Candidate Answers to JOLDC: Rebecca Seawright for NY Assembly District 76
Candidate Name: Rebecca Seawright
Office Seeking Election for: NY Assembly District 76
Website: https://rebeccaseawright.com
1. Explain, based on life experiences and accomplishments, why you believe you are best qualified to represent your district. I am an attorney and three term elected representative of the 44th Assembly District. I have introduced over 150 bills and had 17 bills passed and signed into law. I have been a leader on the environment, education, transportation, election reform and criminal justice reform during my time in the assembly.
2. Please identify any openly LGBTQ candidates for public office you have previously or presently endorsed? Alan Fleishman for District Leader 52 AD, Rich Monteleone for Civil Court Judge, Debra Silber for Civil Court, Brad Hoylman for Manhattan Borough President
3. If applicable what legislation directly affecting the LGBTQ community have you introduced or co-sponsored? Co-Sponsor of Walking While Trans Ban, GENDA, and others.
4. What LGBTQ organizations have you been involved with, either on a volunteer or professional basis? I have worked with Lambda Independent Democrats on many campaigns and causes and worked with BILO (Brooklyn Irish LGBTQ Organization) to bring the inclusion of the first openly LGBTQ organization to the Brooklyn Irish American Day Parade.
5. If applicable, what LGBTQ organizations have you allocated funds to?
6. Do you consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ community? I do not.
7. Have you marched in any Pride parades? Which marches and for approximately how many years? I have marched in the PRIDE Parade in Manhattan on multiple occasions with multiple organization and elected officials. I have marched in the Brooklyn Pride Parade with multiple organizations and elected officials, I have marched with BILO in the Brooklyn Irish American Day Parade.
8. Have you employed openly LGBTQ individuals previously? Do you employ any currently? I have staff of three and they have been with me since I was elected. None are part of the LGBTQ community.
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? I do and I have in the past.
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? I have attended countless LGBTQ rallies, pro-choice rallies, criminal justice rallies and resist Trump rallies while in office and prior to being elected. I have attended candles for clemency rallies with Jim Owles members.
11. Have you ever been arrested in pursuit of legislation or for protesting an injustice? Please elaborate. I have not.
12. If you are an incumbent, what have you accomplished in your most recent term? I passed a number of bills including the first in the nation bill to require New York to create standards to decarbonize concrete, I was the lead sponsor of the amendment to bring same day registration to New York (will re-introduce because it was voted down by the voters), lead sponsor of the bill to streamline the counting and canvasing of absentee ballots, so New York is no longer last in the nation in certifying our elections and was also the prime sponsor of the MTA Open Data Act to bring more transparency to the MTA.
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. Co-Sponsor
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. Co-Sponsor *** I also sponsor legislation that would cap all sentences for all those currently incarcerated and going forward to no more than 25 to life. All individuals deserve a second chance and look.
14. If you will not co-sponsor any of the above legislation, why not?
15. Do you oppose the efforts to weaken bail reform as written? I do. I do not support roll backs to bail.
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 do and I last went to the Federal Prison in Brooklyn in 2019.
17. Do you support legislation outlawing solitary confinement in all prisons statewide including city jails? I do.
18. When was the last time you were inside a correctional facility? 2019
19. Do you believe sincere remorse and actions taken while incarcerated should be considered over the original crime in determinations of parole? I do.
20. What do you believe should be done to ensure more clemencies are granted every year? Most sentences should be for short determinant lengths and every person should have an opportunity to go before the parole board within 25 years no matter their age or crime. That is why I introduced A1613 and A8488. As for clemency, we need to elect executives who have compassion and courage to release more individuals.
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?
I will and I have on multiple occasions publicly called on former Governor Cuomo and current Governor Hochul to grant clemency.
22. Have you participated in any demonstrations or protests concerning clemency and parole? I have with and without Jim Owles.
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.
26. 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? I am for decriminalizing sex work in all facets. I am not yet a co-sponsor of this legislation and would like to speak to the sponsor of the bill before I formally co-sponsor this bill
27. 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 decriminalization approach. I am against the dangerous Nordic model. We should decriminalize sex work for all participants.
27. Do you support ending qualified immunity for police officers? Yes.
28. What proposals will you advocate for to protect immigrants and further New York as a “Sanctuary State”? I went to first Muslim ban protest at JFK airport and we must ensure that ICE and other federal agents are not used to terrorize undocumented New Yorkers. I support not allowing ICE into our courts, schools, and other government buildings. Further, I support state and local government not providing any records to federal authorities that could lead to deportation.
29. Do you support the establishment of supervised drug consumption spaces? I do. I am also the sponsor of New York's first Contingency Management bill – A8356A
30. Have you ever endorsed any member of the IDC or any candidates who challenged IDC members? Please identify all candidates I endorsed Alessandra Biaggi, Jessica Ramos, and Zellnor Myrie in their elections against IDC members.
