City Hall – The New York
City Council on Tuesday will vote on a package of five bills designed to help
small businesses by providing additional supports, services and information,
and by paving the way to collect data that will create a baseline for smart
policies in the future.

One bill will require the New
York City Department of Small Business Services (“SBS”) to create online,
interactive guides to help small business owners understand rules and laws that
are applicable to them, while another would require the SBS to provide New York
City’s small business community with training and education relating to
efficiency, regulatory compliance and marketing.

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Speaker Corey
Johnson and Criminal Justice Committee Chair Keith Powers sent the below and
attached letter to DOC Commissioner Cynthia Brann after reports of incarcerated
persons suffering due to the heat wave

Dear Commissioner Brann,

Since New York City has activated its Emergency Heat Plan to
address the dangerous weather conditions this weekend, the Department of
Correction has failed to release a plan to keep people in its custody safe and
cool.

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New York – “The decision to not charge Officer Daniel Pantaleo is inexplicable and wrong. It took the Department of Justice five years to deny justice to Gwen Carr, when it takes five seconds to see that Eric Garner was choked to death for no reason. While I am not surprised by the Trump ‘Justice Department’s’ ill-advised and wrong-headed decision to give Officer Pantaleo a pass, I’m nonetheless outraged.

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New York, NY – One day before the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s planned raids on immigrants throughout the country, Speaker Corey Johnson, Immigration Committee Chair and Co-Chair of 2020 Census Task Force Carlos Menchaca, Co-Chair of the 2020 Census Task Force Council Member Carlina Rivera, Council Members, legal service providers, and advocates gathered at Battery Park East Coast Memorial in Manhattan to denounce these immoral actions, reaffirm this City’s commitment to the rights of all immigrants, and inform New Yorkers of their legal rights in the event they are stopped by ICE.

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“I am deeply saddened by the death of Hector Figueroa, a visionary labor leader who dedicated his life to helping working New Yorkers. As a voice for the voiceless, he led the charge for better wages and working conditions for janitors, cleaners, fast food workers, superintendents, taxi drivers, window cleaners, porters, security officers, airport workers, maintenance workers and doormen. One of the things I admired most about Hector was the fact that he didn’t care if you were a 32BJ member or not.

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New York, NY – Today, Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Committee on General Welfare Chair Stephen Levin, Committee on Public Housing Chair Alicka Ampry-Samuel, and Council Member Brad Lander, joined community leaders, tenant associations, local organizations, advocates and NYCHA residents to announce that the City’s Fiscal Year 2020 budget includes funding to reopen the Gowanus Houses Community Center. Additionally, Speaker Johnson and Council Member Levin also unveiled capital funding in Fiscal Year 2020 budget for the expansion and renovation of the NYCHA Wyckoff Gardens Community Center, located in Gowanus.

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New York – Council Speaker Corey Johnson, on behalf of the City Council, submitted a public comment to oppose the proposed rule by the U.S. Department of Housing and Development to restrict the use of federally-assisted housing for immigrant families. The proposed rule would affect 108,000 people –including 55,000 children—and force households with ineligible members to choose between eviction or family separation.

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“There is nothing more fitting than the greatest city in the world celebrating the greatest team in the world. These athletes made it look so easy at the World Cup but we know they worked tirelessly for years to get to the Canyon of Heroes today. They are inspiring role models for young people everywhere both on and off the soccer field and they have reminded all of us what this country of ours is really about.

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“Last year, a united New York City Council fought for and won Fair Fares, a groundbreaking anti-poverty program, in the city budget. This year, we prioritized achieving pay parity for city teachers because investments in education are investments in our city’s future. Today, I am very proud to announce a new deal that creates a path for certified teachers who work in community based organizations to earn the same starting salary as their DOE colleagues. 

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“It is heartbreaking that New Yorkers feel so unsafe walking
and biking in our city right now that pedestrians, cyclists, and transit
advocates feel they must stage a die-in in order for something to change. This
is why I introduced a bill that would require a Master Plan for New York City
Streets that would set aggressive benchmarks for protected bike lanes, bus
lanes, and pedestrian space.

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