On January 3, 2007, Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman traveled to Albany for the opening of New York's 230th legislative session, where she was sworn in for her sixth term in the Assembly. Assemblywoman Millman has represented the 52nd Assembly District since she took office after winning a special election in February 1997.

The opening of session was highlighted by Governor Spitzer's State of the State address to a joint session of the Assembly and the state Senate. Assemblywoman Millman looks forward to working with the new governor who promises to bring new energy and dedication to create positive change for all New Yorkers.

"I am proud to have represented this unique and diverse community for ten years as the Assemblywoman, and I look forward to continuing to serve the District in partnership with a new governor and a new administration," said Assemblywoman Millman. "After listening to the governor's State of the State speech, I'm encouraged to hear that we - the governor, the Assembly, and most importantly, the citizens of New York - share so many of the same goals."

	Assemblywoman Millman speaking at the MetroTech BID treelighting ceremony. The event included musical performances by students at P.S. 58 and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus.

One of the most successful transitional employment programs for homeless people, The Doe Fund's Ready, Willing & Able program is one of the largest street-cleaning services in the country. Each "man in blue" works 35 hours a week, earning $7.00-$7.75 an hour, sweeping and bagging trash, removing graffiti, and clearing snow from paths and sidewalks.

"On behalf of the businesses and residents of Carroll Gardens, I would like to recognize the outstanding work The Doe Fund continues to accomplish, providing unique job training services, employment opportunities, and permanent job placement assistance to thousands of New Yorkers," said Assemblywoman Millman. "This holiday season, the merchants and residents who work and live on Smith Street wanted to show their appreciation for the Doe Fund's contribution to the Carroll Gardens streetscape. The Ready, Willing & Able program has made Smith Street a cleaner and better place to work, commute and live."

Assemblywoman Millman with Councilmember Bill de Blasio at a press conference in October protesting the closing of the Engine Co. 204 Firehouse in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn.

Assemblywoman Millman urged the Community Board to recommend that the building not be sold, but instead that it should go to a community based organization that will use the space to benefit the neighborhood. For more than 100 years, this building has been a facility to protect and improve the community and it should continue to serve in that capacity moving forward.

Furthermore, Assemblywoman Millman recommended that building be designated landmark status before a sale is considered to preserve the rich architectural and historical value of the building. If sold before being designated a landmark building, the community could lose this resource as the City seeks top dollar and sells it to developers looking to demolish and then rebuild the firehouse as condominiums.

"Losing a firehouse has been a great loss to the Cobble Hill community," testified Assemblywoman Millman. "Utilizing these recommendations, the property can be managed while we fight to re-open the firehouse."

On December 15, 2006, Assemblywoman Joan L. Millman voiced her support for the tenants of buildings in downtown Brooklyn and Park Slope whose landlords have applied for demolition applications from the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). In a letter to Community Board 2 Chairwoman Shirley McRae, Assemblywoman Millman urged the Community Board's Land Use Committee to recommend that the applications be denied as there is strong evidence to suggest the owner plans a gut-rehabilitation of the buildings rather than a demolition.

This is a clear case of a "phony demolition application," in which landlords apply to DHCR to evict their rent-stabilized tenants claiming that they intend to demolish a building, when in reality, the owners plan only to renovate the buildings and use the premises for market rate housing or other higher profit yielding ventures.

"The application is a renovation project disguised as a demolition, evicting all of the tenants from the current affordable housing units in order to transform the buildings into luxury housing," said Assemblywoman Millman in her letter urging that the application be denied. "The state Legislature never intended that the demolition provision in the Rent Stabilization Law be used in this way."