I made the following statement on today's vote on Resolution 0003-2014 calling on Governor Cuomo to call special elections to fill all vacancies in the Assembly and State Senate.
New York, NY -- This morning, Council Member Ben Kallos, staff and volunteers from progressive advocacy groups and labor groups advocated for Universal Pre-K in New York City on the Upper East Side. Council Member Kallos' team engaged members of the public in conversation, distributing information and signed up interested residents. The canvassers backed city's Pre-K plan to expand coverage to the 70% of the estimated 73,250 families who require full-day Pre-K for their 4-year-olds.
Today at noon, more than seven hundred community leaders and guests joined United States Senator Charles “Chuck” Schumer, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia "Tish" James, City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, State Senator Liz Krueger, Council Member Dan Garodonick, Former Public Advocate Mark Green, Former Council Member Jessica Lappin, Former Assembly Member Jonathan Bing, and Bill Samuels to celebrate the inauguration of Council Member Benjamin J. Kallos. Congress Member Carolyn Maloney, who is on an international trip, provided remarks by video message.
New York, NY – Today, on the naming of City Council committee assignments, the following statement can be attributed to Council Member Ben Kallos (District Five, Manhattan):
"I am honored to be named Chair of the Committee on Governmental Operations, where I will work with my committee to create a government that is more open, transparent, and accountable to the working families that make our city great. Our task will be to make our city more efficient at seamlessly serving all of our city’s residents, so that government just works for the people."