Press Releases

New York – “The decision to not charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo is inexplicable and wrong. It took the Department of Justice five years to deny justice to Gwen Carr, when it takes five seconds to see that Eric Garner was choked to death for no reason. While I am not surprised by the Trump ‘Justice Department’s’ ill-advised and wrong-headed decision to give Officer Pantaleo a pass, I’m nonetheless outraged. READ MORE

New York, NY – One day before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s planned raids on immigrants throughout the country, Speaker Corey Johnson, Immigration Committee Chair and Co-Chair of 2020 Census Task Force Carlos Menchaca, Co-Chair of the 2020 Census Task Force Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Members, legal service providers, and advocates gathered at Battery Park East Coast Memorial in Manhattan to denounce these immoral actions, reaffirm this City’s commitment to the rights of all immigrants, and inform New Yorkers of their legal rights in the event they are stopped by ICE. READ MORE

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Hector Figueroa, a visionary labor leader who dedicated his life to helping working New Yorkers. As a voice for the voiceless, he led the charge for better wages and working conditions for janitors, cleaners, fast food workers, superintendents, taxi drivers, window cleaners, porters, security officers, airport workers, maintenance workers and doormen. One of the things I admired most about Hector was the fact that he didn’t care if you were a 32BJ member or not. READ MORE

New York, NY – Today, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Committee on General Welfare Chair Stephen Levin, Committee on Public Housing Chair Alicka Ampry-Samuel, and Council Member Brad Lander, joined community leaders, tenant associations, local organizations, advocates and NYCHA residents to announce that the City’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes funding to reopen the Gowanus Houses Community Center. Additionally, Speaker Johnson and Council Member Levin also unveiled capital funding in Fiscal Year 2020 budget for the expansion and renovation of the NYCHA Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, located in Gowanus. READ MORE

New York – Council Speaker Corey Johnson, on behalf of the City Council, submitted a public comment to oppose the proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development to restrict the use of federally-assisted housing for immigrant families. The proposed rule would affect 108,000 people –including 55,000 children—and force households with ineligible members to choose between eviction or family separation. READ MORE

“Last year, a united New York City Council fought for and won Fair Fares, a groundbreaking anti-poverty program, in the city budget. This year, we prioritized achieving pay parity for city teachers because investments in education are investments in our city’s future. Today, I am very proud to announce a new deal that creates a path for certified teachers who work in community based organizations to earn the same starting salary as their DOE colleagues.  READ MORE

New York, NY – Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Member Keith Powers, Chair of the Committee on Criminal Justice, sent a letter to the New York City Board of Correction asking the oversight entity examine the solitary confinement system with an aim toward ending the practice. In the letter, Speaker Johnson and Council Member Powers said solitary confinement is “a system that does not uphold human rights and dignity.” They write that the tragic case of Layleen Polanco, a transgender woman who died in isolation at Rikers Island, highlights the need to reform the practice, and urge the Board of Correction to implement new rules at the local level as proposed in the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term Solitary Confinement Act (HALT). READ MORE

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, NYC Parks and Recreation Commissioner Mitchell Silver, the Council’s Parks and Recreation Committee Chair Peter Koo, New Yorkers for Parks (NY4P), New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), District Council 37 (DC 37) and community leaders gathered in Queensbridge Park to launch as 2020 as the Year of the Parks. In the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, the Council worked with the Administration and the Play Fair Coalition in adding $44 million to the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation’s budget. READ MORE

“Today’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court is a win, at least for now. But the fight is far from over. We must block this controversial question permanently.

The City Council stands united with elected officials and community-based organizations across New York to ensure an accurate U.S. Census. Together with the de Blasio administration, we have dedicated $40 million of the Fiscal Year 2020 New York City budget to fund a major outreach campaign to support the vital work of community-based organizations to coordinate events and perform canvassing to ensure we get a full count of New Yorkers. READ MORE

The New York City Council on Wednesday will vote on a package of four bills that would expand protections and services for transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary (TGNCNB) and intersex individuals who are involved in the justice system.  

The first in this package of bills, which coincides with LGBTQ Pride Month, would require the Board of Correction (BOC) to convene a task force to address policies related to the treatment of TGNCNB and intersex individuals within the Department of Correction (DOC). READ MORE