First up today, monkeypox. There has been an alarming rise in orthopox cases in our City over the past few weeks, and our public health infrastructure has yet to meet the challenge. The federal government has been slow to deliver vaccine doses, and each time the City opens its online portal for appointments, the website crashes. We have been assured by the Department of Health that these problems are rectified, and those who meet the eligibility requirements should get a dose as quickly as possible. Governments need to learn from crises, and after over two years of dealing with COVID-19, we should be better prepared. I’ll keep everyone updated but know I’m working with my Council colleagues to get the necessary vaccine doses out in time to keep the outbreak contained.
 
Stated Recap
As promised, our first Stated recap! As I’ve mentioned before, the Council only meets once a month during July and August, which means legislative work can be slow, but also that these monthly meetings can be jammed packed.
 
I’m proud to say that this Thursday, the Council adopted two of my bills related to abortion rights, in addition to a suite of legislation championed by several of my colleagues. Intro 474A mandates the City conduct a public outreach campaign to let New Yorkers know about their rights to safe, legal, and unrestricted access to reproductive care in our City. My other bill, Intro 475A, creates a new private right to action (i.e. the ability to sue) for people who seek abortions in New York City but face civil lawsuits back in their home states. Modeled after similar legislation passed in Connecticut, this new legal protection will ensure people who access reproductive care in our City but face the possibility of a legal attack in their home state from individuals or organizations, have the legal recourse necessary to defund themselves. On the abortion front, I was also proud to see Intro 507, led by Council Member Rivera, pass, which mandates all City health sites provide abortion pills upon request for free to anyone who needs it.
 
I also introduced two pieces of legislation designed to empower immigrant communities. The first, Intro 569, will create an Immigrant Workers' Bill of Rights, which would be shared directly with workers and posted at physical and digital worksites. This essential information will help working-class immigrants, many of whom face regular workplace discrimination and labor violations from their employers, understand the tools they have to fight back. The second, Intro 570, would create an Office of Translation and Interpretation housed within the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA). As far too many immigrant communities learned during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the City struggles to provide even the most basic translation work. This legislation would rectify this glaring problem in City services by employing talented native speakers to carry out vital translation services, from public health messages to workplace rights notices.
 
In addition to passing and introducing new legislation myself, I also added my name to new and important legislation being introduced. My team and I always meet the day prior to the Stated meeting to review bills and add my name to legislation we know will help our community and further our vision for an anti-racist feminist City. On Thursday, I signed on to legislation requiring all children with an individualized education program (IEP) to be transported in buses with air-conditioning, slowly phasing out the use of horse-drawn carriages in Central Park, and a bill that would require landlords to provide tenants with documentation of damages when deducting money from a tenant’s security deposit. I was also proud to sign on to groundbreaking legislation to establish a Universal Basic Income (UBI) pilot (very exciting!) as well as a package of bills designed to reign in and regulate the 15-minute dark grocery industry that is hurting our bodegas and other small businesses.
 
One last legislative piece! We’ve heard from dozens of constituents about the adverse environmental and community impact of helicopters flying over our neighborhoods. I’m proud to have signed onto Council Member Restler’s legislation to ban non-essential helicopter flights across the City.
 
School Funding Fight
Three quick updates on the school funding fight. I’m continuing to meet with parents and teachers throughout our community to discuss the budget vote and its impacts. I’m grateful that during these discussions, I not only hear your feedback but also get to discuss ways we can work together to rectify these cuts. Next, if I haven’t met with you or you’re just curious about some of the back-room machinations of the budget vote, I went on the Indypendent News Hour this past Tuesday to pull back the curtain. Give it a listen (interview states at 17:15)! Finally, two letters have been sent to the Mayor recently regarding education funding. The first, spearheaded by Representative Jamal Bowman, was a strongly worded letter from our congressional delegation demanding that the lost funding be restored. It’s heartening to be in this fight with our federal colleagues, and I’m hopeful this extra pressure will be the support we need to force the Mayor’s hand. At the City level, I added my name to a letter sent by the Speaker demanding more information about the education budget cuts. Come August 1st, principals across the City have to solidify their budgets and teaching assignments for the coming school year. Time is running out, and as we learned recently, the Mayor still hasn’t been straightforward with how much funding our schools are losing. Our letter demands answers and that this funding, again, be reinstated immediately to ensure our schools remain fully funded into the following year.
 
