Name of Council Member: Christine Quinn Name and Title of Person Completing Questionnaire: Matt Tepper, Campaign Manager

2013 CITY COUNCIL HUMAN RIGHTS QUESTIONNAIRE

1. Many in the United States think of international affairs when they think of human rights. Our work emphasizes the applicability of the human rights framework here in the United States. Please share your thoughts on the domestic applicability of human rights, and discuss why human rights are important to you in the context of New York City and the City Council. I began my career in public service fighting for human rights. I got my start as a tenant organizer, fighting to improve living conditions for low income New Yorkers and working for more affordable housing. I served for years as the executive director of the Gay and Lesbian AntiViolence Program, fighting for one of the most basic human rights the right to live without fear of violence or persecution. And throughout my time at the City Council, first as a chief of staff to then Council Member Tom Duane, then as Council Member and Speaker, I have made it my top priority to fight for civil rights, economic justice, and equality for all New Yorkers. Though it may be thought of as a national or international issue, many of the most critical elements of human rights access to education, housing, or criminal justice are very much the province of local government. Im very proud that in my time as Speaker, the Council has worked to move our city forward in these areas and others. In addition, I believe we have found ways to go beyond our borders, and to impact human rights in a more national or international way. I have passed legislation like our Solid Waste Manage Plan or our Green Buildings Legislation that has made New York City a global leader in environmental justice. I have taken steps to fight public health crises like smoking and obesity that have been adopted by other cities throughout the country and around the world. I may not be able to determine federal immigration policy, but I have taken action to prevent the unjust and indefensible deportation of New York City residents inadvertently caught up in the criminal justice system. I may not be able to end the horror of international sex trafficking, but I have made it harder for those who would prey on these victims within the five boroughs. I have also taken steps to make New York City government among the most transparent and accountable in the nation. I passed the strongest campaign finance reforms and some of the most comprehensive lobbying reforms in the country. I have worked with the Mayors office to produce more transparent and detailed budgets for City agencies, dramatically increased transparency and accountability in the Councils discretionary budget, and passed legislation giving New York City the strongest open data policy in the nation. 2. Please share how you used your tenure as Council Speaker to advance human rights. I believe my role as City Council Speaker has provided tremendous opportunity to advance human rights for New Yorkers. We have found creative ways to legislate in areas that have been more traditionally thought of as federal policy, from immigration to sex trafficking. We have used both our budgetary and land use powers to improve New Yorkers access to good paying jobs, healthy food, quality education, and a social safety net. Additionally, since I became Speaker, I am proud that the Council has worked collaboratively with the Bloomberg Administration to

pursue human rights achievements well beyond what could have been accomplished working alone. For specific examples of work that I have done in the Council, please see the remainder of my questionnaire answers. 3. Please list your top 3 legislative priorities for 2013. 1. Passing and overriding the veto on the Paid Sick Leave bill. 2. Passing and overriding the veto on the Inspector General bill. 3. Passed a law that limits cooperation between the City and federal immigration authorities in order to prevent the deportation of immigrants who present no threat to public safety. 4. Please list your top three budget priorities of 2013. My top budget priorities for 2013 have remained focused on children and families. Once again, we worked to preserve core city services like education and public safety, and protect the safety net for our most vulnerable neighbors, while at the same time passing an on time, fiscally responsible budget that avoids raising taxes and keeps our city affordable for middle class and working New Yorkers. Leadership means working collaboratively to get results for New Yorkers and thats what happened with this years budget. I have preserved childcare seats and after school programming that so many families depend on. I have kept all fire companies open. I have also ensured that that all of our libraries which serve as our neighborhood community centers remain open and continue operating. Swimming pools will stay open. Our immigrant communities will receive enhancements to legal services. Our Department for the Aging will get an increase in funding to help reduce the waiting list and caseloads for homebound seniors. More funds will be available to help keep at risk young men in college at CUNY. Our city will be safer with the AntiGun Violence initiative. We will protect younger New Yorkers with the Teen Relationship Abuse Prevention Program. And there is now more funding to provide medical services in homeless shelters. 5. Have you used participatory budgeting to allocate your discretionary funds? Why or why not? While the Speakers office does not utilize a participatory budgeting system, a number of my Council Colleagues have been piloting such an initiative. In addition, Im proud to have enacted many significant reforms to the Council and the Citys budget process since I became Speaker, including: All community based organizations must now complete a comprehensive application form, including information on the proposed use of funds, the CBOs experience, and the results of any investigations, evaluations and audits All applications for discretionary funding are thoroughly reviewed and vetted by the City Council and Mayors Office of Contact Services Both Council Members and CBOs must comply with more strict conflicts of interest rules All discretionary funds are now fully and transparently disclosed to the public Discretionary funding recipients are subject to training requirements Multiple controls have been put into place around the disbursement of funds

