Dear Neighbor,

Starting this Sunday, the state Legislature's ethics rules institute a blackout period for mass mailings and emails prior to the election on November 3rd - so you won't be hearing as much from me in October.

Below you will find governmental updates from the past month, recent actions by the Trump Administration impacting New Yorkers, and upcoming events and other useful information affecting our district.

Please note that the e-waste and textile recycling event scheduled for October 3rd at Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza has been cancelled. I apologize for the inconvenience, and will be working with our partners to reschedule.

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please email or call my office at lkrueger@nysenate.gov or 212-490-9535. If you are not already subscribed to my email list, click here to join.

Liz Krueger

State Senator

What's In This Newsletter?

Updates From My Office:

• Governor Hochul Signs Bill Creating Electric Landscaping Equipment Rebate Program
• Senator Kristen Gonzalez Introduces Legislation to Ban the Sale of E-Motos
• Governor Hochul Distributes Funding To Combat Hate Crimes
• 69 State Lawmakers Urge Congressional Delegation To Reverse Draconian SNAP Cuts
• Legislators Oppose Shifting New Nuclear Costs Onto Ratepayers And Taxpayers
• Thank You to Our Summer Interns
• Respiratory Virus Season Updates
• Update on Trump Administration Impacts

Community Updates, Events, and Opportunities:

• E-Waste & Textile Recycling Event Postponed
• Free Shredding on Roosevelt Island
• City of Forest Day on Roosevelt Island
• Medicaid Webinar Hosted by Community Service Society
• Attorney General James Urges AI Workers to File Whistleblower Complaints
• NYCLU Teen Activist Project
• Fall Public Programs at the CUNY Graduate Center
• CB8 Art Show

Governor Hochul Signs Bill Creating

Electric Landscaping Equipment Rebate Program

This week, Governor Hochul signed my bill, S.1574, to create an Electric Landscaping Equipment Rebate Program, which will offer point-of-sale rebates to commercial landscapers and institutional users, including municipalities, who purchase battery-powered electric landscaping equipment, such as leaf blowers, weed whackers, or lawn mowers.

Gas-powered landscaping equipment emits large amounts of greenhouse gases and harmful, smog-forming pollution, including hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), and fine particulate matter (PM). The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has reported that operating a gas-powered lawn mower for one hour creates as much smog-forming pollution as driving an average car 300 miles, the distance from New York City to Portland, ME. Operating a gas-powered leaf blower for one hour creates as much smog-forming pollution as driving a car 1,100 miles, or from New York City to Tampa, FL. According to CARB, early in this decade the total smog-forming emissions from small off-road engines, the vast majority of which are residential and commercial lawn and garden equipment, will exceed those from passenger cars in the Greater Los Angeles Area.

Noise is also a significant negative impact from gas-powered lawn care equipment. According to a 2018 report in the Journal of Environmental and Toxicological Studies, sound levels at distances of 100 to 400 feet were up to 22 decibels louder for gas-powered leaf blowers than their battery-electric equivalents (the decibel scale is logarithmic, so each increase of 10 represents a noise ten times louder). The report goes on to say, "the routine use of multiple [gas-powered leaf blowers] and other noisy equipment for hours a day exposes not only workers but large numbers of people in the community to harmful levels of noise and threatens not only worker health, but public health, particularly of children, seniors, and other vulnerable populations.”

Addressing the climate crisis requires action on all fronts. Gas-powered landscaping equipment emits a stunning amount of air pollution, not to mention the noise that blights communities across the state. This new rebate program will make it easier for New York's landscaping companies and institutions to transition to cleaner, quieter equipment. It's a win for small businesses, workers, communities and our shared environment.

Senator Kristen Gonzalez Introduces Legislation

to Ban the Sale of E-Motos

Earlier this month I stood with Senator Kristen Gonzalez to announce the introduction of her bill to ban the sale of e-motos that are not street legal in NYS. These devices, often deceptively marketed as e-bikes or e-scooters, are responsible for the majority of deaths connected to micromobility, and this bill will be an important step in preventing their sale, both in physical stores and by large online retailers.

The bill would establish a clear definition for e-motos, prohibit the sale of models that cannot legally be operated on New York streets, require a warning, and prevent retailers from falsely advertising these vehicles as legal e-bikes, e-scooters, and mopeds.

