WHAT: The New York State’s Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus (BPHA) will hold a press conference in Albany on Tuesday, February 15 to announce two of its 2022 legislative and budget priorities. The first is a $1 billion legislative package to address the childhood lead poisoning crisis in New York State, which has more children with elevated blood lead levels than any other state in the nation. The second is a pair of bills that will revise the State Environmental Quality Review (SEQRA) process to ensure that any agency seeking a permit to build a facility will need to demonstrate that it will not add to the community’s existing public health or environmental burden, including the cumulative impacts of other facilities sited there.

WHO: The speakers are expected to include New York State Assemblymember & BPHA Legislative Caucus Chairwoman Michaelle Solages (D-Nassau); Senator Jamaal T. Bailey (D-Bronx); Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas (D-Queens), Assemblymember J. Gary Pretlow (D-Mount Vernon); Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes (D-Brooklyn) Assemblymember Jonathan D. Rivera (D-Buffalo); Assemblymember Amanda Septimo (D-Bronx); Clean and Healthy New York’s Director of Programs Paul Webster; and WE ACT for Environmental Justice’s Policy Director Sonal Jessel.

WHEN: Beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 15, 2022.

WHERE: NYS Capitol; 4th Floor near Senate Chambers. Watch live via the Caucus’ Twitter page.