Eleanor's Legacy

Deborah Glick, a lifelong resident of New York City, has lived in Greenwich Village for over 35 years. A graduate of the City University of New York’s Queens College, she received a Master of Business Administration degree from Fordham University. Deborah owned and managed a small printing business in TriBeCa before becoming Deputy Director of General Services at the City Department of Housing, Preservation and Development.

Deborah's political activism began in college and she is still strongly involved in grassroots organizing. Now in her ninth term in the Assembly, Deborah has focused her efforts on civil rights, reproductive freedom, health care, lesbian and gay rights, the environment, affordable housing, higher education, social justice, and funding for the arts. Before her election to the Assembly, she served on Community Board 2 in Manhattan and worked with the National Organization for Women, the Women's Political Caucus and the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

Deborah is the first openly lesbian or gay member of the New York State legislature. Her legislative victories include passage of the Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act (SONDA) and the Hospital Visitation Bill which became law in 2004, providing domestic partners the same rights that spouses and next-of-kin have when caring for a loved one in a hospital or nursing facility. Deborah’s groundbreaking bill, The Women's Health and Wellness Act, which promotes early detection and prevention of certain medical conditions affecting women, including breast cancer and osteoporosis and provides coverage for contraceptives, became law on January 1, 2003.

In February 2007, Deborah was appointed Chair of the Assembly’s Higher Education Committee, which oversees all private and public higher education institutions, financial assistance for students, and professional licensing. In June of 2007, Deborah was named to the New York State Commission on Higher Education established by executive order by Governor Eliot Spitzer. Deborah also serves on the Ways and Means, Rules and Environmental Conservation Committees. She has also served as the Chair of the Assembly Social Services Committee and the Committee on Ethics and Guidance. Earlier in her tenure, Deborah chaired the Task Force on People with Disabilities, and was Vice-Chair of the Legislative Commission on Critical Transportation Choices. In 2002, the Legislature passed her graduated licensing bill, which provides a stepped process for young drivers to gain driving experience, prior to receiving full license privileges. It became law on September 15, 2003 and has been an important factor in reducing vehicular fatalities.

With Deborah’s increased seniority, she has focused on assisting new women members and encouraging more women to run for office. Deborah is one of only two women Assemblymembers in Manhattan.