Carriage drivers ask Mamdani to veto Romanch's Law. He says he'll sign it, and COPA is next on his desk

Carriage drivers and union representatives asked Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday to veto Romanch's Law, the Council's ban on Central Park's horse carriages. He told reporters afterward that he would sign it anyway, amNY reported.

The testimony came at a mayoral public hearing in City Hall's Blue Room. Our records show the mayor held the hearing on two bills the Council passed Oct. 22: the carriage ban, Int. 943-A, and the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, Int. 905-A. Both are still on his desk.

Why it matters to residents: the carriage ban ends an industry more than 160 years old by June 2028 and affects the people who work in it. COPA gives certified nonprofits a first chance to buy some distressed apartment buildings when owners sell. Both become law only when the mayor signs them or lets them take effect without his signature.

This is a follow-up to our Oct. 29 story on compensation for carriage owners.

What the mayor said

"I will still be signing it," Mamdani said of the carriage bill, according to amNY. He said the drivers "should not be demonized," according to the city's transcript of his Wednesday media availability. He also said he had visited a stable and met with drivers, and he promised a fair transition out of the industry for workers, many of whom he said are still paying off medallion debt.

The industry's union, TWU Local 100, argues the bill is unconstitutional and has threatened to sue the administration and the Council once it is signed, amNY reported. No suit had been reported as filed as of Thursday.

The mayor's transcript does not mention COPA. He has said before that he will sign it, amNY reported when it passed.

Why the mayor holds a hearing

State law requires the mayor to hold a public hearing on a local law before acting on it. That is what Wednesday's session was, and it is the public's last formal chance to weigh in. Under the City Charter, the mayor has 30 days from the time a bill is presented to him to sign or veto it. If he does neither, it becomes law anyway. Our records show both bills were sent to the mayor on Oct. 22, so the deadline falls around Nov. 21, depending on when they were formally delivered.

What our records add

How the carriage bill got here. Council Member Christopher Marte introduced the bill June 11, and it drew 31 sponsors. The Health Committee held a hearing on July 15 that Speaker Julie Menin later said ran about 10 hours. At the July 16 stated meeting, she said the Council had heard from the teenager's family, animal welfare advocates, drivers and medallion owners, and that members would consider amendments. The committee amended and approved the bill Oct. 22, and the full Council passed it the same afternoon, 40-7 with two abstentions, City & State reported at the time.

What the law requires on jobs and pay. The administration must give the mayor and Council a transition plan by April 1, 2027, with referrals, career counseling and job training, amNY reported. It must "consider" compensating medallion owners but is not required to. Mamdani said last month that owners would be offered compensation, City & State reported; he has not said in what form.

COPA's long road. Council Member Sandy Nurse sponsors COPA. It passed 38-9 with two abstentions, after former Mayor Eric Adams vetoed an earlier version in December 2025. The new version covers about 2,100 buildings instead of about 10,000, amNY reported. Our Oct. 23 story has the details.

Bills he hasn't signed. Mamdani has let some Council bills become law without his signature, including the burial-sites law, as we noted in our tally of how he has handled the Council's bills.

What's next

• Watch for signing ceremonies before about Nov. 21. Once signed, each bill gets a local law number.
• The carriage ban takes effect June 1, 2028, with the transition plan due April 1, 2027.
• COPA takes effect one year after it becomes law. The Department of Housing Preservation and Development must first write rules on nonprofit certification, notices and hardship waivers.
• A lawsuit from the carriage union, if filed, would likely come after the signing.