“Every child deserves a strong and healthy start to their education and that begins with kindergarten. With the introduction of state legislation, mandatory kindergarten for our city’s five year olds will soon be a reality. This is a historic day for the future of New York City’s children and we thank State Senator John J. Flanagan, Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Education, and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan, Chair of the Assembly’s Committee on Education for introducing Senate bill S.7015 and Assembly bill A.9861.

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“It is disappointing that the Mayor today chose to veto a bill that would raise the standard of living for a group of working New Yorkers, and declared his intent to veto another. The City Council will move quickly to override these vetoes.

“My Council colleagues and I believe not enough has been done to help more New Yorkers reach the middle class.

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“I’m pleased that the Supreme Court has refused to hear the case challenging the City’s rent stabilization program. The court’s decision is consistent with longstanding precedent that affirms the City and State’s authority to enact these laws, which are an integral part of the City’s effort to provide affordable housing to New Yorkers. Now, the City’s rent regulation system can proceed unfettered, as we continue to ensure affordable housing is available to New Yorkers.”

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“I’m pleased that the Administration has responded to calls from the City Council, and residents and elected leaders on Staten Island and around the city, and agreed to withdraw the RFP for a waste-to-energy plant at Fresh Kills. As the City pursues new technologies to reduce waste, we cannot afford take one step backwards towards the bad old days of Fresh Kills Landfill.

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Speaker Quinn, Council Members, the Alliance Against Sexual Assault and the Center for Anti-Violence Education will share tips to keep residents safe

City Hall, NY— Following a string of sexual assaults in Manhattan, Speaker Christine C. Quinn and the City Council Women’s Caucus today announced they will host a Public Safety Meeting on Monday, April 16 with the Alliance Against Sexual Assault and the Center for Anti-Violence Education to discuss the recent attacks and how residents can protect themselves against assault.

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New York, NY – Today, City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn joined Council Members Margaret Chin and Jimmy Van Bramer, Irish Consul-General to New York Noel Kilkenny, British Consul-General to New York Danny Lopez, Northern Ireland Ambassador Norman Houston, Uruguay Consul-General to New York Carlos Orlando, the Ronay Menschel Director at the Museum of the City of New York Susan Henshaw Jones, and museum board member Marty McLaughlin to commemorate the Titanic Centennial with a wreath laying ceremony at Titanic Park.

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Speaker Quinn proposed legislation sponsored by Assembly Member Cusick and Senator Lanza to redefine the exemption, ending confusion about how much U.S. Veterans’ property tax exemptions are worth each year.
New York, NY — City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, joined by State Senator Andrew Lanza, State Assembly Member Michael Cusick, Council Veterans Committee Chair Mathieu Eugene, Council Minority Leader James Oddo, Council Member Vincent Ignizio and Council Member Lewis Fidler, gathered to announce forthcoming legislation to reform the Veterans Property Tax Exemption.

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New York, NY – The Mayor’s FY 2013 preliminary budget comes against the backdrop of a slowly improving economy. However, this preliminary budget still contains substantial and unacceptable cuts to services for the families and communities that need them the most. As it currently stands, these cuts fall particularly hard on our children through cuts to childcare, further reductions in the number of teachers in our classrooms due to attrition, and a nearly 50 percent cut to after school programs.

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“We hope the news that prosecutors will seek criminal charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin will offer his family a measure of justice they so rightly deserve.

“Trayvon’s family remains in our prayers. We cannot bring Trayvon back, but we must unite in our efforts prevent these tragedies from repeating themselves.
“Earlier this month, the Council introduced and passed a resolution that condemned this killing and the weaknesses in its investigation.

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“We have completed negotiations on the living wage bill. Based on the breadth and depth of New York City’s Economic Development program, this will be the most impactful living wage law in the United States.

This bill was based on a concept of fairness. Businesses that accept significant taxpayer dollars must pay a living wage.

Because this bill was modified to only cover direct recipients of financial assistance, we believe it will lift wages without hampering job growth and economic development in New York City.”

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