, before his presidency. Some later called this his " malaise speech", memorable for mixed reactions and his use of rhetoric. The speech's negative reception centered on a view that he did not emphasize his own efforts to address the energy crisis and seemed too reliant on Americans. In 1978, Carter declared a federal emergency in the neighborhood of Love Canal in the city of Niagara Falls, New York . More than 800 families were evacuated from
3914-469: The 1970 census, Ohrenstein began representing the 27th district, which he held until his retirement. He sat in the 173rd , 174th , 175th , 176th , 177th , 178th , 179th , 180th , 181st , 182nd , 183rd , 184th , 185th , 186th , 187th , 188th , 189th and state legislatures . In the senate, Ohrenstein compiled a liberal voting record, supporting anti-discrimination measures for gays and lesbians and strict rent control laws. In 1975, Ohrenstein
4017-531: The 39th president on January 20, 1977. One of Carter's first acts was the fulfillment of a campaign promise by issuing an executive order declaring unconditional amnesty for Vietnam War -era draft evaders , Proclamation 4483 . Carter's tenure in office was marked by an economic malaise, a time of continuing inflation and recession and a 1979 energy crisis . Under Carter, the U.S. experienced its first ever government shutdown in May 1980, though it affected only
4120-671: The American public. Carter became the front-runner early on by winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary . His strategy involved reaching a region before another candidate could extend influence there, traveling over 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometres), visiting 37 states, and delivering over 200 speeches before any other candidate had entered the race. In the South, he tacitly conceded certain areas to Wallace and swept them as
4223-471: The Assembly. Glick made SONDA a top priority of her campaign. The legislation was first passed by the Assembly on February 1, 1993, by a vote of 90–50, with 81 Democrats and nine Republicans favoring the bill and 14 Democrats and 36 Republicans opposing it. It was stalled repeatedly in the Senate for the rest of the decade. On January 28, 2002, the Assembly passed SONDA by a vote of 113–27. On December 17, 2002,
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4326-602: The Atlantic and Pacific fleets . In 1948, he began officer training for submarine duty and served aboard USS Pomfret . Carter was promoted to lieutenant junior grade in 1949, and his service aboard Pomfret included a simulated war patrol to the western Pacific and Chinese coast from January to March of that year. In 1951, Carter was assigned to the diesel/electric USS K-1 (SSK-1) , qualified for command, and served in several positions, to include executive officer. In 1952, Carter began an association with
4429-616: The Committee for Democratic Voters. The New York Post called Manfred Ohrenstein a "standout example of the new young leadership that is spearheading the drive to reform the Democratic Party." The principal objective of this organization was to oust the then-leader of the New York County Democratic organization, Carmine DeSapio , otherwise known as Tammany Hall , and elect a Democratic reform leader as county leader. To assist in achieving this objective and to elect
4532-583: The Democratic Party. He served in the Georgia State Senate from 1963 to 1967 and then as Governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975. As a dark-horse candidate not well known outside Georgia, Carter won the Democratic Party’s nomination and narrowly defeated the incumbent president, Gerald Ford of the Republican Party , in the 1976 presidential election . Carter pardoned all Vietnam War draft evaders on his second day in office. He created
4635-675: The Democratic minority of the Senate to provide New York City with the taxing authority it needs to maintain the services so essential to its well-being." Senator Ohrenstein, and the Republican Majority Leader of the Senate Warren Anderson, successfully achieved bipartisan support for these landmark measures. These measures also included the creation of the New York State Financial Control Board and other reforms of
4738-400: The Democratic primary. In a press conference, he described his ideology as "Conservative, moderate, liberal and middle-of-the-road ... I believe I am a more complicated person than that." He lost the primary but drew enough votes as a third-place candidate to force Arnall into a runoff election with Maddox, who narrowly defeated Arnall. In the general election, Republican nominee Callaway won
4841-450: The House of Representatives had "adopted almost all" of the energy proposal he had made five months earlier and called the compromise "a turning point in establishing a comprehensive energy program." The following month, on October 13, Carter stated he believed in the Senate's ability to pass the energy reform bill and identified energy as "the most important domestic issue that we will face while I am in office." On January 12, 1978, during
