Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Kaegan Mays-Williams for NY Senate District 21
Candidate Name: Kaegan Mays-Williams
Office Seeking Election for: New York State Senate District 21
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district.
I am a mom, a lawyer, a first-generation Trinidadian, and the policy and gun violence prevention advocate who has helped to make New York safer for over a decade. A daughter of a single-mom from Trinidad, I experienced firsthand the struggles facing working families, which is why I have dedicated my life to public service.
I was a fierce defender of the people as a prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office, where I fought zealously for all victims, particularly those impacted by sexual assault, robbery, homicide and other violent crimes. While serving in the Public Corruption Unit, I both championed struggling elderly immigrant populations — many of whom suffered from mental and physical illnesses and primarily spoke Korean, Bangla, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Polish, Urdu, Albanian, Spanish, Arabic or Fujianese -- and stood up against corrupt members of the NYPD who falsely arrested, framed and imprisoned a man who spent 7 months in jail before their deception was uncovered. Now I am protecting children and families from gun violence as legislative and policy Counsel for Everytown for Gun Safety. I am running for
Senate to address the childcare and eldercare crisis, combat food insecurity, and pass sensible gun violence prevention legislation in my chosen home of New York.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed?
I fully supported the campaigns of Council Members Crystal Hudson, Cynthia Nixon, Chi Osse, and Tiffany Caban.
3. If applicable what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? n/a
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis?
I have served on the LGBT Bar Association of New York Judiciary Committee screening panel for the past 6 years to ensure that judicial candidates throughout New York City demonstrate a commitment to equality for all. I have also sat on their Board for the past year.
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to? I have given money to the Victory Fund and LGBT Bar Association of New York.
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? Yes! I have been happily married to my wife since 2015.
7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years? Yes, I’ve only marched in one in 2013 in Boston with a friend's company. I have otherwise attended pride parades in Manhattan and Brooklyn faithfully, even while 38 weeks pregnant, until COVID-19 canceled many of the parades.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? I’ve had several LGBTQ+ paralegals and interns supporting my work, and although I do not manage onboarding at Everytown, I am proud to be a part of a staff filled with LGBTQ+ members.
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? For many years, while I was a prosecutor, I was ethically restricted from participating in demonstrations, rallies and protests. That said, I have attended several marriage equality rallies.
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? 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):
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 ensures 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. Unsure. The bill written in its current form creates a presumption that the incarcerated person is ready to be released on parole, and places the burden on parole supervision to prove otherwise. While it is unjust to simply reject someone simply based on the assessment of their original crime, it is not a mitigating solution to simply assume that an individual should be released to overcorrect past harms. I would seek to add amendments to this bill to ensure justice for both the incarcerated person and those harmed by the incarcerated person.
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
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, though I do agree with some of the rollbacks. My understanding of the rollbacks is that it reduced those who were automatically eligible to be released without even a bail application to explain the nuances of individual cases, including cases where second-degree burglary, promoting child pornography and vehicular manslaughter were charged. I'd be happy to explain the nuances in greater
detail during the interview, however I do think the above-described crimes do warrant a case by case analysis of whether public safety may be jeopardized should certain accused individuals be automatically released on their own recognizance. My understanding is also that the changes gave prosecutors more time, up to 35 days, to turn over evidence to defendants. As a former prosecutor, I am aware that there is a great responsibility to ensure that all discovery is turned over as expeditiously as possible and with heavy caseloads, two weeks is just not enough time to gather all of the information that defense attorneys deserve to have in order to build their defenses. It takes time for assistant district attorneys to receive videos, bank statements, medical records, etc from different institutions. A bit more than a month gives assistant district attorneys more time to ensure that they have turned over every piece of critical information that the defense needs.
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
17. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? Yes
18. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility? Approximately 6yrs ago, as the Attorney-in-Charge of the High School Internship Program at the Manhattan DA’s Office. I’d also visited correctional facilities a handful of other times over the past decade in service. During law school, I visited Tutwiller Correctional Facility over multiple weekends in Alabama and conducted interviews with incarcerated women to study the disparities amongst people charged with similar crimes in different parts of the state. My study sought to reimagine parole access as well as examine the ways in which dignity was either denied or attempted for those living in prison.
19. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? Yes
20. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year? The death penalty should be abolished. Allowing the State to execute a human being and cast them aside as irredeemable is not justice, but state-sanctioned vengeance. Impact litigation teams should continue to question the constitutionality of the death penalty until it is found unconstitutional.
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. No to the last question.
22. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests concerning clemency and parole? No.
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
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. Full decriminalization is critical – particularly for people within our community who rely on sex work as a primary source of income and stability. The criminalization of sex work keeps both those who enter the work voluntarily and those who are trafficked in the shadows. This vulnerable position leaves them at risk for exploitation, violence and abuse, and leaves little room for them to seek justice from the authorities. Further decriminalization helps former sex workers attain access to future different work without the stigma of a criminal conviction. Partial decriminalization only seeks to legitimize the State’s control over our bodies’ agency. The Nordic model implicitly suggests that there are benefits to criminalizing morality rather than taking a stand with often marginalized individuals who have engaged in sex work for survival.
27. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police and other law enforcement individuals?
Yes.
28. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”? I would co-sponsor Sen. Salazar’s New York for All bill that would prevent local and state law enforcement from disclosing individuals’ immigration information to ICE and Sen. Peralta’s New York State DREAM Act to give undocumented students access to
State-administered grants and scholarships that support higher education costs. We need to expand language access in government services to make sure language barriers aren’t stopping our immigrant neighbors from getting the support and resources they need.
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? Yes
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. Have never endorsed any IDC members. I voted for Blake Morris in his bid to unseat IDC member Simcha Felder.
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) 2021 - Maya Wiley for Mayor
B) 2016 - Hillary Clinton; 2020 - Elizabeth Warren
C) 2018 - Cynthia Nixon for Governor; Letitia James 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 to both.
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 the repeal of citizen arrest laws throughout the country. Citizen arrests draw their genesis from early slave patrols in the south that were tasked with identifying and returning enslaved people to the torture of their enslavers’ homes. Today, that law exists in almost every state in our union – either by statute
or common law – and further perpetuates a culture of vigilantism which gives untrained individuals the authority to detain and terrorize other citizens – typically Black people. I have also drafted legislation to repeal so-called Stand Your Ground laws, which also disproportionately impact Black people – and give others a license to shoot first and ask questions later, all while availing themselves of a “get out of jail free” defense.
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 a New Deal for CUNY
and would work with my Albany colleagues and activists to pressure the federal government to cancel student debt.
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 and yes. Health care is a human right and affordable and accessible health care – including mental health care – is a gun violence prevention program.
38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. I fully support a person’s right to choose and would expand access to contraceptives and abortion services. District 21, a district that has a women of color majority, needs access to reproductive health care right here in the district.
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? OF COURSE!
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? I would end it and work with my colleagues on a solution to the affordable housing crisis that doesn’t give developers a tax break. The program as it currently exists provides no accountability.
44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units? Yes.
45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much? Yes, billions. So many of our neighbors in NYCHA live in squalor and maintenance requests go unanswered for months. They deserve to live with dignity in a home that provides basic necessities (heat, running water,
electricity, etc.) I oppose the privatization of NYCHA and will work with NYCHA leaders and TA presidents to develop a system of accountability for maintenance and repairs.
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. Yes.
50. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?‘ Yes. It should be up to the indigenous communities of New York to determine what should replace it.
51. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much? Though the state legislature doesn’t have control or oversight of the NYPD budget, I do support investing in non-punitive resources to address mental health crisis, increase school counselors, reduce the criminal justice population, house the millions of people who experience housing insecurity and generally empower communities to create their own solutions rather than persisting with a culture which obviates the need for police interaction.
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 to all of the above.
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 subject to the
same civilian penalties for defying mask laws and be put on unpaid leave pending investigation until they comply with the same local, state, and federal laws they are tasked with enforcing.
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 ensure that the findings of the Civilian Complaint Review Board are binding rather than advisory. Yes.
56. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? Nightlife was one of the hardest hit industries by COVID-19, disproportionately harming women and minority-owned businesses. New York State can support them with grants, zero-interest loans, and stopping agencies from issuing fines from minor violations. Nightlife is the heart of our city and state and will likely never fully recover from COVID-19. Policies to regulate this industry should reflect this new reality.
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?
1. Gun violence prevention. This is one of the most urgent issues facing our communities, and I have spent years examining and assisting with the passage of effective legislation to reduce it in other states, and now I want to do it here at home in New York. Gun violence prevention isn’t just the regulation of illegal gun sales in our state; it’s an investment in the health and security of the most vulnerable people in our communities.
2. Affordable childcare and a living wage for caregivers. As a new mom raising her first child during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding trustworthy, reliable, quality child care was unbelievably challenging. I know it must have been even harder for those who couldn’t afford it. We need to find solutions to childcare issues facing this community and also pay caregivers a fair and living wage. Caregivers become part of a family, and someone so essential to your family should be paid their worth. Childcare for when your child is no longer a child is also a gun violence prevention program.
3. Food insecurity. As the pandemic dragged on, I saw the food distribution lines in my neighborhood get longer and longer. I experienced food insecurity myself growing up, so I knew how scary, painful, and embarrassing it must have been, especially for children. Food security for families is also gun violence prevention. All of the issues plaguing our district are interconnected. I want to fully fund the programs that will make our communities safer and give working families the resources they need to thrive.
60. How much money do you presently have in your campaign account? $105,000
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? If elected, I would be the first LGBTQ+ Black woman in the New York State Senate.