Dear Neighbor,

I hope everyone enjoys their upcoming Labor Day weekend, and to our youngest neighbors and their families, I wish you a great first day of school next week, and a fun and productive school year!

Below, please find information on upcoming events, legislative and community updates, and other resources that may be of use.



As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at lkrueger@nysenate.gov or 212-490-9535.



Best,

Liz Krueger

State Senator

Last week, an Albany County Supreme Court judge rejected a lawsuit that would have required the New York State Board of Elections (BOE) to revise their proposed language for the ballot question relating to the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Proposition One, which voters will decide on at the November 5th General Election this year.

I had recently joined with advocates in urging the BOE to follow New York's Plain Language Law to ensure that voters received a clear description of what the Equal Rights Amendment will do, which should include pointing out that it will protect abortion rights and LGBTQ rights. You can read my op-ed on the issue in amNY by clicking here. I was joined by 31 of my Senate colleagues in submitting comments to the Board urging them to adopt more easily comprehensible language. You can read our letter by clicking here.

It is disappointing that the judge declined to require the BOE to inform voters in plain language of the impact of a yes or no vote on the Equal Rights Amendment. The fact is that the ERA was carefully drafted in consultation with constitutional lawyers to ensure that it will protect New Yorkers’ abortion rights, and other reproductive rights, from any future efforts by the state or local governments to take those rights away.

It is important to note that, regardless of the final language used for the ballot question, the language and impact of the amendment itself remain unchanged.

The ERA will amend the New York State constitution by adding protections for New Yorkers against discrimination by the government based on a person’s ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex, including their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, and right to reproductive health care services such as contraception and abortion.

This would be an expansion of the constitution's existing protections against discrimination based on a person’s race, color, creed, and religion.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Letitia James announced her decision not to defend Governor Kathy Hochul's actions that have prevented the Congestion Pricing program from being implemented. I issued the following statement at the time:

"I strongly support Attorney General James’ decision not to defend Governor Hochul’s “indefinite pause” of congestion pricing in the two recently filed lawsuits by the Sierra Club, Riders Alliance, NYC-EJA, and the City Club of New York. Setting aside for the moment my steadfast support of congestion pricing on policy grounds for more than a decade, I believe that the Governor is just plain wrong on her legal power to institute this pause, which she has recently suggested could well become a permanent measure based on nothing more than her own personal evaluation of the issue. This, to be clear, would be a radical act of disregard for the rule of law and the division of powers in New York State. 

"Congestion pricing is the law, passed by overwhelming majorities in both houses of the State Legislature and signed by the Governor’s predecessor as part of the 2019 State Budget. I applaud the Attorney General for her correct assertion that defending a unilateral attempt to override state law for political reasons would present a conflict of interest for her office. 

"I urge Governor Hochul to “unpause” congestion pricing and start this program up as soon as possible. All that is needed is the signature of the State Transportation Commissioner to begin collecting these tolls. We are already forty days late, and the excess traffic that could have been addressed by congestion pricing has already emitted almost 300,000 tons of CO2, wasted 1.5 million hours of peoples’ time in traffic, and deprived the MTA of more than $100 million in capital money. It is time for Governor Hochul to reaffirm the commitment to the environment that she professed in her meeting with Pope Francis back in May, to lead on the climate and on the public transit that is so essential to cutting our emissions and protecting public health, and to stop spending taxpayer money on outside counsel to defend her executive overreach. 



"I have not yet seen any policy alternative that fulfills the three major goals of congestion pricing: generating $1 billion per year in bondable revenue, reducing vehicle emissions and their associated climate and air quality-related impacts, and reducing traffic congestion significantly. In 2025, the legislature and the Governor will need to negotiate the next five-year MTA capital plan, likely to be at least $60 billion. Failure to implement Congestion Pricing adds another $15 billion to that price tag, plus the loss of over $10 billion from the federal government. I have strong doubts that the Governor’s hypothetical plan will come up with $85 billion for the MTA capital plan for the next 5 years, while reducing congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions in Manhattan without triggering a new federal environmental review process, and I continue to call for the timely implementation of congestion pricing, a policy I have supported for over ten years. There is no realistic alternative."

Older Adult Benefits Clinic

We are pleased to hold a benefits clinic for our constituents in conjunction with LiveOn NY. Attendees will meet one-on-one with a benefits expert from LiveOn NY to be screened for public benefits and begin eligible benefits applications. Each attendee will be screened for the following benefits:

• SNAP (food stamps)
• HEAP
• SCRIE/DRIE
• Medicaid
• Medicare Savings Program
• EPIC
• Property tax exemptions (SCHE, DHE, STAR & ESTAR - also veterans property tax exemptions)
• Energy Affordability Program (Con Ed & National Grid)
• Lifeline
• One Shot Deal
• Public Assistance

To participate in this event, you must make an appointment in advance, be 62 years or older, and live in Senate District 28. Space is very limited and appointments will be given on a first-come first-served basis. 

