George Michaels
Encyclopedia
George M. Michaels was an American Democratic Party
politician from New York, who served in the New York State Assembly
from 1961 to 1966 and 1969 to 1970, where he was best known for his changed vote that played a pivotal role in the passage of an expanded abortion rights law in New York State.
, Queens, New York. He attended Cornell University
and was awarded a law degree from Brooklyn Law School
, and then started a law practice in Auburn, New York
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
during World War II, enlisting as a private and leaving as a captain.
He was elected to the New York State Assembly
in 1960, where he was an advocate for expanded state aid to rural school districts and in sentencing and prison issues. He was the sponsor of the 1970 bill that made the bluebird
the official state bird of New York.
Franz Leichter
, a Democratic
Assemblyman from Manhattan
drafted a bill expanding abortion rights together with Republican
Assemblywoman Constance Cook
of upstate Tompkins County, New York
, proposing legislation that included no restrictions on the practice of abortion. The bill passed in the Senate on March 18, 1970 after five hours of debate by a vote of 31–26. For the Assembly, the bill was amended to allow for women to have abortions until their 24th week of pregnancy or at any time to protect the life of the mother. As the roll call progressed in the Assembly on April 9, 1970, the legislature deadlocked at 74 in favor and 74 opposed, with one member absent and the Assembly speaker not voting, leaving the count two short of the absolute majority of 76 members of the 150-member Assembly needed to pass the bill.
Michaels had earlier voted against the proposal during the roll call, but rose to speak before the Clerk of the Assembly could close the vote and bring it to defeat. Those assembled in the galleries were unsure of his purpose, but he alluded to his intentions when he said that his constituents were going to "condemn me for what I am about to do". He continued with his speech, stating "I realize, Mr. Speaker, that I am terminating my political career, but I cannot in good conscience sit here and allow my vote to be the one that defeats this bill ... [and asked] that my vote be changed from "no" to "yes"". His prediction regarding his political future turned out to be accurate. In explaining his change of heart, Michaels later recounted that "One of my sons just called me a whore for the vote I cast against this" and that another son had insisted that "Dad, for God's sake, don't let your vote be the vote that defeats this bill." After his changed vote, the chamber erupted in bedlam, Michaels buried his face in his hands and epithets were shouted at him.
With the switch by Michaels, the measure passed by a margin of 76 to 73 in the Assembly. Governor of New York
Nelson Rockefeller
signed the law the next day and the U.S. Supreme Court patterned its ruling in its landmark January 1973 decision Roe v. Wade
on the New York law.
Michaels ran for a sixth term of office in 1970 but did not receive the nomination of county leaders angered by his vote on the abortion law. He ran in the June 23 primary and lost in a four-way race, joining D. Clinton Dominick, a Republican who had sponsored the bill in the State Senate who also lost in the primary, apparently due to his support for the abortion bill.
.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician from New York, who served in the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
from 1961 to 1966 and 1969 to 1970, where he was best known for his changed vote that played a pivotal role in the passage of an expanded abortion rights law in New York State.
Early life
Michaels was born on September 15, 1910 (as per the Social Security Death Index) in College PointCollege Point, Queens
College Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
, Queens, New York. He attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
and was awarded a law degree from Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School
Brooklyn Law School is a law school located in Brooklyn Heights, in Downtown Brooklyn, New York.-History:Founded in 1901 by William Payson Richardson and Norman P. Heffley, Brooklyn Law School was the first law school on Long Island. Using space provided by Heffley’s business school, the law...
, and then started a law practice in Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
. He served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during World War II, enlisting as a private and leaving as a captain.
He was elected to the New York State Assembly
New York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
in 1960, where he was an advocate for expanded state aid to rural school districts and in sentencing and prison issues. He was the sponsor of the 1970 bill that made the bluebird
Bluebird
The bluebirds are a group of medium-sized, mostly insectivorous or omnivorous birds in the genus Sialia of the thrush family . Bluebirds are one of the few thrush genera in the Americas. They have blue, or blue and red, plumage...
the official state bird of New York.
New York's abortion law
Michaels supported what he saw as a woman's right to choose to have an abortion on a personal basis. At the request of the Cayuga County Democratic Committee he had voted twice against efforts to loosen restrictions, including an early April 1970 effort that was narrowly defeated.Franz Leichter
Franz Leichter
Franz S. Leichter is an American Democratic Party politician who served in both the New York State Assembly and the New York Senate.Leichter was born in Austria and graduated with a degree from Harvard Law School in 1957...
, a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Assemblyman from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
drafted a bill expanding abortion rights together with Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Assemblywoman Constance Cook
Constance Cook
Constance E. Cook was an American Republican Party politician who served in the New York State Assembly, where she co-authored a bill signed into law that legalized abortion in New York three years before the Roe v...
of upstate Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County, New York
Tompkins County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, and comprises the whole of the Ithaca metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 101,564. The county seat is Ithaca, and the county is home to Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community...
, proposing legislation that included no restrictions on the practice of abortion. The bill passed in the Senate on March 18, 1970 after five hours of debate by a vote of 31–26. For the Assembly, the bill was amended to allow for women to have abortions until their 24th week of pregnancy or at any time to protect the life of the mother. As the roll call progressed in the Assembly on April 9, 1970, the legislature deadlocked at 74 in favor and 74 opposed, with one member absent and the Assembly speaker not voting, leaving the count two short of the absolute majority of 76 members of the 150-member Assembly needed to pass the bill.
Michaels had earlier voted against the proposal during the roll call, but rose to speak before the Clerk of the Assembly could close the vote and bring it to defeat. Those assembled in the galleries were unsure of his purpose, but he alluded to his intentions when he said that his constituents were going to "condemn me for what I am about to do". He continued with his speech, stating "I realize, Mr. Speaker, that I am terminating my political career, but I cannot in good conscience sit here and allow my vote to be the one that defeats this bill ... [and asked] that my vote be changed from "no" to "yes"". His prediction regarding his political future turned out to be accurate. In explaining his change of heart, Michaels later recounted that "One of my sons just called me a whore for the vote I cast against this" and that another son had insisted that "Dad, for God's sake, don't let your vote be the vote that defeats this bill." After his changed vote, the chamber erupted in bedlam, Michaels buried his face in his hands and epithets were shouted at him.
With the switch by Michaels, the measure passed by a margin of 76 to 73 in the Assembly. Governor of New York
Governor of New York
The Governor of the State of New York is the chief executive of the State of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military and naval forces. The officeholder is afforded the courtesy title of His/Her...
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Rockefeller
Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
signed the law the next day and the U.S. Supreme Court patterned its ruling in its landmark January 1973 decision Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
on the New York law.
Michaels ran for a sixth term of office in 1970 but did not receive the nomination of county leaders angered by his vote on the abortion law. He ran in the June 23 primary and lost in a four-way race, joining D. Clinton Dominick, a Republican who had sponsored the bill in the State Senate who also lost in the primary, apparently due to his support for the abortion bill.
Death
George Michaels died, aged 82, on December 3, 1992 at his home in Auburn, New York, following a long illness. He was survived by his wife of 59 years, the former Helen Wetzler, three sons and eight grandchildren. He and his wife also owned a home in Palm Beach County, FloridaPalm Beach County, Florida
Palm Beach County is the largest county in the state of Florida in total area, and third in population. As of 2010, the county's estimated population was 1,320,134, making it the twenty-eighth most populous in the United States...
.