Corey Johnson Holds Second Amazon Oversight Hearing
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) will be holding a second hearing on Amazon’s planned HQ2 project, in collaboration with the New York City Finance Committee.
The hearing, entitled “Amazon HQ2 – Stage 2: Does the Amazon Deal Deliver for New York City Residents?” will fully evaluate the citywide costs of Amazon’s second headquarters and weigh them against the benefits. The event is open to the public, but the Committee won’t be accepting public testimony.
The event is slated for today at 10:00 a.m., at the Council Chambers in City Hall.
Hoylman Demands Google to Remove Gay Conversion App
State Senator Brad Hoylman recently caught wind of a “gay conversion” app available for purchase in the Google Play Store – and he wants it gone.
The app, created by a religious group called Living Hope Industries, provides users with a selection of Christian-themed educational content – including a “help” section that encourages gay users to suppress their sexuality. Apple and Amazon have already removed the app from their respective stores after significant public outcry, but Google is still holding out.
“Google [is] planning to have about 7,000 employees in our Senate district, so I would urge them to remove the app post-haste,” said Hoylman. “I’m hopeful that they’ll see the harm that this kind of message sends to the kids and families.”
Levine, Rosenthal Co-Sponsor Bill to Nullify Stipulated Fine Program
City Council Members Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) and Mark Levine (D-Manhattan Valley, Manhattanville) have signed on to co-sponsor a bill that would put an end to the NYC Department of Finance’s “Stipulated Fine Program” for delivery vehicles.
The program entitles participating delivery companies to reduced parking violation fines, in exchange for waiving their right to contest parking tickets in court. The new bill, first proposed by Council Member Costa Constandinides (D-Astoria, Elmhurst) would ban city agencies from making any such agreement.
Levine said that the bill constitutes an important step in confronting the city’s “congestion crisis”.
“We want to apply maximum pressure to ensure companies adhere to the rules around parking and idling,” said Levine. “This is a crisis that needs to be attacked on many fronts. Ensuring delivery trucks follow the rules is one important piece of it. Alone, it won’t be enough.”
Krueger Says Child Victims Act Was Long Overdue
State Senator Liz Krueger released a statement last Monday celebrating the passage of the Child Victims Act.
The act, passed earlier this week, extends the statute of limitations for prosecuting child sexual abuse cases. Child abuse victims can now file civil cases against their attackers up to age 55.
In her statement, Krueger called the act a wholly important piece of legislation, and expressed disappointment at the fact that it wasn’t passed sooner.
“It is incomprehensible that until now New York State has failed to allow all victims of child sexual abuse to have their day in court,” said Krueger. “Thankfully, that changes today. By passing the Child Victims Act, we are ensuring that New York laws will not stand in the way of the right of victims to seek justice.”
