José Peralta's Press releases

“The sex trafficking and prostitution operation dismantled by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, NYPD and federal authorities is yet another example of the barbaric treatment trafficked women are subjected to for the profit of ruthless pimps.

“It also underscores the need to reclassify sex trafficking as a violent felony. in recognition of the brutality of the crime and the punishment it warrants.  I recently introduced a bill in the New York State Senate that would make sex trafficking a violent felony and increase the minimum jail sentence to five years.  The minimum sentence currently is one to three years.

Citing the alarmingly large number of families across the state facing foreclosure, State Senators Jose Peralta and Malcolm Smith are urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to fund a program that provides homeowners with counseling, legal assistance and help negotiating with banks.  Launched in 2008, funding for the $25 million Foreclosure Prevention Services Program expires next month.

Our community has lost a great friend, champion and leader.  Richard Italiano, former chair and district manager of Queens Community Board 4, has passed away.  A tireless servant of our community, Richard was open and accessible.  His spirit, leadership and friendship will be sorely missed.  I extend my heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and the many people whose lives he touched.

"We are forever in the debt of the courageous men and women who fought around the globe in defense of our freedom.  On Veterans Day, remember these heroes, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of our country."  

Arguing that “investing in foreclosure prevention saves money,” State Senator Jose Peralta is urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to continue funding a program that provides homeowners with counseling, legal assistance and help negotiating with banks.

In a letter to the governor citing alarmingly high rates of seriously delinquent mortgages in his senate district, Senator Peralta calls for extending the state’s Foreclosure Prevention Services Program.  Launched in 2008, funding for the $25 million initiative expires at the end of the year.

Help For Queens Homeowners Struggling In the Mortgage Crisis

With alarmingly high rates of seriously delinquent mortgages in Corona, East Elmhurst and Jackson Heights, State Senator Jose Peralta, State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and local non-profit agencies hosted a forum to help homeowners in the face of the ongoing mortgage crisis.

The attorney general’s office and community-based organizations working on foreclosure prevention provided counsel and hands-on assistance Saturday to homeowners at the event, sponsored by Senator Peralta at the Queens Museum of Art.

Some 50 employers will be accepting résumés and talking to job seekers at a September 22 job fair sponsored by State Senator Jose R. Peralta and Elmcor Youth and Adult Activities, Inc.

The fair will be held at the Elmcor Recreation Center, located at 107-20 Northern Blvd. in Corona, from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.  Some of the employers that will be on hand include the Council for Airport Opportunities, AFLAC, Macy’s, PSCH Inc., the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a variety of city and state agencies, as well as several unions with apprenticeship opportunities available.

“Good intentions have too often produced little more than lip service. In the Young Men’s Initiative we may finally have an effort where ambitious vision, planning and resources replace platitudes and promises.

 “I applaud the mayor for his commitment to dealing with problems that have devastated many minority families and communities for generations. I thank him and Mr. Soros for their generosity.

 “I stand ready to help the administration however I can. I also stand ready to hold the mayor’s feet to the fire on this initiative.

 “Many of the communities I represent, and our city and country, desperately need this initiative to succeed.”

Operation Community Outreach, a mobile constituent services initiative of State Senator Jose Peralta, featuring a truck with the Senator’s constituent services staff aboard, is making the rounds every Monday in Central Queens through the end of August. The truck is making morning, afternoon and evening stops in Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst, Corona, Elmhurst and Woodside. “We’re going mobile in an effort to reach out and help as many people as we can,” said Senator Peralta.  “Getting out into the community this way will also help spread the word that we’re available year round in the district office to provide assistance.”