(The Center Square) — In a parting gift to former Mayor Eric Adams, the New York City Council on Thursday overrode 17 bills the Democrat vetoed during his final day in office.
The council voted to reinstate bills aimed at expanding access to affordable housing, overhauling the city’s decades-old street-vending system, boosting pay and benefits for security guards, updating city procurement policies, and allowing survivors of "gender-motivated violence" to file civil claims against perpetrators.
Council Speaker Julie Menin called the whirlwind session "historic" and noted that lawmakers overturned more mayoral vetoes in a single day than they had in the past decade. She said the 51-member council only considered overrides on bills where there was a veto-proof, or two-thirds majority vote.
"These overrides reflect legislation that has been debated, thoroughly, refined, carefully and supported by a clear super majority of elected representatives from across the city," Menin said in remarks Thursday. "When the council acts with that level of consensus, we have an obligation to follow through."
Topping the legislation re-approved by lawmakers is a package of bills dealing with unlicensed street vendors. The plan will make another 2,200 vending licenses available to mobile food vendors annually, and 10,500 new general licenses in 2027. It would also expand street vendor training and inspections of vendor set-ups to ensure compliance with new requirements.
"Seventy percent of street vendors who are vending food are unlicensed," Council Member Pierina Sanchez, D-Bronx, the bill's primary sponsor, said in remarks Thursday. "We are talking about bringing those vendors, existing vendors, into compliance. We’re not talking about more vending."
The council also voted to override Adams' objections to a bill that would require 50% of newly constructed rental units financed by the city to be for "very" low-income households, and at least 30% for "extremely" low-income households.
Adams had vetoed those housing-related bills, arguing that they would cost New York City $110 million a year to maintain the city’s current level of housing production and preservation.
Another bill that was overridden by the council will require the NYPD in most cases to get the consent of a parent, legal guardian, or attorney before collecting a DNA sample from a minor.
Lawmakers declined to override vetoes of a bill granting the Civilian Complaint Review Board direct access to NYPD body-camera footage rather than requiring the agency to obtain it through the department and another bill requiring city-financed affordable housing to include two- and three-bedroom units.
Last year, the previous City Council voted to override Adams' objections to legislation that would require app-based delivery companies to shell out an hourly minimum of $21.44 to grocery delivery workers and another bill expanding their labor protections.
