Velázquez, Maloney, Nadler to Introduce Bill Banning Non-Essential Helicopter Flights
Representatives Nydia Velázquez (D-LES, Brooklyn, Queens), Carolyn Maloney (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens) and Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan, Brooklyn) will be announcing new legislation to ban non-essential helicopter flights over New York City.
According to the National Transportation Safety Board, there have been more than 30 helicopter crashes in NYC since 1982. The new Improving Safety Act of 2019 would help alleviate this problem by drastically reducing helicopter traffic.
The announcement is slated for Saturday, Oct. 26 at 10 a.m. on the steps of City Hall.
De La Rosa, Taylor, Jackson to Host Press Conference on Early Voting
Assemblymembers Carmen De La Rosa (D-Upper Manhattan) and Al Taylor (D-Hamilton Heights, Harlem) and State Senator Robert Jackson (D-Washington Heights, Fort George) will be holding a press conference on early voting today.
This year, the City is launching a new early voting pilot program, thanks to a bill that the New York legislature passed earlier this year. Beginning on Oct. 26, the City will be opening 61 polling stations across the five boroughs. De La Rosa and her peers have called the press conference to inform New Yorkers about this historic change and encourage them to take advantage of it.
The event will take place today at 1:30 p.m. at 210 Sherman Ave.
Benjamin Introduces “Rainy Day Fund” Bill
State Senator Brian Benjamin (D-Harlem, East Harlem, Upper West Side) held a press conference yesterday introducing a bill to create a “rainy day fund” for weather emergencies.
The bill would allow the city to set aside funds to reserve for disaster relief. Currently, the City lacks the authority to do so, due to state law that requires the city to keep its budget balanced. The rainy day fund is one of the 19 measures that New Yorkers will get the chance to vote on starting this Saturday.
“When recessions happen, New Yorkers in districts like mine suffer first,” Benjamin said in a tweet. “I’m introducing legislation so that NYC can have a rainy day fund to sustain the city through times of trouble, as set forth in Ballot Proposal 4.”
Cuomo Signs Krueger’s Bill Codifying Johnson Amendment
Yesterday, Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger (D-Upper East Side, Lenox Hill) that codifies the Federal Johnson Amendment into law.
The Johnson Amendment prevents non-profit organizations from endorsing political candidates. Cuomo started backing the measure after President Donald Trump (R) signed and executive order to loosen the Johnson Amendment’s restrictions.
“This is a simple bill that serves an important purpose – to keep in place standards we have had in this country for over sixty years that shield not-for-profits and houses of worship from political entanglement,” said Krueger. “The administration in Washington has repeatedly said they want to repeal these protections, and open the door for big-money donors to launder campaign contributions through churches, mosques, and synagogues. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this bill into law today.”
