Heastie: Ensuring fairness and equity for all New Yorkers

Every year, the Legislative Conference of the New York state Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators provides a unique opportunity to discuss pressing issues facing people of color in the state. In my first year serving as speaker of the New York State Assembly, I tasked myself with the responsibility of spending time and learning the issues in Assembly Districts throughout the state. In my travels I’ve learned that the needs from Buffalo to the Bronx, or from Mineola to Middletown, don’t vary a great deal. We all want an even playing field, a fair shot at success, better resources for education, economic development and access to employment that provides a living wage.

When you look at the state in its entirety, we are doing well, but if you look closer you see large pockets where poverty is high, economic growth is stagnant and resources are scarce. Far too often those pockets are majority minority.

The theme for this year’s conference is “Restoring faith and justice: In pursuit of empowering our communities,” and the road to that restoration begins with the Legislature fighting for policies and legislation that promote fairness and equity for all New Yorkers. The Assembly’s Democratic majority is ready to lead that fight.

My upstate and suburban tour brought me to state-of-the-art public schools looking for funding for second computer labs, recording studios and swimming pools. But it also brought me to public schools bursting at the seams due to overcrowding, out-of-date resources and poor infrastructure, and this is unacceptable.

The mission of our schools to educate students is further complicated by a lack of access to adequate resources. The Assembly majority is pushing for the highest funding level possible in the coming budget to ensure that all schools have the resources and tools they need to fulfill their duty to the students they serve.

We will once again pass the DREAM Act so that no student will be denied the opportunity to advance their education because of factors beyond their control. The DREAM Act will grant access to all students who want to further their education and grant them access to lasting careers allowing them contribute to our communities.

New York is known as the financial capital of the world, but our minimum wage keeps workers below the poverty line. No one who works hard 35 hours or more per week should have to rely on government assistance to survive. The Assembly has fought for and passed an increase in the minimum wage for years, and we are glad to now have Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s support. We hope we can count on the Senate Republicans to raise the wage and help restore fairness and access to workers throughout the state. 

It is critical that we fight for a fair and progressive tax structure that leads us toward a future where working families have more of the income they need to achieve their goals. The Assembly majority’s multi-pronged tax proposal provides much-needed tax relief for the middle class and the state's lowest-earning families, while generating over $1 billion in yearly revenue. 

We must ensure that the income tax code does not place an unfair burden on those who can least afford it. Under the plan, more than 5 million middle-class earners would see a reduction in their personal income tax rate, allowing the state’s working families to keep more of their income right where they need it most. For the state’s lowest-earning workers, the Assembly proposal would increase the Earned Income Tax Credit by five percentage points over two years, thereby boosting the average credit for more than 1.6 million New Yorkers.

Lastly, no one should have to choose between taking care of a loved one and losing pay. The Paid Family Leave Act provides workers with up to 12 weeks of paid leave each year to care for family members in need. There is nothing more important than the health of our families and loved ones, so we have taken steps to put families first in New York. During the course of the paid family leave, workers would be paid two-thirds of their average weekly wage, up to a maximum benefit level, allowing them to bond with child or care for an ailing parent without facing financial ruin.

We do not have an easy road ahead, but we are ready and willing to fight to ensure fairness and equity for all New Yorkers.

Carl Heastie is the speaker of the New York state Assembly.