The first Census results are in. Based on the early numbers, New York will lose either one or two of its representatives. Alexandria’s district could be redrawn or scrapped into pieces. Lawyers, party leaders, and lawmakers will be sitting down to determine the shapes and sizes of the new districts.
We need to be prepared for whatever comes our way. We could be stuck with a heated primary, a district with tons of new constituents, or an all-out effort to lock Alexandria out of re-election. We just don’t know yet.
Early Census numbers show that New York could lose two seats. Since 70% of the House seats in New York are occupied by Democrats, the threat of our district being chopped up or us being challenged to a serious primary is no joke.
It’s worth noting here that this is all going according to the GOP playbook. Donald Trump’s administration did whatever they could to sabotage the Census this year in a way that would seriously undercount communities with lots of immigrant families like New York’s 14th District. Trump and his allies would much rather see New York lose a second seat than Alabama lose one.
As soon as we hear about the final Census allocation, we’ll report back. Until then, we just have to remain vigilant heading into what could be a tough fight this next year.
Thanks for all your support,
Team AOC
New York State Expects to Receive 259,000 Additional Doses this Week -- 139,400 from Pfizer and 119,600 from Moderna
Priority Populations Expanding This Week to Include Urgent Care Center Employees, COVID-19 Vaccine Administrators and Residents of Office of Addiction Services and Supports Facilities
Vaccines Will Continue for High-Risk Hospital Workers, Federally Qualified Heath Center Employees, EMS, Coroners, Medical Examiners, Funeral Workers, and Residents and Staff of Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and Office of Mental Health Facilities
7,559 Patient Hospitalizations Statewide
1,222 Patients in the ICU; 717 Intubated
Statewide Positivity Rate is 8.33%
114 COVID-19 Deaths in New York State Yesterday
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that 140,000 New Yorkers have received the first COVID-19 vaccine dose to date. New York expects to receive another 259,000 doses this week, with 139,400 coming from Pfizer and 119,600 coming from Moderna. The Governor also announced that the state is expanding the priority populations eligible to receive a vaccine to include urgent care center employees, individuals administering COVID-19 vaccines, including local health department staff, and residents of the Office of Addiction Services and Supports' congregate facilities. Vaccines will continue to be distributed for high-risk hospital workers, federally qualified health center employees, EMS, coroners, medical examiners, funeral workers and residents and staff of Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and Office of Mental Health facilities. Next week, the state expects to expand this universe further with the addition of ambulatory care workers and public-facing public health workers.
"There is no denying the facts and the fact is that social gatherings spread the virus if we are not smart. In a year where we've collectively felt out of control, we actually have the power to determine our own future because our actions will ultimately determine the spread," Governor Cuomo said. "We've have begun seeing increases in positivity across the nation throughout the past several days and New York has not been immune to that trend. While our experts work to determine whether this uptick is a statistical anomaly due to reduced testing over the holiday weekend, or if this is a result of pre-Christmas spread which is being evidenced now, we all know what we have to do in the meantime - wear a mask, socially distance and avoid gatherings. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and New York is leading the nation in distributing the vaccine to get us there, but as we approach the end of the holiday season, the rest of us must stay tough. Remember - if we act smart, than we can avoid shutdowns and win this war."
Today's data is summarized briefly below:
New York Attorney General Letitia James released the following statement in response to her office opening an investigation into ParCare Community Health Network’s distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in New York:
“My office is launching an investigation into ParCare over allegations that it wrongfully distributed and administered COVID-19 vaccines. In order for the vaccine to be most effective in protecting our communities, we must all follow the same distribution plan. We will not tolerate any attempts to circumvent that process.”
The COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act would alter judicial procedure to prevent evictions, foreclosures, and tax lien sales that would otherwise remove people from their homes during a pandemic.
The New York State Assembly is taking up the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act of 2020, legislation which was introduced by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz.
Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz, Chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee, said: “As policymakers, our top priority must be to ensure that human dignity and decency can be maintained – even during times of crisis. Housing is a human right, and I am proud of the protections that this critical legislation puts into place. Although we still have much work to be done to get through the pandemic, such as raising revenue through a tax on the wealthiest among us, this legislation will help thousands and thousands of New Yorkers stay in their homes and the impact of this cannot be understated.
“The pandemic has been difficult enough on New Yorkers without the added anxiety and uncertainty of losing your home, and this legislation makes sure everyone, including, seniors, families, and children – whether they are tenants or homeowners – aren’t put out on the street in the middle of winter during a pandemic. The Tenant Safe Harbor Law has already provided key protections against evictions for new rent arrears during the COVID-19 period, and this new legislation expands on that effort. I believe once this legislation is enacted into law, New York will have the strongest housing protections of anywhere in the nation.
“Thank you in particular to the leadership of Speaker Carl Heastie as well as my colleagues in the Assembly Majority who have been incredible participants in the crafting of this omnibus legislation. Thank you as well to my counterpart sponsor in the State Senate, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, as well as the new State Senate majority for their partnership. I am hopeful that this legislation will be passed and signed into law imminently so that New Yorkers can be protected as soon as possible.”
Bill Summary
The COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act (A11181) addresses many concerns that have been raised over the past several months, and it builds on successes established in the Tenant Safe Harbor Law that was enacted over the summer.
