Press Room

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams submitted testimony to the Commission on Human Rights in opposition to a proposal to add exemptions to Local Law 91 - legislation passed by the Public Advocate in 2019 which banned pre-employment THC testing for most professions. The law is set to take effect in May of 2020.

In his testimony, he stated that "I stand firmly against any expansion of exemptions to Local Law 91. Creating more exemptions and loopholes to this law will unjustifiably deter qualified employees from obtaining gainful employment. Maintaining the original intent of the legislation, the City should be pushing to reduce the stigma around marijuana and working to restore justice for the millions of black and brown communities who have been the victims of marijuana criminalization and discrimination."

His full testimony is available here. TESTIMONY OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS TO THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Good morning, my name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I want to thank the Commission on Human Rights for holding this public hearing on expanding Local Law 91 exemptions.

In 2019, I introduced legislation that would form Local Law 91 which prohibits New York City employers from testing for tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, as a condition of employment. Within this legislation, exceptions are provided for certain safety and security sensitive jobs, and those tied to a federal or state contract or grant. I was hesitant to put any exemptions into the original bill language as I believe that no individual should be tested for THC, and I stand firmly against any expansion of exemptions to Local Law 91. Creating more exemptions and loopholes to this law will unjustifiably deter qualified employees from obtaining gainful employment. Maintaining the original intent of the legislation, the City should be pushing to reduce the stigma around marijuana and working to restore justice for the millions of black and brown communities who have been the victims of marijuana criminalization and discrimination.

Over half of Americans admit to trying marijuana, and 11 states have already allowed recreational use of it. A majority of New Yorkers support its full legalization including the Governor and myself. Additionally, studies have shown that some commonly used drug tests can't tell the difference between THC and CBD. Individuals should not be punished for a widely accepted practice or for using CBD, a product legal nationwide. Testing for marijuana only serves as a Reagan era obstacle, preventing talented applicants from applying and accepting positions. We need to be creating more opportunities and access to employment- not less.

Under the current law, individuals who show up at work under the influence are not justified. Rather, this law serves to protect the privacy and rights of those who might otherwise have their lives ruined by harmful marijuana enforcement policies before being employed. There are a number of safety and security sensitive jobs where alcohol consumption is not tested for, marijuana should be no different. I would charge the commission to explain why marijuana should be treated any different than alcohol. As a body that supports human rights, I urge the Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) to eliminate THC testing as a requirement for employment rather than expanding it towards a deleterious effect. I strongly recommend that the CCHR reconsider its effort to add further exemptions to Local Law 91.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams announced today the formation of a Borough Advocacy Unit within the Office of Public Advocate, which is tasked with ensuring that the office has an advocacy presence in each of New York City's five boroughs, and the needs of each borough are represented within the office. The new unit is part of the Public Advocate's vision for an office that champions and is actively engaged with the needs of all New Yorkers in their communities.

"One of my goals as Public Advocate is to make sure everyone knows this office exists to amplify the voices of New Yorkers who often go unheard, and will hold New York City government accountable. This team represents the passion, talent and agency to make this happen," said Public Advocate Williams. "As I campaigned for this position, I argued that the Public Advocate should have a presence in each borough, and this new unit will show why - our new borough advocates will be demonstrating the importance of engaging with  local neighborhoods and communities, to work with people where they are." The new Borough Advocacy team will work in communities to engage the public and liaise between the Public Advocate's office and civic and business groups including community boards, precinct councils, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and chambers of commerce. The unit will largely be the first line of contact for local organizations and leaders, and internally will work closely with the Deputy Public Advocates and across all divisions within the office to share information and issues raised locally. Conversely, they will share information about the work being done by the Public Advocate's office and its impact. The Borough Advocacy Unit includes:

