Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Justine Cuccia for NY Assembly District 61
Candidate Name: Justine Cuccia
Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 61
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.
As you may know, a backroom redistricting deal in Albany recently severed all of Battery Park City and part of the Financial District from other the rest of Lower Manhattan. Now, instead of being part of the 65th Assembly District (as was the case for decades), we have been combined with the 61st District, on the North Shore of Staten Island. Many friends and neighbors, from Battery Park City and FiDi, have expressed serious concern about the need for our communities to receive the attention we deserve in Albany. Battery Park City, in particular, is owned and managed by a State agency, the Battery Park City Authority. This relationship calls for the non-stop, tenacious advocacy that I have practiced for years. My determination to continue that leadership is why I am in this race.
While Lower Manhattan matters, of course, so does Staten Island. And I recognize that while our communities are separated geographically from those across the harbor, we all share the need for more affordable housing, greater access to health care, and quality public schools, as well as transparency and community engagement on decisions that affect our futures. Staten Island’s specific needs include improvements to transportation infrastructure, controlled development of the waterfront, and safety in their streets. In short, what Staten Island needs and cares about are many of the same priorities that Lower Manhattan has championed for decades. As an Assembly Member, I will advance these causes (and many more) on behalf of neighbors at both sides of the Staten Island Ferry.
As a longtime activist and organizer in Lower Manhattan, the founder of www.Democracy4BPC.org, and chair of the Battery Park City Committee of Manhattan Community Board 1, I offer the track record, the energy, and the vision that the 61st District deserves at this critical moment.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed? NYS Assemblymember Deborah Glick in AD66.
3. If applicable what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? I am not currently holding elected office, so I am not able to introduce legislation. That said, as a grass roots activist and leader, I have successfully advocated for the repeal of the "Walking While Trans” ban, which is an excuse for the NYPD to disproportionately harass Black, Latinx, transgender women in New York City. Officially New York Penal Law § 240.37, "Loitering for the purpose of engaging in a prostitution offense", the NYPD uses the “Walking While Trans” ban to target our trans neighbors, friends, and families of color in New York City. It was repealed on February 2, 2021.
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis? I have been involved with @BPC4BLM, a grassroots organization that strives to mobilize in solidarity with our BIPOC neighbors. While LGBTQ issues are not the mission, @BPC4BLM works to address all forms of hate and discrimination.
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to? Not applicable.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? While do not, I have many family members, colleagues and friends who do.
7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years? Prior to COVID-19, I attended Pride marches in Manhattan.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? I am not an employer, so this question is not relevant to me at this time. Once elected I would employ LGBTQ, POC and other under-represented minority groups on my staff.
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? Nothing large or formal, but I have stood up when and where I have had the opportunity, whether in Community Board meetings or in conversations. Silence is violence.
11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate. No.
12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term? Not applicable, as I am not an incumbent.
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. I fully support this Bill and would co-sponsor once elected.
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. I fully support this Bill and would co-sponsor once elected.
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. While persons who are determined to be a danger to society should not be released, the old system was unduly prejudicial to POC and those who can not afford to pay a fine or raise the money for bail. This, in turn, needlessly fills the jails and criminalizes poverty. The recent bail reforms go a long way to addressing this systemic racism and classism. I am open to discussions on possible changes, but strongly opposes anything that forces those accused of non-violent crimes to remain in jail simply because they are poor.
16. Do you commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated in state prisons and city jails? If incumbent, when did you do so last? I am not an incumbent, but once elected I do commit to visiting constituents who are incarcerated.
17. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? Yes. Solitary confinement is cruel & unusual punishment and should be outlawed. Once elected I will fight to ensure this draconian confinement is permanently abolished.
18. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility. It has been many years. As an immigration attorney, I did regularly meet with incarcerated clients in federal facilities in NYC and New Jersey.
19. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? Most definitely - people can change and if they sincerely have been able to turn their lives around while in prison, we as a society must welcome them back and fully integrate them. Much work needs to be done in this area and I would focus on funding programs that offer supportive housing, job training and placement and whatever additional services are necessary to get these folks out on parole and integrated into society.
20. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year? The number of clemencies New York grants is extremely low, and it is imperative that elected officials work with advocates to push the Governor to grant more clemencies and review applications for clemency faster.
