Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Alana Sivin for NY Assembly District 65

Candidate Name: Alana Sivin

Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 65

Website: https://www.alanaforny.com/

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

As a 33-year-old former public defender and educator, I believe that New York should be a place where every single person – no matter what they look like, where they come from, or how much money they have – thrives. But that’s not the case. Instead, we live in a New York where Black, Brown, and poor individuals are prosecuted fervently. A New York where mental health issues, housing insecurity, and substance use disorders are punished rather than addressed systematically and holistically. And as a Puerto Rican/Ashkenazi Jewish woman, I have felt those disparities deeply; it is painful to live in a city where I see how people who look like my mother’s side of the family are criminalized, traumatized, and overlooked, while people who look like my father’s side of the family are given the opportunities that we all deserve - the opportunities to thrive.

This isn’t an accident; it’s by design. That’s why I’m running to represent New York State’s 65th Assembly District.

In a district as collaborative and solution-oriented as ours, we deserve a champion who has fought on the front lines alongside our community. Over the past few years, during a global pandemic, so many helpers have arisen to take care of our community - to provide food for people struggling with food insecurity, to give heat to people awaiting repairs in NYCHA, and to fight for safety in our schools. We deserve someone who understands these struggles, and who stands with the leaders of our community to make change in Albany.

I’ve spent my entire career fighting back alongside people who have been impacted by failed state laws. As a public defender, I fought in the courtroom and in Albany, pushing our elected officials to bring humanity into our criminal legal system. As a New York City Council legislative staffer, I successfully fought for crucial legislation that would improve the lives of people suffering behind bars.

And as a senior legal analyst at The Appeal, I spoke truth to power, bringing national attention to necessary reforms such as the right to counsel for people unable to access their most basic human needs and comprehensive voter rights legislation. I’ve organized both on the inside of government as a staffer, and on the outside as an advocate and defender, and I know how these two roles interact to create positive change.

Over the past year, I’ve been reminded of the heart and perseverance of our communities. Whether it was through mutual-aid food distribution, marching on the streets for racial justice, bringing attention to the need for rent cancellation, or organizing around judicial elections, I’ve fought alongside countless New Yorkers finding creative ways to advocate, agitate, and care-take during a time of crisis.

Together, we can bring the political will and courage that’s long been missing to our state assembly. We can bring about real change, including criminal justice reform, housing and healthcare for all, and quality education. But we need elected officials who will fight for us, and who will invest in the communities that have suffered the most at the hands of failed politics as usual. I can be that representative; I want to be that representative. That’s why I’m running.

2. Please identify any openly LGBTQQ candidate for public office you have previously or presently endorsed

Elisa Crespo, Marti Allen-Cummings, Tiffany Cabán (who I convinced to run for District Attorney), Lynn Schulman, and Crystal Hudson

3. If applicable, what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? (indicate accordingly)

While this is not applicable to me as I am not an elected official, I have drafted and pushed for several pieces of legislation affecting the LGBTQ community, including legislation to require the Department of Correction to provide equal access to medical services to TGNCNBI people in jails, in addition to drafting and advocating for a resolution to repeal the “walking while trans” statute.

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

I was appointed to the City’s TGNCNBI Taskforce, where I worked with several members of LGBTQ community and allies to develop policies to better the conditions of confinement for TGNCNBI people incarcerated at Rikers Island. I have also attended several events held by Equality New York and New Pride Agenda

5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to? While this is not applicable to me as a non-elected official, when I worked at the City Council, I worked with a group of staffers to identify organizations that the former City Council Speaker Corey Johnson should allocate funds to in order to support people involved in the sex trade. Because we knew that housing was an important need for sex workers, and particularly for trans sex workers, we identified organizations that

specifically serve this population, such as Destination Tomorrow and Callen-Lorde, and were able to work with the Speaker’s team to fund those organizations. As an Assembly Member I would support efforts to fund initiatives to benefit the TGNCNBI community, as we must recognize the resources for those communities hardly exist.

