Page 22 - The Indian EYE 041924

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline APRIL 19, 2024 | The Indian Eye 22

State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar

Hosts Albany “Smokeout Act” Rally Calling

For Bill’s Passage In State Budget

OUR BUREAU
South Queens, NY
n Tuesday, April 9 at 1:00pm
at the Million Dollar Stair-
Ocase at the Capitol Building
in Albany, Assemblywoman Jenifer
Rajkumar brought together Har-
lem community leaders calling for
passage of her SMOKEOUT Act
(A8428A/S7998A).
The bill grants municipalities
across the State, including New York
City, the authority to immediately
shutter all illegal, unlicensed smoke
shops once and for all. Joining the
Assemblywoman will be her Albany
colleagues, Tiffany Fulton of Silent
Voices United, Inc., Darrell Fulton
of Medianus, Inc., Ruth McDan-
iels of Breaking the Chains of Your
Mind, Gilda Gillim of Tulinde, LLC,
Prime Freedmen of United Sons &
Daughters of Freedmen, and many
more members of the Harlem com-
munity, most importantly 30 Harlem
children who would be endangered
by the opening of an illegal shop next
door to them.

The rally called upon Alba-
ny leadership to include the

SMOKEOUT Act in the State’s Michael Benedetto, George Alva- olations. The State’s Cannabis Con- shops in New York City within 30
enacted budget. Harlem fam- rez, John Zaccaro Jr., Sam Berger, trol Board in Albany has the sole au- days. The SMOKEOUT Act has
thority to shutter smoke shops, and
also been endorsed by the Editorial
Stacey Pheffer Amato, Alicia Hynd-
ilies, outraged that an unli- man, Anil Beephan Jr., Juan Ardi- it has only closed nine. The Canna- Boards of the New York Daily News,
censed smoke shop is open- la, Grace Lee, Keith Brown, Joe bis Control Board has 14 inspectors New York Post, Buffalo News, and
Angelino, Marianne Buttenschon, for the entire State, and lacks the Queens Chronicle.
ing next to Heaven’s Tiny Tots Brian Cunningham, and Monica P. resources and manpower that local The SMOKEOUT Act has also
Daycare and Learning Center Wallace. municipalities have to shut down the been endorsed by major organiza-
Tuesday’s rally marks another
tions including Times Square Alli-
shops.
run by Tameka Silva, are con- stop on Assemblywoman Rajku- Upon passage of Assembly- ance, the Partnership for New York
verging on the capital to call for mar’s “Operation: SMOKEOUT’’ woman Rajkumar’s SMOKEOUT City, the East Midtown Partnership,
tour, which has already made stops Act (Stop Marijuana Overprolifer- the Cannabis Association of New
municipalities to be granted the at City Hall, Times Square, Queens, ation and Keep Empty Operators York, the New York Cannabis Retail
power to immediately close ille- the Bronx, and Harlem. Every rally of Unlicensed Transactions), New Association, New York City Sheriff
York City and all municipalities
Anthony Miranda, and law enforce-
has drawn support from elected of-
gal shops. ficials, business leaders, community across the State will have the au- ment across the State.
leaders, and New Yorkers of every thority to close illegal smoke shops Illegal smoke shops have bal-
Co-sponsoring the SMOKE- background. and seize all merchandise. looned in number exponentially the
OUT Act are State Senators Leroy Illegal smoke shops are able to New York City Mayor Eric Ad- past 3 years. There are now an esti-
Comrie, Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Brad operate with almost total impuni- ams has endorsed the SMOKEOUT mated 36,000 illegal smoke shops in
Hoylman-Sigal, Rob Rolison, and ty because local municipalities lack Act, and he has said it will allow New York State, including approxi-
Bill Weber; and Assemblymembers authority to enforce cannabis law vi- him to close all the illegal smoke mately 3,000 in New York City alone.

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