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 am not afraid of standing up to power when the cause for which I am fighting is right. I have spoken out - and won - numerous “David & Goliath” battles over the years, to wit: in 2017 democracy4bpc.org, a grassroots organization that I founded, successfully got then Gov. Cuomo to appoint 2 (of 7) Battery Park City Residents onto the Battery Park City Authority Board - and we are now advocating that this be increased to a majority of residents for whom Battery Park City is their primary home. In 2011, I led a group of residents and saved the iconic Winter Garden Staircase in what is now called Brookfield Place. Once elected, I will use the negotiation and advocacy skills I have honed as a community activist to fight for incarcerated New Yorkers, as well as my other constituents.
22. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests concerning clemency and parole? To date I have not.
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? Most definitely.
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 fully support this bill.
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. I would oppose any efforts, like the Nordic model, which do not actually make sex workers safer. The Nordic model criminalizes those who buy sex and doesn’t improve the lives of sex workers. Full decriminalization of sex work will actually create a safer work environment for sex workers. Our current system of criminalizing sex work does not work.
27. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals? Yes. Police and other law enforcement personnel must be held accountable for their actions and qualified immunity shields them from accountability. I understand that the majority of police officers are good people and good police officers, and I understand that they have a very difficult job. However, as with almost every institution, systemic racism is built in - and it will require implementation of policies from the top down, as well as bias trainings; requiring cops to live in the NYC neighborhoods they police, rather than commuting from far-flung suburbs that are so different; bringing back neighborhood policing; and, of course ending qualified immunity.
28. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”? I will support the New York For All Act, which would make New York a sanctuary state and prohibit local and state law enforcement from working with federal U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE). Additionally, as a former Immigration attorney, I know all too well the conflict of interest created by having the Executive Office for Immigration Review (the Immigration Courts) be part of the executive branch of government rather than the judiciary.
29. Are you a sponsor of New York's Medical Aid in Dying Act (A.4321a/S.6471)? If not will you add your name and sponsor? I would support these bills.
29. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces? Yes. Besides offering safe spaces for drug consumption, these are places where other mental health and supportive services are (or should be) available. Not only does this address the concerns of folks who complain about people “shooting up on the streets in front of my children”, but it provides a safe space for those using.
30. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates. I did not support the IDC - its stranglehold on the NYS Senate was a symptom of the former Governor’s hypocrisy.
31. Will you commit to ensuring diverse LGBTQ representation among your staff? Yes, LGBTQ as well as BIPOC.
32. Who did you support for office in the following primaries or special elections: A) Mayor in 2021 - Dianne Morales B) President in 2016 and 2020 - Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden C) Governor and Attorney General in 2018 - Zephyr Teachout and Tisch James
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.
35. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination. I support city efforts to explore possible reparations and would support this at the state level as well. In addition we must work to end qualified immunity, pass Good Cause Eviction, cancel student loan debt, and get people out of the prison system in New York State.
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 passing a New Deal for CUNY so that CUNY gets the funding it needs invest in mental health and academic counselors, invest in capital needs, invest in faculty, and make CUNY tuition-free again. I also support canceling student loan debt, and would work with my colleagues in Congress and the Biden administration to make this happen.
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. Health care SHOULD be a guarantee, not a privilege.
38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. I believe in a woman’s right to choose - contraception as well as abortion. My body, my choice. Interesting how the anti-vaxxers have taken up that slogan. I will take things a step further: I believe that women in the US must have the unqualified legal right to an abortion if they so choose. I challenge those who disagree, to put their money, energy and time into fighting for and funding programs that offer support to pregnant women and their children, such as universal day care as well as pre-school, universal health care, supportive housing, job training and placement, scholarships for college, meals at schools being available year-round and so much more. Once elected, I will propose legislation and funding for programs that support women and families.
39. Will you refuse money from individuals or Political Action Committees representing the real estate industry or law enforcement unions/associations? Most definitely.
40. Will you refuse and refund any contributions from executives at corporations complicit in the Trump agenda? Most definitely.
41. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? YES!!!!
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.
43. What should happen to 421-a? Would you end it, mend it, continue it? 421-a has benefited real estate developers, not tenants or communities. The governor’s new plan - 421-w - is more of the same. 421-a and 421-w has built and will build temporary rentals for a few low income tenants while creating an excessive and unnecessary amount of luxury rentals. The City lost $1.7 Billion in tax revenue last year, while the NYC, as a whole lost affordable housing units.
