Congestion Pricing, Bills Passed, & More

As the 2024 legislative session was wrapping up, I was outraged to learn about the Governor’s backtracking and derailment of our first-in-the-nation congestion pricing program. As an advocate for congestion pricing for over 20 years, it's profoundly disappointing to see a program that has been studied for years, debated extensively in the legislature, and opened to broad public engagement put on the back burner days before implementation.

We need a strong mass transit system as it’s the way the vast majority of New Yorkers travel, especially lower-income New Yorkers. However, congestion pricing does far more than just fund MTA capital needs and mass transit. The indefinite delay is a major setback for climate change, air quality, traffic reduction in the most congested city, and accessibility for people with disabilities. Congestion pricing traffic modeling also shows congestion relief for our neighborhoods since drivers are pathfinding through local streets to the free bridges in our district.

Unfortunately, the eleventh-hour debacle also sucked all of their air out of the room at the end of session. There were negotiations underway on key climate change bills that never got a vote, like the NY HEAT Act. I was set to pass two critical bills - one to lower prescription drug costs and one on wage theft - and we ran out of time for their debate and passage.

Once implemented, history shows that naysayers become supporters as the benefits begin to accrue. Congestion pricing is the right answer for New Yorkers and their lungs. I will continue to advocate for congestion pricing and the original tolling structure. I want to thank the community for their outpouring of support and advocacy on the program.

On a positive note, I am so proud that we passed the Climate Change Superfund Act, which puts a price tag on the fossil fuel industry’s contribution to climate change. It will require that the most prolific oil and gas producers pay an estimated $3 billion a year for the next 25 years to cover their share of total greenhouse gas emissions.

I am eager to be back in the district so I can spend more time meeting with members of the community, attending local events, researching policy issues, and building coalitions for some of the initiatives that did not pass this year. I will see you around the district!

Sincerely,

Jo Anne Simon

P.S. If you have an idea for a coffee shop for our next Java with Jo Anne, please share it with my office.

Happy Pride! Pride Month is a time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, which has always been an integral part of Brooklyn’s history, as well as its present and future. I’m wishing you all a safe and joyous pride!

It’s not just an exuberant celebration, though: Pride began as a protest and continues to underscore the need to defend the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and all human beings. I will always do my best to be a solid ally and stand up for the LGBTQ+ community and stand with transgender youth and their families, who have particularly been the target of vicious attacks. I am glad that we were able to secure $1.25 million to fund for the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Wellness and Equity Fund in this year’s state budget. I will continue to make sure the LQBTQ+ community gets the resources and protections they need to thrive.

I had a great time celebrating Pride with the community during the Brooklyn Pride Parade!

Bill Passage: Preventing Gun Violence & Holding Gun Manufacturers Accountable. I am proud that my first-in-the-nation bill to hold Glock and other gun manufacturers accountable for preventing their pistols from being easily converted into illegal fully-automatic machine guns passed the Senate and Assembly. Gun manufacturers won’t be able to sit idly by as their weapons are turned into illegal machine guns with a $25 add-on (often referred to as Glock switches). My bill updates New York’s law to require firearm manufacturers to take reasonable steps to ensure their handguns cannot be compatible with Glock switches.

Bill Passage: LICH Bill to Protect Health Care. After over 9 years of advocacy, the LICH bill has passed both the Senate and Assembly! This is the first time this bill has passed both houses, and I am incredibly grateful to the amazing coalition of patient advocates for working with me and never giving up on this. The healthcare industry was fighting this bill up to the very end. It has been a long road to ensure that New York State has more oversight, planning, and community input before a hospital or unit closes. When LICH closed in 2013, the community was not notified nor asked for input on the hospital that had served them for 156 years. This bill ensures that no other communities experience such a sudden hospital closure without transparency and oversight. We will be working towards getting the LICH bill signed by the Governor by the end of the year.

Know Your Rights: Good Cause Eviction Workshop, 6/25 at 7:30pm. Please join my office in partnership with the Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union, Legal Aid Society, and Council Member Shahana Hanif for a Zoom workshop on the newly passed state Good Cause housing legislation. Find out if you are covered, how to enforce these protections, and have an opportunity to ask your questions. RSVP and get the Zoom link here.

I was proud to support the original Good Cause Eviction legislation and will continue the fight for tenant protections and affordable housing. Even though the final bill wasn’t as strong as what we had proposed, it provides protections for market renters for the first time. Come and learn more about it.

NYC Rent Guidelines Board Votes to Increase Rents. This week, NYC’s Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted to increase rents on rent stabilized apartments by 2.75% for one year leases and 5.25% on 2 year leases starting in the fall. This decision is out of touch with the reality of tenants, and I sent a letter to the RGB, along with my colleagues, urging them to vote for a rent freeze. We know from the RGB’s own report that average inflation-adjusted wages are down 6.1%, which means people are having a harder time than ever affording rent and other basic necessities. Our city desperately needs more affordable housing, and we need to be doing everything we can to address this issue.

