JACKSON HEIGHTS — Residents and local civic groups plan to hold State Sen. Jose Peralta to his promise of holding a town hall after Albany's budget was done — and plan to move forward with scheduling a meeting with or without his attendance, organizers said.
"Where is Peralta?" town hall meeting is set for Monday, June 26 from 7 until 9 p.m. at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center.
Organizers including Queens Neighborhoods United, New Queens Democrats, Queens Community Action Group, NY Indivisible and Jackson Heights People for Public Schools plan to discuss the Independent Democratic Caucus, which the senator joined in January, along with the recent budget and the effect of President Donald Trump's plans for the district.
"With or without Peralta, we will assemble on June 26th to discuss the range of issues at stake on the state level, including public school funding, health care, women’s health care, immigrants’ rights, sanctuary state, Dream Act, LGBT rights, voter reform, criminal justice reform, and climate change reforms," organizers wrote in a press release.
Pressed by his constituents at a combative town hall that Peralta organized at the Jackson Heights Jewish Center in February, the state senator promised to hold another meeting with constituents as soon as his responsibilities in Albany had been completed.
He said at the time that he made "a commitment to continue this dialogue."
But his office has not publicly announced any plans to meet with the public since then. The budget passed Wednesday.
So far the senator hasn't said if he'll attend Monday's meeting. But it won't stop the organizers from moving forward.
An email to Peralta's spokesman was not immediately returned.
