Press Releases

Congestion Pricing Funding for Accessibility Upgrades

Brooklyn, NY – Today, congestion pricing advocates, alongside State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, rallied at the Smith-9th St subway station in support of congestion pricing, which will provide funding for critically needed...

Elected Officials and Tenants Rally for Good Cause Eviction, Citing New Data

Brooklyn – Elected officials, tenants, and community groups held a press conference today calling for the passage of statewide Good Cause Eviction in this year’s state budget, citing new data from the Community Service Society (CSS). Good Cause...

100+ Workers Across NY Rally to Call for the Inclusion of Empire Worker Protection Act in New York State’s Budget

Albany, New York – On Tuesday, over 100 workers from across New York – representing an expanding coalition of unions, community organizations and social agencies – rallied with Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal and new prime sponsor Assemblymember Jo Anne...

MADD, Families of Victims, and Transportation Safety Experts Testify at Assembly Hearing to Lower NY’s Legal Blood Alcohol Limit From .08 to .05

Albany, NY – Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, member of the Assembly Transportation Committee, will attend the Committee’s public hearing on intoxicated and impaired driving. Several people will testify on the topic, including the need to lower the...

Assemblymember Simon and Sen. Gounardes Advocate for Bill to Make School Lockdown Drills More Effective

Brooklyn, NY – As students and teachers return to classrooms and begin another school year, they are also preparing to conduct 4 state-mandated lockdown drills over the next year: one of the highest lockdown drill mandates in the country. These drills...

Governor Hochul Signs Gounardes, Simon Bill to Stop Illegally Overweight Trucks from Damaging BQE

BROOKLYN, NY – Governor Kathy Hochul signed a crucial bill to limit additional damage sustained to the already-crumbling triple cantilever on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE), utilizing state-of-the-art technology to weigh and fine illegally overweight...

Affordable Housing Tenants at 63 Tiffany Place at Risk of Mass Eviction by Millionaire Landlord as City and State Agencies Look on

Brooklyn, NY – Longtime residents of 63 Tiffany Place, one of the last affordable housing buildings in Cobble Hill, face potential eviction as the property’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) regulatory agreement expires on December 31, 2023....

New Report Shows NYS Teacher Prep Programs are Woefully Inadequate in the Most Important Part of the Job – Teaching Children to Read

Albany, NY - Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon will introduce a new bill to require the New York State Education Department to survey New York’s teacher education programs to identify the programs that are using evidenced-based practices consistent with...

Assemblymember Simon & Senator Gounardes Pass Bill to Combat Overweight Trucks from Damaging BQE

Albany, NY – Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon announced the passage of their bill (S6246/A6225) to enable the implementation of the first-in-the-nation Weigh-in-Motion (WIM) program to electronically ticket illegally overweight...

Assemblymember Simon Hosts 8th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day: 150+ Students, Educators, Legislators Call for an End to NY’s Literacy Crisis

Albany, NY – On May 17th, 2023, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and her colleagues Senators Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Robert Jackson, and Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymembers Robert Carroll and Harvey Epstein hosted the 8th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day: Advocating...

Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon, State Senator Andrew Gounardes Introduce Bill to End Excessive and Ineffective Lockdown Drill Mandate

Albany, NY – Today, State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon introduced a bill which would make improvements to the state-wide lockdown drill mandate by decreasing the mandated frequency of drills and ensuring that these lockdown...

Legislators, NYC DOT, Advocates Push to Lower the Legal Blood Alcohol Limit in NY State From .08 to .05

Albany, NY – NY State Senator John C. Liu and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon today joined with the NYC Department of Transportation Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, legislators, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the National Transportation Safety Board, and...

Statement from Assemblymember Simon and Colleagues on NYC DOT’s Delay of Truck Weight Enforcement Program to Extend the Life of the BQE Triple Cantilever

Brooklyn, NY– NYC DOT has informed local elected officials that the BQE Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) project is significantly delayed. WIM is a first-in-the-nation automatic enforcement mechanism to fine illegally overweight trucks on the dangerously deteriorating...

Statement from Assemblymember Simon and Colleagues on NYC DOT’s BQE Design Proposals, 12-16-2022

Brooklyn, NY - On December 13, 2022 and December 15, 2022 the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) released design concepts for the 1.5-mile stretch of the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street. In response,...

Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO): NY’s Red Flag Law

Why Would Someone Need an ERPO? You can ask the court for help to take away guns from someone you think may hurt themselves or others. The police, district attorney, or school can also ask the court for this help. This is called an Extreme Risk Protection...

Assemblymember Simon, Mayor Adams, Sen. Brooks & Coalition of 200+ Gathered for 7th Dyslexia Awareness Day

Albany, NY – On May 12th, 2022, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D-Brooklyn), Senator John Brooks (D-Long Island) and their colleagues hosted the 7th Annual Dyslexia Awareness Day. Teens, parents, advocates, educators and legislators from across New York...

Statement from Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon on the Mass Subway Shooting in Sunset Park

Brooklyn, NY - New York State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D, WFP - AD 52) released the following statement regarding yesterday’s mass shooting on the subway in Sunset Park: “Yesterday morning, subway commuters in Sunset Park experienced many people’s...

Assemblymember Simon Passes Bill to Ensure Community Input Before a Hospital Closes

Albany, NY – Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon (D - AD 52, Brooklyn) announced that her Local Input for Community Hospitals (LICH) Act (S3131/A02251) passed the Assembly with bipartisan support. This major piece of legislation ensures that communities receive...

Senator Kavanagh & Assemblymember Simon’s BQE Overweight Truck Bill Signed into Law

Albany, NY — Senator Brian Kavanagh and Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon announced today that their BQE Overweight Truck bill (S2740B/A2316) was signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The new law authorizes a pilot program along I-278 in Brooklyn allowing...

Electeds and Community Call on MTA to Address Unsafe Conditions at York Street Station

Brooklyn, NY – Senator Brian Kavanagh, Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon and Councilmember Stephen Levin were joined by representatives of the offices of Congressmember Nydia Velázquez and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams along with community leaders...