Press Releases

“Pablo Villavicencio did not deserve to be detained by ICE – he deserves to be with his family. I fully support his wife Sandra in her call to immediately free Pablo from this unjust, unfair, and unnecessary detainment.

I have no idea how detaining a hardworking family man just for doing his job makes this country any safer, but I do know that until there is change in Washington DC, New York City will continue to fight against an overzealous ICE and against any federal policies that unjustly break families apart.  READ MORE

“As the Speaker of the New York City Council, I stand in support of Xiu Qing You and his family to demand his release from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention. Mr. You is part of a sad and frankly un-American trend that has seen many people who are just trying to make a life in the U.S. end up behind bars. READ MORE

The $89 billion agreement reaffirms the Council’s commitment to maintaining and bolstering the City’s central services helping the most vulnerable New Yorkers 

City Hall, NY – Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and members of the New York City Council today voted to adopt the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. READ MORE

The budget agreement strengthens the City’s social safety net for the poorest New Yorkers and helps seniors, homeowners and young people while remaining fiscally prudent

 City Hall, NY – Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2019 budget. READ MORE

Over 99,250 New Yorkers voted for locally-developed capital projects across the city

City Hall, New York – Today, Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Carlos Menchaca and the New York City Council announced the voting results and winning proposals of the 2017-2018 Participatory Budgeting cycle. During the voting period of April 7 through April 21, over 99,250 New Yorkers voted to allocate over $28.5 million in capital funding for locally developed capital projects across 27 Council Districts in New York City. READ MORE

Council will also vote to require full-service animal shelters in all five boroughs

City Hall – Today, the New York City Council will vote on a comprehensive package of legislation to provide opioid and drug treatment and prevention services to New Yorkers. In addition, the Council will vote to require the construction of full-service animal shelters in the five boroughs. READ MORE

“We are profoundly disappointed by today’s Supreme Court decision. It sends a message that it is somehow acceptable to discriminate against same-sex couples in the United States. Though the ruling is narrow, it will surely embolden those who seek to erode protections for LGBTQ Americans and those who would relegate us to permanent second-class citizenship.  While the New York City Council has successfully passed and improved laws to protect LGBTQ New Yorkers across the five boroughs, there is much more work to do here in the Big Apple. READ MORE

Commission, to be co-chaired by Vicki Been and Marc Shaw, will develop proposals to make property taxes more fair, straightforward, and transparent

 NEW YORK— Council Speaker Johnson and Mayor de Blasio announced the formation of a new advisory commission, co-chaired by Vicki Been and Marc Shaw, to develop recommendations to reform New York City’s property tax system to make it simpler, clearer, and fairer, while ensuring that there is no reduction in revenue used to fund essential City services. READ MORE

City joins 16 other local governments across the United States to protect women’s health

City Hall, NY – In an effort to ensure women have access to birth control, New York City this week filed a brief in federal court opposing the Trump administration’s proposal to roll back the requirements that guarantee contraceptive coverage in most health insurance plans. READ MORE

“On Memorial Day, we remember the brave women and men who proudly served this country and made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We are so grateful for their service and their heroism. At the Council, we strive to honor these men and women every day by upholding the traditions of democracy and representative government, the gifts bestowed on all Americans through their courage and valor. READ MORE