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? Mayor 2021 I supported Kathryn Garcia and Scott Stringer, President 2016 I supported Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Primary, in the 2020 Primary I did not publicly support a candidate, in 2018 I supported Zephyr Teachout for Attorney General and I did not support a candidate for Governor in the Primary.
33. Have you made an endorsement in the current bid for Governor? If so, who? I have not.
34. Do you support term limits for statewide office holders? For State Legislators? I support term limits for state wide elected officials. I would possibly support term limits for the legislature if it was longer than that of the executive.
35. Describe any legislation and policy changes that you support in order to address the ongoing effects of slavery, racism, colonialism, and discrimination.
I fully support criminal justice reform measures and legislation to help undo the history of mass incarceration in this country. Many of these bills are mentioned in this questionnaire, including my bill to eliminate life without parole sentences, and smaller measures like my bill to allow open containers in public. Additionally, I support an educational curriculum that teaches the full history of America, including slavery and the tradition of institutional racism and white supremacy.
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? As a graduate of the SUNY system, I think it is imperative that we fund SUNY and CUNY so that we can eliminate tuition at these universities for New York State residents.
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. I am a co-sponsor of the New York Health Act.
38. Discuss your stance on reproductive rights, including access to contraceptives and abortion services. I was a co-sponsor of the women’s reproductive rights act enshrining a woman's right to an abortion in our state laws. Abortion and contraceptives need to be free and readily accessible. This is a health issue and the government should not intervene.
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? Yes and I don't believe I have ever accepted funds from those complicit in the Trump agenda.
41. Will you cosponsor the legislation to prohibit evictions without good cause (S.3082 / A.5573)? I co-sponsor this legislation and led rallies in support of it. We have held rallies with tenants of Greenbrook Properties in my district who are fighting eviction from this predatory landlord. To save their homes we must pass Good Cause Eviction.
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? It should be repealed. If the state is going to provide tax benefits we need real returns on affordable house. 421-a has given massive tax breaks to market rate appartments and produced little affordable housing.
44. Do you support legalizing accessory dwelling units? Yes and I co-sponsor legislation to do it.
45. Do you support more state funding for NYCHA? If so, how much? I do. I have supported billions of additional funding in previous state budgets.
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? I co-sponsor this legislation.
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? I co-sponsor this legislation.
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? I co-sponsor this legislation.
50. 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
51. What is your position on removing the Christopher Columbus statue in Columbus Circle and if so, what should replace it?‘ I have not taken a stance on this issue.
51. Do you support reducing the budget of law enforcement throughout the state, and if so, by how much? I support vastly curtailing the budget of New York State Troopers. They are overly militaristic and traffic enforcement, which is a large part of their job could be better done through speed cameras.
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. I am in favor of removing police from all of these interactions. Police are unnecessary in most 911 calls unless there is an ongoing violent criminal event.
53. Should law enforcements "Vice Squads" be eliminated? Yes. We do not need police trying to entrap citizens with drugs or sex.
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? They should be given a warning and then suspended if the habit is habitual.
55. What reforms would you make to the Civilian Complaint Review Board? Would you support state legislation to make CCRB disciplinary determinations binding? I am open to making their disciplinary determinations binding but I do believe we should ensure that officers are afforded due process. I am not completely familiar with the current process.
56. What will you do to support nightlife in New York State? I am the sponsor of A.1381 to legalize open containers in public spaces in New York. I also sponsored legislation to provide businesses interruption coverage to bars and restaurants effected by Covid-19. Further, I have co-sponsored legislation to allow alcohol to-go, and to make it easier to get a temporary liquor license. I have never opposed a liquor license while an Assemblymember or when I served on Community Board 7 in Brooklyn.
57. Do you commit to speak with restaurant and nightlife industry representatives before taking a position on any policies that affect their businesses? Yes and I have. I wrote an Op-Ed with Jeff Katz, the owner of Crown Shy about how changing NYS law to provide business interruption insurance during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic could help save the restaurant business.
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? Education - specifically bringing evidence based literacy curriculum and dyslexia screening to our public schools, Environment - I am the lead sponsor of Build Public Renewables Act and multiple other environmental bills to help our state meet the goals of the CLCPA and eliminate fossil fuels, Transportation/Street Safety - I was a forceful advocate for congestion pricing and I know we need to keep advocating to make sure it is implemented, I have passed a number of bills to reform the MTA and make it more transparent. We also need to pedestrianize many of our streets to allow better outside dining and drinking and make our city more livable also a lot more bus and bike lanes.
60. 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 have been proud to have the support of this incredible organization in each of my first three elections and I would grateful to have your support for re-election this year.