Treyger’s Education Bills Pass City Council
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Coney Island, Sea Gate) announced yesterday that a pair of education bills he sponsored, were voted on and passed today by the City Council.
The two pieces of legislation include a measure to increase transparency about Parent-Teacher Association fundraising at city schools, and the other will mandate that the City do more to inform graduating high school seniors about civil service opportunities.
Int. 561-A, originally introduced last December and re-introduced in February, would require the Department of Education (DOE) to release annual reports to the public and the City Council the income and total expenditure for each Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and Parent Association (PA) at the city’s schools. All of the data would be aggregated citywide, while also disaggregated by individual school, community school district, and student demographic information, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, and English Language Learner (ELL) status.
Int. 672-A, originally introduced by Treyger in March, would mandate the DOE to distribute information about civil service examinations administered by the Department of Citywide Administrative Services to graduating high school seniors. Eligible students would receive the information in November of their senior year, giving them ample time and opportunity to learn about and contemplate the possibility of taking civil service examinations.
New York City currently employs approximately 250,000 full-time employees, and in 2016, the average total salary was approximately $76,000. Recent data shows that over 40 percent of NYC high school students go directly into the workforce following high school.
Williams Introduces Body Camera Reporting Bill
City Council member Jumaane Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) alongside Councilman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) introduced legislation yesterday aimed at bringing transparency and accountability to the usage of body-worn cameras by the New York Police Department (NYPD).
The legislation, Intro 1136, would require public reporting on the number of officers utilizing body-worn cameras, and the activities captured on video as a result. It would also mandate disclosure of whether those videos were used in any internal investigations of officer conduct.
Specifically, the legislation says that the “department shall submit to the speaker of the council, and make publicly available on the department’s website, a report related to the department’s use of body-worn cameras.” That report would lay out the number of officers equipped with cameras, the incidents captured by those cameras, any use of force incidents recorded, as well as whether the footage lead to any internal affairs reviews.
The information required for reporting under Intro. 1136 would also include the race, gender, and age of parties who were subject to any law enforcement activity captured by body-worn cameras.
Williams has joined policing reform advocates in criticizing the selective employing of body camera footage by the NYPD, arguing that such disclosures occur primarily when they depict officer conduct favorably and that such footage is concealed when there may be more negative implications. This selective transparency, they hope, will be laid bare and can be corrected after this law is enacted.
“While this administration is able to point to some important successful police reforms, it cannot be claimed in the areas of accountability and transparency. It seems too often, footage is only released when it puts police activity in a positive light. With this bill, the public and the Council will receive key information on how to make the body camera program as effective as possible at improving safety and promoting justice,” said Williams.
Colton Announces Free Flu Shot Event
Assembly member William Colton (D-Gravesend, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, and Dyker Heights) announced yesterday that he will being offering free flu shots in his office available to everyone next month.
Colton is co-sponsoring the event alongside Ride Aid Pharmacy following a successful event last October. The event is a preventative measure before the onset of the flu season, which is generally known as the period from October to May. According to Center for Disease and Control (CDC), the best method of preventing the flu from spreading is through vaccination.
Rite Aid medical professionals will be on hand to vaccinate all attendees. The event is free and open to all members of the community.
The event is slated for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, at 155 Kings Highway in Bensonhurst. Please contact his office at (718)-236-1598 to schedule an appointment.
Donovan Applauds House Passage of Measure Banning Storage of Live Animals In Overhead Bins
Congressman Dan Donovan (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) yesterday applauded House passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill.
The bill would extend funding for the FAA for another five years, but also includes provisions that would affect air travelers.
The legislation includes a measure (implementing Donovan’s PETS Act) that bans the storage of a live animal in the overhead storage compartment of an aircraft and levies a violation penalty.
In March, Donovan and Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) first introduced the PETS Act (Planes Ensuring Total Safety Act).
“This proposal, implementing the bipartisan PETS Act I introduced in March, would go a long way in avoiding heartbreaking incidents like that of Kokito the French bulldog. I wholeheartedly believe in protecting our pets and animals, and call for swift Senate passage so that this measure can reach the president’s desk to be signed into law,” said Donovan.