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

No, but I consider myself an ally.

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

Many times! The most recent times were 2018 and 2019.

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

I currently do not have paid staff (and previously had 1 transitional paid staffer), but am currently interviewing campaign managers and field directors, and highly encourage LGBTQ individuals to apply. I would also welcome any recommendations from this club. One of my main volunteers and endorsers is John Blasco, former Organizer of FIERCE, former LGBTQ liaison to the city council and former District Leader.

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

Yes, proudly.

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

Too many to count! Just yesterday I attended a rally against recent anti-LGBTQ Mayoral appointments. I have rallied, protested, and joined several press conferences in support of Black Lives, closing Rikers Island, ending cash bail, ending solitary confinement, passing Less is More, decriminalizing sex work, and resisting the Trump administration. I’ve also attended several rallies for Black Trans Lives. I was at JFK the day of the unconstitutional Muslim ban rallying and providing services, and marched against police brutality following the killings of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and so many more.

11. Have you ever been arrested fighting in pursuit of legislation or for the purpose of protesting? Please elaborate.

No, but I have defended several people who have, and have successfully advocated for the dismissal of cases of people who have been arrested while protesting.

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):

1. Fair and Timely Parole (S.1415A / A.4231A): A bill pending in Albany that would ensure the parole release process for incarcerated people in New York State is based on incarcerated peoples’ rehabilitation and current risk to public safety.

Yes. I have written about this piece of legislation and the one below in the past and have been a long-time supporter of both.

2. Elder Parole (S.15A / A.3475A): A bill pending in Albany that would allow incarcerated people defined by the state prison as older adults, and who have served at least 15 years, an opportunity to appear before the Parole Board for an individualized review of their case and chance at release.

Will co-sponsor.

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

Will co-sponsor both.

15. Do you oppose the efforts of law and order conservatives to weaken bail reform as written?

I will vote against any budget that sends more people to jail and prison by rolling back actions like bail reform - full stop.

As a former public defender, and as someone who has seen the harm of criminalization firsthand - who has seen how lives deteriorate when someone is sent to jail pretrial - I am committed to combating these false narratives surrounding bail reform, bringing attention to the oppressive nature of incarceration, and uplifting stories where policing is abandoned for a more community-centered approach.

16. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails?

Yes, regularly. I specifically came to policy work after seeing the deep systemic inequities that exist in the jail system, and continuing to do this work is my top priority.

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

October 2019. I have been to numerous correctional facilities, too many times to count. I last went to Rikers Island in October 2019, while I worked at the New York City Council. I went with a group of Councilmembers who asked me and some of my colleagues to identify specific units that needed inspection. We prioritized the solitary confinement unit and the “enhanced segregated housing”

units so that the Council Members could see firsthand the inhumanity of these areas. We spoke to many of the people in the units - many who had only been released from their cells to shower.

This experience, along with hearing the firsthand accounts of people who have experienced solitary confinement, and having represented people in solitary confinement, sticks with me. It’s why I feel so passionately about ending solitary confinement entirely - both at the state level and the city level.

18. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? Yes. As a former public defender, I believe that we cannot define any individual person for the rest of their life over one bad action. People are so much more than that, and everyone deserves a shot at parole.

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

It was disgraceful how infrequently the former Governor used his power of clemency and it seems that Governor Hochul is unfortunately following in his footsteps.

First and foremost, I will continue to work with groups such as RAPP to call on the governor to use this incredible power she has, stand with activists, and amplify the stories of those seeking clemency.

Second, I will work to hold the governor accountable on the promises she made last Christmas Eve, to release data to the public on the clemency process, that those with clemency cases are actually notified that their applications are still open, and that her advisory panel is truly made up of a diverse group of people who can actually speak to and understand the positions of those seeking clemency, and to grant these appeals throughout the year rather than on a single day. Governor Hochul asked to be held accountable and I absolutely will be doing that.

