In Public Service – August 19, 2019

Nadler to call Judiciary Committee back

U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, chairperson of the House Judiciary Committee, said he will call the committee back into session during the recess to work on a series of bills dealing with gun violence. On Sept. 4, the committee will be working on several bills. On Sept. 25, the committee will hold a hearing on the danger of military-style assault weapons.

Nadler announced his decision in the wake of the horrific mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio.

“For far too long, politicians in Washington have only offered thoughts and prayers in the wake of gun violence tragedies. Thoughts and prayers have never been enough. To keep our communities safe, we must act,” said Nadler, a Democrat whose district includes parts of Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst.

“There is more that we can and must do to address the gun violence epidemic. We will not sit idly by,” Nadler added.

Levin demands release of construction site data

Councilmember Stephen Levin has introduced a bill that would require data collected from environmental monitoring of construction sites be made public.

Under Levin’s bill, the results of all environmental monitoring performed during construction would be posted online. Construction projects sometimes unearth unsafe toxins from soils and buildings and release them into the air and water, said Levin, who introduced the bill with Queens Councilmember Costa Constantinides, chairperson of the Environmental Protection Committee.

Nearly half of New York City apartment listings are located within a block of construction, according to Levin, who said residents know little about what is happening during construction and demolition work.

“Given the history of environmental negligence and direct harm to communities in my district, we cannot allow increased construction to continue without full transparency and information on environmental assessments and plans for mitigation,” said Levin, a Democrat representing Greenpoint and parts of Williamsburg, DUMBO and downtown Brooklyn.

Treyger secures $400,000 for NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island

Councilmember Mark Treyger visited NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island last week to join hospital officials to unveil new, upgraded ultrasound technology the hospital purchased with $400,000 in city funding that Treyger secured.

The funding allocation is aimed at improving women’s health, particularly for expectant mothers, according to Treyger, a Democrat who represents Coney Island, Gravesend and parts of Bensonhurst. Also on hand for the unveiling was Councilmember Calina Rivera, chairperson of the Committee on Hospitals. Rivera is a Democrat whose district includes the East Village, Gramercy Park and Kips Bay.

“Maternal mortality rates in the state of New York have dramatically risen in the past 10 years. It is imperative that we address this public health crisis by increasing awareness and medical services. The $400,000 in capital investments I secured for new ultrasound machines and urogynecology testing equipment at NYC Health + Hospitals/Coney Island will expand on the critical services they provide every Brooklynite and New Yorker that they serve,” Treyger said.

Gounardes congratulates local scholar

State Sen. Andrew Gounardes met with Dyker Heights resident Sean Hart and his family at his district office after it was learned that Hart received a full scholarship to SUNY Maritime College.

Gounardes, a Democrat representing Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights and several other Southwest Brooklyn neighborhoods, nominated Hart for the Cadet Appointment Program, a competitive scholarship awarded to students who meet certain academic standards.

Gounardes said he was impressed with Hart’s intelligence and work ethic.

“I have now had the opportunity to speak with Sean on multiple occasions about his plans, goals and inspiration to serve the community. He is an admirable example of the next generation’s leadership and I have no doubt that he will succeed greatly in college and beyond,” Gounardes said.