Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Julia Salazar for NY Senate District 18
Candidate Name: Julia Salazar
Office Seeking Election for: New York State Senate District 18
Website: https://salazarforsenate.com
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.
I currently serve as the State Senator for my district, representing Brooklyn communities in Bushwick, Cypress Hills/East New York, Williamsburg, and parts of Greenpoint,
Bed-stuy and Brownsville. Since I was elected to the State Senate in 2018, I have worked every day to advocate for my community and constituents, the majority of whom are working class and families of color. I share a common lived experience with many of my neighbors as a Colombian-American Latina, born to an immigrant father and a
first-generation mother. When I ran for office, I was a community organizer for Jews for Racial & Economic Justice, and previously worked as a caregiver, a domestic worker, in the service industry and for a labor union. I became interested in public policy through my own experience as a tenant when I led my neighbors in a rent strike to demand repairs and habitable conditions in our building, and realized the need for housing justice in New York. I have dedicated myself to public service and want to continue to serve others by bringing the voices of my community into the halls of power, which we have traditionally been excluded from.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
State Senator Jabari Brisport; City Council Member Tiffany Cabán; State Senator Brad Hoylman (for Borough President and for State Senate); Samy Nemir Olivares (in 2020 for District Leader and in 2022 for State Assembly); Marti Gould Cummings for City Council; Amit Singh Bagga for City Council; Elisa Crespo for City Council; Jackie Fielder for State Senate (CA)
3. If applicable what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? I have co-sponsored several bills since entering the legislature in 2019 that seek to empower and support the LGBTQ community or which uniquely, positively impact the LGBTQ community,, including GENDA; the bill to ban the discriminatory “gay panic” or “trans panic” defense (S.6573); the Stop Violence in the Sex Trades Act; the repeal of “walking while trans” law; my bill to require DOCCS to assign housing to trans incarcerated individuals that reflects their gender identity (S6677), and my bill to establish an LGBTQ youth and young adult suicide prevention task force (S3083)
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis? Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club and Lambda Independent Democrats (LID)
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? Yes.
7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years? Yes. Several pride marches/parades in NYC over the course of the past 10 years, although I have only been an elected official since 2018.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? Yes, and yes.
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
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? Numerous
11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate. Yes. I’ve been arrested in civil disobedience actions on multiple occasions. On two
separate occasions I was arrested in an action demanding that the City Council pass the Right to Know Act. On another occasion I was arrested in an action protesting U.S. support for the IDF’s military operation in Gaza.
12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term?
A lot! Just to name a few:
– Sponsored and led the passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act
– Co-led the fight in the state budget last year to reject austerity, raise revenue equitably, and fund our communities by taxing the wealthy
– Co-led the fight, along with Senator Hoylman, to repeal the loitering statute known as “walking while trans,” a discriminatory law that has historically had the biggest impact on my constituents in Bushwick and East New York
– Passed dozens of my sponsored bills
– Co-chaired the first joint legislative hearings on sexual harassment in the workplace to be held in nearly 30 years; issued a report on the hearing’s findings, and co-led the passage of a package of legislation to prevent sexual harassment and hold harassers accountable
– Established a cease & desist zone in Brooklyn Community Board 5 (Cypress Hills/East New York) to protect homeowners and residents from harassment and predatory practices
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 am the sponsor of this legislation in the State Senate. (The current bill number is S.7514; Senator Rivera was previously the bill’s sponsor).
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’m a co-sponsor.
14. If you will not co-sponsor any of the above legislation, why not? N/A
15. Do you oppose the efforts to weaken bail reform as written? Yes, I fully oppose any efforts to further weaken New York’s bail 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. In my role as the Chair of the Senate’s Committee on Crime, Crime Victims & Correction, I prioritize visiting prisons and jails across the state frequently. My most recent prison visits were to Eastern Correctional Facility and Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in December (last month).
17. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? Yes. I also was the lead sponsor of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act, which became law in 2021.
18. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility? Less than one month ago I visited a DOCCS facility (state prison), Eastern Correctional Facility
20. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year? The use of clemency in New York – the evaluation of clemency applications, the total number of applications and the process for approving or denying clemency – lacks any transparency. In addition to advocating for the Governor to grant clemency frequently and to more individuals, a system should be established that tracks clemency applications and sheds light on the Executive’s process for reviewing all applications.
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 also have privately appealed to the governor on many occasions to use her clemency power frequently and with more transparency. I am also committed to continuing to publicly support the expanded use of clemency, and criticizing the governor’s failure to use clemency powers (such as Governor Hochul only once, so far, granting clemency that released an incarcerated person).
22. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests concerning clemency and parole? Yes
23. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals? Yes
24. Do you support legislation to prohibit discrimination against formerly incarcerated people in housing and employment? Yes
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; I am the bill sponsor. Thank you Jim Owles family for your support!
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. Yes; In 2019, I introduced the bill to fully decriminalize sex work, and continue to carry that bill. The trading (buying or selling) of sex between consenting adults should be legal. Criminalization of sex work is incredibly harmful for every person who is impacted by the sex industry, including individuals who are survivors of trafficking or people who are subjected to abuse, because fear of criminalization deters individuals from reporting and exposing abuse. I reject the Nordic or “end demand” model because it has failed to effectively reduce trafficking in jurisdictions where it’s been attempted and because it also allows the other harms of criminalization of sex workers and their clients to persist. Fully decriminalizing sex work is the necessary first step that we must take to stop discrimination and abuse in the sex industry, for sex workers and their clients as well as victims of trafficking.
27. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police officers? Yes; I am the co-prime sponsor of Senator Jackson’s bill to end qualified immunity.
28. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”? I am the lead sponsor of New York for All, a bill that would prevent local and state law enforcement from disclosing individuals’ immigration information to federal immigration enforcement (ICE). I also was proud to support the Protect Our Courts Act to prevent ICE from seeking to intercept or arrest individuals without a court order or judicial warrant at courthouses in New York.
29. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces? Yes
30. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates. I did not endorse any member of the IDC, but did endorse their opponents in 2018 and when they ran again after the IDC was dissolved : Senator Jessica Ramos, Senator Alessandra Biaggi, Senator Rachel May, Senator Zellnor Myrie, Senator Robert Jackson and Senator John Liu.
31. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff? Yes
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?
A). Early in the mayoral democratic primary, I endorsed Scott Stringer. I later endorsed Maya Wiley as my #1 choice for Mayor, instead.
B). In 2016, I was not an elected official yet, but I endorsed and campaigned for Senator Bernie Sanders in the democratic primary, and later for Hillary Clinton in the general election. In 2020, I endorsed Senator Bernie Sanders in the democratic primary and supported Joe Biden in the general election.
C). In 2018, I was a first-time candidate and I cross-endorsed with Cynthia Nixon for Governor and Zephyr Teachout for AG.
33. Have you made an endorsement in the current bid for Governor? If so, who? No
34. Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators? Yes, for both
35. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination. Many. Particularly as the Chair of the Crime Victims, Crime & Correction Committee, and previously as the Chair of Women’s Issues, I sponsor and co-sponsor many bills that seek to confront and transform the oppressive, racially biased system of mass incarceration, as well as targeting
gender-based violence and inequality. I’m a cosponsor of Senator Krueger’s expansive Equal Rights Amendment legislation, as well as the sponsor of a number of bills that address systems of oppression, such as:
– S7872 (Second Look Act)
– S7373 (Dignity Not Detention Act)
– S7562 (Creates alert system for missing victims of domestic violence)
– S3065 (Protects individuals from predatory debt collectors)
– S3073 (Allows incarcerated individuals in New York’s prisons to vote)
– S3075 (Decriminalizes sex work)
– S3083 (LGBTQ suicide prevention task force)
– S6677 (The gender identity respect, dignity and safety act)
– S7443 (Expands funding access for providers who treat and provide services for individuals living with HIV or AIDS
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 full and complete federal student debt relief. There are also actions that we can take at the state level, though,
to make higher education affordable for all New Yorkers, such as eliminating tuition in New York’s public universities by passing the New Deal for CUNY. I’m also the sponsor of a bill (S6755) to create a New York higher education debt consolidation and refinancing program. I also sponsor S3065, which would provide debt relief for New Yorkers who are targeted by predatory debt collection practices.
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’m a co-sponsor and active supporter of the NYHA.
38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. We have a responsibility in New York, especially amidst efforts across the country to restrict people’s reproductive rights, to protect and expand reproductive rights in our state, including all FDA-approved forms of contraception and abortion services. I was the sponsor of the CCCA (Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act) which expanded access to contraception statewide by prohibiting insurance companies from requiring people to pay a copay for any of the forms of FDA-approved form of contraception. Thanks to the Reproductive Health Act of 2019, New York essentially has the strongest laws in the country to protect abortion rights. However, we can take further action, such as by creating a public abortion access fund and passing legislation to regulate deceptive “crisis pregnancy centers.”
39. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations? Yes
40. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda? Yes; I have not received any of these contributions and would reject them.
41. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? I am the lead sponsor of the Good Cause eviction bill.
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; I am a cosponsor.
43. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it? 421-a is a failure and the program should end. I support other means–rather than tax breaks without sufficient accountability–of creating deeply and permanently affordable housing.
44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units? Yes, legalization accompanied by the public investment needed to make ADU’s safe.
45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much? Yes. The state should invest billions of dollars in our public housing and should act to halt the harmful, ongoing privatization of NYCHA developments.
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
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
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
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? The statue should be removed and Columbus Circle should be renamed. I don’t have a proposal for a statue to replace it, although I think indigenous peoples in New York should directly inform the replacement of the statue.
51. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much? Yes, although this is difficult to quantify as I haven’t examined the locally-funded budgets of police departments across the state apart from the NYPD. The state budget accounts for slim percentages respectively of local police budgets across the state. Nonetheless, I support cutting the NYPD expense budget by at least $1 Billion in the upcoming fiscal year, and again in future fiscal years, to divest funds from our police
department and invest them in alternative forms of public safety through education, healthcare and housing.
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. On traffic enforcement: while I think that law enforcement is essential for effective traffic enforcement and the safety of our roads, this should be the responsibility of traffic agents without carrying firearms.
53. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated? Yes
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? Officers should be placed on unpaid leave pending investigation if they refuse to wear masks in situations consistent with the CDC guidelines that everyone else (civilians) are expected to follow, and should be subject to civil penalties.
55. What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding? Yes
56. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? Businesses that rely on a thriving nightlife scene (clubs, performance venues, bars, etc) should be supported by the city and state through grants, zero-interest loans and professional development opportunities. The State Liquor Authority also needs to be reformed so that they prioritize assisting businesses in complying with the law rather than issuing harsh fines and harmful enforcement for minor violations, which disproportionately impact business owners of color and businesses in communities of color.
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? Yes
59. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively? Public safety via criminal legal system reform and parole reform; Housing stability; Equitable access to quality healthcare (universal healthcare)