Mayor Eric Adams Unleashes Last-Minute Veto Blitz, Sending City Council into Crisis
In his final hours in office, former Mayor Eric Adams delivered a devastating one-two punch to the newly seated City Council, issuing 19 vetoes that block measures aimed at expanding street vendor licenses, barring ICE from operating on Rikers Island, and granting police oversight direct access to body camera footage. The move has left the Council reeling and set the stage for a contentious showdown.
As the Council prepares to convene its first meeting next week, the full weight of Adams' vetoes is becoming clear. Among them is a rule that would have given community groups and nonprofits priority in purchasing distressed residential properties – a measure initially passed with enough votes to overcome a veto. However, Adams has refused to budge.
Council Speaker Julie Menin fired back at Adams, accusing him of "sidelining the legislative process" and failing to work collaboratively with lawmakers. She has pledged to override one of his vetoes, setting a perilous precedent for future disagreements.
The street vendor license expansion bill, which was aimed at alleviating "halal-flation" – or rising prices at food carts – now faces an uncertain fate. Similarly, a piece of legislation that would have prohibited ICE from operating on Rikers Island has been scuttled by Adams' last-minute veto.
Perhaps most contentious is the bill granting the Civilian Complaint Review Board direct access to body-cam footage, a measure backed by outgoing Speaker Adrienne Adams and opposed by the police union. The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has weighed in on several vetoes, including those targeting street vendors and ride-sharing services.
As the city grapples with its next steps, one thing is clear: the new Council will have to navigate treacherous waters under the watchful eye of a Mayor who seems intent on leaving his mark.
In his final hours in office, former Mayor Eric Adams delivered a devastating one-two punch to the newly seated City Council, issuing 19 vetoes that block measures aimed at expanding street vendor licenses, barring ICE from operating on Rikers Island, and granting police oversight direct access to body camera footage. The move has left the Council reeling and set the stage for a contentious showdown.
As the Council prepares to convene its first meeting next week, the full weight of Adams' vetoes is becoming clear. Among them is a rule that would have given community groups and nonprofits priority in purchasing distressed residential properties – a measure initially passed with enough votes to overcome a veto. However, Adams has refused to budge.
Council Speaker Julie Menin fired back at Adams, accusing him of "sidelining the legislative process" and failing to work collaboratively with lawmakers. She has pledged to override one of his vetoes, setting a perilous precedent for future disagreements.
The street vendor license expansion bill, which was aimed at alleviating "halal-flation" – or rising prices at food carts – now faces an uncertain fate. Similarly, a piece of legislation that would have prohibited ICE from operating on Rikers Island has been scuttled by Adams' last-minute veto.
Perhaps most contentious is the bill granting the Civilian Complaint Review Board direct access to body-cam footage, a measure backed by outgoing Speaker Adrienne Adams and opposed by the police union. The city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection has weighed in on several vetoes, including those targeting street vendors and ride-sharing services.
As the city grapples with its next steps, one thing is clear: the new Council will have to navigate treacherous waters under the watchful eye of a Mayor who seems intent on leaving his mark.
OMG, this is insane!!! so like Eric Adams is literally trying 2 sabotage the whole city council and it's getting super ugly 
especially w/ the veto blitz he just threw at them... 19 vetoes in like one minute? that's some wild stuff 
i mean, i get it he wants to leave his mark but come on, can't he jus chill for a sec? 
and now the city council is all like "hold up, we got this" 
so it'll be interesting 2 see how it all plays out... probably gonna be some epic battles in the council chambers 
he's vetoing everything that could make life easier for the common person, like expanding street vendor licenses and banning ICE from Rikers Island 
council speaker menin is trying to push back but i'm not sure if they have enough votes to override his vetoes 
what a disaster waiting to happen 
... i think it's crazy how he's just dumping all these vetoes on the new council in his last minute move... like what even is going through his mind? 
the fact that he's essentially hijacking the legislative process and sidelining the Council's own authority is really concerning. it raises questions about accountability and checks on power... 
what happens when one branch of government gets too big for its britches?