State Senator Jose Peralta, defected from the Senate Democratic Conference recently to become the eighth member of the IDC, a breakaway faction of State Senators who are allied with Senate Republicans.

“In these times when we’re fighting the Republican agenda, we don’t need our local representatives allying with Republicans at the state level,” said Susan Kang, a Jackson Heights resident and professor of political science at John Jay College who, among a growing number, are disgusted with Peralta’s decision. [Village Voice]

Senate Republicans have blocked the following legislation from passing in New York:

• DREAM Act to provide tuition assistance to children of undocumented immigrants
• Women’s Equality Act to codify Roe v. Wade in New York law
• GENDA to protect LGBT New Yorkers from discrimination
• Voting Reform including early voting and automatic voter registration
• Criminal Justice Reform including “Raise the Age"
• Campaign Finance Reform and Ethics Reform to clean up Albany corruption
• Single payer health insurance bill
• Tenant protections to keep housing affordable and reversing Vacancy Deregulation which has removed tens of thousands of rent-controlled and rent-stabilized apartments necessary for working class families and seniors 

As voters in his district, we are demanding that Jose Peralta immediately return to the Democratic Caucus or resign from office to allow for a special election.