44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units? Yes, more housing is needed just about everywhere, and accessory dwelling units should be legalized in many ways and places throughout the state.
45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much? Yes, I do. NYCHA housing MUST be repaired. It is unconscionable that we are allowing people to live in these conditions. We need to find State, City and Federal monies to complete the repairs and adequately fund the maintenance of NYCHA. How much? As much as it takes.
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, this bold legislation will charge polluters a fee for emissions they produce, and the funds will be spent on investments required to meet emissions reductions targets in the timeline established by the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.
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, this bill creates the regulatory framework needed to establish public banks. Public banks are financial institutions created by government entities, and accountable to the people. Through public banking, local governments can leverage public money to support local economic development, including affordable housing, green jobs, equitable financial services, and more.
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, the legislation would save CUNY from further state budget cuts, reverse decades of underfunding, protect the quality of education, restore a tuition-free university and increase the number of faculty and staff.
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? Ed Koch’s record of homophobia was deplorable, particularly given his status as a closeted, self-loathing gay man. Before supporting a renaming of the Queensboro Bridge, however, I would have to be assured that the new honoree would not be somebody even worse.
50. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?’ I understand the position that Christopher Columbus and so many others whom I was taught to revere were not and are not deserving of that place in history. America’s racist history has been whitewashed - and, as a white woman, it is uncomfortable to be required to relearn American history through the eyes of indigenous people, black people, POC. However, just because it is uncomfortable, does not mean that it is not important to do. I support removing the Christopher Columbus statute in Columbus Circle. As for what should replace it, we should ask indigenous folks to weigh in on that decision; it is not for me to even suggest what should replace it.
51. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much? I need to do more research so that I can give a well reasoned and informed response. On a high level, I support reallocating funds to mental health services and other support services. Police are called in AFTER a crime is committed. Let’s allocate resources to programs/agencies that work to PREVENT the crime from being committed, by offering education, jobs, homes, food, drug treatment facilities, affordable healthcare, affordable sports and afterschool programs…
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. a) I do not support having police in schools - School Safety Agents (who do not carry guns!), who are legally classified as Peace Officers, have been a welcome presence in my daughters’ public schools in lower Manhattan, but am in favor of removing - or not allowing in - police into school; b) & c) Police should be on call to protect the mental health workers when the mental health workers call them in, not to take the lead in situations. Same for interactions with the houseless. d) Traffic enforcement - this is more complicated, and I need to do more research.
53. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated? Community policing is the better choice. This will go a long way to ensuring that the police are not enforcing the laws in a racially biased manner.
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? It is not proper for law enforcement officials to flagrantly disregard city and state rules - they are NOT above the law. I support officers being reprimanded for the first offense, fined $1,000 for the second offense, suspended for the third and fired for the fourth.
55. What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding? I would make the CCRB independent from the Police Department. I would increase the budget so they can get through the backlog of cases. And yes, I would support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding.
56. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? I need to do more research, as each community/neighborhood would need a different approach. Again, my lens is colored by NYC nightlife and quality of life considerations balanced against business interests of individual establishments. In the suburbs and/or in non-residential areas, the needs are different.
57. Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses? Most definitely. I do that all the time in my role on my local Community Board. Communication and transparency are the key to successfully navigating these concerns.
57. 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? Most definitely. I support the approach taken at Community Board 1, which is my local community board, where the board welcomes and supports operators who are responsible and works with the community to address any issues that may arise. Communication and transparency are the key to successfully navigating concerns.
59. What are the top 3 issues you aim to address locally and legislatively? Housing affordability (which in my district includes Ground Rent reform and a majority of local representation on the Board of the State Agency that “controls” Battery Park City as well as 100% Affordability as 5 World Trade Center; getting Good Cause Eviction passed & housing the houseless; Transportation, Infrastructure & Schools (the North Shore of Staten Island needs more public transportation within Staten Island and more connection to the other boroughs, not to mention more public schools); Diversity & Inclusion concerns - Decriminalization of Sex Workers, Elder Parole, Dignity Not Detention, Universal Health Care, Green New Deal, Build Public Renewables Act, Ending Qualified Immunity - as well as addressing climate change and funding resiliency projects.
60. How much money do you presently have in your campaign account? > $60,0000
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? I am grassroots and not a politician. My focus is on getting things done. That said, I do not presume to know what is best for my constituents. I plan to listen, learn and then act - with transparency and input from the people who elected me to represent them.