The legislation comes in response to the growing presence of high-speed electric vehicles capable of reaching speeds exceeding 20 miles per hour which are not legal to ride on New York streets and bike lanes. The urgency of this issue was underscored by the tragic crash on the Queensboro Bridge this summer. The fatal incident involved an illegal high-speed e-scooter and a bicycle.  

Under current state and New York City law, electric scooters and bicycles have strict operation requirements including speed limits. However, these illegal vehicles, some of which are capable of speeds of more than 50 mph, continue to be sold through distributors and online retailers. Often, these devices are labeled as “e-bikes” or “e-scooters,” but don’t meet the legal requirements to be operated on New York State roads and bike lanes. This labeling can mislead customers into thinking they are buying a legal and safe device. 

By addressing deceptive sales practices and restricting the availability of e-motos online, this bill aims to improve consumer protections, strengthen traffic safety, and ensure that New York’s streets remain safe for everyone who uses them.

Governor Hochul Distributes Funding

To Combat Hate Crimes

Earlier this month I was pleased to stand with Governor Hochul when she announced the distribution of $70 million to 290 nonprofit community-based organizations that are vulnerable to hate crimes and attacks due to their ideology, beliefs or mission, including almost $36 million to 147 organizations in New York City. The Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grant program will allow these organizations to strengthen both their physical facilities and cyber security as well as increase the safety of staff and individuals they serve.

Nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for Securing Communities Against Hate Crime grants include religious organizations and houses of worship, community and civic centers, cultural museums, daycare centers and other nonprofit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attack because of their ideology, beliefs or mission. The program allowed eligible organizations to request a maximum of $250,000 each – the most ever since the program’s creation in 2017 – for physical security measures at their facilities and cyber security projects.

The funding is used to support exterior or interior security improvements, such as lighting, locks, alarms, panic buttons, fencing, barriers, access controls, shatter-resistant glass, blast-resistant film, public address systems, cybersecurity enhancements and impact protection improvements, as well as covering the cost of security training.

Successful applicants submitted required vulnerability assessments demonstrating that they are at risk, while outlining how the proposed security projects will help safeguard their facilities and protect the people who use them. 

New Yorkers have always been defined by our embrace of diversity, with people from all backgrounds living together cheek by jowl, mostly in peace. But while we rightly celebrate our track record, we can't ignore the times we fall short, and the current rise in hate crimes, particularly antisemitic hate crimes, demands concrete action.

69 State Lawmakers Urge Congressional Delegation

To Reverse Draconian SNAP Cuts

Last week I led 68 other state legislators, including 32 other senators and 36 members of the Assembly, in a letter to New York's Congressional Delegation, urging them to reverse the nearly $200 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that were implemented as part of H.R. 1, the so-called "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." The letter also called for the reversal of changes to work requirements, eligibility, and other changes that place food assistance out of reach for many New Yorkers.

Nearly 3 million New Yorkers – the majority of whom are children, older adults, and people with disabilities – rely on SNAP benefits, and emergency food providers are experiencing unprecedented demand. H.R. 1 implemented the largest reductions to food assistance in modern history. The bill cut the federal share of SNAP administrative costs in half, from 50 percent to 25 percent, effective October 1, 2026. Under existing New York State law, counties must cover the state’s share of these costs. It is estimated that this administrative cost shift will cost New York’s counties $168 million annually, starting with $60 million in the fourth quarter of 2026 alone.

In addition to the administrative cost shift to the states, H.R. 1 also implemented the first-ever benefit cost shift to the states. Starting in October 2027, states will now be responsible for a percentage of the SNAP benefit amount for their residents, based on their error rate. Once again, due to New York State law, counties must cover the state’s share of these costs. The expected share for counties within the state to cover starting next year is $1.3 billion annually.

Unless these historic cuts are reversed, counties will be left with no choice but to raise taxes, cut other essential services, or reduce support for vulnerable New Yorkers. Several New York counties have already announced they are considering tax increases and/or leaving social services positions vacant to cover SNAP costs. Property taxes may have to be raised while more New Yorkers go hungry and food retailers and farmers lose income. Reversing the new benefits cost shift for SNAP is imperative to prevent increased hunger, property tax hikes, and harm to the broader economy.

With the cost of food and other basic necessities continually increasing as a direct result of policy decisions coming out of Washington, it is particularly perverse to implement a historically large cut to SNAP benefits. Too many Americans - especially children - are going hungry or having to choose between buying groceries and paying their utility bills. We are urging Congress to take action to reverse these cruel cuts to a program that has supported our neighbors in need for almost 90 years.

