Weekly News from State Senator Gustavo Rivera!

 

SENATE MAJORITY PASSES ITS ONE HOUSE BUDGET PROPOSAL

Last weekend, Senator Rivera hosted two workshops at the SOMOS Inc. Spring Conference in Albany. This conference is a space to discuss important issues affecting our Hispanic and Latino communities.

The first panel Senator Rivera moderated was on the New York Health Act or more colloquially known as the NYHA (S.3425), discussing the existing challenges to pass a proposal of this magnitude, and how New Yorkers could become supporters of this transformative yet necessary solution. The NYHA, which Senator Rivera has been the sponsor of since 2015, would replace existing private insurance plans for every single worker and resident and include all benefits covered by Medicare, Medicaid, Child Health Plus, and those mandated by the affordable care act. Support the NYHA here!

Thank you to Ashley Fox, PhD, MA, Associate Professor in Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University at Albany, SUNY; Anthony Feliciano, Vice president for Advocacy and community Mobilization for Housing Works; Melanie D’Arrigo, Executive Director, Campaign for NY Health and to Jenyfer Almanzar, Political Coordinator, Committee of Interns and Residents for your participation in this panel!

The second panel Senator Rivera moderated was on the failing CDPAP transition. With the April 1st deadline looming, the audience was able to listen to the legitimate concerns of a group of Latino home care workers who will be negatively impacted by this abrupt transition. As Senator Rivera said "We're almost two weeks away from the time when these potential concerns could become a reality, and we will continue to push the Executive to extend the deadline because April 1st is not working and patients are at risk."

Thank you to the Caring Majority Rising for your participation in this workshop, and to all the panelists: Myriam Hernandez, Lead Worker Organizer, Caring Majority Rising; Clara Calvo, Home Care Worker leader; Elizabeth Polanco, CDPAP Home Care Worker leader; Amparo Ortiz, CDPAP Home Care Recipient and to Evelyn Peralta, Home Care Worker.

Every year, Senator Rivera hosts the final session of the Model New York State Senate Session Project with students debating bills on the floor of the New York State Senate in Albany as part of the SOMOS Inc, Spring Conference.

The Model New York State Senate Session Project is an annual leadership development program conducted by the Edward T. Rogowsky (ETR) Internship Program in collaboration 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 are brought together for a series of intensive training seminars on state policy formulation, legislative processes, representation and leadership.

The program culminates with students debating bills on the floor of the State Senate, and Senator Rivera was proud to host and help shape the students' skills. By participating in the legislative decision-making process, students further develop their organizational, research, and public speaking skills through a model legislative seminar.

"These young minds will shape policy, drive change, and tackle our most pressing challenges in the years to come. To all the students who took part—your passion, dedication, and leadership give me hope for the future of New York. I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you will accomplish. Thank you for inspiring the next generation!," said Senator Rivera.

This week, Senator Rivera attended a press conference to call the Executive to extend CDPAP's April 1 transition deadline.

"Were are hitting the panic button. Thousands of consumers and providers are at risk of getting their care and employment suspended. We can't allow that. Governor Hochul please help these families and workers: extend the transition," said Senator Rivera.

This week, Senator Rivera spoke with Camille DeLongis on Capital Tonight about his budget priorities for the next few weeks, the impact that potential federal cuts to Medicaid could have on New York, the upcoming CDPAP and School Based Health Centers transitions. Thank you to Camille DeLongis for the interview.

Watch the full interview here!

Senator Rivera sat with Gary Axelbank to talk about a number of topics including the mayoral race and the many reasons why we shouldn't rank Andrew Cuomo, the impact of the possible federal cuts to Medicaid on New York, the CDPAP and SBHC transitions. Thank you to Gary Axelbank for the invitation.

Watch the full interview here!

SENATOR RIVERA TOURS THE CUNY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Senator Rivera toured the CUNY School of Medicine with the Dean Carmen René Green, Cara Berkowitz, Executive Director for Government Relations and Community Engagement, and Katherine Zimmerman, Interim Executive Director for Communications, Marketing and Public Relations. After the tour, Senator Rivera had the opportunity to share a few moments with faculty and students from the executive leadership team.

Thank you to the Dean, Carmen René Green for the invitation and to all the staff and students for the warm welcome.

Seniors from the Morris Innovative Older Adult Center had a wonderful time visiting the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG)! Thank you to the NYBG for providing the free tickets!

REMINDER: SENATOR RIVERA'S KNOW YOUR RIGHTS PALM CARDS

Senator Rivera's team has created a Know Your Rights palm card (available in English and Spanish). Watch Senator Rivera's message here.

Remember, If your organization, or school would like to receive these cards, please fill out the form here and a staff member from our team will follow up to confirm your request.

If you are an individual constituent, call our office at 718-933-2034 or visit us at 2432 Grand Concourse, Suite 506, Monday through Thursday, from 10 am to 5 pm.

NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT: MOBILE FOOD VENDING GREEN CART PERMITS FOR THE BRONX

The NYC Health Department is now offering mobile food vending Green Cart permits for the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. These permits allow vendors to sell fresh fruits and vegetables, including prepackaged sliced and cut produce, bottled drinking water, and plain nuts.

