Dear John,

With less than four weeks left in Mayor Eric Adams’ term, he’s still blocking legislation that New Yorkers overwhelmingly support. But this week, the City Council took a powerful stand—overriding four of his vetoes and enacting a package of laws that will protect low-income families, advance pay equity, and finally bring accountability to our city’s contracting system.

Here is what passed:

Intro 1372 (Council Member Diana Ayala)
This bill ensures that households receiving housing vouchers through CityFHEPS will never be required to pay more than 30 percent of their total monthly income toward rent. The vetoed DSS rule would have raised that share to 40 percent after a household’s fifth year in the program, a devastating increase for thousands of low-income families.

Intro 982-A (Council Member Tiffany Cabán) and Intro 984-A (Council Member Amanda Farías)
Together, these bills demand pay transparency and equity in the private sector. Intro 982-A requires private employers with more than 200 employees in NYC to submit annual pay data reports, broken down by gender and race or ethnicity. Intro 984-A directs the designated agency to conduct a citywide annual pay equity study to identify wage gaps and systemic disparities across industries.

Intro 1248-B (Speaker Adrienne Adams)
This measure codifies the existing mayoral contracting oversight office into the City Charter by establishing an official Office of Contract Services. The new office will function as the City’s Chief Procurement Office and will oversee contracting, audit contracts, and coordinate procurement citywide, a major step toward fixing chronic delays that have harmed nonprofits for years.

How the Override Process Works
When the Council passes a bill, the Mayor has 30 days to sign or veto it. If the Mayor vetoes it, the bill is returned to the Council with his objections. The Council then has 30 days to hold an override vote. A two-thirds majority of the 51 members, at least 34 votes, is required. If that threshold is met, the bill becomes law despite the Mayor’s veto. This process ensures that the Council can act in the public interest even when the Mayor refuses to.

Council Veto Overrides Under Mayor Adams
This is not the first time the Council has had to step in. When the Mayor refused to act, we used our veto override power to protect New Yorkers — and we’ll keep doing it. The City Council Progressive Caucus, which I Co-Chair, has been at the center of these fights.

Here are some of the major bills we’ve overridden:

• How Many Stops Act — requires the NYPD to report detailed information about investigatory stops.

• Solitary Confinement Ban — prohibits prolonged isolation in city jails.

• Street Vendor Reforms — ends excessive misdemeanor criminal penalties for unlicensed street vending.

• Labor Protections for Grocery & Delivery Workers — strengthens workplace standards and wage protections for workers who keep this city running.

Mayor Adams’ veto of four essential bills—each of which passed the Council with a veto-proof majority—was yet another example of his refusal to collaborate and his rejection of fairness, stability, and basic good governance. His decision was a slap in the face to working women fighting for equal pay, to families struggling to stay housed, and to every New Yorker who expects responsible stewardship of public dollars.

We now have less than four weeks left of a mayor who has consistently shown indifference to the needs of everyday New Yorkers. And all I can say is: good riddance.

Standing with Workers Against Wage Theft

On Tuesday, we rallied in front of Indian Spice in Park Slope with the robbed workers, Workers’ Justice Project, and Comptroller Brad Lander to demand that the owner pay the wages these workers are owed. Fifteen months ago, immigrant workers walked into our office after months without pay. With our support—and the tireless work of our partners—they filed a complaint that resulted in a $3 million ruling against the restaurant’s owner.

Speaking with Brad, Workers’ Justice Project, and the aggrieved workers in front of Park Slope’s Indian Spice restaurant, on Tuesday morning.

But this week’s rally was a reminder that the fight isn’t over. Indian Spice owner Mariam Khandakar has still not paid the settlement. We will continue pressing the Department of Labor to use every enforcement tool at its disposal until every worker receives their full back wages, interest, and penalties.

In the meantime, we encourage our neighbors not to eat at Indian Spice and to help spread the word. 

You can read more in recent coverage by The Brooklyn Paper and on NY 12!

Coming forward took incredible bravery. By speaking out, these workers now have legal allies and will, hopefully very soon, receive the hundreds of thousands in owed. 

If you or someone you know may be a victim of wage theft, our office is here for you. Please reach out anytime.

