The Justice Department Takes Actions to Strengthen the Federal Death Penalty

 

President Trump’s Day-One Executive Order Directed the Department to Prioritize Seeking and Implementing Death Sentences to Protect Public Safety

The Department of Justice acted to restore its solemn duty to seek, obtain, and implement lawful capital sentences—clearing the way for the Department to carry out executions once death-sentenced inmates have exhausted their appeals. Among the actions taken are readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration, expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases. These steps are critical to deterring the most barbaric crimes, delivering justice for victims, and providing long-overdue closure to surviving loved ones.

“The prior administration failed in its duty to protect the American people by refusing to pursue and carry out the ultimate punishment against the most dangerous criminals, including terrorists, child murderers, and cop killers,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Under President Trump’s leadership, the Department of Justice is once again enforcing the law and standing with victims.”

On his first day in office, President Trump directed the Department of Justice to prioritize seeking death sentences in appropriate cases, promptly carrying out those sentences, and strengthening the death penalty.  Since then, the Department has taken sustained action to implement that directive and reverse the Biden Justice Department’s efforts to erode the death penalty.

The Biden Justice Department, under Attorney General Merrick Garland, broke sharply from its longstanding approach to capital crimes and took extraordinary steps to weaken, delay, and dismantle the death penalty.  In doing so, it caused untold harm to the public.  Specifically, the Biden Justice Department:

• Imposed an indefinite moratorium on executions based on a deeply flawed analysis asserting that the existing federal practice of execution by lethal injection with pentobarbital could not be carried out without risking “unnecessary pain and suffering.”
• Declined to seek the death penalty in many horrific cases, even where career prosecutors and Biden’s own U.S. Attorneys recommended it, including cases involving child rapists and murderers; racially motivated mass shooters; and gangsters and drug dealers who murdered law enforcement officers, government witnesses, and informants.
• Abandoned capital prosecutions that prior Attorneys General had lawfully authorized and that federal prosecutors were actively litigating—against the wishes of victims’ families and career prosecutors.
• Urged President Biden to effectively empty federal death row by commuting the death sentences of 37 of 40 death-row inmates based on Attorney General Garland’s personal opposition to the death penalty without consulting all the victims’ families.

Under the leadership of President Trump and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Justice Department is committed to correcting these failures and restoring the lawful administration of the death penalty.  The Department has rescinded the Biden-Garland moratorium on federal executions and has authorized seeking death sentences against 44 defendants.  Acting Attorney General Blanche has already authorized seeking death sentences against nine of these defendants, including three MS-13 members, two of whom are illegal aliens, accused of murdering a federal witness.

The Justice Department took the following steps to better achieve public safety and deliver justice to victims of the very worst crimes:

• Released the Restoring and Strengthening the Federal Death Penalty Report, which examines the actions of the Biden-Garland Justice Department and, after a thorough analysis, finds that the use of pentobarbital to carry out death sentences is consistent with the Eighth Amendment.
• Directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate the execution protocol adopted during the first Trump Administration, which relies on pentobarbital as the lethal agent.
• Directed BOP to expand the execution protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad.
• Directed BOP to examine relocating or expanding federal death row or constructing an additional execution facility to permit additional manners of execution.
• Directed the Office of Legislative Affairs to finalize and deliver a comprehensive legislative proposal to Congress that will improve public safety and better achieve justice for victims.

In the coming weeks, the Department plans to take the following additional steps:

• Consider a rule that will empower states to streamline federal habeas review of capital cases.  If adopted, the rule will reduce by years the period between conviction and execution in state capital cases.
• Publish a proposed rule prohibiting capital inmates from submitting clemency petitions, and the Office of the Pardon Attorney from considering such petitions, until court decisions in the inmate’s direct appeal and first collateral attack are final.
• Revise the Justice Manual to return the Department to its historic approach to capital crimes, streamline the process for seeking death sentences, and ensure appropriate consultation with victims’ families.

Read the report here.

U.S. Soldier Charged With Using Classified Information To Profit From Prediction Market Bets

 

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Kash Patel, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced the unsealing of an Indictment charging GANNON KEN VAN DYKE, a U.S. Army Soldier, with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction.  The charges arise from an alleged scheme in which VAN DYKE used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket, a prediction marketplace.  As alleged in the Indictment, VAN DYKE participated in the planning and execution of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” and VAN DYKE used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit.  The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.

“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton.  “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit.  That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law.  Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain.  Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who misuse confidential or classified information in a way that undermines and exploits our national security.”

“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.  “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”

“This announcement makes clear no one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s secrets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.  “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable.”

“Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly betrayed his fellow soldiers by utilizing classified information for his own financial gain,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr.  “Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of his role as a U.S. Army soldier.  The FBI will continue to investigate threats to our nation's security especially from those entrusted to safeguard sensitive classified information and military operations.”

As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

VAN DYKE has been an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg, a military base located in Fayetteville, North Carolina.  In connection with his work, VAN DYKE signed nondisclosure agreements in which he promised to “never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information” relating to military operations.  Starting around December 8, 2025, and continuing through at least January 6, 2026, VAN DYKE was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, a military operation to capture Maduro, and had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about that operation.

In 2025, Polymarket, a prediction marketplace operated by Blockratize, Inc., began offering binary event contracts related to whether certain events involving Venezuela and/or Maduro would, or would not, occur.  Those event contracts included the future likelihood of “US forces in Venezuela by” certain dates, the future likelihood of Maduro being “out” of or removed from power by certain dates, the future likelihood of the U.S. invading Venezuela by on or before January 31, 2026, and the future likelihood of President Trump “invokeing War Powers against Venezuela” by a certain date.

As alleged, on or about December 26, 2025, VAN DYKE created a Polymarket account, funded it, and began trading on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets.  In total, VAN DYKE made approximately 13 bets from December 27, 2025, through the evening of January 2, 2026.  Those bets all took the “YES” position on “U.S. Forces in Venezuela . . . by January 31, 2026”; “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026”; “Will the U.S. invade Venezuela by . . . January 31,”; or “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by . . . January 31.”  VAN DYKE bet a total of approximately $33,034 on those outcomes while in possession of classified nonpublic information about Operation Absolute Resolve.

In the predawn hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela, and hours later the President of the United States announced the successful operation.  Following the President’s public announcement, Polymarket resolved several Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts to “YES,” including the markets “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026,” and “US forces in Venezuela by . . . January 31, 2026.”  As a result, VAN DYKE won his wagers on those contracts.  In total, VAN DYKE allegedly profited approximately $409,881.

Following his successful trading relating to Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts, VAN DYKE allegedly sent most of his proceeds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a newly created online brokerage account.  The same day of the operation, VAN DYKE withdrew the majority of his allegedly unlawful proceeds from his Polymarket account.  Shortly after the announcement of Operation Absolute Resolve, reports of unusual trading in Maduro-related contracts on Polymarket appeared in the press and on social media.  VAN DYKE then took steps to conceal his identity as the trader in the Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets.  On or about January 6, 2026, for example, VAN DYKE asked Polymarket to delete his Polymarket account, falsely claiming that he had lost access to the email address to which the account had been associated.  That same day, VAN DYKE changed the email registered to his cryptocurrency exchange account to an email address that was not subscribed to in his name, and which he had created on or about December 14, 2025.

VAN DYKE, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of an unlawful monetary transaction, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.

Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.  Mr. Clayton also thanked the United States Department of War, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.  Mr. Clayton also acknowledged Polymarket’s cooperation in this investigation.

[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.

ON ARBOR DAY, DEC ANNOUNCES $46 MILLION NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH NEW ADVANCING FOREST MARKETS GRANT PROGRAM

 

Funding Supports Tree Supply Chain and Forest Products Economies and Helps Make Tree Seedlings More Affordable

Projects Will Help Advance New York State’s 25 Million Trees Initiative 

Applications Must Be Submitted by August 5

In celebration of Arbor Day, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton announced the official launch of a new grant program to expand forest product markets and businesses and increase the affordability and availability of tree seedlings for planting. 

“New York State’s forests are a cornerstone of our environment and economy,” said Commissioner Lefton. “This grant program will provide meaningful support to expand forest product markets and long-term reforestation and conservation efforts. As part of our broader commitment to climate resilience and sustainable land use, this investment in the forest products sector aims to ensure our forests remain healthy, productive, and accessible for generations.”

DEC’s Advancing Forest Markets (AFM) grant program is designed to help remove key barriers to large-scale tree planting efforts by increasing access to high-quality, locally grown seedlings for reforestation, afforestation, and climate resilience projects. It also seeks to strengthen New York State’s forest economy by expanding access to critical resources for producers of forest commodities like wood and maple syrup and other forestry businesses through projects that encourage innovation and expansion in product development, capacity, and market access. 

Eligible applicants must establish a Farm Record with the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency to obtain a Farm ID and either:

• specialize in collecting, processing, germinating, storing, propagating, and/or growing native trees or those that support this supply chain through associated market, workforce, and network development or
• own at least one acre of land that is forested or has the potential to become forested and allows for timber harvesting.

