In April 2022, I wrote to Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks calling on the New York State Courts to stop calendaring eviction cases faster than lawyers can be assigned to low-income tenants who qualify for free representation under the Right to Counsel law in New York City. Following the […]
In April 2022, I was pleased to lead the passage of my bill A05499 which directs the NYS Department of Health to conduct a study on the prevalence of limited service pregnancy centers, sometimes called “fake clinics.” These centers are not state licensed medical facilities, but frequently use tactics which can lead a reasonable person to think they can receive medical care. New Yorkers who may think they are pregnant may see an offer of a free pregnancy test as an indication that reproductive health services are available when the focus of these centers is to counsel against pregnancy termination. Startingly, much anecdotal evidence suggests that limited service pregnancy centers use misinformation, stalling tactics, and coercion to dissuade pregnant individuals from seeking an abortion.
This legislation will equip the Department of Health and legislators with a clearer understanding of the prevalence, services, affiliations, and other relevant information regarding limited service pregnancy centers in New York so policymakers can determine how to best support pregnant individuals in getting accurate information and safe reproductive health care.
I was gratified to see my bill A5728 which prohibits the use of lead ammunition when hunting on state land and land that contributes surface water to the New York City water supply pass in the Assembly in March 2022. Lead is a highly toxic substance that can cause extensive nervous system damage, reduce fertility, […]
In February 2022, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Street Vendor Project coalition to discuss Bill A5081, on which I am a proud co-sponsor. Street vendors have been an integral part of New York City’s landscape since the city’s earliest days. Business owners who have been excluded from the formal economy, many of […]
I was disappointed to see the New York City Council approve the SoHo/NoHo Neighborhood Plan in December 2021 in one of their last actions as a deliberative body. While there have been minor modifications to the re-zoning, these modest changes do not effectively correct the many problems with a large-scale zoning change in this neighborhood. Throughout 2021, as our community has discussed this Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), I have been clear that drastic increases in commercial Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the opportunity zones, lack of protections for existing artist residents, failure to address big-box and food hall commercial spaces, and the inclusion of the “arts fund” make this proposal a bad deal for our community.
Opponents to this plan have been cast as “NIMBYs” whose singular desire to retain over-inflated property values and parking comes at the expense of rent-burdened or homeless New Yorkers who would benefit from the creation of affordable housing in SoHo and NoHo. What is lost when we paint fellow New Yorkers with such a broad brush is the legitimate policy discussion about how much housing will be created when we continually rely on luxury development as a vehicle for construction. Residents in this community have asked if they can trust the de Blasio Administration, Department of City Planning, and the Department of Housing, Preservation, and Development when they claim that thousands of affordable units will be developed despite seeing affordable housing evaporate from the St. John’s Terminal/550 Washington ULURP which was negotiated only a few years ago.
There are many shameful examples of broken promises or missed opportunities seen in every Trump SoHo, air-rights sale that led to a fully luxury building, or the new tech company campus in Lower Manhattan. I am concerned for every rent stabilized building that may be lost due to real estate speculation and tenant harassment. I am concerned that small businesses serving local residents may be pushed out in favor of destination retail. I am concerned that working artists may be taxed and fined for non-conforming uses when the city chose not to create a legalization mechanism or work with the state to find a solution when this process started three years ago. I will continue to fight for New Yorkers and this community who deserve affordable homes, open green space, and limited commercial or luxury development that alters the character of our neighborhoods. I believe that the only way to make SoHo and NoHo available to all New Yorkers is to prioritize the community’s needs over the whims of developers.
In October 2019, the Governor signed my bill, Assembly Bill 4315 which I cosponsored with Senator Brad Hoylman (S55), that requires the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) to create and maintain a public database of information that is specific to on-premise liquor licenses. Much of this information is already in digital format as it has been standard practice at SLA to maintain digital copies. This new law ensures that SLA will make such information readily available online so that any member of the public can easily ascertain specific information about a bar or restaurant.
Historically, members of the public, or members of the local community boards, have been forced to submit a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request in order to gain information about a premise’s stipulations that were passed in the SLA Full Board. This information is important for neighborhood residents and local police to ensure that bars and restaurants are complying with their stipulations. We hope that with more readily available information the community will have greater awareness of the stipulations governing the bars and restaurants that residents typically live above.
