Brooklyn Lawmakers On The Move June 8, 2016

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Jeffries, James Celebrate Clinton Nomination

Central Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and New York City Public Advocate Letitia James yesterday celebrated Hillary Clinton’s clinching the Democratic Party presidential nomination and becoming the first woman in the nation’s history to do so.

“Hillary Rodham Clinton has made history with her elevation as the Democratic Party’s presumptive presidential nominee. Donald Trump seeks to turn back the clock and make America hate again. The choice confronting the American people is clear: We can select a trailblazing former secretary of state who is one of the most qualified individuals ever to seek the office of the presidency, or the country can choose a racial arsonist. May the best woman win,” said Jeffries.

“Tomorrow, little girls across America will wake up knowing that there is no mountain unclimbable, no ceiling unbreakable, and no dream unachievable. Hillary’s historic campaign is a win for all Americans. She is the best, and right, candidate for the job, and she will unify our country, stand up for all Americans, and continue the progress of our nation,” said James.

“But our work is not done: we have a moment to seize, a campaign to win, and a country to unite. Only with Hillary as our leader will we truly protect our future and the progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve,” she added.

Mosley Goes To Bat For Dream Act

Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy) announced that he helped the assembly pass the New York State Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act to ensure college bound students with immigrant parents have a fair shot at a prosperous future (A.4311-A).

The legislation grants these students access to state tuition assistance, scholarships and educational opportunity programs and establishes a private scholarship fund (the DREAM Fund) to help with financial planning for college.

“Higher education is essential to building successful careers and a bright future, and we should be doing all we can to level the playing field by making a college degree more accessible to all,” said Mosley. “The DREAM Act does this by ensuring that all students with a New York State high school diploma who want to go to college here can afford to, regardless of their immigration status.”

Under current state law, undocumented immigrants who earned a high school diploma in New York are currently eligible for in-state tuition at SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities.

The DREAM Act would increase these students’ ability to afford college by allowing them to apply for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Further, the DREAM Act would help these students succeed in college by making them eligible for state assistance available through programs like the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Collegiate Science and Technology Program (C-STEP) and opportunity programs at community colleges.

“Now is the time to finally pass the DREAM Act in New York to give all our young people more opportunities to succeed,” Mosley said. “I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass the DREAM Act this year and help more hardworking students achieve their dream of earning a college degree so they can build solid careers.”

Cumbo: Following Tragic Murder, More DV Funding Needed

City Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo (Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights, chair of the Committee on Women’s Issues and co-chair of the Women’s Caucus, called for increased awareness and funding to confront domestic violence following the death of 23-year-old Michelle Marks was fatally shot in Brooklyn Bridge Park, allegedly by her former boyfriend, on Monday.

“Michelle Marks was a survivor of domestic violence who took the necessary steps to start anew when her life was cut short, allegedly by her former abuser. It is not enough to extend our condolences to yet another family affected by tragedy. Incidents such as these must prompt us to take immediate action to prevent future occurrences of violence that have already claimed countless innocent lives,” said Cumbo.

“As we commemorate Gun Violence Awareness Month and near the end of negotiations for the FY17 budget, I am advocating for additional City funding to expand the Cure Violence model throughout our communities. Currently, there are three sites in Brooklyn – Crown Heights, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and East Brooklyn. With additional resources, we can identify more partners to help prevent and end gun violence.”

Squadron Opposes Housing In Brooklyn Bridge Park

State Senator Daniel Squadron (Downtown Brooklyn) yesterday submitted comments to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation Board opposing the Pier 6 luxury development project.

 “Today, I strongly oppose the Board moving forward with the proposal for luxury housing development at Pier 6,” said Squadron. “For more than a decade, there has been a debate about how to pay for the park. Many of us believe that funding the park with luxury housing within the park perpetuates inequities in park access and park decision-making.

“In addition, broad opposition to luxury housing at Pier 6 has existed since it was first proposed. Virtually every local elected official, myself included, and every local civic organization is against it. While the addition of high income, cost controlled units and union labor is the best part of this bad plan, it does not make it good, necessary or allowed.

