New York City Council progressives are pushing a slate of unconventional bills that would reshape everything from pet care to policing across the five boroughs.
Councilwoman Sandy Nurse, 39, introduced the “$30 for Our City” bill on March 10 that would hike the city’s minimum wage from $17 to $30 per hour by 2030 for large employers and 2032 for smaller businesses. “And to actually just meet your basic needs, you need to earn about $38 per hour,” Nurse said. “Today, we’re just asking for $30.” The Brooklyn Democrat’s measure would affect more than one million workers and eliminate tip credits for food service workers by 2032.
Business leaders have pushed back hard. “Going to $30 an hour is a showstopper for most small businesses in Queens and New York City,” said Tom Grech, CEO of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “Small businesses will close and those that can survive will cut their staff and hours.” Steve Fulop, CEO of the Partnership for the City of New York, warned that similar wage hikes in California showed “the tradeoffs of what happens when you aren’t thoughtful.”
Councilman Shaun Abreu, 35, is sponsoring legislation that would let workers use accrued sick leave to care for sick pets and service animals. The Manhattan Democrat told The Post the bill doesn’t expand total sick days, just gives workers more flexibility in using them. “This bill would clarify that caring for a sick animal is a legitimate use of already earned sick leave and does not create any additional leave entitlement,” a memo in support of the bill states. The measure covers animals “kept primarily for companionship” but excludes farm animals. Councilwoman Tiffany L. Cabán, 37, a progressive from Queens, has signed on as a backer.
Councilman Harvey Epstein, 62, wants to ban city agencies from buying eggs that aren’t organic or free-range. “We want to make sure that the city is providing good, nutrient-dense, safe food to the people it’s serving,” Epstein said. “Organic eggs are better for human health, with three times more unsaturated fats, 40% more vitamin A, and twice as much vitamin E compared to the USDA standard, and free-range eggs are also thought to contain superior nutrition.” The Manhattan Democrat’s bill memo argues eggs from caged hens are products of cruelty, noting the birds are confined to spaces smaller than a sheet of letter-sized paper.
Councilwoman Amanda FarÃas, 37, is targeting self-checkout machines with a bill that would fine pharmacies and food retailers up to $1,000 per employee daily if they don’t maintain one worker for every three self-checkout stations. The Bronx Democrat’s measure also imposes a 15-item maximum on self-checkout purchases. “Retail theft has been a challenge for our city since the pandemic, and we have been working to address it from every angle,” FarÃas said. “This legislation is another piece of that work.” A supporting memo argues “reinvesting in staffing is good for revenue, for jobs, and for consumer confidence.”
Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, 33, has introduced a bill that would effectively ban keeping elephants in New York City. The Brooklyn progressive’s measure requires any remaining elephants to have at least 15 acres of usable habitat, mandates female elephants be kept in herds, and explicitly states: “The elephant must not be mounted, ridden, or forced to do labor.” The bill’s backdrop is Happy, the Bronx Zoo elephant whose living conditions have long drawn criticism from animal rights advocates.
Councilman Christopher Marte, 35, is taking aim at “hostile architecture” designed to deter homeless people from resting. His bill would require the city’s planning department to study structures like spiked platforms and metal leaning bars that have replaced benches at MTA stations. “In 2017, 2021, and 2025, the MTA removed numerous benches from train platforms and replaced them with metal leaning bars; again, targeting the homeless population,” the bill’s memo states. The measure would mandate a study within 18 months but takes no direct action against the designs.
Twenty-five Council members have signed onto a bill by Councilwoman Althea Stevens, 41, to abolish the NYPD’s gang database. A spokesperson for the Bronx Democrat said Stevens has seen firsthand how the list unfairly targets black and brown people, arguing it lacks checks to ensure those on it have criminal histories. Police officials including NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch counter that the database is a vital crime-fighting tool containing thousands of entries with intelligence on distinctive tattoos linked to criminal groups.
Twenty-six Council members have also backed legislation to prohibit the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group from deploying at First Amendment-protected protests. The specialized unit responds to civil disorder, major events, and major crimes including bank robberies and shootings. Mayor Zohran Mamdani, 43, has contended the unit brutalizes protesters, while police officials argue it keeps demonstrations from descending into violence.
Councilwoman Crystal Hudson, 40, has introduced a bill that would let transgender inmates in city jails request “gender-affirming items” including wigs, hair extensions, chest binders, tucking undergarments or gaffs, and prosthetics. Union officials have slammed the Brooklyn progressive’s proposal as potentially dangerous for corrections officers.
In the viral moment that brought national attention to the Council’s progressive agenda, Zilvinas Silenas, president of the Empire Center, an independent think tank, assessed the political messaging behind the wave of bills. “They want the world to know this is what they believe in and this is what they fight for,” Silenas said. “They’re putting up a flag to say, ‘Hey, I’m the council member who’s all in on organic eggs” or, ‘I’m the council member who really cares about elephants in New York.'” Democrats hold a supermajority on the Council, but the bills must advance through committees before reaching a full vote.
The Council’s next stated meeting is scheduled for August 13 in Manhattan.