4944-751: The Navy's fledgling nuclear submarine program, led then by captain Hyman G. Rickover . Rickover had high standards and demands for his men and machines, and Carter later said that, next to his parents, Rickover had the greatest influence on his life. Carter was sent to the Naval Reactors Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission in Washington, D.C., for three-month temporary duty, while Rosalynn moved with their children to Schenectady, New York . On December 12, 1952, an accident with
5047-521: The New York City budget process. On September 16, 1987, Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau indicted Ohrenstein on 564 counts of conspiracy, grand larceny, and other charges related to a scheme to use hundreds of thousands of dollars in state money to assist Democratic State Senate candidates in 1986. Morgenthau alleged that Ohrenstein and his two codefendants, Democratic State Senator Howard E. Babbush of Brooklyn, and Frank Sanzillo,
5150-633: The Office of Management James Lynn and United States secretary of defense Donald Rumsfeld at the Blair House , and holding an afternoon meeting with President Ford at the White House . The next day, he conferred with congressional leaders, expressing that his meetings with cabinet members had been "very helpful" and saying Ford had requested he seek out his assistance if needing anything. Relations between Ford and Carter were relatively cold during
5253-682: The Panama Canal to Panama; and signing the SALT II nuclear arms reduction treaty with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev . His final year was marred by the Iran hostage crisis , which contributed to his losing the 1980 election to Ronald Reagan . Whistleblowers have alleged, most recently in 2023, that people working on the Reagan campaign's behalf convinced Iran to prolong the crisis to reduce Carter's chance of reelection. Moralism typified much of Carter's action. On April 18, 1977, he delivered
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#17327836237425356-743: The Plains High School basketball team, and also joined Future Farmers of America , which helped him develop a lifelong interest in woodworking. Carter had long dreamed of attending the United States Naval Academy . In 1941, he started undergraduate coursework in engineering at Georgia Southwestern College in nearby Americus, Georgia. The next year, Carter transferred to the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, where civil rights icon Blake Van Leer
5459-812: The Second Circuit . He also became active in New York politics and in 1960 was elected to the New York State Senate representing the West Side of Manhattan. In 1975 he became the Democratic leader of the New York State Senate . In 1980 he also served as chairman of the New York Delegation to the Democratic National Convention which nominated Jimmy Carter for president. He left the New York Senate at
5562-546: The Senate passed the legislation by a vote of 34 to 26; it was signed into law by Governor George Pataki the same day. SONDA went into effect on January 16, 2003. SONDA prohibits discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in employment; admission to and use of places of public accommodation, resort, or amusement; admission to and use of educational institutions; publicly assisted housing; private housing accommodations and commercial space; and credit. SONDA also prohibits discrimination and/or harassment on
5665-413: The active contenders for the presidential nomination, but against incumbent Republican president Gerald Ford by a few percentage points. As the Watergate scandal was still fresh in the voters' minds, Carter's position as an outsider, distant from Washington, D.C. proved helpful. He promoted government reorganization. In June, Carter published a memoir titled Why Not the Best? to help introduce himself to
5768-656: The administration and financing of the City University of New York. A New York Times editorial supported Senator Ohrenstein's recommendations: "After much vacillation Governor Rockefeller has come to the support of the well-conceived legislative plan to assure the fiscal soundness of the City University. The bill follows closely the recommendations that emerged from hearings conducted by State Senator Manfred Ohrenstein." In his thirty-four years in office, Ohrenstein also championed rent regulations, welfare and civil rights reforms. Immediately upon taking office as minority leader on January 1, 1975, Senator Ohrenstein, now as one of
5871-417: The attention of environmentalists nationwide. Civil rights were a high priority for Carter, who added black state employees and portraits of three prominent black Georgians to the capitol building: Martin Luther King Jr., Lucy Craft Laney , and Henry McNeal Turner . This angered the Ku Klux Klan . He favored a constitutional amendment to ban busing for the purpose of expediting integration in schools on
5974-442: The basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation in the exercise of an individual's civil rights. Institutions that are "religious or denominational", together with organizations "operated for charitable or educational purposes", are exempted from the provisions of SONDA. SONDA indirectly applies when a transgender person is discriminated against based on that person's actual or perceived sexual orientation. In 2019, New York enacted
