Dear Neighbors and Friends,
Monday was a big night at the Board of Legislators. After working for weeks in committee, cooperating across party lines, hearing from community members, and working with local businesses, we unanimously approved four new pieces of legislation to put critical protections in place to improve the quality of life for Westchester County residents:
Gun Store Warning Signs: This measure requires signs at gun stores warning that firearms in the home significantly increase risks of suicide, death during domestic disputes, and the accidental deaths of children or others.
We were reminded again this week about the horrific dangers of mass gun violence, but many gun deaths don’t make headlines -- 54 percent of gun deaths in New York are suicides, more than 27 percent of suicides involve firearms, and nearly 37 percent of New York's intimate partner homicides involve a gun.
Warnings won’t stop criminal violence, but hopefully they will increase mindfulness that a gun in the home can pose dangers not just to the owner but to others who might gain access to them. If something as simple as a warning label can prevent one suicide, one domestic violence death, one accidental shooting, it is well worth it.
Reporting of Hate Incidents: Sadly, hate and bias incidents are on the rise. This law creates a process for the County’s Department of Public Safety to keep track of hate incidents, in addition to the hate crime data it already assembles. Incidents of bias-based harassment and intimidation, even when they don’t rise to the criminal level, have profoundly damaging effects not just for individuals but entire communities. Keeping track of them can hopefully help us identify troubling trends before situations develop into tragic circumstances.
Food Allergy Restaurant Safety: Around 1 in 11 Westchester residents is living with food allergies, which often can have fatal consequences. This makes many reluctant to dine out, especially families whose children have serious food allergies. This law will ensure that restaurants have personnel on-site who have been trained in food allergy safety, including designated food safety officers during operating hours. Signs certifying employee training, outlining the nine major food allergies, and listing symptoms of allergic reactions with appropriate measures to take in cases of a reaction will also be posted. Knowing that personnel are trained in allergy safety hopefully will encourage allergy-aware families to dine out at our local restaurants with renewed peace of mind.
Waiving Civil Service Exam Fees for Veterans: Making life easier for those who have served is a priority. This bill will waive exam fees for veterans applying for civil service jobs in Westchester like Police Officer, Firefighter, or Correction Officer exams. We proudly join our neighbors in New York City, and Nassau and Suffolk County in providing our veterans this waiver.
Sincerely,
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