OPINION: Solutions to Move NYS in Right Direction Blocked by Democrats

The Assembly Majority Conference [recently] blocked more than a dozen common-sense bills aimed at preventing gun violence, animal cruelty, antisemitism, violence against correctional officers, and punishing violent criminals who murder first responders. All told, nearly 20 proposals sponsored by members of the Assembly Minority Conference were summarily rejected and held in their respective committees, and none of the measures will see a vote by the full Assembly. Among the measures blocked by the Assembly Majority Conference are “Laken’s Law,” which would bolster collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and a repeal of the “green light law” allowing illegal immigrants to obtain a driver's license. Violent crime and an ongoing migrant crisis that has drained enormous resources have impacted every region of our state and nearly every facet of our daily lives. It is astonishingly clear what we are doing is not working. Our conference offered a list of meaningful reforms rooted in pragmatism and public sentiment, yet the bills we proposed, as has become tradition in Albany, get little more than perfunctory, blanket “no” votes along committee party lines. The list of Assembly Minority Conference-sponsored proposals blocked in Assembly committees also includes the following: • Ensure Punishment for Gun Crimes: Remove all gun crimes from the no-bail list of offenses established in 2019.​A.632​Barclay • Life without Parole for Killing an Officer: Make life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first or second degree if the victim is a police officer, specified peace officer, first responder or correctional officer. A.1480 Angelino • Life Imprisonment for Killing a Minor: Make life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first or second degree if the victim is a minor (under 18 years old). A.1578 Mikulin • Increased Penalties on Youth Gun Crimes: Prohibit the removal of an adolescent offender to Family Court when the defendant possessed a loaded firearm. A.4161 Reilly • Dangerousness Standard: Allow judges to consider the safety of any person or the community when determining pre-trial release for a criminal suspect. Also, designate stalking in the second and third degree as bail-eligible qualifying offenses. A.4206 Reilly • HALT Repeal: Repeal the HALT Act, which severely limits/eliminates the ability to place dangerous inmates in special housing units separated from the general population. A.3217 Simpson • Voter ID: Require that someone voting in person presents a valid government-issued photo identification.​A.1927​ Slater • State Agency Emergency Regulations: Ensure any agency that re-adopts an emergency regulation beyond the initial 90-day period must have legislative authority for such action. A.2411 Ra • Dismantling Student Antisemitism (DSA) Act: Implement mandated training, require reporting on antisemitic incidents and prohibit state funding to institutions failing to comply. A.2376 Ra • Tax Revenue for Closed Prisons: Require the state to pay taxes on the assessed value of properties of closed state prisons. A.3252 Simpson State government is not upholding its end of the bargain, and New Yorkers suffer because of it. The bills listed above represent our best efforts to address problems directly affecting New Yorkers and cover a broad spectrum of public-safety policies that would greatly enhance the security of every community in our state. We will keep fighting to reverse our troubling trajectory, and we will continue to submit legislation aimed at making our state safer and more prosperous, no matter how stubbornly our Assembly colleagues resist doing what’s necessary.     

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William (Will) A. Barclay, 56, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.