Brooklyn Lawmakers On The Move Nov. 23, 2016

Cymbrowitz Commends DA for Hate Crime Indictment of Alleged Mugger Targeting Seniors

Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz (Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach), Chair of the Assembly’s Aging Committee, yesterday commended Acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez for leveling hate crime and a litany of other charges against a 27-year-old Midwood man accused of targeting three older women for robbery because of their age.

“I commend Acting D.A. Gonzalez for choosing to prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law and for sending a strong message that he will do all he can to protect our seniors,” Cymbrowitz said.

The suspect, Akmaljion Abakulov, was charged with second-degree robbery as a hate crime as part of the 20-count indictment, which was announced yesterday.  The three robberies took place in the Kings Highway area between October 12 and November 1st. The investigation revealed that Abakulov singled out his older victims because he believed they were an easy mark.

“This defendant allegedly targeted older women to rob because he believed they were easy marks.  Cowardly attacks such as these will not be tolerated in Brooklyn. We will work vigorously to prosecute all crimes based on age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity,” said Gonzalez.

Eugene, Adams Reminds Seniors About Rent FreezeNYC

City Council Member Mathieu Eugene (Flatbush, East Flatbush) recently joined Borough President Eric Adams, community advocates, and elderly residents at Brooklyn Public Library to promote enrollment in Rent FreezeNYC.

The program, which allows eligible residents and the disabled to stay in affordable housing, has been instrumental in helping tenants reduce their cost of living while remaining in safe and familiar living environments. The Rent Freeze Program, which includes the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) Program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) Program, helps residents remain in their homes on a long term basis. Under the program, a property tax credit covers the difference between the actual rent amount and what the tenant is responsible for paying at the frozen rate.

“When we talk about our seniors, we’re talking about people who have paid their dues, people who have done everything for me, and for all of us to enjoy the privileges that we are enjoying now. Now it is our time to protect them and make sure they have the resources they need to have a better life.” said Eugene.

City Council’s Progressive Caucus Supports Keith Ellison as DNC Chair 

The Progressive Caucus of the City Council, which includes Brooklyn City Council Member Co-Chairs Brad Lander, and Carlos Menchaca along with Antonio Reynoso, Stephen Levin and Jumaane Williams yesterday threw their support behind Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison to become the new Chair of the Democratic National Committee.

“Congressman Ellison has been a true progressive champion in Congress, and has demonstrated the grit and tenacity that we’ll need for the tough fights ahead. As municipal legislators, we are especially enthusiastic about his emphasis on progressive politics at the local level. Congressman Ellison recognizes that progressive politics matter at the most local of levels: to families seeking a job that pays the bills, to kids from low-income families hoping to go to college, and to parents worried about whether their kids of color will be treated fairly by the criminal justice system,” the Caucus said in a joint statement.

“In this incredibly divisive national atmosphere, we need someone with Congressman Ellison’s ability to fight hard, but fight with compassion. We need a leader who will stand firm against hatred, bias, discrimination, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia (we are enthusiastic that he will be first Muslim-American DNC Chair), but lead with deep compassion for the possibility that all of our kids can grow in peace, and have opportunities to become who they are. The members of the Progressive Caucus Alliance know that Congressman Ellison will be that type of leader, and we enthusiastically support his bid for Chair of the DNC,” they added.

According to the New York Times, the Obama Administration and others want to see a more moderate person to head the DNC.

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Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill yesterday  joined forces with law enforcement leaders and legislators to urge Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to sign legislation that would protect New York police officers by taking illegal vehicles off the road due to excessive window tint.

NYPD Sergeant Herman Yan and Tatyana Timoshenko – mother of Sgt. Yan’s fallen partner, Detective Russel Timoshenko, who was gunned down in 2007 during a routine traffic stop of a car with illegally tinted windows joined the mayor and police commissioner.

“Law enforcement officers face increased danger every time they pull over a vehicle and are unable to view the interior. There is no justification for sacrificing officer safety in order for vehicle owners and manufacturers to apply what is a cosmetic detail to vehicles operated on the roadways of the State. This bill would protect law enforcement officers from the unnecessary risk of walking into unexpected and dangerous situations,” said de Blasio.

It is currently illegal for a vehicle to be operated on New York State roads in violation of light transmittance standards as provided in Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 375(12-a). The proposed legislation would amend Vehicle and Traffic Law Section 301(c)(1)(a) to include light transmittance of a vehicle’s windows as part of the yearly motor vehicle safety inspection.

The bill was delivered to the Governor on November 16 and action is due by midnight on Monday, November 28.

Clarke Calls For More Humane Treatment Of Detained Immigrants

Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (Crown Heights, Flatbush, Sheepshead Bay) yesterday called on the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to consider offering community-based alternatives to overcrowded detention centers that currently fail to protect the safety of immigrants.

There are currently more than 40,000 immigrants in detention, a number expected to increase by several thousand in the coming months.

“The current standards for detaining immigrants in the United States are unacceptable, threatening individuals who have been detained with isolation from the families and communities, the risk of physical and emotional harm, and even death. At least 164 people have died in detention, often under conditions in which ICE has failed to provide adequate medical care and respond to emergencies. These problems are exacerbated at privately-owned facilities operated by for-profit companies which, according to the United States Department of Justice, are unsecure and unsafe for detainees,” said Clarke.

“In addition, the costs are enormous. ICE currently spends more than $2 billion annually on detention, a number expected to increase as more immigrants are detained. We need to explore a community-based approach that honors the personal dignity of individuals who have been detained, allowing them to access their rights under the law. The situation now violates our basic moral commitments.”

Clarke’s comments are part of a joint letter she sent with 19 House colleagues to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and ICE Director Sarah Saldaña.

Adams Urges Cuomo Signature On Bill Providing Breast Milk To Premature Babies

Borough President Eric Adams today will rally with Long Island Assembly Member Michaelle C. Solages, community advocates, and mothers to urge Governor Andrew Cuomo to sign A.9353/S.6583 into a law.

The measure would provide the state’s premature babies whose mothers are on Medicaid with life-saving donor breast milk. The bill is estimated to save the state $10.5 million in direct hospitalization costs.

The press conference shedding light on the issue is slated for 10:30 a.m., today, Nov. 23 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon Street in Downtown Brooklyn.

Ernest Skinner Political Association Holds Town Hall On Stop & Frisk

The Ernest Skinner Political Association (ESPA) Democratic Club is partnering with with East Flatbush Village, in collaboration with NYC Council Member Jumaane D. Williams and the City Council Progressive Caucus to hold a community forum entitled, Police Reform: Stop & Frisk and Trespass Enforcement.