6077-441: The business's books. Though they barely broke even the first year, the Carters grew the business and became quite successful. As racial tension inflamed in Plains by the 1954 Supreme Court of the United States ruling in Brown v. Board of Education , Carter favored racial tolerance and integration but often kept those feelings to himself to avoid making enemies. By 1961, Carter began to speak more prominently of integration as
6180-430: The chairman of the Senate Committee on Mental Health in 1965. He was instrumental in passing legislation (Bill A.6033) to provide greater state aid for the construction of local mental health facilities. It was signed into law by the governor on August 2, 1966. Ohrenstein was also chairman of the Joint Legislative Committee on Higher Education. Under his leadership this committee achieved major reforms (Bill A.6125) in
6283-422: The conservative and anti-McGovern voters. He was fairly obscure at the time, and his attempt at triangulation failed; the 1972 Democratic ticket was McGovern and senator Thomas Eagleton . On August 3, Carter met with Wallace in Birmingham, Alabama , to discuss preventing the Democrats from losing in a landslide, but they did. Carter regularly met with his fledgling campaign staff and decided to begin putting
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#17327836237426386-415: The creation of a federal consumer protection agency, creating a separate cabinet-level department for education, signing a peace treaty with the Soviet Union to limit nuclear weapons, reducing the defense budget, a tax proposal implementing "a substantial increase toward those who have the higher incomes" alongside a levy reduction on taxpayers with lower and middle incomes, making multiple amendments to
6489-421: The development of a neutron bomb . In March 1953, Carter began a six-month course in nuclear power plant operation at Union College in Schenectady. His intent was to eventually work aboard USS Seawolf , which was intended to be the second U.S. nuclear submarine. His plans changed when his father died of pancreatic cancer in July, two months before construction of Seawolf began, and Carter obtained
6592-426: The election. Ford phoned Carter to congratulate him shortly after the race was called. He was unable to concede in front of television cameras due to bad hoarse voice , and so First Lady Betty did so for him. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller oversaw the certification of election results on January 6, 1977. Although Ford carried Washington, Mike Padden , an elector from there, cast his vote for Ronald Reagan ,
6695-407: The end of 1994 to resume the practice of law. Thereafter he was appointed by Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a member of the Mayor's Task Force on the City University of New York and subsequently to the Mayoral Task Force on the New York City Board of Elections. He was the vice chairman and a co-founder of the Museum of Jewish Heritage , and vice president of the New York Insurance Federation. Ohrenstein
6798-473: The energy reform bill in particular: "I never dreamed a year ago in April when I proposed this matter to the Congress that a year later it still would not be resolved." The Carter energy legislation was approved by Congress after much deliberation and modification on October 15, 1978. The measure deregulated the sale of natural gas, dropped a longstanding pricing disparity between intra- and interstate gas, and created tax credits to encourage energy conservation and
6901-401: The experimental NRX reactor at Atomic Energy of Canada 's Chalk River Laboratories caused a partial meltdown, resulting in millions of liters of radioactive water flooding the reactor building's basement. This left the reactor's core ruined. Carter was ordered to Chalk River to lead a U.S. maintenance crew that joined other American and Canadian service personnel to assist in the shutdown of
7004-487: The family benefited from New Deal farming subsidies, and Carter's father took a position as a community leader. Carter himself was a diligent student with a fondness for reading. A popular anecdote holds that he was passed over for valedictorian after he and his friends skipped school to venture downtown in a hot rod . Carter's truancy was mentioned in a local newspaper, although it is not clear he would have otherwise been valedictorian. As an adolescent, Carter played on
7107-438: The final days before the election, several polls showed that Ford had tied Carter, and one Gallup poll found that he was now slightly ahead. Most analysts agreed that Carter was going to win the popular vote , but some argued Ford had an opportunity to win the electoral college and thus the election. Carter ultimately won, receiving 297 electoral votes and 50.1% of the popular vote to Ford's 240 electoral votes and 48.0% of
