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To the outrage of groups across the country, the Trump Administration recently released its Fiscal Year 2020 budget proposal which slashes funding for important environmental programs and agencies. So what does this mean for New Yorkers?

Earlier this year, State Senator Todd Kaminsky and Assembly Member Englebright proposed legislation to expand the state's bottle deposit refund program to several types of bottles and cans that are not currently included in the program like wine, liquor, and hard cider bottles.

NYLCV joined New Yorkers for Parks and DC 37 as founding members of the Play Fair for Parks Coalition to call for increasing the NYC Parks Department expense budget by $100 million next year in order to better maintain parks citywide.

NYLCV recently joined The Nature Conservancy, Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, and Moms Clean Air Force as part of the Fix Our Transit Coalition to urge lawmakers in Albany to include a comprehensive congestion pricing plan in this year’s budget. The groups released a fact sheet of numerous environmental and public health benefits that congestion pricing would bring.

Late last month, Congress permanently reauthorized the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the largest public lands bill in a decade, representing a major win for environmentalists and recreatalionists nationwide.

As Cuomo and the newly elected state legislature hash out the details of the proposal in the coming months, they can look to California to learn how a friendly competitor is meeting similarly ambitious goals.

In his State of the City Address, Mayor Bill De Blasio revealed his plan for improvements to New York City’s public transportation system, which included steps towards making the City’s buses run faster and expanding the NYC ferry service. Unfortunately, the MTA this month announced that the busway on 14th Street in Manhattan would not continue as originally planned. NYLCV believes that DOT should continue with the busway as originally proposed to accommodate the nights and weekend service changes.

A special election for NYC Public Advocate will occur on February 26th. While NYLCV has decided not to make an endorsement in this race, we reviewed candidates’ records and solicited answers to an environmental questionnaire.