BP Adams, Hamilton Take Stand Against Crack Pipe Vending Machines
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams and State Senator Jesse Hamilton (D-Central Brooklyn) announced legislation yesterday banning vending machines from selling drug paraphernalia.
The announcement comes in the wake of the identification of three crack pipe vending machines on Long Island. The legislation will close loopholes, enhance penalties, and impose significant civil fines.
The proposal is particularly relevant to New York communities that were hard hit by the crack epidemic, and aims to deter copycat criminals who would seek to make a profit from dispensing dangerous drug paraphernalia.
Donovan Applauds House Passage of Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) yesterday applauded the unanimous House passage of his legislation, the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act.
The legislation strengthens national security efforts by ensuring that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has the structure, authority, and tools it needs to counter weapons of mass destruction. The bill authorizes the creation of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office, composed of the Office of Health Affairs and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, to streamline and improve coordination and anti-terror efforts.
The bill was first introduced in July and in August, DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen urged Speaker Paul Ryan to fast track approval of Donovan’s bill.
“Today’s unanimous passage of my bill is a critical step towards bolstering our national security. By giving proper authorization for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office, my bill would ensure DHS has the structure, authority, and tools it needs to counter WMD threats,” said Donovan.
“Secretary Nielsen has already made clear that this bill is one of her top legislative priorities, and I now urge my Senate colleagues to heed our calls. New York City remains the top terrorist target and I will continue to fight to protect the Big Apple, and our nation, from terrorism,” added Donovan.
Golden Push For MTA “Lock Box” Legislation
State Senator Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Sheepshead Bay, Borough Park, Midwood) and Chele Farley, a candidate for U.S Senate will hold a press conference regarding Golden’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) ‘Lock box” legislation this week.
Golden sponsored legislation (S. 6807) that would create a “Lock Box” to require funding dedicated to public transportation systems (including the MTA) be used for their intended purpose.
The bill also requires any legislation that diverts public transportation funding to include: a diversion impact statement which reflects the amount of the diversion from each fund listed separately, the amount diverted expressed as current monthly transit fares, the cumulative amount of diversion from the previous five years, and a detailed estimate of the impact on service, maintenance, security, and current capital program.
Transit and good government advocates have hailed the legislation for it’s effort to create transparency and hold the Governor and Legislature accountable when it comes to adequately funding public transportation systems in New York State.
The event is slated for 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 14, at the Southwest Corner of 86th Street and 4th Avenue (R Train station) in Bay Ridge.
Mosley Denounces Trump Administration’s Diversion of Federal Funds From FEMA To ICE
Assembly member Walter t. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights) denounced reports yesterday that the Trump administration redirected federal funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On Wednesday, reports surfaced that appear to show that the Trump administration diverted nearly $10 million in funding from FEMA to ICE, the agency at the forefront of the president’s zero-tolerance immigration policy that led to the separation of hundreds of children, some as young as 18 months old, from their parents, according to the Washington Post.
The reallocation of public money is documented in a “Transfer and Reprogramming” notification prepared this fiscal year by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the parent department of ICE, as the agency is known. The diversion was first made public by Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon in an appearance Tuesday on “The Rachel Maddow Show.”
FEMA is the main agency responsible for emergency preparedness and recovery, particularly in the wake of natural storms, like Hurricane Florence. The Category 4 storm is headed for the Carolinas this week and expected to cause major damage. The reports come just a day after Trump touted the U.S. response to Hurricane Maria, that currently has a death toll of nearly 3,000.
“This administration willfully refuses to learn from their past transgressions and has consciously chosen to turn a blind eye towards climate change and its back on American citizens time and time again. It has ignored the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, who are American citizens, which ultimately led to over 3,000 people dying,” said Mosley.
“Now with yet another impending storm set to wreak havoc on the eastern coast of the United States, this administration has done the unimaginable by willingly and deliberately siphoning $10 million in funds from FEMA so that it may continue to devastate families whose only crime was to pursue the American dream and provide a better life for them. This is the type of vile and gross mismanagement of government we have come to expect from this administration, which continues to advance its bigotry in lieu of protecting and assisting its own citizens,” added Mosley.