• All ongoing eviction-related matters, residential foreclosure proceedings would be stayed (frozen) for 60 days. These proceedings could be further stayed until May 1, 2021 by submitting a standard hardship declaration form available to tenants, homeowners, and small landlords.
• It establishes a course of action for certain proceedings to continue where tenant may be causing a substantial safety hazard to others, which has been a significant source of contention with broader eviction moratorium proposals. Tenants would still be obligated to pay their debts and landlords can seek a money judgment through the civil courts even while the eviction stay is underway.
• It prohibits negative credit decisions to homeowners who receive a stay on a mortgage foreclosure, tax foreclosure, or tax lien sale, or if they are in arrears and file a hardship declaration.
• It extends the Senior Citizens’ Homeowner Exemption and Disabled Homeowner Exemption programs without requiring homeowners to actively recertify unless they may be entitled to a larger exemption, cutting red tape for some of our most vulnerable neighbors.
The bill text can be viewed here.
| BILL NO | A11181 |
| SAME AS | SAME AS S09114 |
| SPONSOR | Rules (Dinowitz) |
| COSPNSR | Cymbrowitz, Heastie, Reyes, Richardson, Epstein, Gottfried, Lentol, Weinstein, Nolan, Abbate, Glick, Aubry, Cahill, Perry, Ortiz, Colton, Ramos, Benedetto, Jaffee, Rosenthal L, DenDekker, Thiele, Bronson, Rodriguez, Simotas, Weprin, Quart, Kim, Mosley, Davila, Pichardo, Blake, Seawright, Simon, Hyndman, Carroll, De La Rosa, Niou, Vanel, Taylor, Cruz, Darling, Fernandez, Anderson, Burgos, Jacobson, Barnwell, Bichotte, Frontus, Walker, Zebrowski, Barron, Clark, Rivera, Meeks |
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We do not see two current Bronx Assembly members Assemblywoman Joiner, or Arroyo, but we see the name Burgos who has not taken office yet.
Governor Cuomo: "We want to make sure that homeowners are protected, that it doesn't affect their credit rating, there's no mortgage foreclosure, the Legislature convenes today, and we have an agreement with them on a housing moratorium bill. We want to get to May 1 and we'll see what happens by May but we want to protect tenants."
Cuomo: "We're also going to be extending the housing eviction moratorium by executive order."
We're also going to be extending the housing eviction moratorium by executive order. We are working with the Legislature. The Legislature is going to reconvene this week. We've been working with them on a piece of legislation that will also extend the eviction moratorium. We want to make sure that homeowners are protected, that it doesn't affect their credit rating, there's no mortgage foreclosure, the Legislature convenes today, and we have an agreement with them on a housing moratorium bill. We want to get to May 1 and we'll see what happens by May but we want to protect tenants. We want to make it simple. We don't want people evicted. We don't want them to have to go to court to fight the eviction. But we want to make sure they're not committing fraud either so they will make representations that will be legally enforceable. And again, we have an agreement and as soon as that bill is passed I'll sign it.
EMERGENCY EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 170
December 28, 2020
WHEREAS, on March 7, 2020, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York to address the threat that COVID-19 poses to the health and welfare of New York residents and visitors; and
WHEREAS, Emergency Executive Order No. 98, issued March l 2, 2020 and extended most recently by Emergency Executive Order No. 165, issued December 3, 2020, contains a declaration of a state of emergency in the City of New York due to the threat posed by COVID-19 to the health and welfare of City residents, and such declaration remains in effect; and
WHEREAS, this Order is given because of the propensity of the virus to spread person-to person and also because the actions taken to prevent such spread have led to property loss and damage; and
WHEREAS, measures taken to combat the spread of COVID-19 may prevent individuals, businesses and other entities from meeting legally imposed deadlines for the filing of certain documents or for the completion of other required actions; and
WHEREAS, this Order is given in order to ensure that the Governor's orders are enforced; NOW,
THEREFORE, pursuant to the powers vested in me by the laws of the State of New York and the City of New York, including but not limited to the New York Executive Law, the New York City Charter and the Administrative Code of the City of New York, and the common law authority to protect the public in the event of an emergency
Section 1. I hereby direct that sections 1, 2 and 3 of Emergency Executive Order No. 169, dated December 23, 2020, are extended for five (5) days.
§ 2. This Order incorporates any and all relevant provisions of Governor Executive Order No. 202 and subsequent orders issued by the Governor of New York State to address the State of Emergency declared in that Order pursuant to his powers under section 29-a of the Executive Law.
§ 3. I hereby direct the Fire Department of the City of New York, the New York City Police Department, the Department of Buildings, the Sheriff, and other agencies as needed to immediately enforce the directives set forth in this Order in accordance with their lawful enforcement authorities, including but not limited to Administrative Code sections 15-227(a), 28- 105.10.1, and 28-201.1, and section 107.6 of the New York City Fire Code. Violations of the directives set forth in this Order may be issued as if they were violations under the New York City Health Code, title 24 Rules of the City of New York sections 3 .07 and 3.11, and may be enforced as such by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene or any other agency named in this section.
§ 4. This Emergency Executive Order shall take effect immediately, and shall remain in effect for five (5) days unless it is terminated or modified at an earlier date.
Bill de Blasio, MAYOR
