The United States was founded upon the belief that the pursuit of happiness is not a privilege but an inalienable right.
Today, immigrant students, families and brave soldiers serving in our military are awaiting their chance to have the pursuit of happiness and the American dream. The passage of the DREAM Act would have made that dream a reality.
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Today, the U.S. Senate supported equality at the highest level of government, and voted to clear the last hurdle on allowing an up and down vote on Dont Ask, Dont Tell.
This legislation will allow LGBT people to serve openly in the military services. Every military service member deserves our profound thanks for defending our country. We must remember and honor those LGBT service members whose lives were destroyed by this discriminatory policy.
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City Hall – City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that in the employee pay period that begins this Sunday morning, January 17, employees of the City of New York will be able to set aside part of their paychecks directly to aid in the Haitian disaster relief efforts. The Speaker, the Mayor, and Council Members Mathieu Eugene and Jumaane Williams unveiled the new program on the Mayor’s weekly radio show on WOR Radio early this morning.
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Tony Kushner, Cast of Angels in America join the Council’s YouTube-Based HIV/AIDS Awareness Campaign, “I Talk Because”
New York, NY – Speaker Christine C. Quinn along with Council Members Rosie Mendez, Joel Rivera (see video here: http://j.mp/94OXUx), Lewis Fidler (see video here: http://youtu.be/MVNAV4j6xzU), Danny Dromm (see video here: http://youtu.be/dj3hMcLd8Jk) and Jimmy Van Bramer (see video here: http://youtu.be/mWHPtI7f9_4), commemorated the 15th anniversary of World AIDS day in New York City.
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Expansion will allow Alternative Enforcement Program to capture thousands more units of housing and will work to rid homes of asthma triggers including mold and vermin infestation
City Hall – City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Rafael E. Cestero announce that the New York City Council will take action today by introducing legislation that will greatly expand the criteria for the Alternative Enforcement Program (AEP).
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“Last night, the New York State Assembly passed legislation that takes another important step forward in protecting New York City’s drinking water. The ‘Hydrofracking’ (hydraulic fracturing) Moratorium bill, which is similar to a companion bill passed in the State Senate in August, prohibits granting permits for horizontal drilling which utilizes hydraulic fracturing in New York until May 15, 2011. It is the first time any state in the country has passed any kind of moratorium on this gas drilling technique used by natural gas companies.
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Council to also increase transparency in City’s development projects
City Hall – Today, the New York City Council will vote on two pieces of legislation that will increase transparency in both New York City’s Department of Transportation and in the City’s economic development projects. In the Council’s effort to help coordinate and oversee the Department of Transportation’s plans to slow down traffic and increase pedestrian safety on City streets, the Council will vote on legislation to increase transparency at DOT by requiring guidelines governing the installation of bike lanes and pedestrian plazas.
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“We applaud the New York State Assembly for passing the ‘Wage Theft Protection Act’. This bill will ensure that hard working New Yorkers will no longer be the victims of stolen wages. Before today’s vote, penalties for stealing workers’ wages were extremely low and the government was provided insufficient resources to enforce employment laws. With the passage of this bill, more than three thousand workers will be able to get the wages they rightfully deserve.
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“We are proud to say that over the past year, the New York City Council has been leading the fight for stronger protections for community gardens. As a result of our efforts, a number of significant victories have been won. Despite the new stronger protections for gardens in these rules, there is still more to be done through both policy and legislative means.
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Council report presents 59-point blueprint for creating jobs, improving public health and protecting the environment
New York, NY – City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn today unveiled an 86 page, comprehensive plan that sets a bold vision for a more sustainable food system—a ground-to-garbage approach unprecedented in the history of our city.
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