Calls for Municipal Control of City’s Mass Transit System and Proposes Legislation to Revolutionize City Street Space Planning

New York, NY – New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson delivered his first State of the City address on Wednesday at LaGuardia Community College in Queens. Speaker Johnson focused on the City’s mass transit crisis, calling for municipal control of New York City’s mass transit system and announcing legislation that would revolutionize the way we plan our street space.

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New York, NY – New York
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and the New-York Historical Society’s Center
for Women’s History announced Women’s Voices: Shaping the City, a new
display in City Hall created to honor a diverse and iconic selection of women
whose contributions to New York City history deserve public recognition.

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Re: Public Advocate Special Election Results

“I congratulate my colleague and friend Jumaane Williams on winning last night’s special election and I will do everything I can to ensure a smooth transition in the coming days. In my brief time as Acting Public Advocate, I found the heart and soul of the office to be in listening to New Yorkers and helping people with the problems they face.

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Re: Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio’s Joint Congestion Pricing Announcement

“Today’s announcement, much of which is not new, falls far short of the bold vision we need to address our City’s mass transit crisis. While I am glad to see the Mayor finally taking an interest in congestion pricing and the Governor being open to MTA reform, I strongly disagree with the idea that giving the State more control of City generated revenue and our transit infrastructure is going to magically solve our problems this time around.

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Re: Reports of LGBTQ Groups Prohibited from Marching with Pride Banners in Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade

“I am outraged to learn the Pride Center of Staten Island and Rainbow Run Staten Island have been prohibited from marching with a pride banner in the 55th Annual Staten Island St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This ban sends the message that being LGBTQ is something you should hide.

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Nationwide only 8 percent of an estimated 1.1 million potential candidates for PrEP have access to this life-saving drug

Acting Public Advocate and New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, Council Member Carlina Rivera, Assembly Member Dick Gottfried, former State Senator Tom Duane, founders of the PrEP4All Collaboration (and organizers of the #BreakThePatent campaign), and advocates held a rally to call on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to exercise its march-in rights and break Gilead’s patent of Truvada, the brand name medication for pre-exposure prophylaxis, also known as PrEP.

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Re: Amazon’s Decision to Cancel Move to New York City

“I look forward to working with companies that understand that if you’re willing to engage with New Yorkers and work through challenging issues New York City is the world’s best place to do business. I hope this is the start of a conversation about vulture capitalism and where our tax dollars are best spent.

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The City Council will also expand requirements for landlords to address allergen hazards

City Hall – The New York City Council on Wednesday will vote to create a pilot program to expand the City’s housing stock by facilitating the creation of basement apartments in East New York. This program would also aid eligible property owners with low-cost loans.

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New York, NY – New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson and Council Members Margaret S. Chin, Robert Holden, Keith Powers, and Ritchie Torres announced a new package of bills to be introduced on Wednesday, February 13, intended to crack down on the abuse of City-issued parking permits known as placards, as well as unofficial and counterfeit permits and placards also used to skirt the law.

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Re: Council Member Ruben Diaz, Sr’s
Comments

“In the aftermath of Council Member Diaz, Sr.’s deeply offensive comments about the LGBTQ community – as well as his indefensible refusal to apologize or even acknowledge the hurt he has caused – many Members have called for disciplinary actions against him and/or his resignation. I feel their anger and their pain.

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