To apply for a Green Cart permit, vendors must:

✔ Hold a valid Mobile Food Vending License

✔ Submit the Green Cart Waiting List Application Form to join the waiting list (applications accepted on a rolling basis)

Interested vendors can complete the waiting list application at nyc.gov/greencarts

The NYC Health Department will announce when Green Cart permits become available for Queens and Manhattan.

For more details, visit nyc.gov/greencarts

Governor Hochul Announces Federal Assistance Available for Bronxites Affected by Jan. 10 Apartment Building Fire

Homeowners, Residents and Businesses in Bronx County May Apply for U.S. Small Business Administration’s Low-Interest Loans

State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, Small Business Administration and County Officials Conducted Preliminary Assessments To Obtain Assistance for Impacted Areas Following the Five-Alarm Fire

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced federal assistance is available to New Yorkers in Bronx County and the contiguous counties of New York, Westchester, Queens and Nassau impacted by a five-alarm apartment fire on Jan. 10. The fire occurred in a 98-unit apartment building located at 2910 Wallace Ave. in Allerton — a neighborhood in the East Bronx — and resulted in significant damage to all 98 units in the building. Homeowners, renters and businesses are now eligible to apply for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s low-interest loans to aid in their recovery from the effects of the fires that resulted in significant damage.

“New Yorkers in the Bronx are still recovering from the tragic apartment fire in Allerton that displaced dozens of families earlier this year,” Governor Hochul said. “Families, homeowners and businesses can now rely on federal funding to help them rebuild and recover, because when disaster strikes, we work hard to ensure there are resources available for everyone to get back on their feet.”

Homeowners, residents and businesses in the declared counties are now eligible for U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. SBA loans can be very helpful to eligible parties who need financial assistance to get on the road to recovery following weather-related disasters and other emergencies.

This declaration provides low interest loans to repair or replace damaged property incurred as a result of the event for:

• Businesses or private, non-profit organizations up to $2 million
• Homeowners or renters up to $100,000 to help repair or replace personal property
• Homeowners up to $500,000 to repair or restore their primary home to pre-disaster condition

The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is May 12, and the deadline to return economic injury applications is Dec. 15.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Thank you to Governor Hochul and our federal partners for working diligently for the people of New York. This funding will go a long way to help residents and businesses recover from the devastating impacts that a fire can have.”

New Yorkers can find additional information, download applications and apply online here. They may also call SBA's Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, can dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

About the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services

The Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services provides leadership, coordination and support for efforts to prevent, protect against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from terrorism, natural disasters, threats, fires and other emergencies. For more information, visit NYSDHSES on Facebook, X — formerly known as Twitter — Instagram and LinkedIn, and visit dhses.ny.gov.

 

Eight GoodFellas Gang Members and Associates Charged with Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering, Including Attempted Murder

 

An indictment was unsealed yesterday in the Northern District of Georgia charging eight members and associates of the GoodFellas Gang for their alleged roles in a criminal enterprise engaged in attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking in and around Atlanta.

According to the indictment, the GoodFellas are a violent gang that heavily recruits members in Atlanta neighborhoods, local jails, and Georgia Department of Corrections facilities. Members engage in violence to enhance the violent reputation of the gang.

As alleged in the indictment, six of the defendants shot and attempted to murder four victims. Additionally, two GoodFellas members and associates allegedly attempted a carjacking and assaulted three victims with a dangerous weapon.

Frank Hubbert, also known as Capo Frank, 38; Montavis Jones, also known as Nigel Woods, Jitt, and Git, 37; Darian Sheppard, also known as Lil D, 27; De’Andre Jackson, also known as Gen, Glock, and Glizzy, 22; Ephram Marshall, also known as Lil E, 24; Tahj Rankine, also known as Biggz, 26; and Leonunte Carson, also known as Lil Tae, 22, are each charged with multiple counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering and with using a firearm during these crimes.

Hubbert and Ahday Nelson-George, also known as Baby K, 25, are each charged with multiple counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and attempted carjacking.

Seven of the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison; Nelson-George faces a maximum penalty of 75 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Supervisory Official Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. for the Northern District of Georgia, and Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown of the FBI Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.

The FBI is investigating the case with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Fulton County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office; Georgia Department of Corrections; and the Atlanta Police Department.

Trial Attorney Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Renaud for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

STATE SENATOR GUSTAVO RIVERA ON YESTERDAY'S DEVASTATING FIRE ON JEROME AVENUE

“I am deeply shocked by the devastating fire that destroyed six businesses on Jerome Avenue yesterday morning. The impact of this tragedy is severe, not only due to the physical damage to these small businesses but also the emotional toll it has taken on their owners and the entire Morris Heights community. 

I understand that the Department of Buildings (DOB) has confirmed that full demolition will be required for the six impacted businesses. Due to the risk of collapse, the FDNY has been unable to safely enter the site to complete its investigation. The cause of the fire will likely be determined during the demolition process. Additionally, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has confirmed the presence of asbestos in the area and will be conducting air quality testing to monitor for contamination. 

“While the road to recovery will undoubtedly be challenging, I have full confidence that together in partnership with city agencies and the Burnside/Jerome/Tremont Commercial District, we will be able to come back stronger. The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) has been on the ground working with business owners to provide support and financial aid to help them recover and rebuild.

“My office will continue to monitor the situation closely and be on standby ready to assist in any way possible.”