7210-401: The four legislative leaders representing the Senate and Assembly, became involved in the successful bailout from near bankruptcy of the New York State Battery Park Authority and later of the City of New York itself during the 1975/76/77 legislative sessions. In his public papers, Governor Carey acknowledges Senator Ohrenstein's efforts: "I fully support the efforts of Senator Ohrenstein and
7313-498: The full-time practice of law at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. Ohrenstein is part of the firm's municipal and government affairs department. In 1994 Senate Minority Leader Manfred Ohrenstein was honored in the Congressional Record by U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney . She called him a brilliant intellect who is "driven above all by what he believes is right. His progressive values are rock solid. In 34 years of public service, his commitment to equal opportunity for women and minorities,
7416-519: The incumbents in the Primary Election of 1974 and voted for Senator Ohrenstein despite the opposition of the then state leadership of the Democratic Party. Ohrenstein was a major advocate of legislation to abolish the death penalty in New York . In 1965, Ohrenstein introduced Bill S.639 to abolish capital punishment in the state; the bill was passed by the legislation and signed by Governor Nelson Rockefeller on June 1, 1965. Ohrenstein
7519-483: The issue at first, even as it polarized much of the county, to avoid alienating his segregationist colleagues. Carter did speak up on a few divisive issues, giving speeches against literacy tests and against an amendment to the Georgia Constitution that he felt implied a compulsion to practice religion. Carter entered the state Democratic Executive Committee two years into office, where he helped rewrite
7622-418: The legislature, providing equal state aid to schools in Georgia's wealthy and poor areas, setting up community centers for mentally disabled children, and increasing educational programs for convicts. Under this program, all such appointments were based on merit rather than political influence. In one of his more controversial decisions, he vetoed a plan to build a dam on Georgia's Flint River , which attracted
7725-530: The national Democratic Party. He also accused Sanders of corruption, but when pressed by the media, he did not provide evidence. Throughout his campaign, Carter sought both the black vote and the votes of those who had supported prominent Alabama segregationist George Wallace . While he met with black figures such as Martin Luther King Sr. and Andrew Young and visited many black-owned businesses, he also praised Wallace and promised to invite him to give
7828-464: The national news media discovered and promoted Carter, and stated: What Carter had that his opponents did not was the acceptance and support of elite sectors of the mass communications media. It was their favorable coverage of Carter and his campaign that gave him an edge, propelling him rocket-like to the top of the opinion polls. This helped Carter win key primary election victories, enabling him to rise from an obscure public figure to President-elect in
7931-402: The neighborhood, which had been built on top of a toxic waste landfill. The Superfund law was created in response to the situation. Federal disaster money was appropriated to demolish the approximately 500 houses, the 99th Street School, and the 93rd Street School, which had been built on top of the dump; and to remediate the dump and construct a containment area for the hazardous wastes. This
8034-417: The popular vote. Carter's victory was attributed in part to his overwhelming support among black voters in states decided by close margins, such as Louisiana , Texas , Pennsylvania , Missouri , Mississippi , Wisconsin , and Ohio . In Ohio and Wisconsin, where the margin between Carter and Ford was under two points, the black vote was crucial for Carter; if he had not won both states, Ford would have won
8137-518: The rank of lieutenant . Carter's awards include the American Campaign Medal , World War II Victory Medal , China Service Medal , and National Defense Service Medal . As a submarine officer, he also earned the "dolphin" badge . After debt settlements and division of his father's estate among its heirs, Jimmy inherited comparatively little. For a year, he, Rosalynn, and their three sons lived in public housing in Plains. Carter
8240-455: The reactor. The painstaking process required each team member to don protective gear and be lowered individually into the reactor for 90 seconds at a time, limiting their exposure to radioactivity while they disassembled the crippled reactor. When Carter was lowered in, his job was simply to turn a single screw. During and after his presidency, Carter said that his experience at Chalk River had shaped his views on atomic energy and led him to cease
8343-419: The runoff election with 60 percent of the vote and won the general election against Republican nominee Hal Suit . Once elected, Carter changed his tone and began to speak against Georgia's racist politics. Leroy Johnson , a black state senator, voiced his support for Carter: "I understand why he ran that kind of ultra-conservative campaign. I don't believe you can win this state without being a racist." Carter