“As terms of a settlement agreement, the City itself sought modifications to the Empire State Development Corporation’s (ESDC) General Project Plan governing the project to allow this plan to move forward. When approval was not granted, the City quit the process. An 11th hour letter from the ESDC Chair does not supplant that.

“Unfortunately, quitting that process means hundreds of comments and hours of testimony from community members have been ignored by this Board. There will be no responses provided, no consideration given. In fact, the members of this Board never even received those comments – they were delivered to ESDC.

“To add insult to injury, the Board has not committed to public comment until after the vote today. There could be no more clear a message that the Park does not think the public has a role in this important public space.”

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Golden Crib Safety Measure Passes Senate

State Senator Martin J. Golden (Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend) yesterday announced the state senate approved legislation he sponsored, S. 6730, that will require that crib safety information be distributed to maternity patients throughout the State.

This signifies a legislative agreement, as the Assembly has also approved this legislation sponsored by Manhattan Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal.

The measure will  require hospital and birthing centers to distribute a leaflet detailing crib safety information to maternity patients at the time of discharge. The leaflet will be required to be available on the State Department of Health website and printed in English and the top six spoken languages in New York.  Hospital staff will also be
required to find out if maternity patients have a new crib at home, and distribute information on obtaining a new crib.

“Today with the passage of this legislation, we have added a protective measure to make sure that infants get the best chance at a good start to life.  The agreement between the
Senate and the Assembly to require parental crib safety education maintains our commitment to protect our children. We all know that knowledge is power, and information is key, and this bill if signed into law by Governor Cuomo will prevent injuries and save lives,” said Golden.

Treyger Announces Funding For Sandy Damaged Schools

City Council Member Mark Treyger (Coney Island, Bensonhurst, Gravesend) yesterday announced the City’s School Construction Authority (SCA) has awarded nearly $135 million in construction contracts to make permanent repairs at eight schools across his district that were damaged as a result of Superstorm Sandy.

The eight school buildings scheduled to receive repairs has been operating using temporary boilers ever since the 2012 storm. The repairs will include the installation of permanent new boilers at each building.

Work on the schools, which has already begun at one location, is scheduled to be completed in September 2016. A list of schools, with approximate dates and dollar amounts, can be found below:

Treyger first raised the issue of repairs at Sandy-affected schools with City officials in 2014 while advocating for the replacement of fire alarms at P.S. 90, which were damaged by Hurricane Sandy. Teachers at the school sat in the hallways and blew whistles during fire drills.

“This work is long overdue, but we are thrilled to see it happening. I also want to make sure that the administration does everything it can to make sure that employment opportunities resulting from this work go to qualified and capable members of these same communities,” said Treyger.

“I have said time and again that the residents should not simply be witnesses to the recovery process, but active participants in it as well, and this is a perfect opportunity for residents in Sandy-affected areas to find gainful employment while helping improve their community at the same time.”

Malliotakis Introduces Measure To Protect Stray Dogs

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (Bay Ridge, Staten Island), a well-known animal advocate, announced the introduction of two pieces of legislation to increase protections for dogs residing in a pound or shelter and reduce euthanization.

Both bills, introduced by Sen. Marty Golden in the Senate, would amend the agriculture and markets law relating to dogs and require that pound and shelters put forth specific efforts to return a found dog to its owner or place them in an adoptive home, rather than needlessly euthanizing them.

The first bill (A.10306) would require a dog’s temporary care facility to search for its owner by checking identification, social media and placing a photograph, general description and other identifying information on the internet.

If the owner cannot be located, the facility must make a reasonable effort to find adoptive parents for the animal before humanely euthanizing it.

The second (A.10316) would require an entity in possession of a dog to make the animal available for adoption for a reasonable time period of no less than 90 days before humane euthanization, unless a veterinarian certifies that such animal should be euthanized for health reasons.

“These animals don’t choose to go missing or get left behind, and if enacted, these laws would give them a better chance of reconnecting with their owners or finding a new home,” said Malliotakis. “It is heartbreaking that thousands of dogs are euthanized in the State of New York every year with approximately 1,000 in New York City alone. We must make every effort to reduce this number. I am proud to sponsor this legislation with Sen. Golden, and hope we are able to provide these defenseless animals with a much-deserved second chance.”