Aravella Simotas’s strong finish to 2017
Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas is having quite a year.
Earlier this month, she announced, with other elected officials, that the state Department of Transportation is allowing big trucks to stay on the BQE from the RFK Bridge to the LIE.
That means those large 18-wheelers will no longer have to get on local Astoria roads, bringing danger, pollution and headaches to residents.
This change will begin today, she tweeted.
Amazing news, happening tomorrow #Astoria! Starting Friday, December 22, big trucks won't be forced to detour onto our local streets, Hooray! @angelamatua @benfangBQE @billparry3 @AstoriapostNYC @QueensChronicle @Queenstrib @QueensGazette @Cb1Queens https://t.co/CcTg9z9el1
— Aravella Simotas (@AravellaSimotas) December 21, 2017
Yesterday, her office announced that Governor Cuomo has signed three bills that she authored to cut red tape and help small businesses. That’s huge. Here’s a breakdown:
- Her first bill helps small businesses comply with regulations by requiring state agencies to create plain language guides. They will include info on the most common regulatory violations, and actions small businesses can take to minimize those violations.
- The second bill extend the time to review and comment on rules proposed by state agencies to 60 days, an increase from 45 days.
- The last bill allows people to email their requests for notices of proposed new rules, rather than by snail mail.
Astoria’s lawmakers are on a roll. Let’s hope they continue this activity in 2018.
