Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Grace Lee for NY Assembly District 65

Candidate Name: Grace Lee

Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 65

Website: https://www.graceleeforassembly.com/

1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.

a. I am a community activist and organizer. I am an involved and concerned parent, and I am a small business owner. I know firsthand how important it is that decisions be grounded in the everyday realities of the district, and I have a proven record of bringing community stakeholders together to solve problems. I am running for State Assembly because I want to help make government work to improve the lives of the people of this district.

b. Several years ago, I co-founded Children First, a parent-led coalition, fighting against a corporate developer trying to build on a Brownfield clean-up site in the South Street Seaport across from two elementary schools. I am also a lead organizer for deaf tenants on the Lower East Side living in deplorable conditions. I partnered with a tenant advocacy group in Lower Manhattan and together we helped the tenants establish a

tenants association and organize rallies to stand up to their building’s management company to demand housing justice.

c. Through this work, I learned firsthand how the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our community are not receiving the resources that they need, even when they are available. I’ve learned that government processes are not transparent. I’ve learned that it takes broad coalition-building to be able to effect change. It’s not enough to pass legislation if it does not translate into results on the ground. Services and resources are failing to reach the people who need them.

d. Our communities need a proven leader who can attack complex problems - from housing affordability to climate resilience. A leader who can bring all the stakeholders to the table to make sure every voice is heard. A leader who will not give up until our problems are solved. I have been and will continue to be on the ground of every neighborhood doing the hard work and heavy lifting to get our communities the resources we need as we continue to battle this pandemic and prepare for the climate crisis.

e. As Assemblymember, my goal will be to deliver tangible results to improve the quality of life for the people of our district. I will not stop fighting until every family, every resident can live in a city and community that is safe, healthy, and strong

2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?

I have been proud to support Jonathan Gardenhire - the only openly LGBT African American District Leader in Lower Manhattan - as well as State Senator Brad Hoylman.

3. If applicable what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored?

N/A - Having never held office, I have not had the opportunity to introduce such bills. But I will absolutely support and fight for the LGBTQ community and be a staunch ally.

4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?

I have been proud to support the Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, including supporting and attending the recent December Holiday Party. In addition - as an Events

Director for Swing Left - I enthusiastically supported and fundraised for several openly LGBT candidates during the 2018 Blue Wave election.

5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?

N/A - I have never held office.

6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community?

No

7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years?

I have attended many parades as a supporter, and I look forward to marching in the annual Pride March when it returns in person in Manhattan.

8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently?

I am committed to an inclusive workplace, both in my campaigns and hopefully in my Assembly office, and we are striving to build a team representative of the community. This includes conducting job searches where we encourage openly LGBT candidates to apply.

9. If you receive the Jim Owles endorsement, do you agree to identify the club on all literature and electronic materials where you list endorsements?

Yes, absolutely.

10. What press conferences, demonstrations, rallies and protests in support of LGBTQ issues, pro choice legislation, criminal justice reform issues and the Resist Trump Movement have you attended and/or participated in?

I have long been a vocal advocate for our communities - from the earliest resistance protests during the Trump administration such as the women’s marches to protesting against the Chinatown jail in just the past few weeks. I marched in solidarity against the Muslim ban, against anti-Semitic violence in the wake of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, and for the Black Lives Matters protests and rallies.

11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate.

No, although I support acts of civil disobedience.

12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term?

N/A

13. For the following pieces of legislation, please answer if you are currently a sponsor or

co-sponsor (if you are an incumbent), or if you will co-sponsor (if you are not an incumbent):

A. Fair and Timely Parole (S.1415A / A.4231A): A bill pending in Albany that would ensure access to the parole release process for incarcerated people in New York State. This bill insures that decisions on parole are not solely based on the nature of the original crimes but includes incarcerated peoples’ record of rehabilitation and assessment of current risk to public safety.

Yes, I will support Fair and Timely Parole.

B. Elder Parole (S.15A / A.3475A): A bill pending in Albany that would allow elderly incarcerated people who have served at least 15 years in prison an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for a chance at release.

