As the race for a City Council seat heats up, candidate Robert Rodriguez — also a member of the state Assembly — is under fire for missing a critical vote to determine the future of New York City public schools.
With the future of 1.1 million public school students on the line, the Assembly voted to grant Mayor de Blasio another two years of control over city schools.
Rodriguez, a Democrat representing East Harlem, didn’t show up for the vote because of “other engagements,” sources report.
The leading critic of Rodriguez’s attendance record is Diana Ayala, who is running against him for the East Harlem/South Bronx seat that Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito will relinquish at the end of the year due to term limits.
“With the threats to our progressive values under Trump greater than ever before, we need a Council member who is energetic and shows up to fight for our interests,” said Ayala, a top aide to Mark-Viverito.
A rep for Rodriguez’s campaign said the assemblyman was unable to reschedule “other engagements” made before he knew about the last-minute special session.
Photo credit: State Assembly Member Robert J. Rodriguez (East Harlem) speaking in 2015. Rodriguez is under fire for missing a critical vote to determine the future of New York City public schools. (JEENAH MOON/FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
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