Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Catalina Cruz for NY Assembly District 39
Candidate Name: Catalina Cruz
Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 39
Campaign Website: https://www.votecatalina.com
With the possibility of Donald J. Trump winning (stealing) the next Presidential election and ending democracy and civil rights in the United States, it is more important than ever that we elect progressive, dynamic leaders to the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly.
1. Based upon your life experiences and accomplishments, why should we believe you would be a dynamic, progressive leader who would stand up for Civil Rights and Democracy?
*Since my election in 2018 (and even before that) I have worked to support reproductive rights, the rights of workers, women and our LGBTQIA neighbors. I have introduced legislation and created initiatives like the Lorena Borjas Trans Equity Fund to support our trans and non-binary neighbors and voted in favor of
laws that also support them. Additionally, I have funded programs from my member allocation including Collectivo Intercultural Transgrediendo and Drag Story Hour (via the Queens Public Library).
2. What is your involvement in the LGBTQ Civil Rights movement? What candidates have you or are you supporting who are openly LGBTQ? What legislation have you/do you support to further LGBTQ rights? Do you /will you have an LGBTQ liaison in your office? What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?
*I have supported candidates including Lynn Schulman, Marti Cummings and Tiffany Caban. I have also participated in rallies and protests that support Drag Story Hour (and funded the initiative through the Queens Library). I proudly carried the Lorena Borjas Trans Equity Fund law and pushed for its increased funding every year. I voted in favor of GENDA and other LGBTQ right’s legislation.
3. What demonstrations, rallies, and protests have you participated in support of LGBTQ issues, African-American, Hispanic, Asian-American Civil Rights, pro-choice legislation, criminal justice issues, and Resist Trump?
*I have participated in several rallies in support of Drag Story Hour, reproductive freedom rallies and marches, including the Women (the Women’s March), rallied to pass Clean Slate, Fair and Timely parole and other similar proposals.
4. Do you support reparations to compensate African Americans for the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism in this country?
*Yes, I supported and voted in favor of the bill we passed on this issue last year.
5. What are your concrete proposals to address current systemic racism in terms of employment, housing, voting rights, and the criminal justice system in the U.S.?
*I have supported legislation to give back voting rights to formerly incarcerated folks, carried the Clean Slate Act, and the Wage Theft Accountability Act. I support Good Cause (even though we did not get the full version in the budget), and many other pieces of legislation that tackle the results of a racist system.
6. Will you advocate for elder parole where incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older who have served in excess of 15 years obtain parole hearings? Are you a sponsor of the Elder Parole Bill, Senate 2423?
* I am a cosponsor of the Assembly version of this bill, A2035.
7. Do you sponsor the Earned Time Act, Senate S774, which strengthens and expands “good time” and “earned time” to support rehabilitation efforts?
*I am a cosponsor of the Assembly version of this bill, A1128.
8. Do you sponsor the Eliminate Mandatory Minimum Bill Act, S6471 which reduces excessive sentences and enables judges to look at individual factors and mitigating circumstances?
*I am a cosponsor of the Assembly version of this bill, A2036B.
9. Do you sponsor the Second Look Act, S7872, which allows for reconsideration of prison sentences based on changes in law and circumstances?
*I am a cosponsor of the Assembly version of this bill, A531.
10. Have you participated, and will you participate in demonstrations and protests in relation to the issues of clemency and parole?
*I have done so in the past and will continue to do so.
11. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
* Yes
12. Have you and will you visit incarcerated constituents to learn of their conditions?
*Yes
13. What are your proposals to have prisons focus more on rehabilitation and less on punishment?
*I recently sponsored and passed the Clean Slate Act which will automatically seal records for many New Yorkers that will be eligible after a few years out of the system. I do not believe that we can talk about rehabilitation if we don’t allow folks to rehabilitate in the first place, and that won’t happen if their records are exposed for anyone to deny them housing, work or many other opportunities that currently require background checks.
14. Do you support ending the cruel punishment of solitary confinement, such as was recently mandated by the New York City Council?
*Yes
15. What are your proposals to facilitate individuals who have recently entered the
U.S. to be able to live decently with employment and housing?