Legislators Oppose Shifting New Nuclear Costs

Onto Ratepayers And Taxpayers

Last week I also led 35 other state legislators in expressing our opposition to Governor Hochul’s proposal to use taxpayer- and ratepayer-funded subsidies to support the construction of new nuclear power plants in New York. Recent nuclear projects in the United States have gone billions of dollars over budget, fallen years behind schedule, and burdened ratepayers with significantly higher bills.

My colleagues and I submitted official comments opposing the plan in response to the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and the Public Service Commission (PSC) request for comments on New York's Advanced Nuclear Policy Options Paper.

To cover the cost of a new nuclear facility, the State’s Policy Options paper suggested enormous surcharges on utility bills, taxpayer-funded construction grants, and public money that would also provide cost-overrun guarantees. The PSC estimated these subsidies could total $23.9 billion, likely an underestimate. New nuclear reactors would burden New Yorkers with higher electric bills while taking on the risk of paying billions in cost overruns. 

The last nuclear facility built in New York was the Shoreham nuclear power plant on Long Island, which cost roughly 85 times its original estimate and left Long Islanders with some of the highest utility bills in the country. Local ratepayers had already paid most of the $6 billion to build the facility before public backlash over safety concerns led to it being decommissioned.

In Georgia–which built the first new nuclear reactor in the country in 30 years–the facility took 15 years to build, which was 7 years longer than planned, and cost more than double the original estimate to provide 2GW of power. The new nuclear generator led to a nearly 25% rate increase for Georgia Power customers. By comparison, over the past four years Texas has built 30GW of solar power and 6GW of storage for roughly the same cost as Georgia’s reactors.

In addition to being very expensive and taking a very long time to build, nuclear power is toxic and dangerous, generating hazardous waste and radioactive pollution while threatening catastrophic accidents. 84 years after the world’s first nuclear reactor was built in the U.S., there is still no solution for safe long-term disposal of radioactive waste. All that waste will remain a danger to New Yorkers, our environment, and our drinking water for many generations.



The idea that new nuclear generation is a realistic or even a desirable option for New York is just divorced from reality. We need new generation now, not 15 or 20 years from now, and we need to lower costs for ratepayers, not saddle them with billions of dollars of liabilities that will drive up their rates for generations. Fortunately, the solution to both our affordability and our reliability needs is right in front of us - cheap, clean, fast-to-deploy renewable generation and storage paired with money-saving energy efficiency investments. Instead of wasting time and money chasing nuclear fantasies, New York should focus on what is already working in New York and around the world.

Thank You to Our Summer Interns

This summer we were once again fortunate to have several high school and college interns join our office and assist with critical tasks. I sincerely thank these young people for all their hard work and their passion for serving their fellow New Yorkers.

Pictured are:

Top, l-r - Vivian Salum, Julia Steinman, Lilliana Grinberg, Chiara Capruso, Jack Steinfink, Sara Buchris, Ria Dangayach

Bottom, l-r - Jane Rosenblum, Rai Chaudhry, Asher Kurtz, Nina Simoni-Cooperman, Radha Nagrani

Respiratory Virus Season Updates

As reported by Your Local Epidemiologist, people are contracting the flu earlier than usual this year and cases of COVID-19 are peaking. You can also visit the New York City Health Department's Respiratory Illness Data dashboard to see the current state of COVID-19, flu, and RSV cases in the City. The good news is that the 2026-2027 flu and COVID-19 vaccines are now available at pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens, as well as at independent pharmacies. You can look up pharmacies that are offering COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccines on NYC Health Map.

On September 10th, the New York State and New York City Health Departments announced their endorsement of the recommendations for flu, RSV, and COVID-19 immunizations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and Infectious Diseases Society of America, in collaboration with the American Medical Association and the Vaccine Integrity Project. Please see the Respiratory Virus Immunization Recommendations below.

These recommended vaccinations are covered by private health insurance, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, and public health insurance coverage, including Medicaid and Medicare. Staying up to date with these vaccinations is the most effective way to prevent serious health outcomes, including hospitalization and death. 

I strongly encourage you and your family to get these vaccinations if you haven't already. If you have any questions about whether it is time to get another flu, COVID-19, or RSV vaccine, please speak with your health care provider or pharmacist.