I wrote to Governor Cuomo in August 2019 to express my concerns about the proposed siting for the Bluestone Energy Project, which would bring 26 670-foot wind turbines to Broome County. While projects like this are critical for fighting climate change, the proposed site for these turbines lies in an area with high numbers of […]
New York has taken important steps to fight climate change this year, including the passage of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. To achieve the goals of this landmark legislation, we will need to be innovative in our approach to renewable energy. To this end, in August 2019, I wrote again to Governor Cuomo […]
On June 28, 2019, I was happy to join the Department of Transportation’s Commissioner Polly Trottenberg and other colleagues for a press conference along West Street in Lower Manhattan to announce the installation of a new speed camera on the busy thoroughfare near two elementary schools. The School Safety Camera bill I sponsored in the […]
In the 2019 Session it was my pleasure to help pass legislation that would ensure upgrades to the electrical substation that is located under Grand Canal Court Park at the corner of Avenue of the Americas and Canal Street. This will allow for necessary upgrades to the power load along the A, C, and E […]
Over the last several months, I have written multiple times to the New York City Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about how the speculative nature of the New York City real estate market has caused property values to balloon at the expense of local residents. This, in turn, has caused an exponential increase in […]
A century after the first two women arrived in Albany, New Yorkers elected a record number of women to state government. Here are the stories about how they made their mark.
By Vivian Wang / March 25, 2019
I am thrilled to report that on March 19, 2019 my school zone speed camera expansion bill was passed in both the Assembly and Senate. This historic passage is the culmination of several years’ work to ensure that all children, their caregivers, and school staff are protected against the dangers of speeding motorists as they […]
In March 2019 I testified before the City Planning Commission (CPC) at the Department of City Planning (DCP) regarding the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application that would destroy Elizabeth Street Garden. This difficult and complicated ULURP is a prime example of the need for the DCP to exact an evaluative and nuanced understanding […]
March 2019 The Williams Pipeline is a 23-mile pipeline proposed by Williams Transco that would run under New York Harbor to deliver fracked gas from Pennsylvania through the waters off Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. What could possibly go wrong? Williams Transco’s application for the pipeline was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee (FERC) […]
By M.L. Nestel / January 24, 2019 Death litters the base of the sky-mirroring Time Warner Center. Dozens of badly damaged songbirds bash into its panes and disappear when they meet Charlie Alamo’s broom and dustbin. “I’ve seen a lot of dead birds here,” he told Newsweek last year. Collecting chirpless birds has become part of […]
On January 22, 2019, the 46th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, the state legislature passed the Reproductive Health Act, a bill that I sponsored and helped to pass in the Assembly a number of times in previous years, and finally was signed into state law at the start of the legislative session. Once a national […]
During the first week of the new session, in January 2019, the legislature passed my bill which bans Conversion Therapy practices from being administered to minors. While adults can make their own decisions, in the State of New York no person under the legal age of 18 who is questioning their sexuality or gender identity […]
In December 2018, I wrote to the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding a number of intersections along West 4th Street that intersect with Charles Street, Perry Street, West 11th Street, Bank Street, and finally West 12th Street. Because of the stoplight at West 11th Street, drivers eager to make the light at […]
As you know, ensuring New York City’s utilities are functioning at their full capacity is essential to keeping the City running. Although noise from construction projects is expected in the City that never sleeps, many residents in Lower Manhattan feel inundated with the constant flow of never-ending construction projects, extended completion dates and constant construction […]
In December 2018, I wrote to the New York City Laws Department to inquire about polices within different emergency agencies such as the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) and New York City Police Department (NYPD). A startling article in the New York Post outlines a discrimination claim within FDNY regarding an African American man, […]
October 4, 2018 | Posted by: The Villager BY LINCOLN ANDERSON Middle-schoolers were laughing, screaming and happily cavorting with each other. Humongous bubbles were blowing around everywhere and bursting on top of people. A girl was stiltwalking through the crowd while balancing a stack of schoolbooks on her head. Meanwhile, trying to be heard above […]
September 2018 This month, I again submitted testimony regarding a Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP) application for 27 East 4th Street, a lot with a single story building that directly abuts the Merchant’s House Museum and threatens to destroy this indispensable historic home in New York City. The proposal would allow the construction of […]
Letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu August 15, 2018 I am writing to express my deep disappointment at the passage of a new surrogacy law that expanded state-supported surrogacy to single women but excludes same-sex couples and single men, in turn effectively denying state-supported surrogacy to Israel’s gay citizens. As a proud Jewish legislator and […]
Letter to U.S. Army Corp of Engineers August 8, 2018 As the Assemblymember representing much of Lower Manhattan’s west side, I am deeply invested in both the health of the Hudson River and in protecting the communities I serve from flood damage. I witnessed the damage that Super Storm Sandy wrought on New York’s coastal […]
Letter to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue August 2, 2018 It has recently come to my attention that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is suspending their contract with NoVo Dia Group, the only USDA-authorized contractor utilized to facilitate the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment at neighborhood Farmers Markets. Due to the […]