Rain Barrel Giveaway, 6/22. Please join us on Saturday, June 22 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at PS 261 (314 Pacific Street) for a free DEP rain barrel giveaway. Rain barrels help conserve water for gardening and cleaning, reduce harmful runoff, and help you save on your water bill! Supplies are limited. Reserve your barrel here now! This event is sponsored by Council Member Lincoln Restler and Senator Gounardes.

Court Rules to Keep the Equal Rights Amendment on November’s Ballot. After a last minute court challenge to remove the NY State Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) from November’s ballot, New York’s 4th Department of Appellate court unanimously ruled the ERA can remain. Voters will now have the opportunity to vote on this state constitutional amendment, which, if passed, will expand and enshrine protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, pregnancy outcomes, and more. We passed this measure in two consecutive legislative sessions in order for it to be placed on the ballot.

Early Voting & Primary Election. Early voting has started and runs through Sunday, June 23. Election Day is Tuesday, June 25. Find your poll site and polls site times here or call 1-866-Vote-NYC. The NYS Attorney General’s Office is offering an Election Protection Hotline. The hotline is available for those who encounter issues with absentee ballots, early voting, mail-in ballots, and Election Day voting. If you are facing any of these issues, please call 1-866-390-3993 or fill out this form.

Gowanus Owls Head CSO Construction. NYC DEP is continuing work to build the 4-million-gallon combined sewer overflow tank at the Salt Lot at Second Avenue and 5th Street in the Industrial Business Zone in Gowanus. The project is a component of the EPA's Superfund program for the Gowanus Canal and is designed to intercept sewage that would otherwise overflow into the canal during rainstorms. Pile driving work is expected to begin Monday, July 17th, and to continue until at least July 22nd. Approved work hours are from 6 AM to 10 PM, Monday through Saturday. There will be no work on Thursday, July 4th.

Gowanus Cleanup Updates: Recently, a few articles have highlighted the pollution in and surrounding the Gowanus Canal. While this information is not new to many of us who have been heavily involved in the cleanup process, it is important for the community to understand what is happening. I have long pushed for the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to make their data and oversight of the brownfield cleanup more understandable, and communicate more regularly with the public, and to ensure a thorough clean-up to protect the public’s health. I hope this renowned interest in their cleanup process will encourage them to do just that.

Early this year, I hosted a community forum where representatives from the EPA, NYS DEC, and NYS DOH shared insights on the cleanup process. You can view the forum recording here. During the session, DEC underscored the significance of Soil Vapor Intrusion testing, a process conducted during the heating season to ensure no contaminated vapors are infiltrating homes, and to help with remediation when it is necessary. I urge all property owners who have received a testing request from DEC to comply. This step will contribute to a safer and cleaner community, and it's in your best interest to participate.

If you have any specific concerns or questions, I encourage you to contact the agencies directly:

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Thomas Mongelli, Remedial Project Manager, Superfund & Emergency Management Division, US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, 290 Broadway, New York, NY 10007. (212) 637-4256 [email protected]
NY State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC): Heidi Dudek, P.E., Section Chief, Bureau B, Section D. (518) 402- 0193 [email protected]
- Aaron Fischer, Project Manager – Gowanus Canal Area, Bureau B, Section D. (518) 402-9805 [email protected]
NYS Dept. of Health (NYS DOH): Scarlett Messier-McLaughlin, P.G., Chief, NYS Regions 2 & 7, Bureau of Environmental Exposure Investigation, (518) 402-7874 [email protected]
NY City Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP): Valentina Mascaro, [email protected] 934-216-0209

Celebrating Juneteenth. Juneteenth celebrates freedom and the continued fight for racial equality. On Juneteenth, we remember the long-delayed news of freedom reaching people who were enslaved in Galveston, Texas – 2.5 years after the Emancipation Proclamation and 2 months after the Civil War ended. You may read more about this holiday and its national importance here.

District 15 Diversity Plan Reflection & Evaluation Report Released. Five years ago, District 15 changed the middle school enrollment process in an effort to increase diversity and inclusion in the school district. They removed the screening system and implemented a school lottery. Their newly released report demonstrates that this plan is yielding results. For example, in the year before the plan was implemented, D15 ranked number 2 in the city as the most segregated school district. By the school year 2022-23, it ranked 19.

My staff recently attended the D15 Reflection community town hall to hear directly from the district staff, teachers, parents, and students on how this plan has affected their experiences in their school communities. We were struck by how many parents and teachers noticed dramatically lower stress and anxiety levels among fifth grade families because the middle school application process was not competitive and exclusive. A middle school student in D15 spoke about how important it is for students to feel welcome and feel like they can share who they are as soon as they walk into their school’s doors. I applaud the D15 parents who led this effort in partnership with district and school staff, and I look forward to their continued work on this, which serves as a model for other school districts across the city.

