NYC councilman warns of lawsuits over social-justice ballot measures passed by voters

[The Bobster]

NYC councilman warns of lawsuits over social-justice ballot measures passed by voters

City Councilman Kalman Yeger warned that two new social justice provisions added to the city’s charter through ballot measures passed on Election Day could open the door to a slew of lawsuits…

nypost.com

NYC councilman warns of lawsuits over social-justice ballot measures passed by voters​

By
Carl Campanile and

Nolan Hicks


November 9, 2022 7:21pm
Updated










A city councilman warned on Wednesday that two new social justice provisions added to the city’s charter through ballot measures passed on Election Day could open the door to a slew of lawsuits.
“Where there’s always a lawyer looking to make a buck, this will bring lawsuits,” said Councilman Kalman Yeger (D-Brooklyn), who’s district overwhelmingly opposed the measures.
“Regardless of the intent of the language, there will always be someone who looks at the city for a cash payout and will use the language of this amendment to force the city to act against [its] best interests.”
One amendment to the city charter includes a mission statement “to promote justice and equity for all New Yorkers.”
Another creates a taxpayer-funded Office of Racial Equity and Commission – the brainchild of a Racial Justice Commission started under former Mayor Bill de Blasio and headed by civil rights lawyer Jennifer Jones Austin, vice chair of the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network.
However, longtime civil rights attorney Norman Siegel doubted the new provisions to the charter would fuel any new lawsuits, pointing to the reams of civil rights laws already on the books.
“We’ve got enough civil rights laws on the books at the city, state and federal level. We’ve got the 14th Amendment and the New York State and New York City human rights commissioner,” he said.
City Councilman Kalman Yeger warned the provisions to the city charter added through ballot measures could lead to lawsuits against the city.Stefan Jeremiah for New York Post Mayor Eric Adams praised the successful ballot measures and said New Yorkers placed “racial equity at the heart of our city’s government.”Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit
Mayor Adams released a statement Wednesday lauding the passage of two citywide referendums that codified new racial justice provisions to the Big Apple’s charter, which critics charged could open the door to new lawsuits.
“Equity and justice go hand in hand and are key to building a prosperous city that serves all New Yorkers,” said Hizzoner in a statement. “New Yorkers have placed racial equity at the heart of our city’s government.”
The two measures were among a trio of proposals put to voters by de Blasio’s last charter revision commission.
One of the measures will create a “true cost of living” for the city. Levine-Roberts/Sipa USA
Its third proposition, which also passed, requires City Hall to compute a “true cost of living” to more precisely measure how much New Yorkers pay for essential needs — including housing, food, childcare and transportation.



Conservatives warned the new measure could provide city politicians with a backdoor option to expand the Big Apple’s general social welfare programs without needing to cast votes during often difficult budget negotiations.


“These are political decisions,” said Peter Warren, the director of research at the Empire Center. “This doesn’t need to be handed over to a third party but it seems like they’re doing this as a proxy.”