TheVoiceOfJoyce

Recap of Know Your Rights for Protestors Webinar 

I am grateful to the hundreds of West Siders and New Yorkers from across the city who joined my Know Your Rights for Protestors webinar with NYCLU earlier this week. A recording of the presentation can be found here. 

It was important for me to host Wednesday’s webinar for two reasons: It is critical that I protect my constituents and the many people throughout the city who are taking to the streets to stand up for their rights, the rights of their neighbors and for the heart of our democracy. Exercising one’s right to protest, as we’ve seen in Minnesota, can be dangerous, which is why every single one of us must be prepared for the unthinkable. 

I also want my constituents to know they are not alone in their despair or in their hope for a better tomorrow. The terror and anxiety of this historic moment can be isolating, which is why it is important for everyone in our community to know that people are rising up, turning out and fighting back. 

So, in honor of Renee, Alex, Liam and the more 70,000 immigrants who are currently being detained by the Trump Administration, let us keep the twin flames of hope and activism alive as we battle for the soul of our country. 

Volunteer Opportunities: 

• If you’re interested in being a Protest Monitor with NYCLU, click here. 
• If you’re interested in volunteering as a court observer with the New Sanctuary Coalition, click here. 
• If you’re interested in joining me at the March 28 No Kings march, email me at rosenthall@nyassembly with the subject line: March 28 march. 

Assemblymember Rosenthal to Host Election 

Security Town Hall Next Thursday (2/12) 

Earlier this week, Donald Trump’s Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said that ICE might be stationed at polling locations during the general election, the President himself said he may not accept the 2026 midterm election results if Republicans lose, and Congressional Republicans are aggressively pushing for the passage of the SAVE Act, legislation that would severely restrict voting rights across the country. 

That is why I am hosting an Election Security webinar with the Office of the New York State Attorney General and the Brennan Center on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 6:30 pm, to discuss the national landscape, how New York is safeguarding our vote and how people can get involved in the fight to protect our elections. 

With so much at stake, we must stay educated, organized and fired up so we can make a difference at home and across the country. To RSVP, click here or contact my district office at 212-873-6368 or at rosenthall@nyassembly.gov. Looking forward to seeing you! 

Assemblymember Rosenthal Introduces Legislation to 

Protect Election Workers

As we work to safeguard our election infrastructure, we must also work to protect the very people who uphold our democratic freedoms: election workers. Given the federal government’s threats of engaging in voter intimidation, I recently introduced legislation that establishes an address confidentiality program for election workers. The bill also makes it a crime to harass or interfere with the duties of an election worker. 

This legislation, as well as other bills introduced by my colleagues, are critical to safeguarding the sanctity of our local, state and national elections in New York, and I will do everything possible to pass this bill into law this year. 

Extreme Cold Warning

The National Weather Service has issued an extreme cold warning for this weekend. As a reminder, your landlord is required to provide heat. If your apartment is too cold, please file a 311 complaint and contact my office for further follow up. To stay safe in the cold weather, see NYC Emergency Management’s tips below: 

• If you must go outside, dress in layers, cover exposed skin, and wear a hat and gloves. 

• Check on neighbors, friends, and relatives, especially older adults, those with disabilities, and individuals with access and functional needs.
• The City has opened warming spaces and buses in all five boroughs to provide safe, heated indoor spaces. A regularly updated list of locations and hours can be found here. 

• Older adults, infants, people with chronic cardiovascular or lung conditions, people using alcohol or drugs & people with cognitive disabilities (like dementia, serious mental illness or developmental disability) are at increased risk. 

• Health problems resulting from prolonged exposure to cold include hypothermia, frostbite, and exacerbation of chronic heart and lung conditions. If you suspect a person is suffering from frostbite or hypothermia, call 9-1-1 to get medical help. 

• If you lose power and have a disability or access needs or use Life Sustaining Equipment (LSE) and need immediate assistance, please dial 9-1-1. 

• If you do not have heat or hot water, place space heaters at least 3 feet from anything that can catch fire and never use a stove, oven or grill to heat your home. 

• Call 311 to request assistance for a homeless person. 

Expanding Access to SCRIE & DRIE

The Senior Citizen and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE and DRIE), as well as the Senior and Disability Homeowners’ Exemptions (SCHE and DHE), are economic lifelines to tens of thousands of older adults and people with disabilities. But too many people have been shut out of the program because of income limit restrictions.

Without these benefits, many New Yorkers would be priced out of their homes and pushed out of the neighborhoods they have lived in for decades. The Executive budget released last month included a much-needed increase to the income limits for these programs, from $50,000 to $75,000. As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing, I will be advocating for this proposal to be adopted as part of our final budget, as well as other reforms to these programs. We must also pass my bills to increase awareness of these programs by requiring a notice to tenants on every rent bill, lease renewal and at other intervals.

Media Literacy is an Essential Skill

Following the 2016 election and the subsequent rise of the term “fake news,” I introduced a package of legislation to require media literacy education in schools statewide. The rise of artificial intelligence, social media algorithms, rampant disinformation and so much more has created an environment where it is increasingly difficult to distinguish fact from fiction. I was proud to join New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) and DemocracyReady NY, an organization that promotes civic learning, this week to call for funding in our state budget to ensure media literacy and civics education are taught in our schools.

My legislation would require a survey of schools to determine what is currently being taught, ensure that all schools have an adequate number of library media specialists trained in media literacy, provide training opportunities for other teachers and create a set of media literacy standards that schools must follow. Media literacy and civics education are critical to the future of our democracy, and we must ensure this message is reaching students in every corner of the state.

Ending Hep C in NYS by 2030

In 2021, New York State set a goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat in our state by 2030. Since then, infection rates have dropped and thousands who have tested positive have been cured of their infections. Hepatitis C is a virus transmitted through contact with infected blood that leads to serious liver damage. 

Even a few thousand new infections each year is far too many. We must continue this work until hepatitis C is eliminated in our state. Unlike other infections, hep C is usually asymptomatic and people may go years without knowing they are infected. Robust testing and prevention resources are key and I am leading the effort in the Assembly to secure more funding in our state budget for hepatitis C treatment and prevention. 

We cannot reach our goal by 2030 without greater funding. Over the coming weeks, I will be working alongside Housing Works and the entire New York State Hepatitis C Elimination Coalition to secure a $10 million investment in this year’s state budget.

New York Joins 12 Other States in Allowing 

Medical Aid in Dying

At the end of last year, the Governor held a news conference to announce that a three-way agreement had been reached on a final Medical Aid in Dying Act bill. We passed the bill again this year and today the Governor signed it into law, which will take effect in six months. The Act includes:


• Mandatory five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and filled.
• Requires a patient to submit an oral request recorded by video or audio.
• Clarifies that the mandatory mental health evaluation of a patient must be conducted by a psychologist or psychiatrist.
• Prohibits anyone who may benefit financially from the death of a patient from being eligible to serve as a witness to the patient’s request.
• Limits the use of the law to New York State residents.
• Requires that the initial evaluation of a patient be conducted in person.
• Allows religiously-oriented home hospice providers to opt out of offering medical aid in dying.
• Classifies a violation of the law as professional misconduct.

Having long supported medical aid in dying, and as the lead co-sponsor of this legislation, I am grateful that New York State has joined 12 other states in offering this option to those facing a terminal illness. Passage of this law was a long, hard-fought battle but will bring peace of mind to so many.