New York, NY – New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson on Thursday delivered a criminal justice policy speech, unveiling numerous proposals that seek to obtain a fairer and more just criminal justice system for the 21st century.

The speech at John Jay College of Criminal Justice included diversion and alternatives to incarceration, parole reform, addressing the mass incarceration of the mentally ill, instituting a day fine system, diverting drivers with suspended licenses violations to the Department of Motor vehicles, and eliminating mandatory surcharges imposed for convictions. 

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The Council will vote on legislation targeting landlords who use exploitative practices to force tenants from their homes

City Hall – The New York City Council on Wednesday will vote on a package of 17 bills aimed at protecting tenants and preventing landlords from forcing people out of their homes.

This package includes measures that prevent landlords from using construction as a means of harassment, penalize building owners who falsify information on construction documents, and curtail the use of exploitative buyout agreements.

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City Hall, NY – New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Finance Committee Chair Daniel Dromm and Capital Budget Subcommittee Chair Vanessa L. Gibson announced an agreement to restore over $77 million in funding for vital programs and services in the Fiscal 2020 Budget. These programs and services, all of which were deemed priorities in the Council’s Preliminary Budget Response, include adult literacy programs, the addition of 5,000 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) slots, Restorative Justice programs, and the Home Delivered Meals Rate increase.

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“The City Council is in mourning. We have lost our friend and former colleague, Council Member Lew Fidler. He was 62. Lew was a compassionate and devoted legislator for the people of the 46th District in southern Brooklyn, which he represented from 2002 to 2013. And as chair of the City Council’s Youth Services Committee, Lew was also a passionate champion for runaway and homeless youth.

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“On Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the memory of the six million Jewish Men, Women and Children, and millions of other social and ethnic minorities who were brutally murdered by the Nazis during the worst genocide in human history. The Holocaust reminds us of the worst that can happen when people turn their backs to hatred, racism and oppression, instead of confronting them head on. 

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“Today marks the start of Asian Heritage Month. This is a month when we honor the contributions of Asian Americans to our City and our country. The first Asian Americans made their way to New York City in the early 19th Century, and since then they have played an incredibly important role in helping make us the greatest city in the world.

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“The Council is disappointed that Mayor de Blasio has failed to fund many significant citywide Council priorities in the Fiscal 2020 Executive Budget, including many social service programs as well as $250 million in reserves. 

“The reserves are necessary to protect the City in the event of an economic downturn and should not have been excluded in the Executive Budget.

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“Happy Easter! Today is the holiest day of the year for Christians, who celebrate the miracle of Christ’s resurrection and the gift of eternal life. I love Easter because it is about hope, humanity, and the ultimate triumph of light over darkness. To everyone celebrating, I wish you a happy and joyous holiday filled with family, friends and chocolate bunnies.”

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“Tonight marks the start of the Festival of Passover, a holiday that is all about faith, family, and freedom from oppression.  Passover reminds us that the struggle for liberty and justice is never ending.  We must be forever vigilant to guard against the rise of hate in speech and in action.  People of good conscience must speak out to denounce the evil of anti-Semitism much the same as Moses and Aaron spoke out against the injustices and cruelty of the Egyptian Pharaoh. 

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New Bills Will Usher in A Green New Deal for New York City

City Hall – The New York City Council on Thursday will vote on the Climate Mobilization Act, a groundbreaking package of bills that is one of the most ambitious and innovative legislative initiatives any major city has ever considered to combat the existential threat of climate change.

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