MENUNYPIRG 45th Anniversary Celebration
Honoring the Rockefeller Family Fund and its Director Lee Wasserman
Dear Friends,
Our November 15, 2018 NYPIRG 45th Anniversary Celebration was a great success, and we all had a wonderful time proudly honoring the Rockefeller Family Fund and its Director Lee Wasserman for their vital efforts to fight climate change. Despite the weather, it was a fantastic evening and a testament to the crucial work that NYPIRG has accomplished since 1973 — and the dedicated staff, volunteers, friends, coalition partners, and supporters who have made that work possible.
NYPIRG will continue to tackle the big issues and take on the powerful on behalf of the public. As your watchdog in New York, we are proud of our decades of tireless work to strengthen democracy, fight for the rights of consumers and voters, and protect the environment and public health. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Blair Horner
Executive Director
Event Photos
Co-chairs
Jay R. HalfonRachel Leon
Chris Meyer
Neysa Pranger
Camille Rivera
Donald K. Ross
Rebecca J. Weber
Host Committee
Melinda BaglioSabrica Barnett
Tarika Barrett & Michael O’Loughlin
Geoff Boehm
Michele Bonan & Steve Hamill
Diana Breen
Samara Daly
Judith Enck
Dave Fields
Jay Hershenson
Li Howard & Tom Wathen
Joel Kelsey
Steve Kleinberg
Arthur Malkin
Catherine McVay & Tom Hughes
Mike Pratt
Joseph Rappaport
Lauri Rosmarin-Plattner & Rob Plattner
Larry Shapiro
Pete Sikora
Susan Stamler
Evan Stavisky
Michelle Stern
Special Thanks
Rockefeller Family FundKramer, Dillof, Livingston & Moore
Susan Stamler & Chris Meyer
Barak Berkowitz
Jeff Bloom
Lawrence & Dana Linden
Shoshana Bookson
Arthur Malkin & Donald K. Ross
Michelle Stern
Larry Rockefeller
AARP New York
Professional Staff Congress/CUNY
John Gilroy
Geoff Boehm
Virginia & Sarah Knox
Diana Breen
Jay Halfon
David Kaiser
Michael Porte
TransitCenter
Tarika Barrett & Michael O'Loughlin
Li Howard & Tom Wathen
Catherine McVay & Tom Hughes
Neysa Pranger & Michael Ward
Lawmakers, JCOPE Clash in Hearing Over NY’s Ethics Laws (New York NOW, August 25th, 2021)
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s daughter-in-law is top lobbyist at pharma firm that has sought to influence NY lawmakers (CNBC, August 25th, 2021)
During Andrew Cuomo's time in office, delays in signing legislation grew longer (Times Herald Record, August 23rd, 2021)
Officials call talk of Upstate New York losing congressional rep speculative (NNY360, August 18th, 2021)
Upstate New York could lose representation after redistricting (NY1, August 18th, 2021)
Assembly committee members, non-profit want impeachment investigation findings released (CBS 6 Albany, August 15, 2021)
Facing sharp criticism, Heastie now says Cuomo impeachment panel will produce public report (Buffalo News, August 16, 2021)
Halfway there: NYC restores discounted ‘Fair Fares’ funding to only half of pre-pandemic level (amNY, July 15, 2021)
JCOPE critics are not giving up (WXXI News, July 15, 2021)
Blair Horner: New York's Ethics Watchdog Under Scrutiny (WAMC, July 12, 2021)
NY state lawmakers cancel ethics hearing after rule mix-up (New York Post, July 12, 2021)
Legislature passes MTA data measure (Queens Chronicle, June 10, 2021)
Transit riders call on federal government to aid MTA's quest for accessibility (Bronx News 12, June 7, 2021)
Nuclear Subsidies May Be Slowing Transition to Clean Energy, Advocates Say (Truthout, June 6, 2021)
It sure is hard to watch Assembly committee meetings online (City & State, June 4, 2021)
New York emits more building pollution than any other state (Green Biz, June 4, 2021)
Blair Horner discusses Albany politics on The Capitol Connection (WAMC, June 3, 2021)
NY lawmakers pass ban on coal tar as driveway sealant (Olean Times-Herald, June 3, 2021)
City Budget Negotiations and Comptroller Primary Collide (Gotham Gazette, June 2, 2021)
New York officials urged to expand early voting to colleges (Spectrum News, June 1, 2021)
After Relaunching Congestion Pricing, Signing the Climate Change Superfund Act Is Next on Gov’s To-Do List
NYPIRG Straphangers Campaign Statement on Governor Hochul's decision to implement Congestion Pricing
Press Release: Bus Riders March for Faster Buses on Flatbush Avenue; Call on Mayor and City to Get it Done
A coalition of civic organizations released a letter to the State Board of Elections identifying possible failures in state law mandating that colleges with dorms have polling places. The groups urged action to ensure compliance or to strengthen the law.
