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CityAndStateNY.com
July 18, 2022
CANNABIS STORES ON THE HORIZON
“We both approved. They read the bill, they saw the budget, they voted on it.”
The New York City Council Women’s Caucus celebrated a victory last week by passing bills to improve abortion access for locals and out of staters alike.
NYC APPROVES ABORTION ACCESS BILLS As the country deals with the fallout of Roe v. Wade being overturned, the New York City Council took steps to improve abortion access for both local residents and out
of staters. The newly approved legislation would require some city health clinics to provide free abortion pills and would prevent city resources from going to efforts to enforce out-of-state abortion laws. They would also permit civil lawsuits against people or organizations that attempt
to interfere with a person’s access to reproductive care. Meanwhile, at the state level, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the distribution of the first $10 million in grants to abortion care providers out of the $35 million she had set aside earlier this year for an abortion access fund. And
– New York City Mayor Eric Adams, on City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other council members objecting to school funding cuts in the budget they just passed, via the New York Post
TOP JUDGE TO STEP DOWN
COPS CAN’T SMOKE YET As if the New York City Police Department needed any other impediments to recruiting rookies, it looks like officers will still be subject to marijuana testing despite recreational use of the drug being legal in New York. A Law Department memo had suggested that random marijuana testing might go away, but the NYPD quickly clarified that drug testing would continue, effectively making it impossible for cops to unwind from a stressful day with newly legal pot.
New York took one step closer to legal pot sales after the state Cannabis Control Board voted to approve regulations for conditional retail licenses. First unveiled in March, the rules garnered some 600 public comments in the past few months, including concerns about those with prior pot-related convictions getting first dibs on the licenses. However, the board members reaffirmed their social equity commitment and plan to reserve the first licenses for those impacted by past marijuana enforcement. Over 200 farmers have already received conditional growing licenses to supply the retail stores, which are expected to begin operation later this year or early next year.
“This is not rocket science. Rats don’t go where they can’t eat.” – New York City Council Member Sandy Nurse, on the council’s rat mitigation plan to limit easily accessible trash, via NY1
In a surprise decision, New York Chief Judge Janet DiFiore announced that she would step down from her position leading the Court of Appeals at the end of August. Then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo appointed her to lead the state’s top court roughly seven years ago, meaning that she will only end up serving half of her 14-year term. DiFiore
JOHN MCCARTEN/NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL; ED REED/MAYORAL PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE; BRANDON HARRISON; KEVIN P. COUGHLIN/OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
President Joe Biden issued an executive order that health care facilities must perform abortions if the life of the mother is at risk, regardless of any individual state’s laws.
