Brooklyn DA To Hosts Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez will host the annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration today.
May is recognized nationally as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, which aims to preserve and promote the culture, heritage, and contributions of Asian Pacific Islanders (API) and Asian Pacific Americans (APA).
This year’s celebration will honor distinguished members of the Asian Pacific American community for their contributions, and also feature a performance by Hui’s Lion Dancing of NY.
The event is slated for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., today, May 22, at Brooklyn Law School, Feil Hall, 205 State Street in Brooklyn Heights.
Malliotakis Demands Release Of Two-Way Toll Study
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) has written to the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) this week, requesting the results of the study conducted to determine the impact that two-way tolling on the Verrazano Bridge would have on Staten Island and Southern Brooklyn.
The MTA recently completed a study at the request of former Congressman Dan Donovan. In a letter to MTA Chairman Pat Foye, Malliotakis writes that the agency’s “lack of transparency” is what makes her and residents of the community skeptical.
Malliotakis letter comes just weeks after the MTA announced that they conducted a recent study proving two-way tolling would bring $10 to $15 million in additional revenue to make improvements to the bridge, which Malliotakis has said should already be funded by the existing Verrazzano Bridge toll revenue of nearly $500 million a year.
Split tolling would cut the current fares, set at a staggering $19 from $17, in half to be paid in both directions with all resident and EZ Pass discounts remaining. The new proposal came in the weeks following state lawmakers’ passage of congestion pricing- the plan that is set to raise $1.5 billion annually for repairs and upgrades to the MTA, while reducing congestion into lower Manhattan by 20%.
“I respectfully request that the results of the study be released into the public domain so stakeholders, particularly the toll payers who funded it, can have the opportunity to review it and weigh in prior to any passage of legislation that would change the existing tolling structure.”
Rose’s Bill To Address Veteran Suicide On VA Campuses Passes House
Congressman Max Rose’s (D-South Brooklyn, Staten Island) legislation that would help address the rising trend of veterans who die by suicide on Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) campuses, passed The House of Representatives yesterday.
Rose’s bipartisan legislation, FIGHT Veterans Suicide Act, is a key effort in response to recent tragedies of veterans dying by suicide on VA campuses. Congress has found that VA is not always forthcoming with timely information around these events. Having key data points which this legislation requires from VA would help Congress fully understand the scope of the crisis to better serve veterans in need.
The bill was introduced back in April after it was reported that within a span of just five days three veterans had committed suicide at VA facilities, with a fourth committing suicide by the end of the month. In a Committee hearing last month, the VA came out in support of the legislation, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs unanimously passed Rose’s legislation two weeks ago.
“I’m proud to see such overwhelming, bipartisan support for addressing the public health crisis that is veteran suicides. We have so much work to do—from the VA to Congress—but I’m hopeful that we’re beginning to see some critical action towards that goal. Our nation’s heroes have supported and protected us, and I’ll be damned if we don’t do the same for them,” said Rose, member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Treyger To Host 2020 Census Town Hall
City Council member Mark Treyger (D-Coney Island, Bensonhurst) announced this week that an upcoming Census 2020 Town Hall.
The event will specifically address issues related to the upcoming census and its implications for immigrant New Yorkers. The U.S. Census, conducted every 10 years, is vital to determining the allocation of more than $900 billion of federal funding.
In March 2018, the Commerce Department led by Secretary Wilbur Ross, announced that the upcoming census would include a citizenship question for the first time since 1950. The department officials claim the question will help to enforce the Voting Rights Act.
Since the announcement, many critics and immigrants worry that the information obtained from the question could be used against them which could result in inaccurate data. The lack of accurate census data has many local lawmakers worried about the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars away from programs that support public education, nutrition, healthcare, victims of crime, community development, rehabilitation centers and unemployment insurance, among so many others.
The event is slated for 6 p.m, Tuesday, May 28, at Health Essential Association, 2336 86th Street in Bath Beach.
Myrie To Lead Public Hearing On Automatic Voter Registration
State Senator Zellnor Myrie (D-Central Brooklyn) announced this week that he will hold a public hearing on automatic voter registration (AVR) this month.
Myrie, Chair of the Elections Committee, will lead the hearing, ensuring that a broad range of stakeholders have the opportunity to provide input on the creation of an automatic voter registration system.
The AVR hearing is the latest in Senator Myrie’s efforts to expand voting rights in New York State. On the first day of the legislative session, the freshman Senator sponsored S1102, a bill to allow Early Voting which was later signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo and then funded in the Enacted State Budget. Early voting will begin this fall.
In February, Myrie sponsored legislation to allow electronic poll books at polling sites, aimed at making early voting easier to implement. The measure received funding in the recently passed 2020 State Budget. Additionally, Myrie, in March, led a hearing on Public Financing of elections.
“Voting is the right that protects all other rights, yet New York is consistently ranked among the worst in the country in voter turnout. Automatic Voter Registration is a straightforward and evidenced-backed policy that would remove barriers between voters and the ballot box and make it easier for people to make their voices heard,” said Myrie.
The event is slated for 1 p.m., Thursday, May 30, in the Legislative Office Building Hearing Room A, 2nd Floor, in Albany.
For more information, please contact Edline Jacquet, Senator Myrie’s Chief of Staff, at jacquet@nysenate.gov.
Maimonides Medical Center To Celebrate National Stroke Awareness Month
The Jaffe Stroke Center at Maimonides will honor National Stroke Awareness Month with a flag-raising ceremony and speaking program this week.
The program will include welcoming remarks from Kenneth D. Gibbs, Maimonides President & CEO; and an overview of stroke services and achievements from Dr. Qingliang Tony Wang, Program Director, Jaffe Stroke Center; Assembly member Steven Cymbrowitz (D-Sheepshead Bay, Manhattan Beach, Brighton Beach) and City Council member Mathieu Eugene (D-Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Flatbush, East Flatbush).
Following the speaking program, the Jaffe Stroke Center flag will be raised just outside the Eisenstadt Administration Building on Tenth Avenue.
The event is slated for 9:30 a.m., Thursday,May 23, outside the Eisenstadt Administration Building, 4802 Tenth Avenue in Borough Park.