Third, judges are in a unique position to grant their own version of clemency recommendations by implementing the Domestic Violence Survivor Justice Act (DVSJA) which allows survivors of domestic violence who are currently incarcerated to apply for resentencing based on the mitigating circumstances of their abusive relationships. We must continue to educate the public on judicial appointments (which I’ve held teach-ins and informational sessions about in the past) call on judges to implement the DVSJA whenever possible, and call on District Attorneys to recommend the usage of DVSJA when reevaluating cases.

20. Will you publicly call on the governor to use her clemency power to 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, yes, and yes. I’ve written an article that was published in The Appeal on the need for the

previous Governor to use his clemency power, have hosted a national streaming informational video on the failure of the Cuomo administration to grant clemencies and otherwise decarcerate during COVID, and have also publicly

21. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?

Yes, many.

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

Yes

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

Absolutely.

24. 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 and decarcerates sex work?

Yes and I will absolutely co-sponsor. I hope to be a member of the Codes Committee because one of my top priorities is gutting the penal law to decriminalize drugs and sex work.

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

We must decriminalize sex work entirely.

The nordic model - like our current model - only serves to further criminalize and stigmatize sex work, increase interactions with police, and place sex workers in danger.

We must decriminalize sex work, rather than place onerous restrictions on the ability of sex workers to practice sex work. I do not believe we should engage in a legalization process that requires licensing or that places fines on sex workers fo non-compliance because this has shown in various jurisdiction to create two classes of sex workers – one class of privileged sex workers, with protections, and another class of Black and Brown trans sex workers who work in the shadows without those protections. We must fully decriminalize and destigmatize sex work.

26. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police officers?

Yes. I also support mandating all police misconduct settlements being paid out of the NYPD’s budget rather than by taxpayers.

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

I will work to make New York a truly sanctuary state. I’ve seen how the presence of ICE in sensitive spaces, like courtrooms, can prevent immigrant New Yorkers from being able to safely exercise their rights to healthcare, safety, and justice. I supported the passage of the New York for All Act and will advocate for its expansion so that undocumented and immigrant New Yorkers can feel safe in schools, hospitals, shelters, and other spaces that are necessary to enter in order to access basic needs.

I will work to ease the burden of accessing payment from the Excluded Workers Fund. The work of immigrant organizers advanced the first-of-its-kind excluded workers fund in New York, which serves to provide eligible New Yorkers with the benefits from which they have been from by the federal government solely due to immigration status. However, access to these funds have often been delayed not only by technical limitations - such as the requirement of a valid individual taxpayer identification number and a $15,600 per person cap, but also because the IRS is months behind in processing applications. I will fight to lift the $15,600 per person cap; eliminating the requirement of having a taxpayer identification number, formal proof of residency, and a New York State identification; and provide additional funding to support peer guidance in the application process. I also support the call by activists for an immediate $3 billion to be allotted into the current Excluded Worker Fund to provide relief to additional excluded workers immediately.

I am committed to the passage of affordable health coverage as one of my top priorities and will work to ensure the New York Health Act passes. All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, deserve to live in a city where they can thrive. Yet immigrant New Yorkers have for far too long been excluded from the kinds of support that create safety, dignity, and security. I support the demands of immigrant activists, who have affirmed how necessary it is for our government to provide sustainable conditions for all New Yorkers. Healthcare is a human right, and shouldn’t be treated as a commodity or a luxury only some of those born in the United States are afforded.

I support the full funding of legal services so that all New Yorkers are represented not only in immigration proceedings, but also other court proceedings that impact basic human needs, such as health, housing, family, and sustenance.

Additionally, I support the expansion of language access statewide, expanding voting rights to non-citizens, allowing interpreters inside polling sites, and

additional protections to ensure everyone has full access to vote without language barriers.

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

Yes. We have seen how successful the first two sites have been and we should absolutely be expanding safe consumption spaces throughout the state.

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

No.

30. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQQ representation among your staff?

Absolutely.

31. 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?

Maya Wiley and Dianne Morales, Bernie Sanders in 2016, and both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in 2020, and Jumaane Williams/Zephyr Teachout in 2018.

