Mayor Eric Adams vetoed the Metropolis Council’s bid to decriminalize unlawful merchandising — arguing the invoice sends the incorrect message as New York Metropolis tries to wash up its streets.
Adams’ veto units up a confrontation over a possible override by the council, which voted to eradicate felony expenses for illicit avenue distributors.
Opponents mentioned council members pushed the measure — Intro 47-B — partly to assist defend migrants working as unlicensed distributors at a time when President Trump is ramping up deportation of unlawful aliens.
Adams, in a press release, mentioned it was a quality-of-life problem, arguing the council’s invoice comes as the town is making an attempt to rein in out-of-control unlawful merchandising alongside the notorious “Market of Sweethearts” — Roosevelt Avenue in Queens — and different areas.
“Since day one, our administration has been dedicated not simply to creating New Yorkers secure, however to creating them really feel secure, too — and that features addressing persistent quality-of-life points like unlawful avenue merchandising. Our legislation enforcement officers play a significant position in preserving our streets away from unlicensed distributors and defending small enterprise house owners who observe the principles from being undercut by those that don’t,” Adams mentioned.
“We can’t be so idealistic that we’re not sensible — stopping the courageous women and men of the NYPD from intervening, even in essentially the most egregious instances, is unfair to law-abiding enterprise house owners and poses actual public well being and security dangers.”
However council members mentioned they have been heeding the recommendation of a avenue advisory process drive arrange in 2021 that advisable eliminating misdemeanor felony expenses and as an alternative imposing a spread of civil fines and penalties on unlicensed meals and merchandise distributors.
Final 12 months, the NYPD issued 1,688 felony summonses for unlawful merchandising.
The council slammed the mayor’s veto, saying it will “take into account its subsequent steps to guard our metropolis from a mayor prepared to place his personal political wants over folks and sound coverage that retains us all secure, with entry to alternative.”
“Whereas leaving in place the enforcement instruments of violations, fines, and civil offenses, the invoice merely eliminated the extreme felony misdemeanor penalties that may block New Yorkers’ entry to instructional, employment, housing and immigration alternatives,” mentioned council spokeswoman Julia Agos.
“The council negotiated this invoice in good religion with the administration, solely to have the mayor disregard the work of the advisory board and his personal employees with this veto,” she mentioned. “Because the Trump administration continues to assault working households and immigrant communities, Mayor Adams’ veto is one more instance of him supporting Trump’s agenda over New Yorkers.”
The invoice handed 40-8, with three abstentions.
Queens Councilman Robert Holden, one of many naysayers, mentioned considerations about exposing migrants to immigration enforcement got here up in the course of the debate by supporters of the invoice.
“Ought to we exempt folks from the legislation as a result of they’re unlawful immigrants? That’s ridiculous,” he mentioned.
