Saturday, March 26, 2022

Senator Biaggi's Week in Review: 3/21/22-3/25/22

 

Senator Alessandra Biaggi

I am excited to share that I was featured in a Vice News episode about my bill, the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act (S7428). The episode provides a deep dive on the detrimental environmental and labor impacts of the fashion industry, and illustrates how my bill aims to reduce these harms and hold the fashion industry accountable in a transformative way.

Watch the episode here

This historic bill would require fashion retailers and manufacturers that conduct business in New York to map their supply chains, disclose environmental and social impacts, and set targets in accordance with Science Based Targets— regulating the fashion industry in a way that’s never been done before in the US. Companies that do not comply with regulations would be fined, and the revenues would be used to fund environmental justice projects in New York. Ultimately, this bill will allow us to build a sustainable, thriving fashion industry that prioritizes people and the planet over profits. 

To learn more about the Fashion Act or get involved with our coalition, visit our website here

With Gratitude,

State Senator Alessandra Biaggi

NYGOP Chairman Langworthy Files FOIL Request Into Hochul Administration on All Communication Related to Bail Reform

 


Hochul is Talking Out of Both Sides of Her Mouth & Voters Have a Right to Know What She is Saying Behind Closed Doors

 New York Republican Chairman Nick Langworthy filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request into Governor Hochul’s administration on all communications related to bail reform. 


Chairman Langworthy announced the FOIL at a press conference in front of the state capitol Friday morning. The link to the request can be found here and the link to the video of the press conference can be found here


The request was filed on all staff in the executive chamber, including the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary to the governor, chief counsel, and legislative affairs. All forms of communication, including emails, texts, and phone records have been requested from January 1, 2022, through March 23, 2022. 


Both Governor Hochul and her Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin have been dodging the press and refusing to answer any questions on their position. 


“Kathy Hochul was part of the administration that made bail reform law and she has been firmly in support of it every step of the way. Now that she realizes she has a political problem, she’s trying to do damage control while continuing to cater to the radical left behind closed doors. We filed this FOIL request on behalf of the 20 million New Yorkers who deserve to know what their governor is saying and we are going to expose her for the phony she is.” 


Fourth Largest Pension System in the U.S. Votes To Divest From Russia

 

Following a Vote by the NYC Fire Pension Fund, Trustees Announce Unified Action by the New York City Retirement System To Divest as Russian Invasion Heads Into Second Month

 Following a vote by the trustees of the New York City Fire Pension Fund, Comptroller Brad Lander and Mayor Eric Adams announced that the entire New York City Retirement System is moving forward to divest from Russian securities. 

The NYC Fire Pension Fund serves approximately 28,000 active members and retirees. The Fund held $19.5 million in Russian securities at the close of business on February 25. Today’s trustee vote follows the Board of Education Retirement System’s (BERS) vote on March 15. At close of business on February 25, BERS held $3.1 million in Russian Securities. The full resolution approved by the New York City Fire Pension Fund is available here.
 
The five pension systems that make up the New York City Retirement System are governed by five separate boards that vote on investment decisions. Comptroller Lander brought a resolution urging divestment from Russian securities to the boards, which met and voted over the course of the last three weeks, starting with the New York City Police Pension Fund (PPF) on March 1. That vote was followed by the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) on March 2, the Teachers’ Retirement System on March 3, and the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) on March 15. The five pension funds held a total of $185.9 million in Russian securities at the close of business on February 25, the last day of open business for trading on the Russian stock market.

“The rallying cry for peace in Ukraine has reverberated globally as millions of people are displaced and families torn apart. The New York City Retirement Systems have taken bold, unified action to express solidarity with those under attack in Ukraine and to protect the long-term value of their portfolio as additional sanctions are placed on Russia. New York City continues to stand with the people of Ukraine, and we hope that the global effort to hold the Russian government accountable for their abhorrent actions accelerates a path toward peace as soon as possible,” said New York City Comptroller Brad Lander.
 
