Espinal To Reveal 100% Affordable Senior Housing
City Council Member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, Cypress Hills, East New York) will reveal a new 100% affordable senior housing project today.
As part of the Mayor’s housing plan, the de Blasio administration committed to building affordable housing on a parcel in Bushwick at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Hope Gardens.
The lot at Hope Gardens is among the first of three projects slated to be used for affordable senior housing. Espinal is hoping the site will be the model for the next 200 lots they have identified as viable for similar uses in the area.
The event is slated for 10 a.m., today, May 14, at Hope Gardens, at 230 Linden Street (between Wilson & Knickerbocker Ave.) in Bushwick.
Cumbo Announces Groundbreaking Mother’s Day Bills
Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo (D-Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Crown Heights) and Speaker Corey Johnson introduced legislation in time for Mother’s Day that will support all parents, caregivers, relative caregivers, kinship guardians, and foster parents, last week.
The groundbreaking package of 10 bills will cover a range of topics, including and related to pre- and post-natal care, childbirth, parenting and child rearing, as well as promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. Parenting refers to the intricacies of raising a child aside from the biological relationship.
The package of legislation aims to improve family life and to open new opportunities for policy changes that will greatly impact New Yorkers’ everyday lives for the better.
Of the 10 bills, Cumbo is the prime sponsor on 7 including legislation: requiring lactation rooms, providing access to doulas for pregnant women in New York City, expanding the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) reporting on maternal mortality, allowing campaign funds to be used for child care and babysitting, and allowing inmates in city jails to choose the gender of their doctor, amongst additional measures.
“Every child in this city deserves to live the best life possible, and we as a City Council are working to do everything we can to make that a reality. I am proud of my colleagues – both male and female – who helped make these bills a reality. This is our Mother’s Day gift to all the wonderful moms in this city,” said Cumbo.
Gillibrand Announces Legislation Increasing Transparency For ICE & Border Patrol Agents
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced new legislation aimed at increasing transparency and accountability amongst immigration agents last week.
The Department of Homeland Security Accountability and Transparency (DATA) Act, S.2832, would require accountability and transparency within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by establishing a formal record-keeping process of all stops and searches.
Currently, there is no required record-keeping process for officers making a patrol stop or inspection, except in cases of arrest or use of force by an officer. Border patrol agents have broad authority to question anyone within 100 miles of a U.S. land or coastal border about their immigration status, which covers most of the population of the United States. Border patrol agents routinely question passengers on Amtrak and passenger buses about their immigration status without having to keep a formal record of the majority of these stops.
“Keeping our country safe cannot come at a cost to basic human rights. When border patrol agents stop and question people in New York and in many places across the country, they aren’t keeping data about why they targeted a particular person or what happened during their encounter,” said Gillibrand.
“Congress has a responsibility to make sure our border patrol agencies are transparent and accountable, just like every law enforcement agency in our country should be,” added Gillibrand.
Malliotakis Applauds Conviction of Former Assembly Speaker Silver
Assembly member Nicole Malliotakis (R-Bay Ridge, Staten Island) applauded the conviction of former NYS Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on corruption charges last week.
On Friday, a jury convicted the 74-year-old Democrat on public corruption charges stemming from his decades-long career as one of the most powerful politicians in state government according to initial reports. Prosecutors said Silver illegally earned $4 million from a cancer researcher and real estate developers who benefited from his clout in state government.
This was the second attempt by Silver to avoid prison after a first attempt in 2015 that ended in a 12-year prison sentence.
“Once again a jury has found former Speaker Sheldon Silver guilty on all counts. The justice system has done it job ensuring one of New York’s most corrupt politicians since Boss Tweed pays the price for abusing his power and personally benefiting from his elected office. While it’s always sad to learn of corruption taking place in government, there is a certain sense of relief that we are finally riddling the capitol of crooked politicians,” said Malliotakis.
Golden’s Bill Cracking Down On Gangs Passes State Senate
State Senator Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach) applauded the passage of his bill (S. 2420A) last week, aimed at cracking down on gang activity.
The legislation creates the “Criminal Street Gang Enforcement and Prevention Act” to better prosecute gang violence and stop gang recruitment through proactive community outreach. The measure specifically focuses on protecting children and teens from gang activity, and are part of the Senate Majority Blueprint for a Stronger New York Security Agenda to enhance safety and security throughout the state. The bill has been sent to the Assembly for passage.
The act helps to decrease gang violence in New York through a comprehensive approach that includes:
- Strengthening the legal options available to prosecute street gangs by legally defining criminal street gangs in New York’s penal statutes for the first time ever;
- Creating anti-crime programs that focus on patterns of criminal gang activity and organization, including the new Criminal Street Gang Prevention Fund, which would be partially funding through forfeited assets obtained following convictions for gang activity;
- Expanding education, intervention, and model curriculums to prevent the growth of street gangs, in consultation with New York’s schools and the state Division of Criminal Justice Services; and
- Establishing an ongoing system of tracking gang activity.
In addition to the legislation passed this week, an additional $5.8 million was secured by the Senate in the budget for other local law enforcement initiatives including equipment and technology enhancement, as well as anti-drug, anti-violence, and crime control and prevention programs.
“As a former New York City Police Officer, I know that gangs on our streets destroy communities, schools, and families. We must not only work to prevent the formation of gangs, but we should penalize, track and educate their members, so that the dangers they cause on our streets can end. The State Assembly should no longer stand as a roadblock to this bill becoming law,” said Golden.
