Bill Perkins's News items

WNYC News Blog

Mayoral Control - Two Lawmakers Weigh In

By Beth FertigMay 14, 2009

When the New York Civil Liberties Union invited reporters to hear its ideas for reforming mayoral control of the schools today, it also invited two legislators with their own strong opinions.

Mayor Bloomberg and Joel Klein told to relax on mayor control of schools

BY Kenneth Lovett DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF

Wednesday, May 6th 2009, 4:00 AM

ALBANY - Several state lawmakers warned Tuesday they intend to soften mayoral control over the schools - and urged Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Joel Klein to get on board.

Please join Senator Bill Perkins, Chair, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions Committee along with Senator Martin Malave Dilan, Chair of the Transporation Committee for a joint committee hearing on the proposed plan to avoid draconian cuts and severe fare hikes (The Ravitch Plan).  The hearing will be held at the Adam Clayton Powell State Office Building, 163 West 125th Street, 8th floor, New York, NY  10027 on Thursday, February 19th at 3:00pm. Attached is a hearing notice and rsvp form if you plan to attend and/or testify  We look forwar

Senator Bill Perkins joins prominent leaders from the faith community, former military, state officials, interrogators, survivors of torture and their families to re-affirm the absolute prohibition of torture by urging the New York State Congressional Delegation to ensure humane prisoner treatment and ban cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.

By DEMETRIA IRWIN Amsterdam News StaffPublished: Tuesday, October 14, 2008 8:58 AM CDT

•    At state Senate hearing, calls for reform of state eminent domain laws, notably blight

•  The right way to fight blight  

•  Eminent Domain and Blight Attacked in State Senate Hearing 

The Senate returned briefly to the Capitol today to pass the spending cuts agreed on yesterday by the governor and legislative leaders and approved by the Assembly in the wee hours of the morning.

Six Democrats voted "no." They were: Shirely Huntley, Efrain Gonzalez Jr., Marty Connor, Kevin Parker, Bill Perkins, and Ruben Diaz Sr.

The Working Families Party and the Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) are launching a $1.5 million tv ad campaign against Gov. David Paterson's property tax cap.

The ad – titled "Wrong Answer" – quotes the New York Times' description of Paterson's tax cap "gimmick"  and argues that the tax cap "is the wrong answer to the serious problem of property taxes.  Similar caps have devastated public education in states like California, Massachusetts and Illinois."

(Harlem, NY) – Monday, July 28 – State Senator Bill Perkins (D-Harlem) joined family, community, elected officials and Attorney Roger Wareham today calling the arrest last week of "whistleblowers" Clarence Jones and his mother, retaliatory.