Corey Johnson to Deliver first State of the City Address
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson (D-Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen) will be delivering his first State of the City address as Council Speaker a week from today.
Johnson’s office has promised that a behind-the-scenes look at the speech will be released on Johnson’s Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in the coming days, and that the event will be livestreamed – though the web address for the livestream has yet to be revealed.
The event is slated for Tuesday, March 5, at 12:00 p.m. at LaGuardia Community College.
Maloney Introduces Never Forget Our Heroes Act
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, along with a coalition of other New York electeds, introduced the bipartisan “Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund Act” to Congress yesterday.
The 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund (VCF) was first started in the wake of 9/11. It was meant to accommodate the emergency responders and survivors who developed lasting health problems after being exposed to hazardous chemicals at Ground Zero. Earlier this month, however, it was announced that said responders and survivors would be having their benefits slashed due to a spending shortfall.
The new legislation would ensure that anyone confirmed to have been damaged by the chemicals at Ground Zero would be entitled to full compensation.
Rosenthal Introduces Bill to Improve Special Ed
City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal (D-Central Park, Lincoln Square) has introduced a new piece of legislation designed to improve special education for New York students.
The bill, entitled Intro 1380, would require the Department of Education (DOE) to submit an annual report on claims for special ed tuition or services. The report would include data on when each individual claim was submitted and responded to, as well as statistics on how quickly the city can respond to claims.
“The DOE’s commitments to resolve special ed claims were meant to ease the settlement process, reduce litigation, and expedite reimbursement payments to families,” Rosenthal said in a tweet. “BUT, it’s clear that the DOE is NOT meeting these commitments and the process is scuttled by bureaucratic nightmares. After exhausting all options, Special Ed parents in NYC are forced to front payments for education that the City is legally required to provide. Families are also forced to retain lawyers to pursue reimbursement claims, all at their own expense. UNACCEPTABLE.”
Keith Powers to Hold Hearing on Correctional Programming
City Councilman Keith Powers (D-Upper East Side, Carnegie Hill) will be holding a hearing today to evaluate the correctional programming offered to inmates at Rikers Island and other similar facilities.
Powers, who is the Chair of Critical Justice, will also be presenting two bills to the council – one that would require the Department of Correction to survey inmates on their quality of life, and one that would require prisons to grant inmates access to a library.
The hearing is slated for today at 10 a.m. in the Committee Room at 250 Broadway.
