In the state assembly the “LICH Act” passed on Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by local Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon, establishes that prior to approving the closure of a hospital, the Department of Health must ensure the local community’s emergency healthcare needs remain well served. The bill now moves on to the state senate, sponsored by local representative Daniel Squadron. Although this legislation cannot impact the development at LICH, it intends to prevent this fiasco of a hospital closure from happening in other communities. For more coverage on the “LICH Act” visit the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Capital New York.

Also on Wednesday, Brad Lander released a statement about the road ahead for the LICH site. You can read the full text on his website here. He lays out his current stance, and offers a summary of what we currently know about the Fortis proposals, including detailed information about the as of right option. The Council Member says he will abide by the community’s consensus and support our actions going forward.