2011 New York City Council Human Rights Report Card

1. 2011New York City Council Human Rights Report Card webinar training

2. Agenda • About the Human Rights Project • Why a Human Rights Report Card? • Methodology • Findings • Questions

3. About the Human Rights Project • One of 9 projects at the Urban Justice Center Founded to fight NYC’s aggressive implementation of the welfare rollback policies, which actively discouraged many eligible New Yorkers from seeking public assistance. The Human Rights Project (HRP) works to improve the lives of people living in poverty by monitoring and advocating for government compliance with universal human rights standards, especially the human rights to employment, housing, health, food, education and other economic and social rights.

4. Specifically, the Human Rights Project is • Exposing policies and practices that create barriers to economic equality and reform • Enlisting and equipping allies to use human rights standards to combat poverty • Motivating those in power to bring economic policies in line with human rights standards

5. Why a City Council Human Rights Report Card? Pervasive income inequality, poverty, gender inequalities, and racial inequalities in a variety of sectors. The City Council, as the legislative body of the city, holds the power to make significant changes. Under a human rights framework, Council has the obligation to act proactively to advance equality. The Report Card is designed to measure the extent to which it succeeds in doing so.

6. Methodology: General Legislative analysis: using human rights criteria and working with advocates to identify human rights bills Data analysis to determine trends in hearing rates, votes scheduled, and passage of legislation

7. Methodology: Council Member Grades In July, Council members were sent a list of all selected human rights legislation as well as a deadline date for sponsorship The list included any bills from last year’s report not yet passed, as well as all new human rights bills introduced up to June 15 Major bills, rather than proposing a narrow fix to a specific problem, attempt to change the landscape of the city. Minor bills are bills that seek to affect a basic human rights issue with regard to a particular population, or that propose a limited solution to a larger human rights problem.

8. Methodology: Council Member Grades All vote and sponsorship tracking sheets are available in the Report Card

9. Methodology: Council Member Grades Council members were sent a questionnaire to allow them an equal opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of and opinions about human rights, and to indicate their legislative and budget priorities. Questionnaire completion is indicated on the individual report card pages Text from the questionnaire was excerpted to create profiles for those council members who responded.

10. Methodology: Council Member Grades Raw scores were calculated, and Council Members were graded according to the following curve:

11. Legislation Passed this Year 16% Only 16% of the legislation passed into law in the past year (8 out of 49 bills) significantly promoted human rights. None of the bills that passed were major human rights bills. • Human Right to Housing • Reporting Citywide Emergency Housing Use (LL2011-37) • Government Accountability • Reporting Hate Crimes Data Online (LL2010-58) • Reporting Domestic Violence Data Online (LL 2010-59) • Commission on Human Rights Annual Reporting (LL 2011-002) • Human Right to Education* • Reporting School Discipline and School Police Department Activity (LL 2011-006) • Reporting School Discharges (LL 2011-042) • Reporting School Transfers Due to Closures (LL 2011-043) • Women’s Human Rights & Human Right to Healthcare * * • Pregnancy Service Centers (LL 2011-017) * Recategorized as Government Accountability for grades ** Recategorized as Health for grades

12. What did pass this year?

13. Why are other human rights bills stalled? Media reports, advocate testimony, and our legislative analysis show us that the Speaker and the Mayor have , and use, political power to delay human rights legislation. The Speaker’s influence is especially visible when it comes to the scheduling of votes and hearings.

14. Why are other human rights bills stalled?

15. Disparate Hearing Rates: This Year

16. Why are other human rights bills stalled? Hearings are delayed even for bills with overwhelming support in Council. 13 Pieces of legislation with 25 or more sponsors have been denied a hearing. 6 strong human rights bills– each with 27 or more sponsors– have been delayed.

17. Disparate Hearing Rates: Human Rights Impact Right to Housing Right to Work Right to Freedom from Discrimination Tenant’s Bill of Rights ( Int 0477-2011) 33 Sponsors (+ the Public Advocate). No hearing. Citywide Census of Vacant Properties-(Int 0048-2011) 29 Sponsors. No hearing. Reduced Fine for Vending Regulations Violations (Int 0434-2010) 30 Sponsors. No hearing. Clarified Street Vendor Violations and Fines (Int 0435-2010) 32 Sponsors. No hearing. Human Rights Government Operations Audit Law (Int 0283-2010) 31 Sponsors. No hearing. Civilian Complaint Review Board Prosecution Power(Int 0072-2010) 27 Sponsors. No hearing.

