Issues: Constituents Corner

By Veronica Lewin

A legislative caucus formed earlier this year has legislators from both houses and both sides of the aisle fighting to protect reproductive health rights and helping advocates to educate New Yorkers about them.

"Women's rights and women's reproductive rights are not a bipartisan issue. It's a health care issue," said Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward, R-Willsboro. "It's an issue that government should be working together on to make sure that our children have proper information that they need to keep themselves safe and to keep themselves healthy."

By am NY

With the power of a new state law behind him, Mayor Michael Bloomberg is cracking down on the city's illegal hotels.

The Office of Special Enforcement has shuttered or given citations to 15 of the illegal inns, defined as any residence with a "transient occupant" whose stay is less than 30 days. Under the previous law, a majority of the building's occupants had to be transient for the building to be illegal.

"Owners of illegal hotels put profits above safety, allowing renters to stay in extremely dangerous conditions and it’s disgraceful," Bloomberg said.

All of the buildings busted so far under the new law, which went effect on May, are in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The Lo-Down: News From The Lower East Side

By Ed Litvak on May 9, 2011 9:59 am

This past Friday morning, the LES Jewish Conservancy had lots of help from its friends in celebrating the grand opening of the Kling & Niman Family Visitor Center at 400 Grand Street.  The storefront gives the organization a visible presence in the heart of the Lower East Side — a “brick and mortar” launching pad for neighborhood walking tours and a venue for events and education about the neighborhood’s rich legacy.