via Zoom

Ilyssa Meyer, President of IND, explained the last-minute change of venue from Brooklyn Law School to Zoom. A number of members who attended the IND post-holiday party have contracted Covid 19 Out of an abundance of caution the Executive Board decided that it would be safest to hold tonight’s meeting via Zoom.

The current redistricting proposal for Assembly District 52 would cut off what is currently the “bottom half” (Carroll Gardens and Cobble Hill) of our district. The current district office would no longer be in the district. Complicated projects (eg. the BQE redevelopment and the development of Gowanus) would be placed in a district with a new Assemblymember without an institutional memory or history of working on these issues. There will be a Brooklyn hearing on redistricting on February 15 and written testimony can be submitted or members can attend and speak in person.

The major part of the January meeting was devoted to three City Council Members, who introduced themselves and spoke about their legislative priorities. The three were:

• City Council Member Crystal Hudson, who represents the 35th Council district, which overlaps the 52nd. AD.
• City Council Member Shanana Hanif, who represents the 39th City Council District, which overlaps the 52nd AD.
• City Council Member Lincoln Restler, who represents the 33rd City Council District, which also overlaps the 52nd AD.

To learn more about these Council Members, listen to the recorded meeting.

State Senator Andrew Gounardes joined the meeting and spoke about the five-hour Court of Appeals Chief Judge hearing, held the previous day in Albany. Judge LaSalle was defeated by the committee; Senator Gounardes voted against confirming LaSalle; he made this decision based on what he learned during the hearing.

Judge Bernard Graham, who is running to become Surrogate Court Judge introduced himself to the members and explained the function of the Surrogate Court and why he is running.

Nominations for IND Officers and Executive Board Members for the 2023-24 year were made. The following were nominated:

President: Ilyssa Meyer
First Vice President: Danielle Zuckerman
Second Vice President: Hal Friedman
Corresponding Secretary: Seamus Campbell
Recording Secretary: Lyn Hill
Treasurer: Victoria Eastus

Executive Board Members: Dan Abramson, Steven Brounstein, Jesse CapellAileen Doherty, Julia Elmaleh-Sachs, Karen Johnson, Kenan Kurt, Art levy, Joan Millman, Greg Monte, Susannah Pasquantonio, Tyler Rockey, Nancy Schuh, Jason Shelly, Ira Weinstock.

Additional candidates for the Executive Board can be nominated at the February meeting.

Also, at the February meeting, several candidates for judicial slots will speak and the Club will vote on IND endorsements for judicial candidates. The Hon. Martin Connor suggested that, in future years, we consider moving Club elections to another month, since February has become a very busy month, due to earlier primaries.

As a reminder, members must have paid 2023 dues in order to vote.

A vote on the revised IND Constitution, which had been scheduled, was tabled until the February meeting as it was sent back to the Executive Board for additional edits.