Yes, I will support Elder Parole.

14. If you will not co-sponsor any of the above legislation, why not?

N/A - I support both pieces of legislation and will continue to work towards decarceration, shutting down Rikers, and making our society more just.

15. Do you oppose the efforts to weaken bail reform as written

Yes, I will support the current bail reform laws.

16. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? If incumbent, when did you do so last?

Yes, we must always ensure the just treatment of those who are incarcerated and I will make sure to see their conditions and hear their voices and needs.

17. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails?

Yes, solitary confinement is cruel, unjust, and completely unnecessary.

18. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility.

I have not yet visited a correctional facility, but I look forward to the opportunity both as an Assembly candidate and as an Assemblymember to view the injustices that occur inside correctional facilities firsthand.

19. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole?

Yes, I believe that such remorse must be taken into consideration. We must work towards a restorative and holistic justice system.

20. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year?

We should always be seeking to make our criminal legal system more just and equitable. I support and will push for compassionate release and for review of cases wherein justice

would be better served through clemency than continued incarceration. I will keep an open ear and open mind for hearing out people who are incarcerated and advocate for them.

21. Will you publicly call on the governor to use her clemency power for the many incarcerated New Yorkers who can safely return home? Will you tweet out your support for this or issue a public statement? Would you be willing to be critical of a governor who does not exercise their power to grant clemencies and commutations to those worthy of release? Have you ever spoken out in such a way?

Yes, I will help hold and Governor publicly accountable and use my voice to support clemency and commutation whenever it advances justice.

22. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests concerning clemency and parole?

I am dedicated to fighting for clemency, parole, decarceration, and justice. I am committed to protecting bail reform, cracking down on police violence and abuse, and passing Elder Parole and Fair and Timely Parole. I have also been a vocal advocate and protester against the proposed Chinatown jail and support shutting down Rikers.

23. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?

Everyone deserves second chances. I will not hesitate to employ formerly incarcerated individuals and also to partner with other programs and agencies to further the goal of employing the formerly incarcerated.

24. Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing and employment?

Yes, housing is a human right and employment is a key to restoring our communities.

25. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work? Are you or will you co-sponsor the bill introduced by Julia Salazar (S.6419 / A. 8230), which fully decriminalizes sex work?

Yes and Yes. Sex work is work. Too often, the criminalization of sex work is used as a legal bludgeon to discriminate against and target people of color, LGBTQ community members, and especially trans women.

26. Will you actively oppose legislation (S.6040 / A.7069) that would implement the dangerous Nordic model instead of the decriminalization of prostitution? Explain in detail your views on full decriminalization, the Nordic model, legalization, and the existing criminalization approach.

Sex work is work. We should decriminalize it and allow sex workers to live and work with dignity and in safety. The Nordic model continues to hide and shame sex workers and may drive the trade deeper underground, creating a more dangerous environment that before. By fully decriminalizing sex work, we can remove stigma, improve safety, and ensure that sex workers are treated with dignity. We must, of course, always be wary of exploitation and human trafficking and crack down on any activities that harm sex workers or exploit them.

27. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals?

Yes - they should not be able to hide from the consequences of their actions. Law enforcement officers should be both civilly and criminally liable for their actions.

28. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”?

As a child of immigrants, this issue is deeply personal to me. Our city is built on the backs of countless immigrant communities and generations. We must do everything we can to protect and uplift our immigrant communities. I support a wide array of policies - non-cooperation with ICE, renewal of the Excluded Workers Fund, right-to-counsel laws for immigration cases and funding for public immigration defense attorneys, and so much more. I also support economic policies that would strengthen immigrant communities like improving wages both by lifting the minimum wage and utilizing prevailing wage requirements, strengthening worker protections, and funding job training programs. In my office and across the government, I will advocate for greater language access requirements and push for linguistically and culturally accessible outreach for programs and services.

29. Are you a sponsor of New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.4321a/S.6471)? If not wilkmkl you add your name and sponsor?

Yes

29. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces?

Yes, harm reduction sites are a tried and proven tactic for reducing the destructive effects of substance use.

30. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates

I have never supported any member of the former IDC and I was ecstatic when most of the former IDC members lost their elections in 2018.

31. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff?

Yes, absolutely.

32. Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2021 B) President in 2016 and 2020 C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018?

Mayor - As an Asian American woman, I ranked both Asian American candidates and women candidates for Mayor. It is critically important that we support diverse candidates and push them to be accountable to the LGBT community.

President - I was a delegate for Joe Biden in the presidential primary and I worked diligently in the general election to make sure that we removed Donald Trump from office.

33. Have you made an endorsement in the current bid for Governor? If so, who?

No, I have not yet publicly endorsed.

34. Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators?

Yes, statewide offices should have term limits so we can consistently bring new voices to our top elected positions. I am open to supporting term limits for state legislative positions.

35. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.

I am dedicated to dismantling the long and terrible legacies of our racist and discriminatory history. I will fight bias, bigotry, and hate, wherever we find it. I will also fight to center equity in every policy: fully and equitably funded public schools that address historic disenfranchisement; equitable distribution of goods and services so that marginalized communities like communities of color and of immigrants are prioritized for much needed resources; equity in hiring, in healthcare, and in housing. We need to address the continuing effects of redlining on schools, housing, and infrastructure.

36. What legislation or other policy changes do you support in order to make college and graduate school affordable for poor, working-class, and middle-class Americans and to alleviate the crushing loan debt that many students and alumni are facing?

I support the New Deal for CUNY and for fully and equitably funding our public education system. I will advocate for student debt relief and expansion of grants. I will also fight for programs like universal childcare, which will help tens of thousands of people access jobs or higher education. I will help build talent pipelines and trainings for multilingual and multicultural educators so that everyone can access education. I will support greater funding for adult literacy and adult English language programs.

37. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Do you or will you co-sponsor the New York Health Act? Please elaborate.

Yes, I support single payer universal health and will fight for the New York Health Act and other legislation like it, such as universal childcare, raising the medicare reimbursement formula, and extending coverage to undocumented immigrants. In the

richest country in the world, healthcare should be a human right, and it is long past due for New York State to establish a single payer universal healthcare system so millions of New Yorkers can receive quality healthcare regardless of their income and employment status.

38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services.

1. Reproductive rights must absolutely be protected, both in our state and outside of it. Everyone should have safe access to contraceptives, abortion services, and sexual education.

39. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations?

Yes. I have been proud to take a real estate pledge against contributions from real estate developers, large landlords, real estate PACs, as fighting for tenants’ rights and against unscrupulous developers and landlords is a central plank of my candidacy. I am proud to also take a pledge against contributions from law enforcement unions, associations, corporate PACs and fossil fuel executives.

40. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda?

Yes

41. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)?

Yes and I also support right to counsel as well as extending ERAP.

42. Will you push for the passage of Home Stability Support (HSS) to bridge the difference between the public assistance shelter allowance and fair market rents for NY's 95,000 homeless? Will you co-sponsor S.856 / A.6032, which amends the Social Services Law to create a statewide rent supplement for families and individuals who are eligible for public

assistance benefits and who face eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions?

Yes and Yes. The housing crisis is one of the most important issues facing our city and our state. We must do everything we can to help people obtain and stay in safe, affordable, dignified housing. I support these policies as well as Good Cause Eviction, funding ERAP, and other policies to keep people safe in their homes.

43. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it?

I will fight to repeal 421-a. It’s been a bonanza for rich developers and has created little to no real affordable housing. We must repeal it entirely. I will oppose any similar scheme that lines the pockets of developers without guaranteeing massive increases in truly affordable housing and which doesn’t also guarantee prevailing wages and safe workplaces.

44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units?

Yes

45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much?

Yes, NYCHA must be fully funded and must be kept public. I have seen estimates from

$40-$80 billion and whatever the cost, I would push for the funding. Housing is a human right. We must stop destructive programs like RAD and PACT. Public housing must be a priority and must be fully funded, fully repaired, and fully staffed.

