Menchaca Gets Together with Small Businesses
Councilmember Carlos Menchaca (D-Red Hook, Sunset Park) joined with Chinese-American Planning Council’s Brooklyn Director Steve on Friday to hand out hand sanitizer and PPE to local businesses.
Menchaca discussed with local business owners about implementing and maintaining effective COVID19 mitigation in the establishments throughout the area, open streets dining, and ways that the council member can support the corridor.
Felder-Paulin Bill Creates Crohn’s & Colitis ID Card
State Sen. Simcha Felder’s (D-Boro Park, Midwood) sponsored legislation which stands to implement and enforce the landmark Crohn’s and Colitis Fairness Act, passed in both houses.
Originally enacted in 2017, the Crohn’s and Colitis Fairness Act allows access to employee-only restrooms by individuals with Crohn’s, Colitis, or other similar conditions, in any business open to the public during business hours, if there are at least two employees present at the time. In practice, however, these rights have proven hard to access. Businesses were unfamiliar with the new law and employees had no way of confirming an eligible medical condition.
The State Legislature acted on two bills to improve this landmark law: one that requires that the NYS Health Department offer an identification card to people with qualifying gastrointestinal diseases which verifies their condition and details their rights under the Crohn’s and Colitis Fairness Act. The second helps impacted individuals redress and resolve violations by giving state and local consumer protection departments the power and duty to address complaints from any individual about a violation of the Crohn’s and Colitis Fairness Act.
“Coping with an illness is hard enough, without adding indignity. This card is a common sense way to educate business employees of their responsibilities under the Crohn’s and Colitis Fairness Act, and prevent the need to explain or argue over qualifying conditions,” explained Felder. “People protected by the law will now be ensured that their complaints to state or local consumer protection bureaus will be addressed appropriately.”
Rose Funding Priorities Pass House
U.S. Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) secured provisions in recently passed legislation in the house that secured a 50 percent increase in mental health funding for law enforcement, fire safety funding and accessibility for public housing.
“We cannot rest in our fight to beat the opioid epidemic, which is why I’m proud to have secured yet again a significant increase in critical funding to help those on the front lines,” said Rose, “We signed into law a $140 million increase in funding last year, and I’ll continue fighting to get this nearly $100 million more in funding across the finish line—because now more than ever, with heightened strain and stress from the pandemic, we need to be there for those who need it most.”
The provisions increase funding for law enforcement mental health programs by 50 percent, provides $25 million in grant funding to install fire sprinkler systems in public housing buildings, and requires an assessment of the quantity of accessible public housing stock and costs required to bring them up to code.
Persaud & Williams on Education Reopening
Senator Roxanne J. Persaud (Canarsie, East New York, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Old Mill Basin, Sheepshead Bay, Bergen Beach, Marine Park, Flatlands, Mill Island, Georgetown, Ocean Hill, Starrett City) and Assemblymember Jaime Williams (Canarsie, Georgetown, Mill Basin, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach) will host a “Virtual Town Hall Discussion on the NYC Department of Education Reopening,” this upcoming Wednesday.
They will be joined by Executive Superintendent Karen Watts, District 18 Superintendent Beverly Wilkins, District 19 Superintendent Thomas McBryde Jr., and District 22 Superintendent Julia Bove.
The event is slated to take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August, 19 at Facebook Live http://www.facebook.com/sd19senatorpersaud.
Brooklyn Electds March for Census
State Sen. Zellnor Myrie (D-Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Gowanus, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, South Slope, Sunset Park) along with many other Brooklyn lawmakers including Borough President Eric Adams, Assembly Member Nick Perry (D-East Flatbush), and Assemblymember Diana Richardson (Crown Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Wingate, Flatbush) marched at Grand Army Plaza yesterday to raise awareness about the census.
The electeds marched through census tracts that have a low response rate and raised awareness about the importance of the census to racial equity. They also helped people respond to the census on the spot.