18. Vote Delays: This Year

19. Vote Delays: Human Rights Impact 14 bills with significant support in Council (25 or more sponsors) were never brought to a vote after a hearing That includes 5 bills with a veto-proof majority of council members signed on as sponsor. Six bills, including the 5 veto-proof bills, are significant human rights bills.

20. Vote Delays: Human Rights Impact Right to Decent Work & Health Care Right to Decent Work Right to Freedom from Discrimination Right to Education Paid Sick Time (Int 0097-2010). 35 Sponsors (+ Public Advocate). Veto Proof. No Vote Prevailing Wage for Building Service Employees (Int 0018-2010) 36 Sponsors (+ Public Advocate). Veto Proof. No Vote Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act (Int 0251-2010) 35 Sponsors (+ Public Advocate). Veto Proof. No Vote Accessible New Taxi Cabs (Int 0433-2010) 37 Sponsors. Veto Proof. No Vote Banks Addressing Community Needs (Int 0485-2011) 35 Sponsors. Veto Proof. No Vote School Capacity Utilization Reporting (Int 0155-2010) 32 Sponsors. No Vote

21. Rates of Passage: This Year

22. Power Ceded by the Council Council members as individuals and as a collective have the opportunity to challenge the political power of the Speaker. There are two Council rules that would allow members to address hearing, vote, and passage delays. Neither rule has been exercised a single time this legislative session.

23. Sponsor’s Privilege: The Potential Power of the Lead Sponsor • If a committee fails to consider a piece of legislation within 60 days, rule 7.100, called Sponsor’s Privilege, allows the lead sponsor of a bill to petition the committee chairperson for a meeting. • The rule calls for a meeting to be scheduled within 60 days of that petition, and for a vote to be taken on the spot or at a hearing within 30 days. • Rule 7.100 also says that if a bill receives a favorable report from committee and is not brought to the floor of Council within 45 days, the lead sponsor may move for that legislation to be considered immediately. • The lead sponsors of human rights bills, particularly those with significant support in Council, could move their bills forward with the exercise of this rule.

24. Discharge of Committee: The Potential Power of the Council • Rule 7.130, called Discharge of Committee states that if the majority of Council sees fit, they can (with the support of the lead sponsor and at least seven additional sponsors) act collectively to vote to discharge a piece of legislation from committee. • If the Council acted collectively, those pieces of legislation with widespread support in Council could be discharged from committee with the exercise of this rule.

25. Top Scoring Council Members

26. Council Member Melissa Mark-Viverito Manhattan Council District # 8 – Democrat (Score: 90%) Council Member Helen D. Foster Bronx Council District # 16 – Democrat (Score: 88%) Council Member Letitia James Brooklyn Council District # 35 – Democrat (Score: 88%) Council Member Jumaane D. Williams. Brooklyn Council District # 45 – Democrat (Score: 88%) Council Member Charles Barron. Brooklyn Council District # 42 – Democrat (Score: 80%) Council Member Brad Lander Brooklyn Council District # 39 – Democrat (Score: 74%) Council Member Gale Brewer. Manhattan Council District # 6 – Democrat (Score: 73%) Council G. Oliver Koppell. Manhattan Council District # 11 – Democrat (Score: 65%) Council Jimmy Van Bramer. Queens Council District # 26 – Democrat (Score: 65%)

27. What else you’ll find in the Report Card • Human rights budget analysis • Land Use and Human Rights • Resolutions: Advancing Human Rights Dialogue • Action Steps

28. Questions? Human Rights Project at the Urban Justice Center 123 William Street, 16th Floor New York, NY, 10038 646.602.5628 councilwatch@hrpujc.org www.hrpujc.org www.urbanjustice.org To request a hard copy of the report card, please send an email to councilwatch@hrpujc.org with your name, address, and number of copies you would like. Save the Date! Release Event Friday, December 2nd, 9am