*I carry the bill to truly create state work permits and I also carry a bill to ensure everyone in immigration court has access to an attorney.
16. What proposals do you advocate to combat the cruel and inhumane immigration policies that the Trump Administration commenced and which, to some degree, are still in effect?
*See above. Additionally, finally getting immigration reform (that with the current Congress/Senate set up is unlikely to happen).
17. Do you believe in the decriminalization of sex work?
*Yes
18. Do you oppose legislation that promotes the Nordic model?
*Yes
19. What concrete proposals do you support to lift up women after four years of Trump being President?
*Securing funding so that anyone regardless of income or immigration status can access birth control, abortion, or other forms of reproductive healthcare.
*Supporting the fight for equal pay rights and against discrimination in the workplace
*Establishing additional legislation to ensure that all women can be truly are free from all types of gender-based violence
20. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
*Healthcare is a basic human right. We must go beyond simply defending the Affordable Care Act, we must propose policies and programs that would truly provide healthcare for all. We can do that in NY by passing the New York Health Act (which I co-sponsor) so that healthcare finally becomes a right for every New Yorker.
21. What have you done to facilitate reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services?
*I have voted in favor of various bills to protect us from recent Supreme Court decisions and advocated in support of colleagues’ legislative efforts (Like AM Gonzalez-Rojas’ Abortion Access Fund).
22. Will you refuse contributions from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the Real Estate industry, from police or correction communities?
*Yes
23. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives or corporations complicit in the Trump anti-American agenda?
*Yes
24. How do you propose that we address the current surge of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism?
*I think we need additional funding for education and we should also consider increasing penalties around hate crimes.
25. Did you or would you have voted for the censure of U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib?
*I do not believe censure is the answer to disagreements in policy stances with a colleague, I also do not know enough about this incident to determine if there was a violation of house policy or if this was simply a veiled attempt at attacking her political views.
26. Do you support an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East?
*I fully support the release of the hostages and an immediate ceasefire.
27. Should we condition further aid to Israel? What conditions should we stress that Israel abides by?
*I would love to have a further discussion with your members on this, I have serious concerns with further support that would continue to perpetuate the current war. But as a state elected, it is not something I discuss much.
28. Will you refuse funds from Trump-supporting AIPAC?
*Yes
29. What are your concrete proposals to prevent Trump and his cult from taking over this country and ending democracy?
*We do it by expanding access to voting, donating, etc. Additionally, support federal candidates that stand for our values.
30. How can we combat the movement in this country to ban books, prevent colleges from discussing issues and demonizing intelligence as “woke”?
*We continue to elect people at all levels of government and judiciary to push back.
31. As Christopher Columbus caused the death/slavery of thousands, should we replace the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle, and if so, what should replace it? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?
*Yes, as to what should replace it? That should not be left to the opinion of a single elected official, but rather have real community input.
32. As Edward I Koch caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people with AIDS and was blatantly racist, should we rename the former Queensboro Bridge? Do you authorize the use of your name for such a purpose?
*Yes to both
33. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? Do you commit to speaking with liquor license applicants and restaurant/nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on policies affecting their businesses?
*This is already practice in my office, we routinely write letters on behalf of small business owners for this purpose.
34. What is your opinion of Eric Adams as New York City Mayor? Are you involved in finding someone to run for Mayor of New York City?
*I think his administration has failed to truly work in partnership with many electeds, at times even me. I am not involved in actively looking, but I am sure many candidates will pop up worth talking to.
35. How can we mandate that every community do its share to have affordable housing and care for the recently arrived people?
*Legally? I am not sure there is a way to do this. But what we can do is create a plan that acts almost as a mandate by looking at number of people already in the community, school, healthcare and other resources and allocating it accordingly.
36. Are you a sponsor of Good Cause Eviction S305 legislation?
*I am a cosponsor of the Assembly version of this bill, A4454.
37. Do you support allowing legal Immigrants to vote in local elections?
*Yes. It is hard for many immigrants to get a seat on the table when their political power is blocked by not having a chance to vote. Voting in local elections would allow them to have more of a say on the direction their own local governments have, and hopefully that means elected officials will not ignore them anymore on their legislative agendas.