There are three unique funding categories through this grant program:

• 25 Million Trees Nursery Discount Program: Nurseries may apply for funding to offset costs to offer trees for sale to the public at a reduced cost;
• Growing Reforestation Opportunities: Nursery growers, seed collection networks, and other entities may apply for funding to scale up their production capacity and support tree supply chain markets; and
• Tree Market Boost and Revitalization Program: Forestry and forest product businesses and other entities may apply for funding to expand their capacity and support forest-based markets related to reforestation, forest management, low-grade wood products, timber, and other forest products.

Grant awards range from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $12 million with no match required.  Grant awards will include an incentive payment for program participation (between $2,000 and $10,000, dependent on project size). These incentive payments will be distributed after a contract becomes fully executed with DEC at the beginning of the project. All work funded through these grants must be completed before January 2028.

Applications will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Applications must be submitted through the Statewide Financial System (SFS). Those interested must register in SFS before applying. Not-for-profits must also prequalify before the application deadline. For more details about the grant opportunity, including eligibility information, examples of fundable projects, and application and scoring criteria, visit DEC’s website. 

State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said, “New York State’s working forests are a critical piece of our agricultural and rural economies, providing commodities like wood, fiber, and maple products. I commend the Governor and our partners at DEC for advancing an initiative that will further the state’s working land conservation goals, supporting our unique forest products while promoting sustainable forest stewardship and protecting this treasured resource for generations to come.” 

The 25 Million Trees Initiative was launched by Governor Hochul in recognition of how crucial New York’s forests are to mitigating climate change, combating extreme heat, and making communities more resilient. 

Whether you plant one tree or many, every New Yorker can contribute to the statewide total by recording the trees they plant in DEC’s Tree Tracker. To learn more about how to contribute to the 25 Million Trees Initiative, visit DEC’s webpage at on.ny.gov/25milliontrees.

This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under agreement number NR233A750004G035.

SMALL LOTS, BIG IMPACT: SPEAKER MENIN PROPOSES REFORMS TO UNLOCK UP TO 35,000 UNITS OF HOUSING ON SMALL LOTS ACROSS NEW YORK CITY

 

NYC Council Forms New Advisory Group on Housing Affordability to Shape and Inform Major Housing Policies

Aspart of the Council’s proactive land use and housing agenda, New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin today announced proposed reforms to the City’s Construction Codes to unlock new housing across the five boroughs. These reforms would be particularly impactful for small lots, where current regulations constrain the feasible design of additional housing. An initial analysis found that through legislative reforms that would create design efficiencies, the potential for up to 35,000 new units of housing could be unlocked on nearly 3,000 small lots across the five boroughs without undergoing burdensome, expensive, and time-consuming zoning changes.

Speaker Menin also announced the creation of a new Council Advisory Group on Housing Affordability, a panel of subject matter experts, advocates, organized labor, and community organizations that will help shape and inform the Council’s proactive policies to confront the housing crisis. The Advisory Group, which includes the expertise of architects, engineers, urban planners and designers, finance professionals, and fair housing advocates, will identify and refine proposals the Council can undertake to build, preserve, and support housing for New Yorkers.

Speaker Menin made the announcement at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York’s 2026 Honors and Awards Luncheon. Her remarks can be found here. Photos from the event can be found here.

“Across the five boroughs, there are thousands of small, underutilized lots that have the potential to deliver tens of thousands of new homes, but outdated rules and unnecessary red tape are standing in the way,” said Speaker Julie Menin. “That’s why we’re taking a proactive approach by convening a first-of-its-kind Advisory Group on Housing Affordability and advancing smart, targeted reforms to our Construction Codes. At a moment when vacancy is at historic lows and rents are at record highs, we have an obligation to act boldly and deliver real results for New Yorkers.”

New York City’s Construction Codes exist to ensure city buildings are safe for its occupants, but it also includes unnecessary regulations and red tape that hinder the development of housing. The Council intends to pursue targeted legislative reforms that maintain safety while spurring the creation of new, appropriately sized residential buildings on small lots between 15- and 27-feet wide.

According to the Council’s analysis, there are approximately 2,850 small lots across New York City that are vacant or underbuilt with non-residential uses. Through targeted reforms, these small lots could be developed as-of-right with housing in buildings up to 8 stories, which are less costly to build and generally rent and sell at lower prices than taller buildings, which cost more to build. Unlocking new housing on small lots would generate new jobs and add tax revenue for the City. It would also transform underutilized, often abandoned and trash-filled lots and revitalize communities throughout the five boroughs with homes that are more accessible to New Yorkers.

