Kim Leads National Effort To Phase Out Corporate Giveaways
Assemblyman Ron Kim (D-Whitestone, Flushing, College Point, Murray Hill ), in coalition with legislators from around the country, yesterday unveiled a national bipartisan campaign to phase out corporate giveaways by establishing an interstate compact.
This bold proposal seeks to unite states and liberate state governments from engaging in the race to the bottom subsidy battles with each other, as in the case of the AmazonHQ2 search in 2018-2019.
The New York legislation, which is sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Kim as A.8675, would bring each state into a formal agreement with each other to Phase Out Corporate Giveaways. There are two main provisions of the agreement: first, member states agree to end the practice of offering tax breaks to a facility located in another member state as an inducement to the company to move, and second, member states participate in a national board of appointees to discuss and propose enhancements to the existing agreement for future consideration by each state.
“It’s very difficult for one state to stand up against the threats from a well-funded company that they will leave town or won’t come in the first place unless they get a special tax break. That’s why we need to do this together so the threats won’t work anymore,” said Kim.
Schumer, Congressional Dems Write Amicus Brief to Protect Immigrant Children
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D_NY) and U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) along with 113 of their Congressional colleagues submitted an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circut in the case of Flores v Barr.
The brief urges the court to reject the Trump administration’s latest attempt to gut the Flores Settlement Agreement, which provides vital, long-standing protections for immigrant children. Flores is key to ensuring there are minimum health and safety requirements for the custody of these children.
The Members wrote: “Congress enacted [the Homeland Security Act and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008] to ensure the safety and well-being of migrant children and to set forth specific procedures for the screening, processing, and custody of those children. The regulations, by contrast, deprive children of access to those statutory protections and do not comport with the text and history of those statutes, or with Congress’s plan in passing them.”
Constantinides Committee Hears Wastewater Treatment Facility at Rikers Proposal
City Councilmember Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria, East Elmhurst, part of Long Island City, Woodside), chair of the council’s Committee on Environmental Protection today will have his committee conduct a hearing regarding the feasibility of constructing a new wastewater treatment facity on Rikers Island.
Under a new local law that Constantinides is proposing the Commissioner of Environmental Protection would be required to conduct a study to ascertain whether a new wastewater treatment plant can be constructed on Rikers Island.
The study must be completed within one year from enactment and the results of the study shall be made publicly available on the department website.
The hearing is slated for 1 p.m., today, Jan. 29 at City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
Acting BP Lee to Hold Regular Public Hearing On Land Use
Acting Queens Borough President Sharon Lee tomorrow will hold the borough’s regular Public Hearing on Land Use.
On the agenda is an application submitted by the NYC Department of Correction, the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice and the New York City Council Speaker for an amendment of the City Map involving the establishment of public place on Rikers Island.
The site currently houses the city’s jail and is scheduled to close in 2026. It is within an area bounded by the U.S. pierhead and bulkhead line in the borough of the Bronx under the jurisdiction of Queens Community Board 1.
The hearing is slated for 10:30 a.m., tomorrow, Jan. 30 at Queens Borough Hall, 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens.
