Overview
- Speaker Julie Menin unveiled a new leadership slate at her first stated meeting, naming Manhattan’s Shaun Abreu majority leader and chair of Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Queens Republican Vickie Paladino was left on only the Veterans and Fire and Emergency Management committees as Menin cited "abhorrent" social media posts and an ethics referral; Paladino said she had requested two assignments and publicly criticized the move.
- Nantasha Williams was appointed deputy speaker and Kamilah Hanks majority whip, with Menin also creating new committees on Combat Hate, Workforce Development and Disability and adding a subcommittee on early childhood education.
- Transportation advocates read Abreu’s appointment and a Republican-free transportation panel as a shift toward bus, bike and pedestrian priorities compared with the previous council leadership.
- Menin concentrated key chairs with allies, including Eric Dinowitz at Education, Oswald Feliz at Public Safety and Shekar Krishnan at Oversight, while framing the changes as a push for competence, services and stronger oversight ahead of budget work.