41 Summit Street
This week at Stated, myself and the full Council voted to approve the rezoning application for 41 Summit Street in our district. As your Council Member, I have the unique authority to approve or disapprove rezoning applications in our community. This is not a responsibility I take lightly. It’s vitally important to me that no rezoning decision is made without collaboration from the community members who would be impacted. This application was for a single building that is currently zoned for manufacturing but would change to residential. Now, I am very concerned about the trend in our City of converting useful manufacturing space into more unaffordable housing, and so at the outset, I was opposed to this application. I believe if we are to allow such changes, there needs to be tangible community benefit. Through negotiations, we were able to secure a fourth of the building for affordable housing and a $20,000 investment for the nearby community garden. In truth, these negotiations and concessions are the only real tools I have as a Council Member in land use fights. I’m proud of what we’ve won for the community, but this process has only underscored the need for a comprehensive planning process in the City.
 
I know the land use process can be opaque, so I will always strive to explain my votes, the negotiation history, and my thoughts to keep our community informed.  
 
COVID-19
Cases citywide are continuing their rise as we see the BA.5 Omicron subvariant continue to pick up steam. The extent and intensity of this wave remains to be seen, but in the meantime, I have called on the Mayor to reinstate the indoor mask mandate. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we have to be vigilant as new variants appear and pose threats to the health and safety of our community. Now is the time to mask up, get boosted, and if you’re feeling sick - stay home and be sure to get tested!
 
Community Bulletin

• Come celebrate Caribbean history on August 6th at the Brooklyn Children’s Museum! The day will be filled with live music, performances, creative activities, games, and delicious food- fun for the whole family! Learn more about the event and be sure to get your tickets.
• Calling all parents and guardians! We are thrilled to be hosting a Parent Forum next Wednesday, 7/20, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Carroll Gardens Library for parents to learn more about education cuts and our budget organizing. Hope to see you there!
• On July 19th and 20th, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Health + Hospitals will be holding town hall webinars in order to give more information regarding COVID-19 vaccinations for children 6 months and older. July 19th’s webinar is for pediatric providers, staff, and trusted messengers, while July 20th’s webinar is specfically for parents and guardians.
• Sign up to be a Second Chance Studios (SCS) mentor! SCS runs a Digital Media Fellowship to empower formerly incarcerated fellows to gain economic stability and careers. As of right now, SCS is looking for mentors to support and present opportunities for those within the fellowship. Apply now!
• The American Debate League is proud to present their 2022 virtual summer camp for students interested in debate! Their weekly camps run from July 2nd to August 26th. They are also ecstatic to announce their Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship program, offering 100 full and partial scholarships for children to take part in their Virtual Speech and Debate Program, open to all upper elementary and high school students. Contact [email protected] for additional information or questions.
• Calling all SYEPers! Citi Bike is providing free 2-month Citi Bike memberships for 1200 SYEP participants, courtesy of Healthfirst, from July 1st - August 31st. Participants must be 16 or over and either live or work in the Citi Bike service area to qualify. Contact your SYEP provider for more information.
• Citi Bike’s operations partner, Motivate, is hiring! Several positions are available, including maintenance workers who play a crucial role in the system. Check out their website for more information and job listings.
• For alerts and up-to-date information, text “monkeypox” to 692692. If you meet the eligibility requirements for the vaccine, three mass vaccination sites are open as of today at:
  • Aviation High School (45-30 36th Street in Queens)
  • Bushwick Education (400 Irving Avenue in Brooklyn)
  • Bronx High School of Science (75 W 205th Street in the Bronx)

In Solidarity,
Shahana