Speaker 16
0:40:52
Well, thank you so much, Chairman and Thank you to our commissioners and agencies, deputy commissioner.
0:40:57
So here, it's nice to see all of you and to everyone from our organizations who are here.
0:41:05
I think today we are hearing a number of really important bills around vending in our city.
0:41:11
As we know, we need to ensure that we create a system of vending that is regulated, that is controlled, and ensures that resources are accessible to street vendors across our city.
0:41:22
In particular, I wanna call attention to my bill in the package that d criminalizes street vending that ensures that street vending is no longer an offense for which, for simply, for a mother, selling tamales or churros in the streets, could face potential jail time, could face a criminal conviction, and a spiraling a host of other consequences that are connected to our criminal system.
0:41:45
Especially for individuals who are seeking to sell and bend food to care for their families, to pay their rent, the smallest businesses in our city.
0:41:55
And for far too long, with the lack of a regulated system for vending that this package of bills ensures, for far too long, with a lack of resources available to vendors in our city to ensure they have the means and support and services they need to be able to live their livelihoods.
0:42:12
With the lack of those things, the answer has been to criminalize those who are simply doing the work to support their families.
0:42:22
But that comes to an end with this legislation ensuring that 3 vendors in our city are not punished through the criminal system, through the penal system.
0:42:32
And I wanna thank my colleagues, Chairman Inn, for holding this hearing today.
0:42:38
For ensuring these bills move forward, which I think are really important to create the well regulated system of vending that we need in our city.