Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Happy New Year! Ringing in the new year 2023, I was surrounded by family, friends and supporters as I was officially sworn-in to my fifth term as NYS Assembly Member for the 76th District.

This week I was appointed to be Chair of the People With Disabilities Committee of the New York State Assembly by Speaker Carl Heastie. Working with committee members, I look forward to advocating for over 3 million adults and close to 500,000 children and infants with disabilities, families and caregivers. Together with my colleagues on the Committee and in the Assembly, we must defend and expand the rights of people living with disabilities.

Please don't hesitate to reach out if we can be of assistance.

 Phone: 212.288.4607

Email: SeawrightR@NYAssembly.gov

Sincerely,

REBECCA A. SEAWRIGHT 

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright was named Chair of the People With Disabilities Committee of the New York State Assembly. The standing committee is critically important, impacting New Yorkers with intellectual, developmental, mental and physical disabilities. 

“I am pleased to appoint Rebecca Seawright to lead the Committee on People with Disabilities,” said Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. “Rebecca is a hard working member of the Assembly who is dedicated to serving the needs of her constituents. I know that she will be a committed advocate for New Yorkers with disabilities, and I look forward to working with her as chair.”

Seawright will be a key voice in upcoming budget hearings to strongly advocate for expanded resources for OPWDD and other agencies providing critical services for people with disabilities. At the same time, she will seek assurances that service delivery and deployment are provided with effectiveness and efficiency. She represents the Upper East Side, Yorkville and Roosevelt Island in the 76th Assembly District in Manhattan. The Assembly Member is the former chair of the Assembly Steering Committee and the Women's Issues Task Force. 

Watch the latest episode of Rise Up when Assembly Member Seawright speaks with Ricky Riccardi, GRAMMY winning Director of Research Collections for the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Jay Hershenson, Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Louis Armstrong House. The Armstrong House Museum promotes the life and work of the 1st African American music icon and preserves the history of his outstanding works. The Louis Armstrong House is a historic house museum at 34-56 107th Street in the Corona neighborhood of Queens in New York City. It was the home of Louis Armstrong and his wife Lucille Wilson from 1943 until his death in 1971.

Judge Barbara Kapnick, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, her spouse Jay Hershenson and Judge Jim Clynes.

Seawright with one of the celebration hosts Dr. Barbara Rosen.

Piet Sinthuchai, Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, Nabys Vielman, and David Hochberg on New Year's Eve.

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright presents John Phillips the New York State Historic Business designation certificate. The beloved Mansion has been in the neighborhood since 1945. Read more about the family and their legacy below.

Thank you to our neighbors who donated throughout December to make the holiday special for local children. Tenant leaders Rosie and Lorraine are pictured here with Assembly Member Seawright when she delivered the gifts.

Seawright has led the fight against the installation of additional link 5g NYC towers planned for the Upper East Side. She has called on the Mayor to issue a moratorium and is sponsoring legislation in the Assembly to form a commission to study the health and environmental impacts of the proliferation of 5G technology.

Carnegie Hill Neighbors is circulating a petition online. Public Comment Period Expires January 16th. If you would like paper petitions delivered to your building, please email info@chneighbors.org and indicate how many you need. They will contact you about picking up signed petitions.

To fill out the petition online click below.

Governor Hochul addresses the crowd.

Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright and Governor Kathy Hochul.

Jay Hershenson, Mayor Adams, and Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright in the Capital Center.

Zach Erdem and Todd Shapiro on opening day of the 2023 legislative session.

I am proud to have cosponsored legislation now taking effect to protect reproductive freedom. This new law ensures that patients are not faced with prohibitive co-pays or deductibles when seeking abortion services.

Sudden and costly changes to one's insurance coverage can impact health outcomes and make it difficult for New Yorkers to make ends meet. This new requirement will help limit drug coverage changes during a plan year for many families.

New York expanded paid family leave to include siblings, whether biological or adopted, as well as half- and stepsiblings, recognizing that they are often the sole caretakers for their family members.

Are You on the Federal Broadband Map?

Every New Yorker should participate in the national broadband census to confirm the accuracy of their broadband service—millions of dollars in federal funding are at stake that New York needs to ensure YOU have the most affordable and accessible internet.

An accurate map will help New York State get its fair share of federal funding for broadband internet. And it will mean better access to broadband for all New Yorkers.

Visit https://broadbandmap.fcc.gov/home 

Need more help? Check out this step-by-step video: https://youtu.be/fiFoxZKywv4

Deadline: January 13, 2023