Update on Trump Administration Impacts

Below is a small sample of actions the Trump Administration has taken this past month that negatively impact New Yorkers. Click on the links for more details:

• The economic cost of the war in Iran has become significant as the war continues without an end in sight. Diesel prices have reached all time high levels, which has in turn driven the prices of consumer goods and inflation ever higher. According to some estimates, increased energy prices due to the war have resulted in a financial hit to Americans of about $93 billion dollars, which equates to more than $700 per household. However, other costs, such as the human toll on both sides, cannot be quantified economically. At this point, 18 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 750 wounded, while the Iranian death toll is in the thousands, including over 200 children. Meanwhile, while recently discussing continued high gas prices nationwide, Vice President J.D. Vance admitted that he has no idea when the war will end.

• New proposed rules from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services would cut hospital funding by hundreds of billions of dollars on top of the cuts already passed by Congress in H.R.1 last year. At a time when hospitals are already struggling to find ways to continue operating at reduced budgets, these regulations could lead to fewer services, laid off workers, consolidated operations, or in some cases, hospitals being forced to shut down entirely.

• The Trump Administration has proposed several changes to the US Census, some clearly unconstitutional, that will result in significant reductions in representation and federal funding for states like New York, including not counting undocumented immigrants and immigrants without permanent residency, including refugees and asylum seekers, and removing demographic questions that have been included in the census since 1790.

• Earlier this month, Canada implemented retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum, and lumber in an effort to push back against the Trump Administration's tariffs “dollar for dollar.” These tariffs will hit New York’s agricultural and construction industries especially hard, as the costs of machinery and building materials are expected to rise dramatically.

• A new report from NRDC shows that President Trump’s commitment to propping up his friends and donors in the fossil fuel industry has directly caused Americans' electricity bills to increase. While the country continues to lose investment and future prospects for cheap, renewable energy projects, the president has used the power of the federal government to prioritize oil and gas industry profits. Subsidizing expensive, aging fossil fuel infrastructure has led to U.S. residential energy rates increasing by 16 percent since Trump’s second term began.

• Recent analysis from the Environmental Defense Fund reveals that the EPA's repeal of the Endangerment Finding and all vehicle emissions standards will make Americans poorer, less healthy, and more at risk from climate damage, and in the next 30 years will result in up to an additional 58,000 premature deaths, 37 million asthma attacks, $1.4 trillion in delivered fuel costs, and $450 billion in vehicle fuel and maintenance costs.

• The EPA is also rescinding carbon pollution standards for coal and gas power plants, which the American Lung Association states will result in "higher levels of hazardous air pollution that exacerbate asthma and other respiratory diseases... climate-linked health impacts, including worsened air quality due to wildfires and extreme heat," and "increasing risk, especially for children and developing fetuses," from mercury and other neurotoxins.

• President Trump attempted to bribe American voters with their own money, offering $5,000 taxpayer-funded checks to every American adult on the condition that the president's party is reelected to control both the House and the Senate in November.

• The president also released a blatantly political campaign ad that ran during primetime programming including Fox News Sunday and Saturday Night Live - illegally paid for by American taxpayers.

• The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is planning to no longer require companies to submit reports to the Commission with employee data broken down by race, ethnicity, sex, and job title, data it has collected for 60 years. Without these reports, known as EEO-1 reports, investigating companies for discriminatory hiring or promotion policies will be nearly impossible. This policy is expected to be approved and implemented sometime this fall.

• The Trump Administration has proposed new rules that would allow the Treasury to strip the tax exempt status from any university or private high school that offers any policy or program, such as admissions preference or scholarships, aimed at supporting Black and other minority students.

• The Department of Health and Human Services recently released a bizarre report attempting to link support for trans people with authoritarianism. The report, which was not peer reviewed, used a poorly-constructed survey to correlate leftwing individuals, particularly those who support trans people, with support for political violence and “Left Wing Authoritarianism.” Scientists have criticized this as an attack on both trans people and on science in general by HHS, which is legally required to be an apolitical government body.

• In a post on his personal social media site, Truth Social, President Trump claimed that the "Triumphal Arch" that he hopes to build in Washington, D.C., will now become a "top grade Military Complex/Triumphal Arch," filled with drones, snipers, and "large quantities of sniper ammunition," all "at the strong request of the United States Military, and for National Security purposes."

