Schumer Demands Anti-Gun Violence Bills Come To Floor
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-Brooklyn) after participating in ‘March for Our Lives event over the weekend, is now demanding that bills to prevent gun violence come to the U.S. Senate floor.
On Sunday, Schumer publicly challenged U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to bring the bills to the floor for debate. Additionally Schumer demanded that the gun safety debate focus on three priorities that can save lives: background checks, protection orders and assault weapons.
In the coming months, Schumer is aiming to pass tough legislation that closes existing loopholes in the background check system, like the gun show loophole and internet sales loophole; pass legislation that allows for protective orders to temporarily disarm individuals who have shown credible signs of being a harm to themselves or to others; and demand formal debate on assault weapons on the floor of the Senate.
“This weekend, I marched alongside amazing kids and worried families who are doing things Congress and NRA loyalists have long refused: forcing action on gun violence. What these young people are asking for is not hard; it is easy; and we must heed their call to stop dangerous people from getting, keeping and using guns to take away one innocent life after another,” said Schumer.
“I rode my bike and I walked alongside all of you, and now today, we put the wheels in motion to deliver for you. We may have marched yesterday but that was only the first step. We must now follow this up with action. Congress must act, and I will work night and day to make that happen,” added Schumer.
BP Adams To Release Findings of Boroughwide Parks Assessment
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams will unveil the findings of “Pulse of Our Parks,” a year-long analysis conducted to assess the condition of 270 parks across the borough, today.
In addition to identifying key areas where Brooklyn’s parks fall short — including in access to comfort stations, drinking fountains, and publicly-accessible Wi-Fi — as well as showing which communities are best served by quality open space, the report recommends ways that community engagement and new City funding can support “complete parks” and their upkeep.
The report’s announcement comes one day ahead of the City Council’s preliminary parks budget hearing, and will be held at the Ridgewood Reservoir, which Adams and other local elected officials recently supported for designation to the National Register of Historic Places.
This 50-acre reservoir served as a main water supply for Brooklyn from 1858 to 1959. Adams will be joined by representatives from Coney Island Beautification Project, Friends of Wingate Park, Friends of St. Johns Park, and Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn (OSA).
The event is slated for 1 p.m., today, March 26, at Highland Park (between Vermont Place between Highland Blvd & Jackie Robinson Parkway) in Cypress Hills.
Deutsch Hosts Drive-In Movie Night
City Council member Chaim Deutsch (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach, Midwood) will host a drive-in movie presentation next week.
The nights movie will be the classic film “Fiddler on the Roof’. The event is taking place during school breaks for public and nonpublic schools and all families are welcomed.
The event is slated for 7: 30 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, at the Manhattan Beach Parking Lot, at 1018 Oriental Boulevard in Manhattan Beach.
Hamilton Pushes For State Bail Reform
State Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) demanded state bail reform measures last week.
Last month, Governor Andrew Cuomo, in his State of the State Address, endorsed bill A. 8820, a new bill aimed at ending cash bail across New York State. The bill was most recently passed by the state Assembly and Senate and will next head to Cuomo for approval.
Last fall, Hamilton alongside the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) helped passed ‘Raise The Age’ legislation that requires the city to move all 16- and 17-year-olds currently held at Rikers Island to specialized juvenile detention facilities by April 1, 2018, to the extent practicable, but no later than October 1, 2018.
“I was proud to move that criminal justice reform forward to keep our kids out of prison and make sure that New York was moving toward a fairer and more just criminal justice system. However, our system of mass incarceration will not end until we update our antiquated bail laws which is the next frontier in criminal justice reform that we must cross,” said Hamilton.
“People should not languish in jail when the only crime they have committed is being too poor to afford bail. We must eliminate cash bail for misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. We must create the opportunity for release under non-monetary conditions. We must ensure that bail permitted for violent felonies takes into consideration the nature of the case and the defendant’s circumstances. I’ve heard this concern from the communities I represent loud and clear. We must enact bail reform,” added Hamilton.
