How NYC is making it easier for migrants to work

Plus, what you need to know about Hochul's congestion pricing decision. [FORWARD TO A FRIEND]( [VIEW IN BROWSER]( [DONATE]( [WNYC Politics Brief] [NYC Council aims to streamline migrants getting work, families entering shelter]( The City Council is taking up measures Tuesday designed to make it easier for migrants to enter the city’s workforce and streamline the shelter application process for homeless families with children. The Council’s Committee's on Immigration and on Small Business are planning to discuss a bill that would change the application process for New York City municipal IDs, which are widely accepted as valid proof of identification and are an important tool for migrants applying for jobs. The bill would require the Department of Social Services to provide same-day, in-person application appointments at enrollment centers, and would create an appeals system for applicants who are denied a card. It would also mandate yearly training to educate IDNYC workers on the application process. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- More politics stories to know this week What happened with congestion pricing? Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul [paused the MTA’s long-awaited plan]( to toll drivers entering the busiest parts of Manhattan, just weeks before the program was to be implemented. The governor became the latest politican to [get cold feet]( on congestion pricing tolls. Hochul said the decision to pull the plug on congestion pricing was [motivated by economics]( — not politics. But the announcement [set off a mad scramble]( in Albany, as it left the MTA’s budget in a multi-billion-dollar hole [amid rising subway delays]( and aging infrastructure. New York lawmakers ultimately rejected the governor’s behind-the-scenes [push for a tax hike]( to fill a gap in the MTA’s budget, and ended up wrapping up the 2024 legislative session [without taking action]( on the debt. So what exactly changed Hochul’s mind? The governor said it came down to some [conversations she had at New York City diners](. And how is New York going to find money for the MTA? Hochul wants lawmakers to [use their imagination.]( What else is happening in New York City A New York City Council proposal that would change the way landlords and tenants pay broker fees will be up for debate at a committee hearing on Wednesday. [Read more.]( More red light cameras are coming to New York City intersections. [Read more.]( The New York City Council passed a bill to expand its approval authority over high-level appointments in the mayor's office. [Read more.]( After pledging millions of dollars to crack down on landlords and brokers who reject apartment applicants based on how they pay the rent, the city has delayed the rollout of its enforcement plan. [Read more.]( A member of the NYC Council is floating a plan to give new power and added responsibilities to the watchdog agency running the city’s taxpayer-funded campaign matching funds program. [Read more.]( Mayor Eric Adams applauded President Joe Biden’s decision to slow the influx of new migrants by temporarily closing the border. [Read more.]( What's going around New York State Judge candidates on the ballot are normally pretty hard to research. A new tool could change that. [Read more.]( Hospitals in New York would have to provide more public notice and opportunities for community engagement prior to closing, under a bill state lawmakers passed. [Read more.]( Momentum is building toward banning smartphones in New York schools amid mounting alarm about social media's toxic effects on children. [Read more.]( New York lawmakers passed a pair of bills that restrict how social media companies display content to and collect data on people under 18. [Read more.]( The influential New York Working Families Party is pulling its funding and ground support for Democrat Mondaire Jones. [Read more.]( What's new in New Jersey The key witness in Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial testified Monday that he purchased a Mercedes Benz for the senator and his wife in exchange for help with two criminal investigations. [Read more.]( Officials at an environmental education center in New Jersey say they will have to “severely cut” their educational offerings if they don’t receive more funding. [Read more.]( Murphy signed a bipartisan bill that a broad coalition of organizations says guts the state’s two-decade-old Open Public Records Act. [Read more.]( --------------------------------------------------------------- 🗳️ --------------------------------------------------------------- [the logo for the Brian Lehrer daily politics podcast]( [Defending the Influx of Migrants]( Last week, President Biden issued an executive order that prevents migrants from seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border when crossings surge. [LISTEN]( Support WNYC + Gothamist Make a donation to support local, independent journalism. Your contributions are our largest source of funding and pays for essential political coverage and more. [DONATE]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.