Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

Last weekend, Senator Rivera hosted a workshop called "Opioid Settlement Funds in New York State: Ensuring Transparency, Accountability, and Equity" at the 54th Annual Legislative Conference, of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. Senator Rivera was joined by Monica Hanna, Special Counsel from the Office of the New York State Attorney General; Toni Smith, New York State Director from the Drug Policy Alliance; Tracie M. Gardner, Executive Director of the National Black Harm Reduction Network (NBHRN) and Nanette Matthews, Chairwoman of the Bronx Community Board 5 Housing Committee. During the workshop, panelists discussed insights and perspectives aimed at shaping a more effective response to the opioid epidemic through a more equitable distribution of the monies from the Opioid Settlement Fund. Thank you to all our panelists and participants who contributed to this important workshop!

Last weekend, Senator Rivera was proud to present the Immigrant Excellence Award to the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC) during the Caucus Weekend Community Awards Ceremony, at the Hilton Hotel in Albany.

NMIC is an organization that has spent years providing free legal assistance, advocacy, and educational programs to residents of Manhattan and the Bronx. Since 2023, NMIC has been a pillar of support for our immigrant brothers and sisters, providing legal security and support in the Bronx.

"Through our monthly immigration and housing clinic, NMIC has brought peace of mind to hundreds of families. I have witnessed firsthand the impact of their work over the years. That is why it is truly an honor to present them with this recognition," said Senator Rivera.

Congratulations to the entire NMIC team, and thank you to María Lizardo, NMIC's Executive Director, for her leadership and for receiving this award on behalf of NMIC!

SENATOR RIVERA CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH AT TRACEY TOWERS

Senator Rivera spent a lovely night at Tracey Towers celebrating Black history and excellence with live music from the Morrisania Band Project who performed unforgettable R&B and Soul classics. Thanks to Ms. Jean Hill for hosting us again, to Bronx Borough Vanessa Gibson and Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark for stopping by, and to the Morrisania Band Project for such amazing live music!

This week, Senator Rivera testified at a New York City Council Hearing on Health where Councilmembers Lynn Schulman and Crystal Hudson introduced resolutions asking the State Legislature to pass Senator Rivera's CDPAP Accountability Act (S.1189) and his bill to eliminate the cost of asthma inhalers (S.1804).

The Senator is working to push the CDPAP Accountability Act (S.1189) as a reasonable alternative to the transition to a single statewide fiscal intermediary scheduled for April 1st, in order to prevent disruptions in access to care for enrollees.

In addition, our State must address the serious asthma crisis that disproportionately affects children in the Bronx and other parts of New York. That's why Senator Rivera has a bill to eliminate the cost of asthma inhalers (S.1804). This bill would eliminate deductibles, copayments, coinsurances, or any other cost-sharing requirements for asthma inhalers, ensuring no parent has to spend hundreds of dollars on an inhaler that can save their child’s life.

SENATOR RIVERA PARTICIPATES IN SCREENING AND PANEL ON A FILM ABOUT THE NEW YORK HEALTH ACT

This week, Senator Rivera participated in the screening of the new "Healthcare Conspiracy" short film at the People's Forum. The screening was followed by a panel discussion about the New York Health Act, hosted by PNHP NY Metro and Rank & File4NYHealth.

Senator Rivera shared with participants how New York can lead the way in establishing a single-payer healthcare system through the New York Health Act, ensuring comprehensive, high-quality care for all New Yorkers.

Thank you to PNHPNYMetro & Rank+File4NYHealth for this event, and to Nicolas Shearman for moderating the panel

'KNOW YOUR RIGHTS' WORKSHOP

Yesterday, Senator Rivera hosted a "Know Your Rights" workshop in partnership with Assemblymember Chantel Jackson and Council member Pierina Sanchez, and presented by The Bronx Defenders. The goal of this workshop was to inform New Yorkers of the protections that every single person residing in this country has under the Constitution regardless of their immigration status.

Thank you to The Bronx Defenders, our partners and all the people that joined our webinar. In this link, you can watch the recorded full workshop on Facebook.

Reminder: Senator Rivera's team has created a Know Your Rights palm card (available in English and Spanish). If you would like to receive these cards, please fill out the form and a staff member from our team will follow up to confirm your request.

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FROM 3/1 TO 3/23: #4 TRAIN SERVICE CHANGE

Due to track replacement, no 4 service between 161 St-Yankee Stadium and Woodlawn from March 1st to March 23rd, Sat 3:30 AM to Sun 10:00 PM. Number 4 trains will run between Brooklyn and 161 St-Yankee Stadium, the last stop.

Free shuttle buses run between Bedford Park Blvd D and Woodlawn, stopping at Mosholu Pkwy and Bedford Park Blvd-Lehman College.

Travel alternatives:

1. For service between 161 St-Yankee Stadium and Bedford Park Blvd-Lehman College, use nearby D stations along Grand Concourse instead.
2. For Mosholu Pkwy and Woodlawn, take a shuttle bus.

Transfer stations:

1. 161 St-Yankee Stadium 4 D
2. Bedford Park Blvd D| SHUTTLE BUS 

This service change affects one or more ADA accessible stations and these travel alternatives may not be fully accessible. Please contact 511 to plan your trip.

MTA: SHARE YOUR INPUT FOR ACCESSIBILITY IMPROVEMENTS!

The MTA is seeking input on which stations to prioritize for accessibility improvements over the next five years. The proposed 2025-2029 Capital Plan identified an initial 30 stations, and the MTA plans to make at least an additional 30 stations accessible, for a total of more than 60 stations. With these investments, approximately 70% of all subway rides will take place to or from accessible stations.

Check this link for more info and to share your input.

Reduced-Fare customers can now tap to pay with OMNY. With OMNY, you can:   Pay 12 fares in seven days, and the rest of your rides for those seven days are free.   Skip the vending machine and load your card online with a free OMNY account.   Get the same free transfers you did with MetroCard. Find more info here and join the next MTA webinar to discuss the transition from MetroCard to OMNY, including how to spend down your MetroCard balances and utilize the new benefits of OMNY. Register here!