Constituent Corner: Stopping Illegal Truck Traffic in Cobble Hill

Our office has received repeated complaints about long-haul semi trucks illegally turning from Atlantic Avenue into narrow residential streets, specifically at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Henry Street. This is creating dangerous conditions for residents and drivers alike. 

We sent a letter to the Department of Transportation requesting urgent updates to street infrastructure and signage. We will continue to monitor the situation and push for the changes our community needs! Read my full letter here.

Our Team Is Growing

As this Council term comes to a close, our team is entering a season of exciting growth and new beginnings.

We want to celebrate Alex Liao, our Senior Advisor, and Ali Boviab, our Kensington Liaison, for their incredible contributions to our office and our community. Alex will be bringing his talents to Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani’s Transition Team, and Ali will continue his advocacy for workers in a new role at the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. We are so proud of them both and cannot wait to see what they accomplish next.

We are equally thrilled to welcome Simone Lavin, who many of you know as Council Member Hanif’s 2025 Campaign Manager. Simone will be joining our team as Communications Director, and we are overjoyed to have her energy, creativity, and heart on board.

We also celebrate Hannah Henderson Charnow, who has led our budgeting and organizing work with dedication and care. Hannah will now step into a new role as our Legislative and Budget Director, where her leadership will continue to shine.

And finally, our team is still growing. We are currently hiring a District Director, and the application link is available here. A job posting for the Kensington Community Liaison position will be shared in the coming days. We look forward to welcoming more passionate New Yorkers into our office.

Members of our team new and old gathered to celebrate Alex and Ali as they move on to their new roles!

Local Land Use Community Meetings

Brooklyn Marine Terminal: Comment Period Extended to March 31!

The public comment period for the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Draft Scope of Work has been extended to March 31, 2026, a direct result of persistent community advocacy and our request for more inclusive, accessible engagement. This extension gives residents across the Columbia Waterfront District, Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, and the entire project area the time needed to understand and comment on the draft environmental review process and its connections to overlapping initiatives, such as the BMT RFEI, the Blue Highways Action Plan, and the DOT truck network redesign, to understand these connections, ask questions, and help shape the future of our waterfront. 

Written comments are due on March 31st and may be submitted on the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation website here.

At the recent December 1st public scoping hearing, I spoke about the environmental review issues most important to our District 39 waterfront communities by insisting that the Environmental Impact Study (1) place Environmental Justice at the center of the scoping process, (2) expand and clearly define the study area, (3) improve air quality and address truck traffic to make our streets safer while designing a port that works for the neighborhood, (4) ensure reliable transit, (5) strengthen climate resilience, flood protection, and the energy grid, and (6) plan for affordable housing, schools, local businesses, and open space that reinforce community needs. You can read my full testimony here. 

Atlantic Yards Redevelopment Project Workshop #2 on Monday (Tomorrow)!

The Atlantic Yards Redevelopment Project Public Workshop #2 is on Monday, December 8th from 6 PM – 8 PM. The location has changed—note that it is now at Barclays Center Practice Courts (NW corner of Barclays Arena on Atlantic Avenue, the “Qatar Airways VIP Entrance”). The discussion will focus on (1) Streetscape & Public Realm, (2) Sustainability & Resiliency, and (3) Community Serving Retail & Facilities. To ensure adequate space for all attendees, please register for the workshop using this form.

BrooklynSpeaks is also hosting a virtual panel on Monday, December 15th at 7 PM to discuss how public-private development can better deliver on promised public benefits, in light of expected changes to the Atlantic Yards plan. The event will feature experts from government and policy and is co-sponsored by the City Club and Voices of the Waterfront. Register here!

Additionally, as Atlantic Yards enters this new planning phase—and with Site 5 at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues located within Council District 39—public feedback is especially important at this stage of the project. We encourage everyone to take the Atlantic Yards Phase 2 survey. This short survey, which also provides the proposed project redesign background, will remain open until 1/16/26, and reflects topics from the public workshops. All responses will be submitted to Empire State Development to inform their Community Engagement Report expected in the first quarter of 2026. Contact information is only collected if you choose to provide it. Fill out the survey here.

In solidarity,

Council Member Shahana