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

I have not made an endorsement, but I am supporting Jumaane Williams.

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

Society changes for the better when we center the people who are the most marginalized and who have suffered throughout generations of racialized capitalism. All of the failures of our society - from mass incarceration, to housing and education disparities, and to climate change -result from a society that has exploited the labor and bodies of Black, Brown, and AAPI, communities in order to serve the wealthy and powerful. I am committed to legislative priorities that focus on subverting this structure and giving power back to our historically marginalized communities. This work is not easy. It requires introspection, a willingness to put a collective good over self, and working through conflict and tension to identify a singular vision for creating collective, diverse, and multiracial power that dismantles structural racism and exploitation.

A large part of undoing structural racism means recognizing that this country was built on the backs of marginalized communities. It means recognizing the role

that racialized capitalism has played and continues to play in our city, and taking steps to repair that harm.

When it comes to policy, I would push for the passage of legislation that would establish the New York state community commission on reparations remedies, and make regular appropriations through that commission to Black communities. I would push for a Racism Response Fund, like the one proposed by Monica Bell, that could allow people who experience racism to have a mechanism in place to seek redress including compensation, without perpetuating the violent nature of the criminal legal process. I would also push for a green new economy in places that first serves people who have been deeply impacted by environmental racism, such as Newburgh, Attica, or the NYCHA communities living along the waterfront. We must prioritize these communities when it comes to creating opportunities for green jobs.

34. 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?

The former Governor’s inaction on the GEA combined with his prior budget cuts created a gap in educational spending that was the largest in New York State history - a 24% difference, nearly $10,000 per student, among the highest and lowest income communities. And although graduation rates throughout the state have slowly increased, we still have one of the lowest rates in the nation. There are also striking gaps between students who do graduate, particularly in New York City - districts with majority Black, Brown and low income students who graduate more frequently do so without a Regents diploma, Black students are eight percent less likely to graduate than white students, and Latine students are ten percent less likely. Only 45.7% of non-English speaking students graduated in 2021 compared to 83.8% of white students, and students with disabilities had a graduation rate of 52.8%.

Although the Foundation Aid formula will be fully funded in the next three years, it is also more than ten years old, and should be reevaluated. Our schools have been underfunded: we must tax the ultra-wealthy so that we can bring the necessary foundational aid to students.

Additionally, public higher education should be free for all students, and the state must fully fund it and provide a New Deal for CUNY as well as looking into a similar proposal for SUNY.

Charter schools take resources away from traditionally public schools, and often exclude students with disabilities and students of color; we must place a moratorium on charter schools.

At the federal level, I support canceling student debt.

35. 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 and I will absolutely co-sponsor.

As someone who has worked closely with several people - from individuals without documentation to people leaving jails and prisons - who have desperately needed healthcare but were unable to achieve it due to immigration status, incarceration status, or unaffordability, I am committed to make passing the New York Health Act as one of my top priorities. There are few issues as important as achieving single-payer healthcare in New York. I will work with other aligned electeds in office to get this crucial piece of legislation passed. Here are the steps I would propose that we take to do so.

Dispelling myths and painting a better future

There is a great deal of fear mongering about single-payer healthcare, and despite studies showing us that total healthcare spending would be lower than the status quo under the NY Health Act, insurance companies have peddled a narrative that it would increase spending and take away people’s health insurance. We will swiftly correct these narratives by both pointing to relevant studies and highlighting that, under the NY Health Act, the healthcare of the wealthiest person in the state will be exactly the same as the healthcare of someone who is uninsured. At the same time, we will point to the frightening current reality - at a time when the world is suffering from a global pandemic, New Yorkers are dying every day because they cannot afford healthcare. And the majority of those New Yorkers are women, people of color, and transgender. The status quo is unacceptable and we can create something better.