Please RSVP by calling our office at 212-490-9535.

The district office is located at 211 E. 43rd Street, Suite #2000 (20th Floor). The building is situated between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. When you enter the building off 43rd Street, you will be required to sign in at the reception desk. Once you have signed in, please proceed to the bank of elevators and take one of the elevators on the left side to the 20th Floor. Turn right once you exit the elevator and the office is straight ahead.

Please do not arrive without an appointment as we will be unable to accommodate walk-ins.

NYS Master Plan on Aging (MPA)

Session IV - New Technology Designed

With Older Adults In Mind

Thursday, September 12th, 10am - 11:30am

Are you frustrated by technology designed without you in mind? You are not alone. Despite the challenges, technology holds great promise, and there are many new devices that can help support you as you age in the community. Learn about technology classes geared toward the way older people learn, and the state-of-the-art devices that are actually designed for you. 

Speakers:

Tom Kamber, PhD 

Executive Director, Older Adult Technology Services (OATS)

Alex Guitelman

Owner, ResponseLink of Manhattan

Mark Surabian

Assistive Technology Consultant, The Marlene Myerson JCC Manhattan

You will have the option of joining the event online through Zoom.

You will also have the option to view the event online through Facebook. Please note that you do not need a Facebook account or profile to view the event through Facebook.

Finally, you will have the option of calling in to access the audio-only portion of the event.

The event will be recorded, and will be available to view afterwards at krueger.nysenate.gov, along with any slides and links that were shared.

**If you register for an event, a confirmation email with the Zoom link and the call-in information will be sent at least a week in advance of the event.** 

The event will feature a question and answer session with the presenters. If you have questions about the types of technology support available for older adults and those that are user friendly, you should attend the event on September 12th. Attendees will be able to submit questions through Zoom and Facebook during the event but are *strongly* encouraged to submit them in advance. 

Please let us know if you plan to attend the September 12th Roundtable and RSVP to https://tinyurl.com/9-12-24-Older-Adult-Roundtable.

Below you will find the date for the one remaining MPA session. Mark your calendar if you are interested. We will send out separate a RSVP form for the final session a few weeks before it is scheduled to occur. 

Session V

Thursday, September 26th from 10 am – 11:30 am

Advocacy

Health Dept. to Spray for Adult Mosquitoes in

Parts of Manhattan on September 5th

In my email dated Monday, August 26th, I informed you that trucks would be spraying pesticides in parts of Manhattan that evening. Since then, the New York City Health Department has announced that trucks will spray pesticides in other parts of Manhattan on Thursday, September 5th between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following morning in order to reduce the risk of West Nile Virus. In case of bad weather, application will be delayed until Monday, September 9th between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. the following morning.

Trucks will spray in the following neighborhoods: Parts of Bowery, Chinatown, Civic Center, East Village, Financial District, Flatiron, Gramercy Park, Greenwich Village, Kips Bay, Little Italy, Lower East Side, Midtown South, NOHO, SOHO, Tribeca, Two Bridges, Union Square, and West Village.

In order to stay safe during spraying, the Health Department advises:

• Stay indoors, whenever possible.
• Air conditioners can remain on. While unnecessary, you may wish to close air conditioner vents, or choose the recirculate function.

After spraying, wash skin and clothing exposed to pesticides with soap and water, and, as always, wash fruits and vegetables with water.

The Health Department states it will use very low concentrations of Anvil 10+10, Duet, or MERUS 3. The risks of pesticides applied by the Health Department are low to people and pets. Some people who are sensitive to spray ingredients may experience short-term eye or throat irritation, or a rash. People with respiratory conditions may also be affected.

A map of the areas that will be sprayed is below.

The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance is in the process of issuing the supplemental Empire State Child Credit payments authorized in the 2024-25 State budget. This initiative will provide payments to New Yorkers who received the Empire State Child Credit on their 2023 state tax returns (ie, the returns that were filed this past April).

More than 1.5 million low- and moderate-income New Yorkers will receive relief payments, averaging $223, through this program.

Taxpayers are entitled to a payment if, for tax year 2023, they received at least $100 for the Empire State Child Credit and filed a New York State Resident Income Tax Return (Form IT-201) by April 15, 2024, or had a valid extension of time to file.

Taxpayers do not need to do anything; the Tax Department will automatically calculate the payment amounts and send checks to eligible taxpayers.



