Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz: Overlook Manor rally not ‘bipartisan’

The head of the Guardian Angels Curtis Sliwa and Waldo Garden residents led a Sept. 24 rally over former Manhattan College dorm Overlook Manor potentially transforming into a shelter for asylum seekers. The rally was met by counter-protestors who stood against Sliwa’s rhetoric and stood in solidarity with migrants.

Days later Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz addressed the event in a letter.

“While the rally opposing the migrants was billed as ‘bipartisan’ for some strange reason, the only person listed on their expensive ad in The Riverdale Press and on their flyers was former and future Republican candidate for Mayor Curtis Sliwa,” Dinowitz said. “Some people on the other side of the street, organized by Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, were also local, but a large share were presumably from far beyond Riverdale and the Bronx.”

Though Dinowitz was not present for the event, he saw Sliwa’s full speech on recordings, he said, including hearing a rally-goer shout “go back to your country.” He described Sliwa as someone who uses inflammatory and hateful language. Dinowitz, who said he wanted the building to be used as permanent affordable housing, was perplexed by Sliwa attacking him and also saying he thinks it should be used for affordable housing.

“I can only imagine that since Sliwa never bothered to speak to me,” Dinowitz said, “he probably mischaracterized my opinion deliberately, or it was based on information from one or more people who attended the rally.”

Dinowitz said there is no question that the migrant crisis has not been appropriately handled and is one that needs to be dealt with by the federal government.

“I don’t think New York can deal with unlimited migrants,” he said. “The Bronx has only a tiny percentage of recent migrants, 7 percent, despite having 17 percent of the City’s population.

“I don’t pretend to have the solution. I am confident that hateful rhetoric from anyone, including those parachuting into our community for political gain, solves nothing and only divides us.”

Ben Franklin Club backs Biden, Eric Dinowitz

Who should be elected U.S. President in 2024? The Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club says Joe Biden. Last Thursday members voted during a meeting to endorse the sitting president for the Democratic Primary for the 2024 presidential election as well as his vice president Kamala Harris.

According to a press release from the Democratic club, its president Virginia Krompinger emphasized the need for Democrats to work together in helping all Democrats run in both the 2023 and 2024 elections.

“We cannot wait to support Democrats in an environment where Republicans are mounting challenges and will support a candidate like (Trump),” Krompinger said.

At the meeting Krompinger shared concerns about how the constitution does not clearly prohibit a candidate convicted of a crime or jailed from running for president or serving if elected.

“...it’s clear now more than ever that the future of our democracy is at stake,” Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz said at the meeting. “Literally. Who would have ever thought that this could even be a possibility?”

While the election may feel far off, petitioning for the Presidential primary will begin on Dec. 12 with the primary itself in New York scheduled for April 2, 2024. 

An endorsement for a president and vice president were not the only endorsements the club made.

Councilman Eric Dinowitz has received endorsements in his race against Republican candidate Robert Caemmerer for the position of 11th City Council District, which will be decided on Nov. 7.

Members have also been knocking on doors and making calls to voters for Councilwoman Marjorie Velazquez who is running against a Republican challenger for the 13th City Council District. Councilman Dinowitz plans on showing his support by organizing a day of action on Oct. 21 in the East Bronx.

In addition to Councilman Dinowitz and Velazquez, the club is also writing postcards to voters in support of a former club president, Dan Johnson, who is running for Rockland County legislator.

Employee password privacy signed into law

Most applicants or employees would probably have a heart attack if an employer forced them to show their private social media account. Those individuals can let out a sigh of relief as Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed into law legislation from Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz that bars employers from requiring them to surrender a username or password.

“Certain employers go to great lengths beyond publicly shared data when making hiring and disciplinary determinations,” Dinowitz said in a press release. “This includes the unwarranted solicitation of social media usernames and passwords and access to personal email and other highly private accounts from prospective and current employees. Such requests represent a grave breach of privacy on the employer’s part and can raise concerns regarding unfair and discriminatory hiring and admission practices.”

Under the Employee Password Privacy bill, candidates or employees get to decide whether they want to show or not employers their private TikTok, Instagram or “X” accounts. Employers may no longer discipline or threaten punishments for refusal of disclosing information.

“They should be afforded the complete freedom to safeguard their privacy regarding workplace matters, interviews, or admission processes, without the apprehension of job loss or rejection due to non-compliance with such requests,” Dinowitz said. “I have worked since 2012 to get this bill signed into law, and I never gave up.”

The law should go into effect in March 2024.

Hearing held on Torres lithium-ion batteries act

It is not completely unreasonable for someone to expect their scooter or e-bike not to suddenly catch fire or blow up while they ride it. However in New York City fires caused by lithium-ion batteries have been responsible for injuring 93 people and killing 14 others in this year alone.

Which is partially why the Innovation, Data, and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee recently held a legislative hearing on U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres “Setting Consumer Standards for Lithium-Ion Batteries Act.”

This piece of legislation was first introduced in March and would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish final mandatory safety standards for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in e-mobility devices. The bi-partsian act is co-led in the House by U.S. Reps Yvette Clarke and Andrew Garbarino.

“A consumer should not need to evaluate a complex electrical engineering to determine whether the product they purchase is safe for them to use,” Clarke said on Sept. 27.

Clarke said her office has received support in the legislation from Consumer Reports, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Firefighters, People for Bikes, GrubHub and Doordash.

Steven Michael Gentine, counsel of Arnold & Porter, LLP, said creating a standard is important but says there are a few issues that go beyond the legislation.

“We have a huge problem with counterfeit batteries,” Gentine said. “Whether in these products or others. And that is something that a standard won’t address because obviously those actors are not really concerned about what the law is since they’re breaking it already. And then you know we’re talking about repair here, at least one of the fires involved here, there was a very unlicensed repair shop being operated.”

U.S. Rep. Torres previously urged the federal government to step in on the issue following a Fordham Heights fire in March that tore through a supermarket and injured five firefighters. That fire was started by a damaged lithium-ion battery exploding.

A pair of bills sponsored by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz similarly seek to, one require batteries and chargers for sale in the state to meet minimum industry safety standards, and two, prohibit the sale of second-use lithium-ion batteries intended for use in bicycles with electric assist, electric scooters, and limited use motorcycles.

Venezuelans get protected status

The Biden Administration announced they would redesignate Venezuelan immigrants to temporary protected status, just one week after U.S. Rep. Adriano Espalliat and others led a bipartisan letter urging them to do just that. This announcement means the many Venezulans in the city will be eligible for work permits.

“As a nation founded by immigrants seeking freedom from oppression, the United States of America bears an important and inherent responsibility to help immigrants obtain refuge from dire situations across the globe,” Espalliat said Sept. 21. “The Biden Administration’s decision to grant TPS to 472,000 Venezuelans here in the U.S. is a tremendous step forward for our country.”

Espalliat explained in a press release how this decision will enable people to support themselves and their families and leave overcrowded shelters. U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres also commended the Biden Administration for the move.

“New York City has experienced an unprecedented influx of thousands of migrants this year. Our country should be a land of opportunity for immigrants and asylum seekers,” Torres said. “Work authorization is a critical step in the ability of immigrants to be able to provide for themselves and their families.

“The Biden administration’s decision to grant TPS to Venezuelans will help alleviate the strain that has been put on the city’s shelter system and local economy.”