Engaging in Direct Action

Despite having several co-sponsors to the NY Health Act, it has not yet reached a vote. If negotiations and debate have proven futile in getting this crucial piece of legislation to move, we must engage in direct action and organizing. There is no other option. This includes partnering with allies inside and outside of the legislature to apply pressure on leadership - whether that is through participating die-ins, strikes, or boycotts to send a clear message that the status quo cannot remain. We will engage in these sorts of actions on a regular basis until our demands are met.

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

I am pro choice and believe people should have the right to decide what they want to do with their bodies without government interference. Everyone should have easy access and free access to contraceptives, reproductive, and abortion healthcare services.

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

No candidate or elected official should be taking police union money or endorsements, full

stop.

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

Of course. I will not accept contributions from anyone associated with Trump, but especially Steven Roth.

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

Yes. No one should be evicted from their home, especially during a pandemic. This includes “de facto” evictions, where landlords will take actions such as unjustifiably increasing rent a certain amount, making it impossible for tenants to afford. I will push so that no tenant can be evicted without good cause.

40. 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 amend 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. We must do everything we can to help tenants stay in their homes, and support our neighbors experiencing homelessness in finding secure, safe, affordable housing. We need to stop relying on shelters as a “solution” for housing, something we have known has never been the proper answer, but has only been exacerbated throughout the pandemic.

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

I would support allowing 421-a to sunset completely; we cannot rely on these sorts of tax breaks to create affordable housing. Moving forward, I would introduce legislation that would require that any sort of development tax-break also include a clawback provision when developers do not live up to their obligations.

42. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units?

Yes. ADUs are a significant part of New York’s housing supply, but their illegal nature makes them ripe for landlord abuse. We need to legalize ADUs.

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

This is one of my top priorities. We need at least 3.4billion in capital funds,, 2.8billion in operating funds, and at least 1billion for public housing outside New York.

44. 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?

I will co-sponsor.

45. 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?

I will co-sponsor. Centuries of racism, segregation, and discriminatory banking policies have led to a massive wealth gap, lack of generational wealth and distrust of large financial institutions. Because of the inequalities in mainstream banking, Black, brown and low income communities can find themselves in predatory financial situations such as check cashing services and prepaid cards that charge additional fees for services.

Public banks could help to solve these issues, while creating jobs, community trust, and revitalizing economies where they are located. I believe in a vision of economic development that puts people, not corporations first. More community control creates more trust, greater investment, and increased accountability and transparency.

46. 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 co-sponsor.

47. 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.

48. 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. We should follow the lead of our indigenous neighbors and discussions within their communities as to what would be the best replacement.

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

Absolutely. Despite making up close to 5% of the global population, the U.S. has nearly 25% of the world’s prison population. We incarcerate more people than any other country, and that’s no accident. Our country’s policing and carceral systems have long been oppressive tools of white supremacy and societal control, and we must drastically decrease their footprint. I have seen firsthand how the criminal legal system perpetuates oppression and racial injustice, harming and traumatizing tens of thousands of people every year.

Police are ill-equipped to respond to a large majority of 911 calls, and often exacerbate rather than diffuse crisis situations. We must defund and demilitarize police departments while also working within communities to identify more targeted responses.

50. 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 to all. As a teacher turned public defender, I’ve seen how carceral logic that exists in policing is normalized in public schooling and drives the school-to-prison pipeline. Punishment - including school suspensions and arrests - are all too often seen as the only ways to address conflict, and the burden of punishment culture always falls on students of color. During the 2019-2020 school year, Black students received 43% of all suspensions, even though they make up about ? of all students. Similarly, students with disabilities received 40% of all suspensions, despite making up 20% of the student population. We have more police in schools than guidance counselors. We must get police out of schools, and instead fill schools with guidance counselors and additional resources that meet the basic needs of students.

Additionally, police are not only unprepared for handling mental health response calls and homeless outreach, but often make these situations worse. Mental health and homelessness should be treated as public health and social issues, not criminal matters.

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

Yes.

52. 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?

I believe officers who refuse to wear masks in public should be disciplined and investigated.