8446-512: The short space of 9 months. During an interview in April 1976, Carter said, "I have nothing against a community that is... trying to maintain the ethnic purity of their neighborhoods." His remark was intended as supportive of open housing laws, but specifying opposition to government efforts to "inject black families into a white neighborhood just to create some sort of integration ". Carter's stated positions during his campaign included public financing of congressional campaigns, his support for
8549-415: The standby gasoline rationing plan and called on Congress to pass the several other standby energy conservation plans he had proposed. On July 15, 1979, Carter delivered a nationally televised address in which he identified what he believed to be a " crisis of confidence " among American people, under the advisement of pollster Pat Caddell who believed Americans faced a crisis in confidence from events of
8652-497: The state legislature fund an early childhood development program along with prison reform programs and $ 48 million (equivalent to $ 349,632,458 in 2023) in paid taxes for nearly all state employees. On March 1, 1972, Carter said he might call a special session of the general assembly if the Justice Department opted to turn down any reapportionment plans by either the House or Senate. He pushed several reforms through
8755-596: The state party's rules. He became the chairman of the West Central Georgia Planning and Development Commission, which oversaw the disbursement of federal and state grants for projects such as historic site restoration. When Bo Callaway was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1964, Carter immediately began planning to challenge him. The two had previously clashed over which two-year college would be expanded to
8858-456: The state. He later regretted endorsing the death penalty, saying, "I didn't see the injustice of it as I do now." Ineligible for reelection, Carter looked toward a potential presidential run and engaged in national politics. He was named to several southern planning commissions and was a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention , where liberal U.S. Senator George McGovern was the likely nominee. Carter tried to ingratiate himself with
8961-625: The then-governor of California and Carter's eventual successor. Preliminary planning for Carter's presidential transition had already been underway for months before his election. Carter had been the first presidential candidate to allot significant funds and a significant number of personnel to a pre-election transition planning effort, which then became standard practice. He set a mold that influenced all future transitions to be larger, more methodical and more formal than they were. On November 22, 1976, Carter conducted his first visit to Washington, D.C. after being elected, meeting with director of
9064-412: The transition. During his transition, Carter announced the selection of numerous designees for positions in his administration. A few weeks before his inauguration, Carter moved his peanut business into the hands of trustees to avoid a potential conflict of interest . He also asked incoming members of his administration to divest themselves of assets through blind trusts . Carter was inaugurated as
9167-404: The use of non-fossil fuels. On March 1, 1979, Carter submitted a standby gasoline rationing plan per the request of Congress. On April 5, he delivered an address in which he stressed the urgency of energy conservation and increasing domestic production of energy sources such as coal and solar. During an April 30 news conference, he said it was imperative that the House commerce committee approve
9270-408: Was a boomtown of 600 people at the time of Carter's birth. His father was a successful local businessman who ran a general store and was an investor in farmland. Carter's father had previously served as a reserve second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps during World War I . During Carter's infancy, his family moved several times, settling on a dirt road in nearby Archery , which
9373-459: Was a chief sponsor of S. 8556 legislation that tried to legalize abortion in New York . Ohrenstein introduced this bill on March 5, 1970. It was cosponsored by Senator D. Clinton Dominick III, a Republican. It passed the senate on March 18, 1970 and an amended version of the bill was subsequently passed by the legislature and signed by the governor on April 11, 1970. Three years later the U.S. Supreme Court issued Roe v. Wade . Ohrenstein became
9476-789: Was a member of the board of the New York City chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the advisory board of the Baruch School of Public Affairs. Ohrenstein and his wife, Dr. Marilyn Bacher, had two children. He died at his home in Manhattan on November 18, 2024, at the age of 99. In 1960, Ohrenstein emerged as one of the major leaders of the New York City Democratic reform movement. He joined forces with Eleanor Roosevelt and former governor and U.S. Senator Herbert H. Lehman to organize