46. Do you, or will you, co-sponsor the Climate and Community Investment Act? (S.4264A / A.6967) If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not?

Yes, I will. The climate crisis is an urgent and existential crisis that we must address immediately and aggressively.

47. Do you support the New York Public Banking Act (S.1762A / A. 8290? If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not?

Yes, I will.

48. Do you support the New Deal for CUNY (S.4461 / A.5843)? If you are an incumbent and do not currently co-sponsor this bill, why not?

Yes and I will always fight to fully fund CUNY and SUNY. These public universities are some of the most important mechanisms for economic mobility and allow thousands of students from marginalized communities to access high paying careers and bring entire communities out of poverty. I would also support legislation to reduce the ancillary burdens of attending college, such as free or reduced transit fares, universal childcare, and creating truly affordable housing.

49. In view of the fact that Ed Koch has been documented to have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS, and was blatantly racist, would you support a city bill to rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?

Yes and yes.

50. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?‘

I don’t have a specific person or idea in mind for replacing the statue, but I do know that I want our city to be celebrating people who fought for justice who uplifted the downtrodden, not those who got rich on oppression.

51. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much?

Yes - need to focus on proven solutions and not on knee jerk over-policing. I do not have a specific number in mind. We should instead invest in building up our communities and in proven solutions that we know work to address crime without adding to police budgets

and police violence - we need mental health services, community centers, permanent housing, and other services.

52. Are you in favor of removing police from any of the following? a) Schools; b) Mental health response calls; c) Homeless outreach and social services; or d) Traffic enforcement.

Yes, we need to minimize the massive footprint of law enforcement in our lives and reduce the opportunities for escalating violence with officers. I will work to create a robust 24/7 network of emergency mental health responders and crisis counselors that can respond in lieu of police. There is simply no need for police in the majority of these interactions. I also support decriminalization of many low level offenses and will always push to end the destructive and unjust broken windows policing policies.

53. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated?

Yes. I also support decriminalizing sex work. Too often, these laws and units target communities of color, immigrants, LGBTQ community members, and especially trans women for harassment and violence.

54. How would you recommend law enforcement officers be penalized for refusing to wear masks in public while on duty, in defiance of city and state rules?

Police officers must not be above the law. They should face the same civil penalties as every New Yorker and also departmental penalties.

55. What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding?

The CCRB must be fully independent and empowered to investigate and punish misconduct, refer cases for criminal prosecution, and issue binding discipline. CCRB must be empowered to permanently fire officers.

56. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State?

We need to make sure that New York recovers from the pandemic and that it’s an equitable recovery that works for all. I would push for budgets to advertise nightlife and

tourism, offer grants and abatements to small businesses, bars, and restaurants that have been so heavily affected by the virus, and coordinate a citywide push to help make New York’s nightlife exciting and lively once more, bringing back tourists and locals alike. There is no New York with New York nightlife.

57. Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses?

Yes

58. Do you commit to speak personally with liquor license applicants and license holders before opposing any bid for a liquor license? Likewise for an applicant seeking your support?

Whenever possible, yes.

59. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively?

1.) I’m fighting for a New York recovery that places equity at the forefront, that prioritizes communities over corporations, and that helps our neighbors and neighborhoods be safe, healthy and strong. For too long, too many of our communities have been ignored and neglected by those in power. To that end, I am prioritizing:

2.) Fair and affordable housing: including championing the passage of Good Cause Eviction - particularly given that the current governor failed to extend the eviction moratorium in the middle of winter during a COVID surge,building deeply affordable housing that centers tenant voices, and fully funding NYCHA.

3.) Equitable pandemic recovery: including high quality affordable healthcare for all, universal childcare, passing the Excluded Workers Fund and creating a permanent Fund and pathway to unemployment going forward, and small business recovery.

4.) An equitable public education system: including fully funding both New York City public schools and CUNY, keeping the charter school cap in place, and investing in community schools with wraparound services for the most vulnerable communities.

60. How much money do you presently have in your campaign account?

Approximately 100k+

61. What additional information would you like members The Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club to consider when we are making our endorsement decision concerning your candidacy?