New York City Council

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).

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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.

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“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.

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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).

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“Today marks the end of a historic legislative session, one that ushered in a new era in Albany made possible by our newly elected Democratic State Senate. What Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Governor Cuomo accomplished this year is remarkable: the strongest rent protections for tenants in decades, the Green Light bill, the Climate and Community Protection Act, strengthening sexual harassment laws, and so much more.

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The $92.8 billion budget aims to improve quality of life for all New Yorkers, protect those in need and safeguard our City’s future wellbeing

City Hall, NY – Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa L. Gibson and members of the New York City Council voted on Wednesday to adopt the Fiscal Year 2020 budget.

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“Today we celebrate Juneteenth, the anniversary of the end of slavery in Texas and the end of one of the darkest chapters in American history. But the work of building an America free from racial discrimination did not stop 154 years ago today. Juneteenth is a celebration of the progress we have made but it is also a reminder of how much work still lays before us.

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City Hall – The New York City Council on Tuesday will vote on a legislative resolution seeking to provide equal benefits to members of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) who are diagnosed with disabilities caused by cancer. This change would give members of the FDNY the same benefits as other fire fighters in New York.

The Council will also vote on a legislative resolution seeking to allow members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) to extend their pension benefits back from their time as cadets.

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The $92.8 billion budget improves quality of life for all New Yorkers and encourages fiscal responsibility

City Hall, NY – Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm, Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Gibson and Mayor Bill de Blasio announced an agreement on the Fiscal Year 2020 budget. The Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes many of the priorities the Council pushed for in order to improve the lives of all New Yorkers, including a commitment to work towards pay parity for day care providers and fair funding for parks.

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City Hall – The New York City Council on Thursday will vote on a bill to establish a full public match finance system, which will make it easier for candidates to run for office without having to rely on large donations.

The Council will also vote on two bills related to art on city-owned property. The first would create a task force to study and make recommendations regarding monuments, statues, public art, and historical markers.

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