“Freedom cannot be denied, here or anywhere. That’s why I stand in support of efforts to divest the city’s pension funds from Russian assets in light of the ongoing invasion of Ukraine — an unprovoked and unjustified war,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “This is not about penalizing the Russian people, but about holding President Putin and his government accountable for violating a nation’s sovereignty and inflicting widespread suffering on its people. Our administration is committed to standing with Ukrainians and refugees here and abroad while doing all we can to advance peace, in collaboration with the community and our federal partners.”
 
“I applaud the New York City Fire Department Pension Board for their vote to divest their funds from Russian securities. This decision by the Board is not a statement against a group of people; it is a statement against an unjust war. The hearts of FDNY members are with the innocent lives still in grave danger and the first responders bravely risking their lives to save others as their homeland is attacked,” said Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh.
 
“The Uniformed Fire Officers Association joins with our partners in organized labor to stand with the people of Ukraine. New York, and the United States, is the melting pot of the world, where individuals of all backgrounds, races, creeds, and ethnicities may live free. Now is the time to reflect these principles in word and in action, and stand up to Russia, which has done unspeakable harm to thousands of innocent civilians, in an attempt to strip a population of its freedom and sovereignty. Russia’s actions must have consequences and we join with many others in divesting from Russian investments, in the name of human rights,” said James McCarthy, President of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association.
 
The full list of trustees of the New York City Retirement Systems are as follows:
 
New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; Borough Presidents: Mark Levine (Manhattan), Donovan Richards (Queens), Antonio Reynoso (Brooklyn), Vito Fossella (Staten Island), and Vanessa L. Gibson (Bronx); Henry Garrido, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Tony Utano, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.   
 
Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Appointee; Chancellor’s Representative, Lindsey Oates, New York City Department of Education; and Debra Penny (Chair), Thomas Brown and David Kazansky, all of the United Federation of Teachers.  
 
New York City Police Pension Fund (PPF): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative; New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (Chair); Chris Monahan, Captains Endowment Association; Louis Turco, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; Vincent Vallelong, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Paul DiGiacomo, Detectives Endowment Association; and Patrick Lynch, John Puglissi, Joseph Alejandro, and Thomas Gilmore, all of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association.  
 
New York City Fire Pension Fund (Fire): New York City Comptroller Brad Lander; Mayor Eric Adams’ Representative; Acting New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Preston Niblack; Andrew Ansbro, President, Robert Eustace, Vice President, Edward Brown, Treasurer, and Eric Bischoff, Staten Island Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Liam Guilfoyle, Captains’ Rep.; Paul Mannix, Chiefs’ Rep., and Christopher Jensen, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and Peter Devita, Marine Engineers Association.
 
Board of Education Retirement System (BERS): Schools Chancellor David C. Banks, Represented by Lindsey Oates; Mayoral: Tom Allon, Vasthi Acosta, Gregory Faulkner, Dr. Angela Green, Anthony Lopez, Alan Ong, Gladys Ward, Karina Tavera; Thomas Sheppard (CEC); Geneal Chacon (Bronx), Tazin Azad (Brooklyn), Kaliris Salas-Ramirez (Manhattan), Jaclyn Tacoronte (Staten Island), and Deborah Dillingham (Queens); and employee members John Maderich of the IUOE Local 891 and Donald Nesbit of District Council 37, Local 372.

Talking Politics With Robert Press and Anthony Rivieccio, With guest 36th State Senate Candidate Lia Hofflich

 

If you missed this exciting show yesterday, you can still see our interview of 36th State Senate candidate Lisa Hofflich on YouTube at the link below.
TALKING POLITICS

TALKING POLITICS          

Home Healthcare Agencies Settle Fraud Claims for $5.4 Million and Agree to Pay Wages and Benefits to Underpaid Aides

 

All American Homecare Agency and Crown of Life NY Obtained Medicaid Funds by Claiming They Paid the Required Minimum Wages and Benefits When They Had Not Done So

 Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Letitia James, New York State Attorney General, announced today a pair of settlement agreements with two Brooklyn-based licensed home care services agencies (LHCSA), All American Homecare Agency (All American) and Crown of Life Care NY LLC (Crown of Life). The settlement agreements address allegations that All American and Crown of Life violated the federal False Claims Act and New York State’s False Claims Act in claiming that they paid their home care aides the minimum wages required under New York State law. The agencies received millions of dollars in funding from Medicaid, which is funded in part by the federal government, and much of that money was meant to pay the wages and benefits of their aides.