Julissa Santiago, Director of Borough Advocacy Julissa began her career as a founding member and Community Organizer at Make the Road New York. As an organizer, she fought for better schools, against police brutality, and advocated for access to healthcare. After 14 years in the non-profit sector, she moved to New York City government as Director of Constituent Services at the New York City Council. Julissa joined the Office of the Public Advocate in 2014 during the tenure of former Public Advocate Letitia James. She is a proud Nuyorican raised in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Brian Polanco, Bronx Borough Advocate Brian comes to the Office of the Public Advocate after years of public service at the state and federal level. Prior to joining the Public Advocate's office Brian interned with the Obama Foundation, where he was tasked with analyzing, identifying, and executing worldwide partnerships for their 2020 Fellowship Application. Brian has previously held positions with the NYC Department of Education, NYS Assembly, and the United States House of Representatives. Brian is the proud son of Dominican immigrants. Jibreel Jalloh, Brooklyn Borough Advocate Jibreel joins the Public Advocate's team after serving as an Urban Fellow at the Office of the First Deputy Mayor of the City of New York, and the New York City Mayor's Executive Team as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. While at his alma mater, Baruch College, Jibreel held internships with multiple city, state and federal legislative offices. Jibreel is the proud son of Sierra Leonean immigrants.

Phillip Ellison, Manhattan Borough Advocate Phillip was a non-traditional student at Tufts University and honors student at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx, New York. At Tufts, he was awarded the 2016 Presidential Award for Citizenship and Public Service. Prior to Tufts, he served as an AmeriCorps member with City Year, Team Leader with Citizen Schools, and gained extensive experience in local and national political campaigns including Obama for America, Gillum for Governor, and two New York City Public Advocate races. In Boston, Phillip launched ULink, an education technology startup supporting community college students. He is a native New Yorker born and raised in Manhattan, and is proud of his familial roots in the North American South, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago. Sabine French, Queens Borough Advocate Sabine has worked on several political and community empowerment campaigns throughout New York State.  Her passion is bringing communities together to recognize the strength of collective growth. She is the parent of a New York City public school student and believes that every child deserves a quality education.  It is a source of great pride that she organized several Voter Registration and Citizenship Drive events. As a first generation Haitian-American, she is a strong advocate for immigrants. Fitim Shabani, Staten Island Borough Advocate Fitim joins the Public Advocate's Office after 12 years with the New York City Council where he gained extensive experience in public affairs, legislation, budgeting and land use processes. Fitim is a community organizer and volunteer in his North Shore community of Staten Island. He serves as the Executive Director of the Silver Lake Park Conservancy; in this role he partners with the New York City Parks Department and community residents to provide support and resources for the beautification of the park, community use and fostering the growth of art in public spaces. Fitim was born in Prishtina, Kosovo. He moved to the United States in 2000 as a refugee and settled in Staten Island with his family.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams introduced legislation today with Council Members Costa Constanides and Justin Brannan, Intro 1845, that would update and expand upon the requirements for the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to maintain catch basin drainage systems around the city. Clogged or otherwise damaged catch basins have led to inland flooding in areas around the city. The DEP has reported a 39% increase in catch basin complaints over the last six months.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for monitoring, cleaning, and repairing catch basins. It accomplishes this through inspections of every system in the city and in responding to 311 calls from New Yorkers indicating a clogged or broken storm drain.

While a Council Member in 2015, Williams passed legislation, Local Law 48 of 2015, that required annual inspections of and semi-annual reporting on the condition of catch basins, and set a nine day mandatory response time to respond to any reports of clogged catch basins. The new legislation, which updates the expiring 2015 law, enhances it to require quarterly reporting, and requires a mandatory response to complaints within five days.

"For parts of this city, clogged catch basins have led to mass flooding in the streets. It's an issue that not only inconveniences neighborhoods, but can cause significant water damage to property," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "We made great progress four years ago by increasing inspections and reporting on the conditions of catch basins, but the problem persists. To preserve our environment and the quality of our roadways, we need to build on that success. Increased reporting and accelerated response times will provide that much needed relief." According to the most recent report issued by DEP regarding catch basins, 148,782 programatic inspections took place and 4,246 were conducted in response to 311 complaints. Under the new legislation, quarterly reports to the Public Advocate, Mayor, and Council Speaker would discuss the inspection, cleanup, maintenance and repair of catch basins, disaggregated by community district.