6. Please list recent legislation in Council that you believe promotes human rights. I have worked with my colleagues to pass many bills that promote human rights in the five boroughs, including: Passed legislation creating an Inspector General, which increases oversight of the NYPD. Passed legislation on paid sick leave, that guarantees an additional one million New Yorkers can take time to care for themselves and their families when they are ill, without fear of losing employment. Passed making it illegal for employers to discriminate against job applicants based solely on length of unemployment. Passed the Safe Housing Act (also known as Alternative Enforcement Program), which allows the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to require or to make top to bottom repairs at hundreds of the citys worst buildings and then bill landlords for the work. More than 5,000 of the citys worst apartments have already been renovated as a result of this program. Passed legislation reducing the number of immigrant New Yorkers unjustly deported, by creating a category of persons whom the Department of Correction and the police department may not detain for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Passed the most impactful living wage legislation in the country, requiring those who directly benefit from City subsidies to pay their employees a living wage. Passed a prevailing wage requirement for building service employees in certain City leased or assisted buildings, Passed the Responsible Banking Act, requiring the assessment of community banking needs across the city and establishing an advisory board to evaluate how well banks are serving the citys neighborhoods. Made New York City the first jurisdiction to target transporters of sex trafficking victims, creating a $10,000 fine and automatic license revocation for any TLC licensed driver who is convicted of a felony related to sex trafficking and used a TLC licensed vehicle to commit that crime. Passed the Student Safety Act, requiring the Department of Education and NYPD to report on student suspensions, arrests, and other disciplinary actions. Passed legislation requiring disclosure by centers that pose as reproductive medical health clinics but instead offer a limited range of reproductive health care options. Accelerated the removal and remediation of PCB containing lighting in public schools, and required DOE to notify parents and employees about PCB contamination.

7. Legislation is only one of many ways in which Council can work to advance human rights. What ways other than through legislation have you advanced the human rights of New Yorkers as the Council Speaker? The Council has found creative ways to implement policy initiatives that promote human rights outside of our legislative process, including: Worked with the nonprofit Center for Family Life to create new worker owned business cooperatives for low income workers, mostly women and immigrants. Worked with the NYPD to improve their process for issuing U Visas to immigrant victims of domestic violence. Proposed the creation of a new housing voucher program for homeless families based on the Section 8 model. Proposed and won a number of key reforms to the NYPDs Stop, Question, and Frisk program. Fought for and helped secure the renewal of New York States Rent Regulation System.

Proposed and secured state passage of legislation making kindergarten mandatory in New York City, preventing thousands of the highest need students from falling through the cracks every year. Created GroceryWorks, a job training program for that places hard to employ New Yorkers on career tracks within the food retail industry. Proposed ending finger imaging as a requirement for food stamps in New York City, which creates barriers enrollment for immigrants, seniors and working families. The Governor has recently taken action to end this requirement. Used our FRESH zoning and tax incentives program to preserve or increase supermarket access in food deserts around the city. Fought for and helped secure marriage equality in New York State. Advocated for restorative justice and guidance based interventions as a new approach to citywide school discipline, which has resulted in a significant overhaul of the discipline code. Worked with the Department of Education to implement Respect for All, one of the strongest antibullying programs in the nation. Created the Bridge to Tomorrow program, which serves individuals in Workforce 1 centers that are unemployed and need access to GED prep. The program has an 80% graduation rate. Created Youcantoo!, a social media campaign dedicated to sharing stories of successful adult learners and enrolling more New Yorkers for GED classes. Supported innovative schools that employ alternative assessments that predominantly serve low income communities of color. Partnered with the nonprofit Hollaback to create an app to help women report and combat street harassment.

The Council has also participated in litigation around a number of human rights issues, including: Defending our Living Wage Law, Prevailing Wage Law, and pregnancy services center law against legal challenges. Council v. DHS challenging DHSs new eligibility policy making it more difficult for homeless adults to access shelter. Chelsea Flatiron Coalition v. Bowery Residents Committee in which we intervened in opposition to the construction of an oversized homeless shelter that would have provided substandard living conditions for homeless new Yorkers.

Finally, the Council has filed amicus briefs in a number of human rights cases, including: Natl Bank of NYC v. 296 5th Avenue a bankruptcy case involving distressed multifamily residential property, where the Council filed a brief in support of the tenants motion asking the court to order the court appointed receiver to cure outstanding housing violations, and to order the banks to fund these repairs. State of NY v. Delaware River Basin Commission the Councils amicus brief supported New Yorks argument that DRBC improperly issued hydrofracking regulations without going through required environmental review. Windsor v. United States The Law Department filed a brief on behalf of the City and Council arguing that DOMA is unconstitutional.

8. Some advocates contend that the position of the Council Speaker has too much power over the progression of legislation. Please use this space to respond to that critique. Im very proud that one of the first things we did after I was elected Speaker in 2006 was to enact a number of key reforms making it easier for Council Members to advance legislation, including: Reduced from 9 to 7 the number of Council Member signatures needed to discharge a bill from committee to the floor. Gave members who submit an amendment to a bill on the floor of a Stated Council Meeting the opportunity to speak for two minutes on the amendment Allowed all members who wish to speak in favor or opposition to such an amendment 2 minutes. Require wherever practical the Councils legislative division to draft all legislative requests within 60 days of submission. For more information, please visit www.urbanjustice.org.