Council considers options after Mamdani vetoes buffer zone bill

New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin and her allies are weighing their options after Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would veto a controversial bill that would have required the police department to create and publicize plans to deploy security perimeters around educational facilities during protests.

Unlike the related “buffer zone” bill pertaining to houses of worship – which Mamdani said he’d let go into effect – 175-B didn’t pass with a veto-proof majority. Council members approved the legislation late last month by a 30-19 margin, four votes shy of the two-thirds majority needed to override a mayoral veto. That doesn’t necessarily mean the fight ends here. Several people familiar with Menin’s thinking said the speaker is contemplating whether to try and whip up enough votes to override the move, though they noted nothing has been decided yet. The New York Times was first to report on the mayor’s plan to veto the bill.

“While I appreciate that King Zohran will graciously allow one bill with a veto-proof majority to become law, his choice to veto a second bill may be forced to contend with democracy,” said one Democratic council member who supported both of the bills.

A spokesperson for the speaker’s office said that members will now discuss next steps.




https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/04/council-considers-options-after-mamdani-vetoes-buffer-zone-bill/413101/?oref=csny-homepage-top-story