BQE Nightly One Lane Closure. The NYC DOT will continue to close one lane from midnight to 5:00 a.m. on the Queens-bound BQE from Atlantic Avenue to Washington Street until June 30th. During the right lane closure, the Atlantic Avenue entrance ramp to Queens-bound BQE will also be closed. These closures are required for removal of steel plates and asphalt placement as well as core extraction and testing along the BQE (I-278) and are dependent on weather and field conditions. If you have any questions, please contact DOT community Liaison Anita Navalurkar at (347) 647-0876 or [email protected].

BQE Central Workshop, 6/24: NYC DOT is hosting workshops to provide a project update and share new concepts on the plans to replace the triple cantilever. Join via Zoom on Monday, June 24th at 6:30 PM. Register in advance here.

Truck Route Network Redesign - Extended Public Comment Period. In 2023, the New York City Council passed Local Law 171 requiring NYCDOT to redesign the city truck route network to enhance safety, increase visibility, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the overall freight roadway network. NYC DOT just opened its Truck Route Network Redesign Public Feedback Portal, where you can learn more about the city's truck route network and provide feedback. You have until July 31st to provide feedback, which will help inform NYCDOT on how and where they can look to improve the movement of trucks on city streets.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) Cooling Assistance Benefit. Eligible households receive a cooling benefit of up to $800 for the purchase and installation of an air conditioner. If one cannot be installed safely, a fan will be provided. Applications for the benefit can be submitted in-person, by phone, and through ACCESS HRA. Learn more here.

Supporting Nursing Mothers in the Workplace: A new state law requires 30 minutes of paid break time for employees to express breast milk during the workday. This law will help support working mothers up to three years after childbirth. This break can not be subtracted from employees' pre-existing meal breaks or other paid breaks.

New Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) Program. Each eligible child will get a one time payment of $120 in food benefits. Eligible children will receive Summer EBT food benefits on an EBT card. Families can use their Summer EBT food benefits to buy food like fruits, vegetables, meat, whole grains, and dairy at authorized retail food stores, farmers markets, and anywhere else SNAP is accepted. Most children will be automatically eligible for Summer EBT and do not need to do anything to enroll. However, some children may need to apply. An online application will be available in July. Learn more here.

47 Hall Street Town Hall Recap. Thank you to Council Member Crystal Hudson for organizing a community town hall with local electeds and local electeds to discuss the three shelter sites making up the campus at 47 Hall Street. With 3,200 new neighbors at this site, many quality of life concerns for both residents staying in the shelters and people who have lived in the area for a long time are coming up. The Mayor decides where to put new shelter sites, and elected officials have no say and often receive no notice of shelter openings. The Mayor also decides whether to enter into no bid contracts with for-profit providers.

Between last year’s enacted New York State budget and this year’s, we have allocated $3.1 Billion dollars to New York City for asylum seeker costs. This year, the budget gives $98 Million statewide for asylum seeker case management and legal services. Additionally, I joined my colleagues in the state legislature in calling on the federal government to grant Temporary Protective Status to migrants from other countries besides Venezuela as that would increase the number of work authorizations. I am committed to working with my colleagues in government to ensure both the shelter residents and the neighbors in the surrounding communities have access to the resources they need.

Community Events & News:

Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest, Albee Square, 6/22 11am-2pm. Community and cultural organizations, along with nonprofits will feature the completion of a 24-foot Brooklyn Bridge constructed entirely from recyclable materials. The event will also include hip hop workshops, music making, face painting, drum circles, spoken word, Tai Chi, and more. Details here.
Parent Workshop: Teach Kids Daily Calming Habits, 6/29 11am-12pm. Attend this workshop at Adams St Library to gain insights into creating a structured and mindful summer, setting the tone for improved focus, emotional awareness, and healthy communication.
Help Gowanus Mutual Aid (CSA) Fresh Produce Program, 6/29. GMA’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program supports public housing residents with over 320 bags of local fruits and vegetables every other week. They need volunteers with the ability to drive a van or box truck to support their food distribution on June 29th from 7am - 9am. The driver will bring produce to two locations in Gowanus from the GrowNYC drop off point at Gowanus Houses. Please email Claiborne at [email protected]. If you cannot drive a van or box truck, but want to volunteer you can sign up here.
Brooklyn Pup Pride Parade: Pups in the Park in Abolitionist Square, 6/29 11am-3pm. A free dog-friendly event in Downtown Brooklyn. Strike a pose at the pop-up photobooth, snag Pups Pet Club & Good Vets swag, get temporary doggy tattoos, march in the pup PRIDE parade, and more! Details here.