STATE SENATE JEOPARDIZING THE SAFETY OF NEW YORK WOMEN AND CHILDREN July 2018 New York, NY- Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, Borough President Gale Brewer and advocates Transportation Alternatives, Planned Parenthood demand Senate Majority Leader Flanagan call the State Senate back to Albany immediately to vote on the Reproductive Health Act (A.1748/S.2796) and […]
Letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions June 15, 2018 I am writing to demand that you immediately repeal the “zero tolerance” immigration policy you announced May 7, which has created a crisis at the border and had untold negative consequences for those seeking asylum, families, and communities. Since your announcement, which stated that the Department […]
Letter to Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen June 6, 2018 I was deeply distressed to learn of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) announcement that it would begin separating children from their parents when they present themselves at the US-Mexican border, and have been horrified by the testimony and recent coverage of those families who have been […]
May 3, 2018 “There is no place for inhumane and cruel wildlife killing contests in a civilized society. These activities are portrayed by some as entertainment, but they engender a heartless disrespect for humans’ relationship with nature and are disruptive to the ecosystem. I thank the Humane Society of the United States for continuing to […]
Capitol Pressroom Interview March 21, 2018 The Reproductive Health Act which would codify the Roe v. Wade decision into New York State law has stalled in the Senate Health Committee. We discussed the effort to pass the bill with the lead sponsor of the Assembly version, Asm. Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan). Listen to the whole story […]
Letter to Secretary Wilbur Ross March 23, 2018 I urge Secretary Ross to reject any attempt to include questions regarding U.S. citizenship and immigration status in the 2020 Decennial Census. Asking for such information would have a chilling effect on the Census completion rate. The United States Census Bureau states that the goal of the […]
Co-Naming MacDougal Street in Honor of Lucy & Lenny Cecere April 4, 2018 “I am proud to support the co-naming of MacDougal Street in honor of Lucy and Lenny Cecere and this block is where their wonderful store “Something Special” was located. Lucy and Lenny were pillars of the South Village community, and were original […]
Letter to Attorney General Sessions Regarding Sanctuary Cities February 15, 2018 I am outraged at comments made by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during a Senate committee hearing confirming that DHS has requested that the Department of Justice investigate whether it is possible to arrest state and local elected officials in so-called […]
Letter to Secretary R. Alexander Acosta regarding Tipped Wages January 25, 2018 I have deep concerns about the Department of Labor’s proposed rule that would transfer control of tips out of the hands of workers and into the hands of employers. The Department of Labor has argued that the current rules governing tips are unfair […]
Letter to Pope Francis to Protect the Church of the Nativity January 19, 2018 Dorothy Day was a New York native, activist, devout Catholic, co-founder of The Catholic Worker and generator of the Catholic Worker Movement. She has been named a Servant of God and is undergoing the canonization process. As a New Yorker, her […]
Published in Bustle on November 7, 2017 “Deborah Glick regularly works across party lines in her role as a Democratic member of the New York State Assembly, and firmly believes that more women in power would lead to better outcomes across the board, particularly in education and healthcare.
November 2, 2017 Every 20 years, New Yorkers are asked to decide whether this state should hold a constitutional convention to consider constitutional amendments. That question will be on the ballot once again on Election Day. Holding a constitutional convention would threaten many of the essential protections already included in the New York State Constitution, […]
March 16, 2017 “Some lawmakers still remain concerned over the overall business model for ride hailing and its treatment of drivers and safety for passengers, including women and the disabled. ‘It’s a very, very large company that sees itself as a technology company, and therefore provides a platform, but does not view their drivers as […]
My heart goes out to the friends and families of those lost and injured in the horrific attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida …
Testimony before the Landmarks Preservation Commission June 7, 2016 Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today regarding the proposed redevelopment of 11 Jane Street, within the Greenwich Village Historic District. This proposal includes the demolition of the existing garage structure and the new construction of a 95 foot tall residential building. The […]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today regarding the potential changes in renewal leases for rent-stabilized tenants …
Testimony Regarding Success Academy’s Application in Manhattan’s Community School District 1 January 8, 2015 Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you regarding Success Academy Charter School’s application to open an elementary school in Manhattan’s Community School District 1. I gave previous testimony regarding Success Academy when it was slated to enter community school […]
Testimony Before the Landmarks Preservation Commission June 25, 2013 Thank you for the opportunity to testify today regarding the proposed South Village Historic District. The South Village is full of a rich cultural and architectural history that must be preserved. I hope this hearing is a sign of a significant commitment to help ensure that […]
Testimony Regarding the Department of Environmental Conservation Proposed Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Regulations November 30, 2011 As the Assemblymember who represents a large portion of lower Manhattan I continue to oppose New York State’s proposed venture into the intensive process of Hydraulic Fracturing (“Fracking”). This proposed venture has the potential to greatly […]
Testimony before the Department of City Planning regarding the Re-zoning of the Third Avenue Corridor August 24, 2010 Thank you for this opportunity to testify before you today regarding the rezoning of the Third Avenue Corridor. I fully support the re-zoning of this area, especially in light of the fact that the Bowery is an […]
