Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Harvey Epstein for NY Assembly District 74
Candidate Name: Harvey Epstein
Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 74
Website: https://harveyfornewyork.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?
I have been a leader on protecting rights currently under attack by the far right, including by passing legislation to provide medication abortion on public college campuses around the state as well as introducing legislation to ensure all gender restrooms are available in public buildings. In addition, I am the prime sponsor of bills that make voting easier.
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 a history of supporting LGBTQ candidates, including Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Tony Simone, Tiffany Cabán, Erik Bottcher. I have introduced legislation A523, to require gender neutral bathrooms in state-owned buildings. I have been involved with Pride Agenda, Jim Owles Club, TLDEF, Astraea, GMHC, The Center, The Trevor Project, Lambda Legal. My chief of staff liaises with LGBTQ groups as needed.
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?
Over the years, I have participated in probably hundreds of these issues.
4. Do you support reparations to compensate African Americans for the history of slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic racism in this country?
I was proud to co sponsor the reparations bill and vote for it.
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.?
All these issues are interconnected. With regard to housing, I was proud to pass legislation to inform voucher holders, who are disproportionately people of color in New York, of their protections against source of income discrimination. I have been a strong advocate against bail reform rollbacks and other criminal justice issues including the rights of incarcerated workers.
6. Will you advocate for elder parole where incarcerated individuals aged 55 and older who have serviced in excess of 15 years obtain parole hearings? Are you a sponsor of the Elder Parole Bill, Senate 2423?
Yes I co sponsor the bill.
7. Do you sponsor the Earned Time Act, Senate S774, which strengthens and expands “good time” and “earned time” to support rehabilitation efforts? **Yes, I do support this legislation, and I am a co-sponsor.
Yes I co sponsor the bill.
8. Do you sponsor Eliminate Mandatory Minimum Bill Act, S6471 which reduces excessive sentences and enables judges to look at individual factors and mitigating circumstances?
Yes I co sponsor the bill.
9. Do you sponsor the Second Look Act, S7872, which allows for reconsideration of prison sentences based on changes in law and circumstances?
Yes I co sponsor the 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 and will continue to do so.
11. Will you affirmatively seek to hire formerly incarcerated individuals?
I have had formerly incarcerated people on my staff. I have sought to hire more by reaching out to the Bard Prison Initiative and sharing job postings with their network of formerly incarcerated individuals.
12. Have you and will you visit incarcerated constituents to learn of their conditions?
I have visited many incarcerated people in prisons and jails around the state. I will continue to do this.
13. What are your proposals to have prisons focus more on rehabilitation and less on punishment?
I have passed legislation to incentivize college in prison by reducing sentences for those enrolled in programs. I am currently sponsoring another bill that further incentivizes college in prison. I work closely with Bard Prison Initiative to advocate for college in prison programs.
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?
We need the federal government to allow people to work. There is a reticketing center operated by the City across the street from my office and I have partnered with organizations to distribute thousands of coats to asylum seekers along with food. We also need to look at state work authorization as an option.
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?
I passed the SCAR act which enabled us to have data on separated children so we could better advocate for them.
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?
I have sponsored and co sponsored numerous bills on women's rights. I have hired and promoted women on my staff from my community. I have also been very vocal on reproductive healthcare rights.
20. Do you support a single-payer universal health care system? Please elaborate.
Yes, I support the NY Health Act.
21. What have you done to facilitate reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services? **Throughout my career I have been a vocal supporter of reproductive rights.
I have passed legislation that was signed by the governor to provide access to medication abortion on public college campuses.
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?
We need to have conversations to come to an understanding with one another. That begins in our school environments at an early age. We need to be building deeper understandings in diverse communities.
25. Did you or would you have voted for the censure of U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib?
No, I would not have.
26. Do you support an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East?
I support the release of hostages and end to hostilities and have done so publicly.
27. Should we condition further aid to Israel? What conditions should we stress that Israel abides by?
This is something that the federal representatives will focus on, but I support a two state solution and believe Israel must end the violence.
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 need to re-elect Joe Biden and take back the house. I organized buses to get out the vote for Tom Suozzi and will continue to campaign to elect democrats throughout this cycle.
30. How can we combat the movement in this country to ban books, prevent colleges from discussing issues and demonizing intelligence as “woke”?
With a democratic house we can pass legislation to protect access to books.
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?
This has been a city issue but I generally think it is a good idea to replace statutes of slave owners like Peter Stuyvesant.
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
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?
I am very open to conversations with the industry and my community. I am in regular conversations with both about these topics.
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 endorsed another candidate in 2021 against Mayor Adams and have spoken to other people who might run against him. We agree that it is important to legalize basement apartments to protect those tenants living there. I am concerned with his proposals to cut basic services and I do not agree with the emphasis on broken windows policing or attempts to roll back bail or a straight renewal of 421a without deeper affordability mandates. His cuts to education and higher education hurts all New Yorkers.
35. How can we mandate that every community do its share to have affordable housing and care for the recently arrived people?
I have been fighting very hard to ensure communities around the state do their fair share including by introducing legislation that would allow more people to build ADUs, which the governor proposed after I introduced my bill.
36. Are you a sponsor of Good Cause Eviction S305 legislation?
Yes
37. Do you support allowing legal Immigrants to vote in local elections?
Yes