In Public Service – January 21, 2020

January 23, 2020 Paula Katinas

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Frontus speaks at Women’s March

Assemblymember Mathylde Frontus was one of the invited speakers at the Fourth Annual Women’s March on Jan. 18, and called on the crowd to listen to each other and support each other to end violence against women.

“While it is okay to be afraid at times, as fear can keep us alive, fear should never keep us quiet. We cannot afford to be quiet,” said Frontus, a Democrat who represents Coney Island and parts of Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights.

Before seeking elected office, Frontus served as the founder and executive director of Urban Neighborhood Services, and also founded the Coney Island Coalition Against Violence and the Coney Island Anti-Violence Collaborative.

“Before I ran for office and got involved in politics in 2018, I spent years as a community activist in my Brooklyn neighborhood. During that time, I witnessed firsthand how women often bear the brunt of most forms of violence in our communities, whether physical, sexual or emotional,” Frontus said.

Myrie introduces New York Voting Rights Act

State Sen. Zellnor Myrie, chairperson of the Senate Election Committee, has introduced a bill that he said will protect New Yorkers’ right to vote.

The New York Voting Rights Act, which Myrie introduced on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, includes the establishment of a “pre-clearance” requirement under which localities would be mandated to seek approval from the state attorney general before changing any voting procedures.

“The New York Voting Rights Act will remove barriers between minorities and the ballot box and make New York a national leader in voting rights at a time when it couldn’t matter more,” said Myrie, a Democrat representing Crown Heights and several other neighborhoods in Central Brooklyn.

Malliotakis sponsors essay contest

Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis is sponsoring a Presidents’ Day essay contest for students. Youngsters in Grades 3, 4 and 5 are invited to write essays about what they would do to improve their communities if they were president of the U.S.

“I’m happy to announce my President’s Day essay contest and encourage teachers and parents to have their elementary school students participate as a way to gain interest in civics and community service,” said Malliotakis, a Republican representing parts of Bay Ridge and Staten Island.

Winners will receive gift cards to a local bookstore and will get the chance to meet with Malliotakis to discuss their ideas.

All essays must be submitted to [email protected] by the Feb. 21 deadline. The essays must be no longer than 400 words.

Richardson bill signed into law

A bill sponsored by Assemblymember Diana Richardson to mandate that pregnant women and new mothers be given information about complications that could lead to maternal mortality has been signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“The journey to motherhood should be an exciting and joyous time in a woman’s life, but all too often it ends in tragedy,” said Richardson, a Democrat representing Crown Heights and Prospect Lefferts Gardens. “This new law will ensure every woman in New York is given information about complications that may seem harmless, but could put their lives at risk, so we can keep more women safe.”

State Sen. Velmanette Montgomery, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said the new law “will empower mothers with vital information so that they can make informed medical decisions and advocate for themselves.”

Maternal deaths have risen in the U.S. from 7.2 per 100,000 live births in 1987 to 18 per 100,000 live births in 2014, according to Richardson, who said maternal mortality rates are higher among black women.