Additional Empire State Child Credit Payment Amounts

Payments range from 25% to 100% of the amount of the Empire State Child Credit received for tax year 2023. The percentage depends on income:

The Tax and Finance website has been updated with detailed information about the initiative. For more information, please visit Additional Empire State Child Credit Payments.

NYC Local Law 1 To Address Problems In Vacant Apartments Goes Into Effect

The New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has announced that with curbside composting coming to the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island beginning October 6, residents of those boroughs can now request a FREE brown bin for their compostable material at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting. Putting compostable material in a separate, secure bin is a key part of the City’s War on Rats.

This program is simple to use: just put anything from your kitchen or anything from your garden out in your composting bin on your recycling day, right next to the metal, glass, plastic, and paper recycling you already set out.

Many residents of these boroughs already have a composting bin, and unlike in past programs, they may also use their own bin provided it is 55 gallons or less and has a secure lid; however, bin orders are open now at nyc.gov/curbsidecomposting. Orders will remain open until October 28, but must be placed this month to guarantee delivery before the start of service.

As a reminder, under the law, separation of compostable material is mandatory after service begins in each borough, with DSNY authorized to write summonses beginning in the Spring of 2025.

Material collected through these programs is turned into either renewable energy to heat homes or into compost sold to landscapers and given away free to New Yorkers for use in their yards and gardens. Without these programs, it would all go to landfill, becoming nothing but harmful greenhouse gasses. In Fiscal Year 2023, DSNY diverted approximately 211 million pounds of compostable material from landfill – up from 165 million the year before – and this citywide rollout will balloon those incredible numbers even further.

NYC Ferry is happy to announce that starting on September 1, 2024, NYC High Schoolers now have the opportunity to use discounted NYC Ferry tickets on weekdays for the purpose of traveling to and from school!

To enroll in the Ferry Student Discount Program, eligible students must have their guardian log into or create a New York City Student Account (NYCSA). For information on how to do that, see here.

Starting August 1, 2024, guardians can click a button within the NYCSA portal to request a NYC Ferry student discount code that will be assigned to the eligible student. There are two ways students can buy discounted tickets once they have their discount code.

1. NYC Ferry App or

2. Paper tickets purchased at the Wall St./Pier 11 ticketing window, open every day between 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM.

Discount Codes can only be applied once within one NYC Ferry account and cannot be applied to both the App for mobile discount tickets and on the website for paper discount tickets.

Please note that:

• Student Discount Tickets are only valid for use on weekdays.

• All Student Discount Tickets will expire on August 31, 2025.

• Students must re-enroll in the program each year.

Applications for paper student discount tickets will be accepted starting August 1, 2024; however, students and/or guardians will not be able to purchase or use student discount paper tickets until September 1, 2024.

DSNY hosts SAFE (Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, and Electronics) Disposal events every year. Events are held in all five boroughs, and NYC residents can drop off chemical products, medical waste, and electronics. You may be asked to provide proof of NYC residency (NYS driver license, utility bill). These events are for NYC residents ONLY, not businesses. Commercial vehicles are NOT allowed.

All events run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM – rain or shine.

Manhattan: Sunday, September 22, 2024

Union Square, North Plaza

South side of 17th Street, between Park Avenue South and Broadway

Cars approach from Park Avenue South & 20th Street

Walk-in area available

What to Bring

• Automotive products (antifreeze, car batteries gasoline, motor oil, transmission fluid)
• Electronics (computers and accessories, TVs and video equipment, cell phones, tablets, e-readers, video game consoles)
• Household products
• cleaners, pesticides, nail polish, paint
• compact fluorescent light bulbs
• flammable gas, fire extinguishers
• rechargeable batteries
• thermostats
• e-cigarettes, vape pens
• Medical items (medications, syringes, needles, scalpels, lancets)

We DO NOT accept plug-in appliances (microwaves, vacuum cleaners, box fans) or ones containing CFCs.

How to Bring It

Read item labels carefully before handling. Follow directions for any items labeled DANGER, POISON, or CAUTION.

To get items ready for transport:

• Label products clearly
• Seal containers tightly
• Place syringes and lancets in leak-proof, puncture-resistant containers (like "sharps" containers)
• Pack leaky items inside larger containers, using absorbent material to soak up excess fluid
• Put items with broken glass into separate sealed bags or boxes.

NOTE: DO NOT mix products or bring open containers.

What Happens to It

Materials collected are either recycled, blended for fuel, or sent to licensed hazardous waste treatment facilities for safe disposal. Electronics are recycled or refurbished for reuse through ERI. Unwanted medications are managed by environmental police and incinerated to prevent unintentional poisonings or entry into the water supply.