New York City is in the midst of a generational housing crisis, with a 1.4 percent housing vacancy rate, the lowest in more than five decades. The median rent in Manhattan remains $5,000 per month as of March 2026, with the number of active listings falling for the 19th consecutive month.

“As Chair of the Committee on Land Use, I see every day how outdated rules and unnecessary barriers limit our ability to build the housing New Yorkers urgently need,” said Council Member Kevin C. Riley. “Speaker Menin’s Small Lots initiative is a smart, targeted approach that unlocks real opportunity by turning underutilized spaces into homes without compromising safety or neighborhood character. The creation of the Council’s Advisory Group on Housing Affordability brings together the expertise, lived experience, and cross-sector leadership we need to shape thoughtful, forward-looking solutions. Together, these efforts reflect a proactive, collaborative path to delivering more housing and a more affordable New York for every generation.”

“New York City is in a deep affordability crisis, and every additional home unlocked matters,” said Council Member Pierina Sanchez, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings. “I applaud Speaker Menin for launching this Advisory Group to unlock more housing across the city, including on small lots that have long gone underutilized. This effort will bring experts together in a new format to allow NYC to consider legislative reforms and design efficiencies that maintain safety while expanding opportunities to build.”

Attorney General James Joins Bipartisan Coalition Defending States’ Gambling Laws Against Prediction Markets

 

AG James and 37 Other Attorneys General File Amicus Brief in Support of Massachusetts’ Lawsuit Against Kalshi for Violating State Gambling Laws by Offering Sports Betting

New York Attorney General Letitia James joined a bipartisan coalition of 37 other attorneys general in filing an amicus brief supporting Massachusetts’ lawsuit against the prediction market platform Kalshi for illegally offering sports betting in violation of the state’s gambling laws. Kalshi allows its users to bet on the outcomes of a wide range of events, such as elections and award shows, but it is primarily a sports gambling operation. In 2025, Kalshi reported its users bet over $1 billion every month on the platform, 90 percent of which was spent on sports betting. In September 2025, Massachusetts sued Kalshi for offering sports betting without following state gambling laws. In an amicus brief to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, Attorney General James and the coalition argue that Kalshi must be subjected to state gambling laws and urge the court to reject Kalshi’s argument that the bets it offers on its platform are actually financial instruments that should be exclusively regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

“Prediction markets cannot ignore states’ gambling laws that are designed to protect consumers,” said Attorney General James. “Kalshi’s event contracts for sports are just illegal gambling by another name, and they should play by the same rules as every other licensed gambling platform. I am proud to join a diverse coalition of attorneys general in defending our states’ authority to set clear rules around sports betting to keep people safe.” 

Kalshi’s platform offers “event contracts,” which identify a future event and allow users to bet on whether or not it will happen. Kalshi’s website has a section dedicated to sporting events where users can bet on a wide variety of outcomes ranging from whether a certain team will win a game to how individual players will perform. In September 2025, Massachusetts sued Kalshi, alleging that Kalshi is violating state gambling laws by offering sports betting without a license. Earlier this week, Attorney General James filed similar lawsuits against prediction market platforms Coinbase and Gemini for violations of New York gambling laws.

In response to Massachusetts’ lawsuit, Kalshi has argued that the sports bets it offers are financial instruments called “swaps” that should be regulated by the CFTC, not states. Kalshi contends that a provision of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank), which gives the CFTC authority to regulate swaps, preempts state regulation of sports betting and legalizes it nationwide.

Attorney General James and the coalition explain in their brief that this far-fetched argument is both baseless and wrong. The Dodd-Frank Act was intended to rein in the financial instruments that caused the 2008 recession, not permit sports gambling nationwide. At the time the provision was enacted, states were barred from legalizing sports gambling by the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which was in effect until the Supreme Court overturned it in 2018.

In addition, if Congress meant to overturn the long tradition of state regulation over gambling that dates to the founding of the country, it needed to have said so clearly. As Attorney General James and the coalition argue, the CFTC cannot claim exclusive authority to regulate the multibillion-dollar gambling industry based on a provision of law that does not even mention gambling at all. Kalshi’s argument violates important principles of federalism, which require Congress to clearly specify when it is changing the balance of power between the states and the federal government.

Attorney General James and the coalition also argue that states are best positioned to regulate sports betting. State gambling laws are designed to address the harms of gambling, prevent young people from being exposed to gambling, and direct tax revenue raised from gambling regulations to important projects like education and resources for problem gamblers. In contrast, the CFTC’s regulations do not focus on the specific risks of gambling at all. By stripping away states’ authority to regulate gambling, as Kalshi intends, states would have less power to protect consumers from predatory practices and other problematic behavior associated with gambling.

