Assemblywoman Kimberly Jean-Pierre (D-Wheatley Heights) announced that she will attend her first joint budget hearing on education as chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology. The joint budget hearing will be held virtually on Thursday, Jan. 28, at 9:30 a.m., with a livestream available for the public to view at nyassembly.gov/av/live.

“While addressing the unprecedented challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic will undoubtedly be difficult, now is not the time to make cuts to the services that libraries provide our communities,” Jean-Pierre said. “Libraries are hubs for our communities, providing a variety of services to meet the unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve. I’ll fight to protect library aid in the state budget to ensure these vital community resources are not hindered, especially during these trying times.”

Earlier this month, Jean-Pierre was appointed chair of the Assembly Committee on Libraries and Education Technology, further diversifying the Assembly Majority’s leadership positions; she looks forward to working with her colleagues in the Assembly to restore $4.6 million in cuts in library aid reflected in the 2021-22 executive budget proposal.