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

Yes, I would support legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding, in addition to legislation that would require the Comptroller to release detailed NYPD settlement data. Additionally, I believe the NYPD should publicly release statistics on the complaints of biased-based policing, and that the CCRB should make greater efforts to investigate these complaints.

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

It is important that we invest in a strong, thriving nightlife industry - one that is so emblematic of and important to Lower Manhattan. I was devastated to learn that my favorite local neighborhood bar and restaurant (KM1, which was a

plant-based Dominican establishment on 1st street) closed because they were behind on rent for several months during the pandemic and were unable to receive relief. We need to provide more rent relief to small businesses, along with small business recovery grants, and provide more engagement in robust outreach services to walk local bars and restaurants through the application processes for small business grants.

We also must engage in more community outreach to small businesses - not just to help business owners prepare for new regulations, but also to hear their concerns and walk individuals through application processes for small business grants. I will also work to ensure that restaurant resiliency grants are providing substantial support to the restaurants and struggling catering businesses that are cornerstones of AD65, and ensure that we bring transparency to see where that money is going and which communities need additional support.

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

Yes.

56. 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 and yes.

57. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively? Criminal Legal Reform: Our criminal law fails to treat people like people, and fills our jails and prisons with people who are Black and Brown. We will fight to eliminate mandatory minimum sentences so that judges are not forced to send people to jail when there are always better options. We must also repeal sections of the criminal law that punish people for drug use and possession, while focusing on more holistic and community-driven solutions to harm. And we must

propose innovative solutions, like my plan to implement a 6 month UBI program for people leaving prisons.

Housing and NYCHA : Centuries of redlining, disinvestment, and discrimination have created racial disparities in housing that bleed into areas such as education and healthcare. We must do everything we can to help tenants stay in their homes, and support our neighbors experiencing homelessness in finding secure, safe, affordable housing. I will also oppose privatization of NYCHA, and be an avid supporter of a green new deal for public housing. I will also propose state social housing fund, where we will use state funds to purchase vacant land and convert it into affordable housing.

Economic Justice: Economic justice, racial justice, and social justice are all intertwined. The political establishment encourages folks to coalesce around any and all identities except class. In a district that is home to the highest concentration of billionaires anywhere in the world that also has several NYCHA complexes, I cannot imagine a more important fight for my future constituents. I supported all six IONY bills, and would work hard with my colleagues to pass legislation that heavily taxes the billionaire class so we can finally invest in green infrastructure, housing, and healthcare.

58. What additional information would you like Jim Owles to consider when we are making our endorsements decisions?

I’m running for Assembly because I love my community. It’s the only place where someone like me - a Jewish, Puerto Rican, vegan who can’t drive - can feel at home. At the same time, our district is facing life-threatening problems like food insecurity, mass incarceration, and disaster vulnerability - and what we need is someone who is ready to work with our community to tackle these issues. I have spent my career navigating complex systems and bringing our community into them to solve our deepest problems, because that’s how we make bold, progressive change. That’s how we’ll advance real criminal legal reform, end mandatory minimum sentences, and provide UBI for people leaving state prisons. It’s how we’ll set up a state fund to buy vacant land and use it to provide social housing for our neighbors who are struggling with housing insecurity. And it’s how we’ll bring state funds into NYCHA, into climate jobs and infrastructure, and into our public healthcare system.

We can do all of these things if we organize, collaborate, and get a problem solver into office. I know I can be that problem solver.

Additionally, I have committed my career towards dismantling the racist and classist structures of our society. From my early days as a public defender, where I worked to free people from jails, to my work as an anchor on the Appeal Live, where I was tasked with marketing progressive ideas such as taxing the rich, ending pretrial detention, and ending the death penalty, using language and media to amplify multiracial working class movements has been a key part of my

work, and work that I hope to continue as an elected official. I would be the only person in the New York State Assembly whose primary focus has been defending the rights of people in the criminal legal system. If elected, I will champion radical decarceral policy, and will be in a position to dispel uninformed views on the carceral system.