9579-409: Was almost entirely populated by impoverished African American families. His family eventually had three more children: Gloria , Ruth , and Billy . Carter got along well with his parents even though his mother was often absent during his childhood since she worked long hours, and although his father was staunchly pro-segregation , he allowed Jimmy to befriend the black farmhands' children. Carter
9682-771: Was an American lawyer and politician. Counsel to the New York law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, he was also a member of the New York State Senate . A Democrat, he represented Manhattan from 1961 until 1994. From 1975 until 1994, he served as the New York State Senate minority leader. The son of a furniture merchant, Manfred Ohrenstein was born in Mannheim , Germany , on August 5, 1925, to Polish-born Jewish parents. In 1938, Ohrenstein and his family fled Nazi Germany and settled in Brownsville, Brooklyn . Ohrenstein graduated from Brooklyn College in 1948 with
9785-485: Was an enterprising teenager who was given his own acre of Earl's farmland, where he grew, packaged, and sold peanuts. Carter also rented out a section of tenant housing that he had purchased. Carter attended Plains High School from 1937 to 1941, graduating from the eleventh grade since the school did not have a twelfth grade. By that time, Archery and Plains had been impoverished by the Great Depression , but
9888-737: Was appointed as an assistant district attorney by the Manhattan District Attorney Frank Hogan and served from 1954 to 1958. He left the New York District Attorney's office in 1958 to resume the practice of law in New York City and in 1983 helped form the law firm of Ohrenstein & Brown, LLP. In addition to New York State, he is admitted to practice before the Court of Military Appeals and the United States Court of Appeals for
9991-418: Was considered to have little chance against the more nationally known politicians such as Wallace. His name recognition was very low, and his opponents derisively asked "Jimmy Who?". In response to this, Carter began to emphasize his name and what he stood for, stating "My name is Jimmy Carter, and I'm running for president." This strategy proved successful. By mid-March 1976, Carter was not only far ahead of
10094-769: Was elected Senate minority leader by his Democratic colleagues. He held the position until his retirement. This was a major victory for the New York City Democratic Reform Movement. He was opposed in this election by the Democratic Governor Hugh Carey and by the Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, Patrick J. Cunningham. Several of the new Democratic Members of the New York Senate had prevailed as challengers to
10197-590: Was found to have been orchestrated by Joe Hurst, the chairman of the Democratic Party in Quitman County . Carter challenged the election result, which was confirmed fraudulent in an investigation. Following this, another election was held, in which Carter won against Moore as the sole Democratic candidate, with a vote margin of 3,013 to 2,182. The civil rights movement was well underway when Carter took office. He and his family had become staunch John F. Kennedy supporters. Carter remained relatively quiet on
10300-413: Was knowledgeable in scientific and technological subjects, and he set out to expand the family's peanut-growing business. Transitioning from the Navy to an agribusinessman was difficult as his first-year harvest failed due to a drought, and Carter had to open several bank lines of credit to keep the farm afloat. Meanwhile, he took classes and studied agriculture while Rosalynn learned accounting to manage
10403-637: Was president. While at Georgia Tech, Carter took part in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps . In 1943, he received an appointment to the Naval Academy from U.S. Representative Stephen Pace , and Carter graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1946. He was a good student but was seen as reserved and quiet, in contrast to the academy's culture of aggressive hazing of freshmen. While at the Academy, Carter fell in love with Rosalynn Smith ,
10506-428: Was sworn in as the 76th governor of Georgia on January 12, 1971. In his inaugural speech, he declared that "the time for racial discrimination is over", shocking the crowd and causing many of the segregationists who had supported him during the race to feel betrayed. Carter was reluctant to engage with his fellow politicians, making him unpopular with the legislature. He expanded the governor's authority by introducing
10609-492: Was the first time that such a process had been undertaken. Carter acknowledged that several more "Love Canals" existed across the country, and that discovering such hazardous dumpsites was "one of the grimmest discoveries of our modern era". Carter typically refused to conform to Washington's rules. He avoided phone calls from members of Congress and verbally insulted them. He was unwilling to return political favors. His negativity led to frustration in passing legislation. During
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