New York State Senator Erik Bottcher

Today, I am proud and deeply grateful to share that FRANCESCO’S LAW HAS PASSED BOTH HOUSES OF THE NEW YORK STATE LEGISLATURE and now heads to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk for her signature.

With its passage, New York is poised to have one of the strongest firearm safe storage laws in the nation. This is a major victory for gun safety, su***de prevention, and public health.

Named in honor of Francesco Cochran, a 17-year-old who died by su***de after accessing an unsecured shotgun, the legislation requires fi****ms to be securely stored whenever they are not under the owner’s immediate control.

For me, this legislation is deeply personal. As a teenager, I survived su***de attempts. If there had been an unsecured firearm in my home, I might not be here today.

I am especially grateful to Francesco’s mother, Diana Cochran, whose extraordinary courage and advocacy turned unimaginable loss into meaningful change. I also thank Assemblymember Khaleel Anderson and the broad coalition of advocates and organizations who fought tirelessly for this bill.

Today, New York took an important step toward preventing tragedy before it happens. We honored Francesco’s memory not just with words, but with action.

I am pleased that the 34th Street busway has been cleared to move forward. This project was a key achievement of the Midtown South Mixed-Use (MSMX) rezoning that Assemblymember Keith Powers and I secured last summer to ensure that Midtown’s growth would be matched by investments in transit, mobility, and quality of life.

The 34th Street busway will help move thousands of New Yorkers more quickly and reliably through one of the busiest corridors in the city while reducing congestion and improving street safety. Today’s decision is a win for transit riders, for Midtown, and for the future of a more sustainable New York City.

Mamdani Advances 34th St. Bus Lane Plan That U.S. Had Blocked The city is moving forward with a redesign of 34th Street in Manhattan in hopes of significantly improving bus speeds, after the White House halted the project last year.

🚦⚽ World Cup Traffic Mitigation Announcement!

Restrictions apply between the Hudson River and East River, from 30th St. to 60th St.

My latest essay is about Francesco’s Law, legislation I’m sponsoring to require universal safe firearm storage in New York. The piece is deeply personal. It reflects on my own experience as a teenager struggling with mental health challenges and why this legislation will save lives. Check it out on Substack: https://substack.com/

Electronic waste contains a laundry list of chemicals that are harmful to people and the environment, which is why it's illegal in New York City to include electronic devices with trash or regular recycling.

Tomorrow May 30, I'm partnering with The Lower East Side Ecology Center, NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), and Manhattan Plaza for a free Electronics and Textiles recycling event.

Here are the details
Electronic & Textile Community Recycling Event
Saturday, May 30
10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
West 43rd Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues

Items collected through the textile recycling program are diverted from landfills. Collected items are sorted and reused through secondhand retailers or resold for reprocessing to make cleaning rags, seat padding, insulation, etc.

This is a perfect opportunity to safely and legally dispose of electronics that you no longer use, including working computers, monitors, printers/scanners, keyboards, mice, cables, TV's, VCR and DVD players, phones, audio/visual equipment, and cell phones.

For more information click here: https://www.lesecologycenter.org/calendar/hells-kitchen-manhattan-plaza/