A coalition of civic, environmental, social justice, and community-based charities joined with small business “redemption centers” to call on Governor Hochul and the state legislative leaders “to urge your attention and immediate action to prevent business closings and job losses by supporting legislation to boost the ‘handling fee’ that provides revenues for redemption centers, which are critical to the success of the state’s Bottle Deposit Law.”
VICTORY! On Monday, June 17, a six-year fight for clean air and public health came to an end when Danskammer Energy withdrew its application to build a new fracked gas plant on the Hudson River in Newburgh, NY.
As a dangerous heat wave grips New York, sending "feels like" temperatures soaring above 100 degrees, community leaders, local officials, and extreme weather survivors are demanding Governor Hochul take immediate action by signing the recently passed Climate Change Superfund Act (S.2129B/A.3351B) into law.
Tale of the Tape: NYPIRG's 2024 Legislative Review – The number of bills that passed in the Senate increased, while that number decreased in the Assembly. The Governor's use of emergency "messages of necessity" flattens.
NY State Assembly Passes Historic Climate Superfund Bill to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Damages
NYPIRG's Statement on Governor Hochul's Delay of Congestion Pricing
A coalition supporting improvements to the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a listing of over 1,000 local charities that benefit from the law. The coalition argued that these charities offer services for those in need and that modernization of the forty-year-old law would enhance the charities’ services.
A coalition supporting improving the state’s Bottle Deposit Law today released a review of recent redemption center closures. The review, conducted by redemption centers, identified 97 businesses that have closed or appear to be closed. Another 54 redemption centers had disconnected phones and no obvious social media presence. The coalition argued that many of these closures are the direct result of New York's 15 year "freeze" of the handling fee that redemption centers rely on for revenues.
NYPIRG Reacts to Speaker Heastie's Comments on Climate Change Superfund Act
A coalition of civic groups today called on the New York State Board of Elections to review the state’s polling locations to see if colleges have on-campus polls as required under the law. The letter is in reaction to the results of a survey conducted by NYPIRG.
NYPIRG analyzed 199 colleges (217 campuses, some colleges have multiple campuses) in New York State, of which 147 have dorms located on their premises. This review of the locations of polling places for college students living on-campus identifies a wide gap between those campuses that have dorms and the number that have polling places.
A statewide coalition representing hundreds of community, environmental, labor, and religious groups today applauded state Senate approval of the Climate Change Superfund Act, which requires Big Oil to cover New York's climate damages – not taxpayers. The groups urged swift action in the state Assembly. The majority of Assemblymembers are sponsors of the legislation.
News Release on NYPIRG's Recent Victory Expanding Financial Aid for Low-Income Patients
Environmental, community, and business groups representing 300 New York organizations today held a press conference to urge state lawmakers to include the "Bigger, Better, Bottle Bill" (S.237B/A6353A) as a "must do" priority for the end of session
NYPIRG Statement on Start of Congestion Pricing
NYPIRG reacted to elements of the final state budget, highlighting the "good," the "bad," and the "ugly."
Release: County & Local Elected Officials Join 180+ Organizations to Urge Governor Hochul & Assembly Speaker Heastie to End $265M of Fossil Fuel Subsidies in the Final NYS Budget
