Rosenthal’s Bill to Raise Tobacco Purchasing Age Clears Assembly
A bill to raise the tobacco purchasing age from 18 to 21, introduced by Linda B. Rosenthal (D-Upper West Side) passed the State Assembly last Wednesday.
Although the purchasing age is already set at 21 in several parts of New York, Rosenthal’s bill would make it official statewide. Rosenthal said that her measure will help reduce teen smoking, which can stunt lung growth, and prevent our future generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.
“Raising the statewide smoking and vaping age to 21 years old will help prevent a new generation of young people from getting hooked on nicotine,” said Rosenthal. “It will also ensure that young people cannot just travel into another county to purchase dangerous and highly addictive cigarettes or e-cigarettes.”
Chin Vows to Fight Cuts for Senior Programs
City Councilwoman Margaret Chin (D-Battery Park, Chinatown) will be chairing the first budget hearing of the year for the Committee Council on Aging.
The hearing will concern the City’s recent spike in its elderly population, the rising poverty rates among Latino and Asian seniors, and the need to expand funding for senior support programs.
The hearing is slated for Tuesday, Mar. 12, at 10 a.m. at City Hall.
Hoylman, Kavanagh Introduce Legislation to Get Rid of Death Penalty
State Senators Brad Hoylman (D-Chelsea, Midtown) and Brian Kavanagh (D-Lower East Side) have introduced a bill that would completely strike the death penalty from state law.
As of now, the state law still technically permits capital punishment in the event that a future high court hands down such a decision; Hoylman and Kavanagh’s bill would put an end to that. The bill is a more detailed variant of a proposal that Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) included in his executive budget proposal earlier this year.
“We think it’s an important statement, notwithstanding the fact that the death penalty is illegal according to the Court of Appeals decision, of New York’s values about criminal justice and I think it is a guiding principle about how we address those issues,” said Hoylman.
