Tuesday, October 30, 2024
Year : 2, Issue: 9
While the presidential race is motivating plenty of voters to head to the polls this year, many city and state officials are trying to raise awareness about what’s on the other side of the ballot.
New Yorkers are being asked to vote on several key measures, including Proposal 1, which would expand statewide civil rights protections. There are also five amendments to New York City’s charter — Proposals 2 through 6 — some of which would give more control to the mayor. City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, who joined “Mornings On 1” Tuesday, explained where she has landed on each of them.
For Proposal 1, she said it’s a clear yes for her.
“It’s the year 2024, and the mere fact that we’re even having a discussion about the Equal Rights Amendment, in the year 2024, oughta tell us enough that this proposal has to go through,” Adams told NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan. “It will certainly codify civil rights. It’s going to codify women’s rights, reproductive health, nondiscrimination for the least of these. This needs to happen.”
Asked about a recent political ad that claimed Proposal 1 would block efforts to handle the migrant crisis, give undocumented immigrants a right to taxpayer benefits and “open the door to non-citizens voting,” Adams batted away the criticisms.
“I think that a lot of what’s being said right now is extremely biased and incorrect,” she said. “I believe that some of these advertisements border on propaganda, misleading the general public as to what this proposition actually is.”
Meanwhile, Adams released a statement Monday calling Proposals 2 through 6 “rushed” and saying they “could weaken checks and balances.”
Adams said Proposal 3 “tends to add more bureaucracy to the budget process, in our estimation.”
“It puts in front a lot more work when it comes to financial work, financial statements, which the Council already does, by the way, but Proposal Number 3 actually puts even more burden on our budget process,” she said.
Ballot Proposal 4 would require the City Council to give a 30-day notice before voting on any law that impacts the New York City Police Department, the Department of Correction and the Fire Department of New York.
“Ballot Proposal 4 actually carves out three different agencies to be looked at differently in Council hearings than other agencies.
That is absurd,” Adams said. “To carve out three agencies to have special attention before the public even gets to have their say-so, that’s taking away democracy.”
Source: Spectrum News NY1