Attorney General James and the coalition are urging the court to affirm a lower court’s ruling, which prohibits Kalshi from allowing Massachusetts residents to bet on sports on its platform while this lawsuit is pending, unless Kalshi obtains the required license.

Joining Attorney General James in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai'i, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, District of Columbia.

Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATOR RIVERA IN THE COMMUNITY

STATEMENT ON TUESDAY'S FATAL FIVE-ALARM FIRE IN BELMONT

TEAM RIVERA PARTNERS WITH RNH AND NYRP FOR AN EARTH DAY TREE GIVEAWAY!

Last weekend, Team Rivera partnered with the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), Riverdale Neighborhood House (RNH), and the Kingsbridge-Riverdale-Van Cortlandt Development Corporation (KRVC) for a wonderful community event, where attendees received potted flowering dogwood, highbush blueberry, and pawpaw trees provided by NYRP.

Thank you to the Riverdale Neighborhood House for hosting this special event, and to KRVC for providing a shredding truck on site, along with environmental activities.

If you were unable to attend, check out one of 51 community gardens that the New York Restoration Project hosts throughout the city. Click here to learn more!

TEAM RIVERA PARTNERS WITH BRONX HEALTH LINK & COMMUNITY PARTNERS FOR 3RD ANNUAL COMMUNITY BABY SHOWER!

This week, Senator Rivera partnered up with The Bronx Health Link for the 3rd annual Community Baby Shower with our wonderful host Monroe University to celebrate expecting and new parents across the 33rd Senate District. The event brought together families for a day of connection and access to essential resources.

Attendees received important healthcare information, baby essentials such as diapers, and educational materials, while also connecting with reliable community organizations dedicated to supporting families during pregnancy and postpartum.

This event builds on an ongoing partnership between Senator Rivera and Bronx Health Link. Since 2023, Senator Rivera has proudly supported the Bronx Doula Access Project and the Diaper Giveaway Program, which provides free diapers to dozens of families each week! 

Visit The Bronx Health Link's Website to learn more.

SENATOR RIVERA IN ALBANY

SENATOR RIVERA URGES LEGISLATURE TO PASS FOOD POLICY REFORM BILLS TO PROTECT NEW YORK FAMILIES

Senator Rivera joined colleagues and advocates in The Bronx to call on Albany to pass a number of bills including his Sweet Truth Act (S.427) and Sodium Warning bill (S.428A), to require clear sodium and added-sugar warning icons on chain restaurant menus, and Senator Zellnor Myrie's Predatory Marketing Prevention Act (S.397), which would restrict misleading targeted food and beverage marketing aimed at children and adolescents.



Senator Rivera strongly believes that families deserve straightforward information about the food they are purchasing and consuming. He will continue to advocate for initiatives that foster informed decision-making so that New Yorkers can make healthier choices for themselves.

Last weekend, Senator Rivera hosted the final session of the CUNY/SUNY Model New York State Senate Project, where they debated bills on the Senate floor as part of the SOMOS Inc. Spring Conference.

The Model New York State Senate Project is an annual leadership development program led by the Edward T. Rogowsky (ETR) Internship Program in partnership with the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force of the New York State Legislature and the State University of New York. Each year, more than 60 CUNY and SUNY students take part in a series of intensive seminars focused on state policy, the legislative process, representation, and leadership.

Additionally, Senator Rivera would like to recognize Joel Hernandez, a former intern-turned-staffer in his office, for his participation in CUNY’s Model Senate program. During this final session, Joel joined his peers in the Senate Chamber, where he demonstrated strong preparation. The team congratulates him on his hard work and tenacity.

SENATOR RIVERA HOLDS FIFTH HEALTH COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE YEAR

This week, Senator Rivera held his fifth Health Committee meeting of the year. All 16 bills on the agenda passed including my bill to allow New Yorkers to register in the “donate life registry” on any mandatory electronic personal income tax filing. With New York having one of the lowest organ donation registration rates in the nation, Senator Rivera will continue to champion measures that will increase organ donor registration and save lives.

This week, the New York Daily News published an op-ed by Senator Rivera on the importance of upholding New York's climate law, the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). 

Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods have long carried the heaviest burden of pollution and climate change driven by corporate actors facing higher risks of flooding, extreme heat, and respiratory illnesses like asthma.

Weakening the CLCPA law would only deepen those harms. New York must commit to move forward with full implementation of our historic climate protections. Read the op-ed here.

THURSDAY 5/28: "THE BRONX IS HEALING" EVENT HOSTED BY THE FORDHAM ROAD BID

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