"A clean catch basin is vital to the health of a neighborhood, because a clogged one can spell disaster in terms of flooding and other disruption," said Council Member Costa Constantinides, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection. "I'm so glad to join with the Public Advocate and our partners in the City to guarantee these vital pieces of grey infrastructure are regularly inspected, so that residents don't have to worry about a minor rainfall causing a major catastrophe."

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams was joined today by advocates including Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder, VOCAL-NY, and community groups to take on myths and misinformation about the recently enacted pre-trial reforms. These laws, passed in the 2019 legislative session in Albany, are designed to eliminate the privilege gap between wealthy offenders who can pay bail and lower-income New Yorkers forced to remain incarcerated because of an inability to pay.

The group gathered outside New York County Criminal Court, within sight of the ongoing trial for Harvey Weinstein, who paid $1 million and later $2 million to be released pre-trial.

"This new reform- this critical progress -  has been in effect for just six days," said Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams. "Yet we see top officials reacting to headlines and fear mongering, discussing a potential watering down or clawing back of the gains that have been years in the making. In the past, we have seen officials apologize for being on the wrong side of history, for supporting policies that hurt communities in need such as stop, question and frisk, the 1994 crime bill, and the three strikes law. I urge people to wait, to see the good these new laws will accomplish, not only for the benefit of thousands of low income New Yorkers, but so that they are not apologizing for their own opposition to that progress down the road." Public Advocate Williams specifically highlighted that less than 12% of New York City's jail population has been sentenced to jail in 2019, and emphasized that bail is meant not as a punishment but as an assurance that a defendant will return to court - one that poor New Yorkers are unable to pay and so have been far too often punitively incarcerated pre-trial. As of 2018, he noted, 76% of cases already led to release pre-trial, He also made clear that he new bail and discovery laws create more tools for judges and law enforcement to monitor people being released pretrial, and all people facing criminal allegations will now be subject to a range of possible supervision requirements. The Public Advocate announced that his office would be holding a series of informational sessions around the city to engage the public on the impact and implementation of the laws. "I spent eighteen months at Rikers and saw the way money bail devastated the lives of poor people like me. I was proud to fight for bail reform in Albany because wealth should not determine one's freedom. We can't go back to the way things were, we must embrace the new bail reform laws because they make our state more fair and just for all," said Darryl Herring, community leader for VOCAL-NY.

