Brooklyn Lawmakers On The Move Nov. 13, 2018

Espinal Holds Rally In Support of Bill Combating Sexual Harassment In Nightlife

City Council member Rafael Espinal (D-Bushwick, East New York, Crown Heights, Brownsville, Cypress Hills, Bedford-Stuyvesant) will gather with representatives from Brooklyn venue House of Yes, and other advocates in support of a package of legislation that will combat sexual harassment in nightlife.

On Tuesday, the group will rally for support of the package of bills before the Committee on Consumer Affairs hearing. The package of bills on the agenda would: require staff at nightlife venues to receive annual bystander intervention training; set out rules for signage that venues would have to post outlining a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment and assault, and direct people to additional resources; and require the Mayor’s Office of Nightlife and Entertainment to post information on its website, and assist businesses with providing bystander training.

Espinal has partnered with Anya Sapozhnikova and Kae Burke, the owners and co-founders of House of Yes, a popular Brooklyn nightlife venue, to launch an awareness campaign about consent. Recently, they published a website with information and resources on consent, and put up posters in prominent nightlife venues throughout the city.

The event is slated for 11:45 a.m., today, Nov. 13, on the Steps of City Hall in Lower Manhattan.

Lander To Discuss Impact Of Ranked Choice Voting On NYC

City Council member Brad Lander (D-Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Gowanus) will join other elections professionals today to discuss the potential impact of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) in New York City.

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a consensus driven system that would allow voters to rank candidates in order of preference, instead of a winner take all model.

The voting system allows voters to rank candidates from first to last choice on the ballot. A candidate who collects a majority of the vote wins. If there’s no majority, then the last-place candidate will be eliminated and votes reallocated. The process is repeated until there’s a majority winner.

Advocates of the voting system claim RCV ensures that candidates have majority support, encourages cooperation among candidates, and reduces the incentive for negative campaigning. The panel discussion will be hosted by Common Cause New York and Fair Vote.

The event is slated for 7 p.m., today, Nov. 13, at New York Law School, at 185 West Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

This event is free and open to the public. Press can RSVP to Becky Stern at becky@pythiapublic.com and 516-581-5707.

Bichotte Denounces Violent Bias Attack Against Older Black Women

Assembly member Rodneyse Bichotte (D-Ditmas Park, Flatbush) denounced the recent brutal attack on an older black woman, Ann Marie Washington.

Last Friday evening, Ann Marie Washington, a 57-year-old mother of two, was victimized by a brutal and racially charged attack at the Church Avenue subway station in Flatbush. Washington, a native of Trinidad, was on her way home from work and had just stepped off the subway when the assailant, a Caucasian male, punched her in the mouth and stabbed her in the chest while calling her a “Black b—-.”

Local electeds alongside community members are urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to immediately release and circulate any images of the suspect, as well as for the New York City Police Department (NYPD) to apprehend him and charge him with a hate crime.

“This was a racially motivated hate crime and should be treated as such with every resource available from the police precinct and the MTA to find this criminal”, said Bichotte.

“This area of Flatbush is and has been a diverse community where we have been able to live amongst one another peacefully. We will not tolerate Hate Crimes in our community. ‘HATE HAS NO PLACE HERE’, a slogan that has been embraced by the community, has to be a reality. As a leader of this diverse community, I will continue to implement legislation that will protect all from Hate Crimes.My prayers are with Ms. Washington for a speedy and full recovery,” added Bichotte.

Hikind Gifts $35K In Hi-Tech “Seeing” Devices To Blind Individuals Thanks To Anonymous Donor

Assembly member Dov Hikind (D-Borough Park) announced last week that thanks to an anonymous constituent he was able to present $35,000 in Hi-Tech “seeing” devices to 10 blind individuals.

Recently, Hikind received a from a constituent who wanted to help blind individuals. Hikind’s constituent had heard about the OrCam MyEye 2, a cutting-edge artificial vision device from Israel based on the most advanced AI-driven algorithms to date. The wearable devices instantly read text, recognize faces, and identify products for people who are blind and partially-sighted.

As a result, Hikind’s team contacted OrCam and began seeking individuals who could achieve increased independence with the device.

“This wonderful, generous woman contacted me saying she had heard about a new Israeli technology that really makes a difference to the blind. She said to me, ‘Dov, in memory of my late husband, I want to use this technology help people.’ I replied, ‘Thank you—I’ll put this together,” said Hikind.

“The extraordinary generosity of this wonderful individual is making it possible for ten different people to enormously enhance their quality of life. There’s many people that this technology can help,” Hikind added.

Nadler Denounces To Trump’s Order Denying Asylum To Immigrants

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-Western Brooklyn, Western Manhattan), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, alongside Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, yesterday denounced President Donald Trump’s illegal proclamation denying asylum to immigrants fleeing violence and persecution in their home countries.

President Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that will deny asylum to immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally, a move aimed at a caravan of Central American migrants moving toward the U.S.-Mexico border, according to USA Today.

The departments of Justice and Homeland Security (DHS) had previously announced details of the plan to dramatically cut back immigrants’ ability to request asylum, a direct challenge to federal law and international conventions that Trump said is necessary to stop the migrant caravan, which is currently near Mexico City and numbers between 3,000 and 4,000 people.

“No one is above the law, including the President. Our Constitution simply does not allow the President to rewrite the laws on his own. It is particularly ugly that today’s announcement seeks to impose illegal restrictions on migrants fleeing violence and abuse. Rather than engage in unconstitutional attempts to circumvent the law, the President should work with Congress to achieve the kind of bipartisan reforms needed to fix our immigration system,” read a joint statement.

“As a nation we can be strong while showing compassion. That is why Democrats are committed to seeking reforms that secure our borders, keep families together, and maintain America’s role as a beacon of hope for those seeking freedom and safety,” added the joint statement.

Clarke, Schumer Introduce Bicameral Resolution Honoring Shirley Chisholm

U.S. Congresswomen Yvette D. Clarke (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Kensington, Midwood, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Park Slope) and Barbara Lee (CA-13), joined by 60 representatives, introduced a resolution last week acknowledging the 50th anniversary of the election of Shirley Chisholm as the first African-American woman in Congress.

U.S. Senate Minority Leader, Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), will introduce a companion bill in the Senate this week.

The bill’s introduction comes days after a historic number of women were elected to the United States Congress, including Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) and Jahana Hayes (CT-05) – the first Black women to represent New England in Congress as well as New York’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), the youngest woman ever-elected to Congress.

A native of New York, Chisholm served in the New York State Assembly before she became the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm was also a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first Black woman to seek a major party’s nomination for president.

“Shirley Chisholm, a proud Brooklynite, created a path for me and the 40 other Black women members of Congress who have served after he. She fought every day for the people of Brooklyn and for Americans across this great nation. Her definitive contributions were numerous, including creating nutrition assistance programs, expanding health care services for parents and children, increasing the minimum wage, supporting veterans, and providing opportunities for women in college, graduate school, and collegiate and professional sports with the enactment of Title IX. She was a voice for a vulnerable and marginalized people,” said Clarke.

“With this resolution, we celebrate a fellow New Yorker and Brooklynite, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm. Congresswoman Chisholm is the first African American woman to be elected to Congress and the first African American to run for president of the United States. She was a true American hero who worked tirelessly to give voice to the voiceless and advocate for her constituents,” said Schumer.

Mosley, Cumbo Host Crown Heights Development Town Hall

Assembly member Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights) and City Council Majority Leader Laurie A. Cumbo (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights) will host a Crown Heights Development Town Hall with my colleagues Congresswoman Yvette Clarke.

The meeting will focus on five major developments in the area: