Uncommon Courage Effective Leadership Service to the Community
State Senator Velmanette Montgomery
Senator Velmanette Montgomery is recognized for her effective leadership and steadfast commitment to her constituents of north and central Brooklyn, as well as to New Yorkers statewide.
Rooted in community and reflective of statewide concerns, Senator Montgomery has distinguished herself with uncommon courage in public service throughout her legislative career. At home in Brooklyn, she fought alongside her neighbors at risk of losing their homes as a consequence of eminent domain action. She also spearheaded successful community-based efforts to clean-up the Gowanus Canal, safeguard homeowners from predatory lenders, provide opportunities for youth in need to help them succeed in school and enrich their personal lives.
Most recently, the Senator authored a law that allows community boards throughout New York City to apply for and receive state funding through the Brownfield Opportunity Areas (BOA) Program. She is also responsible for a law that enables consumers to receive from their utility provider "Time-of-Day service, a cost-saving measure that redirects the use of electricity to off-peak, low-demand hours.
Senator Montgomery’s other noteworthy legislative accomplishments include:
- Working aggressively to expand school-based health centers statewide
- Implementing a comprehensive Teen Health Agenda
- Requiring the teaching of age appropriate, medically accurate sex education in kindergarten though twelfth grade.
She has also co-sponsored the law that enabled nurse practitioners to become certified, and headed the campaign to stem the spread of AIDS among intravenous drug users through legalized needle exchange programs. She is the sponsor of legislation to empower more public assistance recipients to move out of poverty and achieve economic security by requiring social service districts to transition people on welfare into meaningful, living-wage jobs.
As a respected advocate for criminal justice reform, Senator Montgomery continues to lead efforts to improve and expand transitional services for men and women released from prison. To this end, she has proposed the creation of a temporary state commission to examine the re-entry needs of formerly incarcerated people. The Senator is also recommending a state funding stream to support community-based groups providing services for this population.