"The presumption of innocence is a principle fundamental to our criminal legal system but for decades, innocent until proven guilty only applied to those who could afford it," said Assemblymember Dan Quart. "New York's new bail laws are a victory decades in the making and we will not allow police unions, prosecutors, and the right-wing media sensationalize and fear monger their way to regressive rollbacks." "Kalief was inevitably sentenced to death for being accused of stealing a backpack - such an insignificant accusation, with a fatal impact. My mother like every parent across New York City never should have to witness and experience a tragedy such as this which caused her death by a broken heart, "said Akeem Browder, brother of Kalief Browder and criminal justice advocate. "Reforming New York's bail came too late to help Kalief, my mother and the countless families that went through similar circumstances- but we fought to have change, attained this reform, and just a week into implementation we are now faced with this action to repeal. This isn't the legacy left due to the sacrifice of Kalief Browder. This is a step towards reviving the system of incarceration." "I have spent the last seven years in the halls and courtrooms of this building right here watching increasing numbers of black and brown and poor New Yorkers behind bars, their families devastated because they simply could not afford bail - because they struggled with poverty, mental health, and substance use issues. Meanwhile the white, the wealthy, and the well connected got to buy their constitutional right to the presumption of innocence," said Tiffany Cabán, public defender and Working Families Party national political organizer, later adding "We need to make sure that we are working together so that none of these reforms, these really important reforms, are rolled back." "These laws are a mere 6 days old and it is shameful that critics continue to spread falsehoods and hysteria to push their anti-reform agenda. This comes as no surprise, as law enforcement and others opposed to reform have employed these baseless tactics for decades to maintain their competitive courtroom advantage, strip our clients of their rights, and keep black and brown New Yorkers in cages at Rikers Island. Albany rightfully overhauled these broken laws and lawmakers must only build on this success by enacting more reforms this upcoming session," said Marie Ndiaye, Supervising Attorney of the Decarceration Project at The Legal Aid Society. "When people say that our Hasidic and Orthodox brothers and sisters are under attack, that is not a metaphor to me, that is literal," said Abby Stein of Jews for Racial and Economic Justice. She went on to say "I am here to tell you that bail reforms isn't just not getting in our way, it's the only thing we can do right now to make sure that the nonstop incarceration of our siblings of color does not get in the way, and does not make anti-Semitism even worse." "We stand here today and instead of celebrating together, we are talking about the efforts of a few New Yorkers with a vested interest in the status quo to roll back what we have accomplished together," said Justine Olderman, Executive Director of The Bronx Defenders. "They are trying to add new charges, more charges, to our two-tiered justice system, where people who are wealthy can pay their way out and people who are low-income New Yorkers will languish in jail... We should not be here looking backwards and finding ways to go back to an unjust system.  We should be standing here celebrating that our criminal legal system is no longer able to crush the poor and that since January 1, people accused of low-level offenses are no longer separated from their family, jobs, and community." The Public Advocate said his office would continue to monitor the reforms for their effectiveness and impact.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams labelled the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) as the worst landlord in the city today after touring apartments at the Lincoln Houses complex in East Harlem. The development was the second stop on the Public Advocate's citywide tour following his release of the annual 'Worst Landlords Watchlist' Monday morning in lower Manhattan.

Following the installation of a federal monitor and new Chair, NYCHA tenants have only seen conditions worsen, with its nearly 350,000 current outstanding work orders surpassing the previous year by more than 100,000. While NYCHA is not included in the direct methodology used to rank individual property owners, the Public Advocate has emphasized that its neglect and mismanagement needs to be spotlighted and combated. The agency was first designated as the worst landlord in 2018.

Public Advocate Williams said, "The worst landlord in our city is responsible for the housing safety and security of nearly half a million New Yorkers, and yet again, it is utterly failing in that responsibility. We have seen deplorable and dangerous conditions on the rise without the money or the management to fix it. We have seen NYCHA become a permanent fixture as a perennial political prop. What we have not seen is a commitment to meaningful change, to progress, to tenants. NYCHA has earned its federal monitor, and it has earned a place atop the Watchlist."

The Public Advocate toured a Lincoln Houses apartment Monday with tenant Rina Marie Mungin, who spoke about the deteriorating conditions in her unit and throughout the building and complex. She pointed to rodent infestation and mold growth, hazardous peeling paint, and months-long waits for dangerous conditions to be addressed and repairs to be made. She also discussed building-wide failures including elevators frequently out of serve and human waste in hallways and stairwells. Public Advocate Williams and tenant leaders emphasized that these issues are faced across the system, not specific to Lincoln Houses.

"We are facing deplorable and unsafe conditions on a daily basis," said Mungin of her family and neighbors within NYCHA. "There doesn't seem to be any care, any sense of urgency, to address the needs of people living here, and it's only getting worse."

Public Advocate Williams has introduced legislation to create a NYCHA task force that focuses on tenants and tenant voices, in a conversation where he feels they have too often been overlooked and ignored. That disconnect, he argued, has helped to create a situation where NYCHA is massively underfunded - it is estimated that resolving just the current open work orders system-wide would cost $25 billion dollars.

The Public Advocate's Landlord Watchlist is an information-sharing tool intended to allow tenants, public officials, advocates, and other concerned individuals to identify which residential property owners consistently flout the City's laws intended to protect the rights and safety of tenants.

The Public Advocate launched a citywide tour Monday of properties owned by the worst landlords, with more information available here.

View the full Worst Landlord Watchlist, as well as borough-specific lists, for 2019 at LandlordWatchlist.com.

Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams today announced the creation of five Community Organizer positions within the Office of Public Advocate-- each focusing on designated issue-based areas to build coalitions for change-- as well as the organizers who will fill those roles. This is the latest in a series of organizational restructurings by Public Advocate Williams, designed to better serve New Yorkers across the city.

In announcing the appointments, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams said, "When I first started working as a community organizer two decades ago-- before President Barack Obama -- people questioned what community organizing was and what organizers did. Since then, organizers across the city and nation have shown how this work creates change. Now, I'm excited to expand the organizing strength of this office to engage and uplift communities across our city, and for our new organizers to be agents of change."

The new Community Organizers work with local constituencies on grassroots campaigns across their specific area of focus, as well as conduct research on policy and legislation. They will implement campaigns and initiatives within these issue portfolios, working with advocacy groups and community-based organizations. The positions are designed in line with Public Advocate's activist-elected official strategy, community organizing background, and newly developed structure for the office.

Today's announcement comes after the previous appointments of Deputy Public Advocates, with each Community Organizer directly aligned with the Deputy Public Advocate's portfolios.  The Community Organizers will work with the five Deputy Public Advocates in the areas of Housing Equity; Infrastructure and Environmental Justice; Justice, Health Equity and Safety; Education and Opportunity; and Civic and Community Empowerment.

The newly announced Community Organizers include:

Ivie Bien-Aime; Community Organizer of Housing Equity

Ivie is an experienced AmeriCorps V.I.S.T.A. Tenant Organizer and proudly steps into her role and responsibilities knowing that its goals are aligned with her passion to address New York City's crisis of housing insecurity. Ivie is a former Site Director of a COMPASS Elementary After School Program, and has previously held three Community Engagement positions with the NYC Department of Education as: School Based Parent Coordinator, District Family Advocate and Family Leadership Coordinator. Steve Fox; Infrastructure and Environmental Justice Steve comes to the Office of the Public Advocate after years organizing campaigns and consulting in the renewable energy sector. Before that, Steve organized and developed offices for the Community Voters Project, which registered over 165,000 African American and Latino voters in 6 states, focusing on states that had recently passed discriminatory voter ID laws. He has also actively organized campaigns related to overturning Citizens United and abolishing the death penalty.   He is excited to combine his deep knowledge of energy and environmental policy with his deep passion for organizing for social justice in his new role. Keeshan Harley; Justice, Health Equity, and Safety Keeshan has fully dedicated the last 4 years of his life to community organizing and forwarding public policy in New York City. At Make the Road NY, he was active in city wide campaigns with young people around both Education and Policing reform. Keeshan has partnered with the Public Science Project at CUNY for a Participatory Action Research project called Researchers for Fair Policing and has given testimony to President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task force, and sat on the Mayoral Leadership Team around School Discipline. He will be taking on a range of issues from  marijuana justice and Cure Violence and restorative justice programs to ending the school to prison pipeline, Elizabeth Kennedy; Education and Opportunity Elizabeth began her New York City career as a Human Rights Education Fellow with Amnesty International HQ, and went on to work as an Education Consultant with the Department of Education in the Office of Post-Secondary Readiness. Later, she led a national leadership program called GlobeChangers at Multiplying Good, and engaged in local and national community organizing with groups like NYCoRE, Housing Works, and the Center for Popular Democracy. She has also led diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging consulting work that supported nonprofits with sustainable training, leadership alignment, and strategic planning. Hadeel Mishal; Civic and Community Empowerment Hadeel is an activist and organizer from Bay Ridge who started her career organizing with young immigrants on Staten Island and teaching action civics courses to middle and high school students. She later accepted a fellowship through Newman's Own Foundation and moved to Philadelphia to organize with the Youth Leadership Council, working on local advocacy issues and awarding mini-grants to local organizations doing work align with their values. After completing her fellowship, Hadeel began working as a Youth Organizer at the Arab American Association of New York, engaging in city-wide advocacy and civic engagement initiatives.