“We applaud Governor Cuomo’s plan to bring much needed toll relief to Staten Island’s commuters. Reducing tolls on the Verrazano Bridge will keep more money in New Yorkers’ pockets and will help spur Staten Island’s economic growth. We thank Governor Cuomo for his efforts to ease the financial burden for Staten Island commuters and urge the MTA to approve this proposal without delay.”
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Press Releases
On February 11, Experts Will Testify Before Joint Hearing of Education and Women’s Issues Committees
City Hall, NY- City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced today that on February 11, the City Council’s Education Committee (Chaired by Council Member Danny Dromm) and the Committee on Women’s Issues (Chaired by Council Member Laurie Cumbo) will hold a joint hearing on Res.
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Law Protects Women in the Work Place and Facilitates Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Employees
City Hall — Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member James Vacca, Council Member Debi Rose, Council Member Laurie Cumbo, Council Member Julissa Ferreras and elected officials today joined women’s rights leaders and a Better Balance to cheer the inaugural day of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act going into effect.
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New York, NY – Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Majority Leader Jimmy Van Bramer, Council Member Jumaane Williams and Council Member Brad Lander released the following statements today in reaction to the news that the de Blasio administration would drop the stop and frisk appeal:
Speaker Mark-Viverito said: “Today’s news is long overdue for New York’s communities of color who for too long were being disproportionally stopped and frisked.
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Albany Committee Has Leaders in Community Activism, Non-Profits, Labor, Education, Journalism and Government
NEW YORK- New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito announced a transition committee today which will help her build an experienced and progressive team as she begins her term as Speaker. The volunteer-based committee has representatives who hail from all over New York City, come from a diverse array of fields and will seek out resumes of qualified individuals from a wide range of communities and sectors.
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“Good afternoon Chairman DeFrancisco, Chairman Farrell, and members of the Finance and Ways and Means Committees. I am Melissa Mark-Viverito, and I am the Speaker of the New York City Council where I also represent East Harlem and the Bronx.
“Governor Cuomo’s Executive Budget for State Fiscal Year 2014-2015 contains several elements that we at the New York City Council welcome, such as the renter’s tax credit – something that is sorely needed in New York City, where 70% of residents are renters and half of them pay more than one-third of their income in rent.
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20 Members From All 5 Boroughs Go to Capital To Stand Up For NYC’s Budget Priorities
Albany, NY – New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito was joined by 19 of her colleagues today to visit Albany to fight for New York City and advocate for its priorities in the state budget. Joining Speaker Viverito were Councilmembers; Rose, Barron, Dromm, Espinal, Gentile, Levin, Gibson, Van Bramer, Koslowitz, Torres, Weprin, Ferreras, Menchaca, Vacca, King, Miller, Richards, Rodriguez and Minority Leader Ignizio.
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City Hall- – Pledging a more inclusive and democratic City Council, Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and Rules Committee Chairman Brad Lander announced the Council committee chairpersons and leadership today.
In a joint statement, Speaker Mark-Viverito and Rules Committee Chairman Lander said: “The leadership and committee chairs appointed today show that this City Council will be reflective of New York’s diversity and values.
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“The City Council and I welcome Governor Cuomo’s proposal for Universal Pre-Kindergarten in his Executive Budget for 2014-2015. The importance of quality early childhood education for future success in school and life cannot be overstated and study after study has shown its effectiveness.
Our goal, and Mayor de Blasio’s, is to ensure that every four year-old in New York City has access to pre-k as soon as possible, with a funding stream in place to ensure that promise is fulfilled in the future.
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“Today, as we remember and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we must also recommit ourselves to fully realizing his dream. We must strive to replace hate with love, intolerance with acceptance, and division with unity. Until we can say that everyone has equal access to education, health care, opportunity and the pursuit of happiness, our work will not be done.
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