“It is outrageous to cheat home health aides of their hard earned benefits guaranteed under New York law and the Medicaid program,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace.  “These settlements reflect this Office’s firm commitment to preventing fraud in government programs and protecting home health aides—who perform physically and emotionally taxing work in caring for some of the members of our community most in need.” 

Mr. Peace thanked the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Office of the New York State Attorney General for its partnership in the government’s investigation and resolution of this important case.  

“Home health aides provide critical care for our most vulnerable, and they must be fairly compensated for their work,” said Attorney General James.  “Not only did these companies shamelessly cheat their workers, they also cheated our state and stole from communities that need it most. My office will never tolerate fraud of any kind, and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that New Yorkers get their fair pay and treatment.”

The New York Wage Parity Act, Public Health Law sets minimum wage and benefit requirements for LHCSAs that employ home care aides who render services to Medicaid recipients in New York City and in Nassau, Suffolk or Westchester Counties.  Under the Wage Parity Law, which is funded by Medicaid aides are to be paid a minimum amount in total compensation. That compensation comes in the form of a base wage and a supplemental benefit. The base wage must be paid in cash. The benefit portion can include the value of vacation, holiday, and sick pay, among other things.  It can also include health insurance, pension plans, or educational assistance. Today, the minimum amount of total compensation for an aide in New York City is $19.09 per hour; for Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester Counties, the minimum is $18.22 per hour.

Home health aides perform all aspects of personal care for sick or homebound patients and frequently work long shifts lasting up to 24 hours.  The tasks performed in caring for patients are demanding and can consist of assisting or lifting patients out of bed and bathing, dressing, grooming, preparing meals and, in some instances, feeding them.  Patients may suffer from physical or mental disorders that can make the work of the aides physically and emotionally taxing.  In fact, it was in recognition of the difficulty of this work that New York passed the Wage Parity Law. 

This Office, in coordination with the New York State Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, commenced an investigation after whistleblowers alleged that certain LHCSAs had knowingly defrauded the federal government and New York State by underpaying home health aides in violation of New York’s Wage Parity Act.  The government’s investigation revealed that All American and Crown of Life falsely certified their compliance with the law and sought and received reimbursement from Medicaid. 

Under the terms of its agreements with the United States and New York State, All American has paid $1.6 million to the United States and $2.4 million to New York State. The settlement covers All American’s conduct in the years 2014 to 2017. Crown of Life has agreed to pay $560,000 to the United States and $840,000 to New York State, for conduct that took place in the years 2014 to 2018. 

In addition to the payments to resolve the government’s fraud claims, All American and Crown of Life are now paying their aides the wages and benefits they were required to pay under the Wage Parity Law, including the wages that were owed to current and former aides in prior years. Moreover, both All American and Crown have admitted, acknowledged and accepted responsibility for underpaying their home health aides by failing to pay Wage Parity Law rates.   

Attorney General James Releases Footage From Investigation Into the Death of Judson Albahm

 

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Judson Albahm. Mr. Albahm died on March 4, 2021, following an encounter with law enforcement in Onondaga County.

The release of this footage follows Attorney General James’ directive that videos obtained by her office in the course of investigations conducted by the Office of Special Investigation (OSI) be released to the public in order to increase transparency and strengthen public trust in these matters.

Pursuant to New York Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission. Under the law, the officer may be on-duty or off-duty, and the decedent may be armed or unarmed. Also, the decedent may or may not be in custody or incarcerated. If OSI’s assessment indicates an officer caused the death, OSI proceeds to conduct a full investigation of the incident.

The release of this footage is not an expression of any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of any party in a criminal matter or any opinion as to how or whether any individual may be charged with a crime.

https://ag.ny.gov/osi/footage/judson-albahm

Warning: These videos contain images that viewers may find disturbing.