Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Budget And Legislation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Assemblymember Grace Lee briefs Community Board 2 on budget talks, ICE contracting bill and water/PFAS proposals
Summary
Assemblymember Grace Lee updated the Community Board on state budget negotiations, proposed bills to require visible ICE identification and to disclose private contracts with ICE, and highlighted state funding priorities including utility rebates, childcare expansion, immigrant legal services and $900 million for clean water infrastructure.
Assemblymember Grace Lee spoke in person at the Community Board 2 full board meeting, reporting that state budget negotiations are underway and outlining several bills and budget priorities she is advancing in Albany.
Lee said both houses and the governor are negotiating a package that includes protections intended to limit ICE practices, highlighted a bill to require ICE agents to display visible identification (the speaker referenced the MELT Act concept) and described an "ICE contract transparency act" she is sponsoring to require private companies to disclose contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to the Department of State. She said private leases and contracts — including parking agreements and warehouse leases used by ICE — should be disclosed so communities and officials can scrutinize them.
On the budget, Lee cited proposals that passed one house and are in negotiation with the governor: utility rebate checks of up to $500 for millions of households, a historic expansion of childcare, roughly $175 million for legal services for immigrants, and roughly $900 million proposed for clean water infrastructure. She also noted a bill with Senator Brian Kavanaugh to set stronger limits on PFAS in drinking water and said she is working with survivors of sexual abuse connected to Columbia University to seek accountability and an attorney‑general investigation.
Why it matters: Lee’s talk outlined both local‑facing budget wins (utility rebates, immigrant legal services) and statewide policy proposals that could affect New Yorkers’ interactions with federal immigration enforcement and the transparency of private arrangements with ICE.
What she said: "We are in the middle of budget negotiations...I also have a bill called the ICE contract transparency act. As you know, we have private companies that are engaging in contracts with ICE...this bill would require all private companies to disclose their contracts to the Department of State." (Assemblymember Grace Lee)
Next steps: Lee said she is trying to get the contract‑transparency bill into the package lawmakers hope to vote on next week; community members asked whether she would take questions, and none were raised at the time. The board will note her legislative updates in its public session record and may follow up with the assemblymember’s office for details on bill texts or constituent impacts.