• The president is also trying to have his name carved into the building housing the US Institute for Peace, an independent, nonpartisan institution created by Congress, which his administration previously tried to shut down after it was targeted by Elon Musk's DOGE.

• And the president threatened to tear down the Kennedy Center if he was not allowed to put his name back on the facade of the building, after having previously announced that the institution would close and he might cancel planned renovations.

At this critical time when many are concerned about the integrity of the midterm elections and voting rights, as well as the ongoing presence of ICE in our communities and safety of immigrants, the following articles provide helpful guidance and examples of communities fighting for these essential rights:

• How to combat fear at the polls this November
• In danger of statelessness, Bhutanese refugees build power against deportation
• What the 1960s can teach us about cross-racial solidarity
• What D.C.’s election defense under occupation can teach us

During the month of September, there continued to be judicial and community mobilization actions from which to draw hope and inspiration:

• Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Press Ban, Says Journos’ Rights Likely Violated
• Protests continue across Austin after north Austin ICE shooting
• Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Order Restricting Mail-In Voting
• Community Voices Drive Major Win for Health Equity and Pollution Prevention in Seattle’s Duwamish River Valley
• How Minnesota Unions and Community Groups Stood Up to an ICE Occupation
• Vermont Hospital Workers Fight for Immigrant Neighbors

E-Waste & Textile Recycling Event Postponed

If you live in certain parts of the district, you may have received a notice in the mail about an upcoming e-waste and textile event on Saturday, October 3rd.

Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, this event must be postponed. My office is working with our partners to reschedule, and we will let you know as soon as the new date, time, and location are finalized.

Free Shredding on Roosevelt Island

City of Forest Day on Roosevelt Island

Medicaid Webinar Hosted by

Community Service Society

Attorney General James Urges AI Workers

to File Whistleblower Complaints

Attorney General Letitia James has issued the following industry alert:

Attorney General James Urges Workers With Knowledge of Unsafe AI Development to File Whistleblower Complaints



Those with Information About Dangerous and Potentially Illegal Activity Conducted to Develop AI Technology Are Encouraged to File Confidential Whistleblower Complaints with OAG

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today issued an alert to all workers with information about companies developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, informing them of the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) secure whistleblower portal, where they can report unsafe and illegal conduct that may put New Yorkers at risk. The OAG is closely monitoring recent revelations about the cybersecurity, economic, and other safety risks posed by emerging AI technology. Attorney General James is encouraging anyone with information about potential violations of the law at AI companies to file a confidential whistleblower complaint through OAG’s secure whistleblower portal.

“The power and promise of artificial intelligence are no excuse for using this technology to break the law or put New Yorkers at risk,” said Attorney General James. “Those developing AI have a responsibility to ensure their products are safe. I encourage anyone with information about emerging AI technologies that are violating the law to contact my office.”

Attorney General James is a leader in protecting New Yorkers from emerging technologies like AI. New York’s Responsible AI Safety and Education (RAISE) Act, drafted with support from OAG, goes into effect on January 1, 2027 and requires large AI developers to publicly disclose their safety measures and swiftly report security and safety incidents. Attorney General James will have the authority under the RAISE Act to take legal action against companies that fail to follow the law. The OAG also has authority to address violations of New York’s SHIELD Act, which requires companies to maintain reasonable data security practices to prevent data breaches. In addition, OAG has broad authority to take civil action to protect New Yorkers’ privacy, hold hackers and other fraudsters accountable, and stop violations of the law, including violations of federal laws such as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

New Yorkers can file whistleblower complaints anonymously and confidentially through OAG’s website.

NYCLU Teen Activist Project

Fall Public Programs at the CUNY Graduate Center

This fall, the CUNY Graduate Center presents a season of free events to help make

sense of our rapidly changing world. Attend in person in midtown Manhattan, or online.

View the full schedule and register at: https://www.gc.cuny.edu/public-programs

Stay informed about complex issues of our times, from the New York City mayoral race to China's massive social and economic changes to the possibilities and threats of AI. Events focus on figures from James Baldwin to Bad Bunny. Participants include New York State Senator John Liu, New York Times columnist John McWhorter, actor-playwright Ana Carbatti, Nobel Prize-winning scientist Venki Ramakrishnan, NYC Council Member Nantasha Williams, Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, and many others.

The CUNY Graduate Center is located at 365 Fifth Avenue (at 34th Street) in Manhattan.

CB8 Art Show