BP Adams To Host Public Advocate Forum
Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams alongside the Arena will host a Public Advocate Forum next week.
The forum will feature two rounds with five to six candidates each and the following rules:
-3 mins opening statement
-3 30 second response questions
-5 Quick Yes/No Questions
Confirmed candidates include City Council members Jumaane Williams, Rafael Espinal, and Eric Ulrich, Assembly member Michael Blake, Dawn Smalls, Danny O’Donnell, Ben Yee, David Eisenbach and Nomiki Konst.
The event is slated for 6 pm to 9 pm, Tuesday, Feb. 5, at Medgar Evers College, at 1650 Bedford Avenue in Crown Heights.
CM Williams, Persaud Applaud Passage of Gun Safety Legislation
City Council member Jumaane Williams (D-Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood) and State Senator Roxanne J. Persaud (D-Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) yesterday applauded the New York State legislature’s passage of a package of gun safety legislation.
On Tuesday, the State Assembly and Senate passed six bills regarding firearm safety: S2451, which establishes extreme risk protection orders that prohibit citizens from possessing or buying guns if they are deemed dangerous by the court; S2374, which expands background checks; S2438, which allows the State to access out-of-state mental health records when reviewing applicants for firearm permits; S101A, which prevents teachers from carrying guns in schools; S2448, which bans bump stocks; and S2449, which standardizes firearm buyback programs.
“With every tragic gun death- whether in a mass shooting or the plague of daily gun violence on our streets, some legislators have long offered thoughts and prayers and no substantive answers. While many Republicans still answer to the NRA instead of victims’ families, and federal action is nonexistent, it is extremely positive to see New York State move forward on a number of solutions. I applaud the state legislature for finally passing legislation that has been held up for far too long,” said Williams.
“Gun-related violence across the nation is getting worse, even in some New York neighborhoods — where overall crime is at an all-time low,” Senator Persaud said.”With these common sense firearm safety bills, we are addressing the necessary protection of all New Yorkers without overstepping the rights of gun owners,” said Persaud.
Jeffries To Deliver Annual State of the District Address
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy, Brownsville, East New York, Canarsie, Mill Basin, Coney Island, parts of Queens) will deliver his annual State of the District Address this week.
For his address, Jeffries will discuss the progress made in New York’s 8th Congressional District including the passage of historic criminal justice reform. He will also discuss the Democratic agenda for America, which includes lowering healthcare costs, fighting for more affordable housing and investing in our nation’s infrastructure.
The event is slated for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 31, at Brooklyn Technical High School, at 29 Fort Greene Place in Fort Greene.
Rose Call For Infrastructure Push With Government Back Open
Congressman Max Rose (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) joined efforts this week in calling on leadership to prioritize infrastructure legislation.
In a letter to Democratic House leadership, Rose and a group of colleagues from the Blue Dog Coalition wrote, “Let’s show the American people that we heard their message last year. Our plan of attack must focus on immediate and bipartisan ideas, such as modernizing our nation’s electrical grids, investing in cost-saving energy-efficiency programs, reforming for our ports and water infrastructure, making transit improvements, and addressing a host of other problems that have festered due to inaction.”
Rose has made improving the commuting nightmare on Staten Island and South Brooklyn a top priority in Congress. Earlier this week he called for the Metro Transit Authority to assign surplus commuter buses purchased for the scrapped L Train renovations to Staten Island.
Additionally, earlier this month Rose called on Governor Andrew Cuomo to expedite a study on the creation of an additional lane of traffic or to extend the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane on the Staten Island Expressway.
The Blue Dog Coalition, commonly known as the Blue Dogs or Blue Dog Democrats, is a caucus of United States Congressional Representatives from the Democratic Party who identify as fiscally-responsible, centrist Democrats.
Simon, Kavanagh Celebrate Passage of Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Bill
Assembly member Jo Anne Simon (D-Downtown Brooklyn, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Boerum Hill) and State Senator Brian Kavanagh (D-Northern Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan) and advocates celebrated yesterday the passage of a package of gun violence prevention bills, including a bill to create Extreme Risk Protection Orders, also known as ERPOs.
The ERPO bill (S2451/A2689), also referred to as the “red flag” bill, would create a new type of court-issued order of protection that temporarily prohibits individuals from purchasing or possessing guns if a family member, law enforcement officer, or school administrator petitions a court and the court finds that the individual is likely to engage in conduct that would harm themselves or others.
Thirteen states, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington have adopted ERPO laws. Peer- reviewed academic studies of the law’s effects in Connecticut have shown a substantial decrease in suicide rates.
The set of bills passed on Jan. 29 by both houses of the legislature serve as the first major overhaul of New York’s gun laws since the SAFE Act was enacted following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2013. Legislators and advocates expect that this package will strengthen our existing laws and save many lives.
“Today, New York State took decisive action to prevent gun violence and save lives with the passage of this package of bills. Too often, we are able to see the warning signs that an individual close to us poses a risk of serious harm to themselves or to others, but lack a mechanism to prevent unthinkable tragedies such as interpersonal gun violence or suicide. This legislation will give family members, law enforcement, and school personnel the tools they need to prevent these kinds of tragedies before they happen,” said Simon.
“Enacting extreme risk protection orders will empower family members, law enforcement, and school officials to prevent gun tragedies by temporarily restricting access to guns for individuals when evidence shows they are likely to harm themselves or others. Until now, this bill, which we have been working to pass for several years, has been blocked by Senate Republicans, in spite of strong support from gun violence prevention experts, district attorneys, police, doctors and nurses, mental health organizations, concerned families across the state, and gun violence survivors. Today, I am proud to bring this legislation to the Senate floor–along with bills to strengthen background checks, and other measures we have long sought to enact because they’ll save lives,” said Kavanagh.
