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Dear <<First Name>>,

I hope you enjoyed the Fourth of July long weekend. It's been only 5 days since the horrific murder of Azsia Johnson, a 20-year old mother, right on East 95th Street in front of PS198/PS 77 and the Seabury Playground. Our country and city are in the midst of a gun violence epidemic that seems to know no bounds. It was traumatizing to our community to see that epidemic, combined with the epidemic of domestic violence, play out right on our doorstep to a mother strolling her baby.  We must continue to prioritize public safety and do whatever we can to get guns off our streets and end this senseless violence. I wanted to share some updates from the week:

1. East 95th Street Shooting
2. Universal Childcare Bills Introduced
3. Legislation to Enhance Abortion Rights
4. Lifeguard Shortage at NYC Pools
5. OMNY on RI Tram Petition
6. Inside City Hall Appearance
7. Petition for French Dual Language Programs
8. Groundbreaking at the 92nd Street Y
9. Upcoming Community Events 
1. East 95th Street Shooting
In the wake of the brutal events on Wednesday, our office organized a vigil for Azsia Johnson. Elected officials, Azsia's family, and domestic violence and gun violence advocates joined us to honor Aszia's memory and to recommit to combatting gun violence and domestic violence. Wednesday was a harrowing reminder of the domestic violence scourge we face. New York reported 1,324 domestic homicides from 2010 to 2019 and 25% of these victims died by firearms. That's why it's critical that the New York City Council has allocated $11.5 million to the DoVe Initiative to support women at risk through crisis intervention, counseling, legal and other referrals, and so much more. We must double down on public safety in our community. A few weeks earlier I had written to Chancellor Banks requesting security cameras on this very block. I will ramp up my advocacy to the Chancellor and in the upcoming weeks I am meeting with NYPD officials to determine measures we can take to ensure safety in our neighborhood. Tomorrow night Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney's office is organizing a gun violence town hall which we will be joining. You can find more information in our events section below.
2. Universal Childcare Bills Introduced
On Wednesday, at the Women and Gender Equity Committee I was proud to have a hearing for my 5 pieces of legislation that will bring universal childcare to New York City. Universal childcare is a critical economic and gender equality issue: to allow New York families to succeed in the workforce we must give them access to affordable childcare. During the hearing, the Administration expressed support for the bills and 4 of them already have a supermajority of support from colleagues. You can see more from the hearing here.
3. Abortion Rights Legislation
In the wake of the Supreme Court's overturning Roe v Wade, my colleagues and I have been busy doing what we can to ensure New York has a bulwark of reproductive rights protection. This past week, the Health Committee held a hearing on the Bill I am sponsoring that would create an office of sexual and reproductive health in New York City. The office would be located within the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and would be responsible for conducting outreach and making referrals to affordable and accessible family planning services, contraception, and abortions. As a beacon of reproductive freedom, New York must provide this resource. 
4. Lifeguard Shortage NYC Pools
Our office has received frequent complaints from constituents about the John Jay Park Pool operating at severely reduced capacity which has led to interminable wait times. This issue has been caused by a lifeguard shortage the city is facing. One of the main drivers of this shortage is the low entry wage for city lifeguards, especially compared to their state counterparts. So, in response, I sent a letter to Mayor Adams asking for the city to raise those wages to address this staffing crisis. You can read more about this here: I know how important it is to constituents that we get the pool running at full capacity given the hot summer we're facing. 
5. OMNY on Roosevelt Island Tram Petition
As you know, my office has been fighting hard to get RIOC and the MTA to install OMNY on the Roosevelt Island Tram. Roosevelt Island residents recently began circulating a petition which already has almost 600 signatures calling for this installation to be expedited. OMNY will improve the efficiency of the tram and open tram riders to the new financial benefits like the weekly fare cap. I have signed the petition and encourage you to sign it as well as we lobby RIOC on this issue. You can sign here.
SIGN THE PETITION
6. Inside City Hall Appearance
In the midst of this busy week, I had the honor of joining Errol Louis on NY1's Inside City Hall on Thursday night. On the show, I discussed the push for childcare, the council's work on reproductive rights, and some updates from the horrific shooting on 95th Street last week. You can watch the interview here. 
7. Petition for French Dual Language Programs
Dual Language Programs (DLPs) are a great educational tool in our diverse city of immigrants. Constituents have been reaching out to my office advocating for an extension of the current PreK District 2 French DLP into a K/5 and a 3K program. The advocates are looking for parents across the District to sign their name to petition Superintendent Kelly McGuire on this issue. If you'd like to join them in their petition, you can sign it here.
SIGN THE PETITION
8. Groundbreaking at the 92nd Street Y
The 92nd Street Y, New York holds a special place in my heart as it was a key cultural gathering spot for my grandmother when she fled persecution in Hungary in the wake of the Holocaust. So, it was extra special to participate in the groundbreaking ceremony for a new dance and performing arts complex that the City Council had helped fund. This will be another great facility for our community!
9. Upcoming Community Events
Tomorrow night, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is hosting a Town Hall on gun violence with elected officials from across the East Side. My office will be participating. Please see the below flyer for more information and you can RSVP at this link.

My office is proud to help put on Sprinkler Day at Asphalt Green this upcoming Saturday. I hope you can make it to what is one of my favorite summer events in our community! 
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You can email us at district5@council.nyc.gov or call 212-860-1950

Thanks,
Julie
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