Jeffrey’s Priorities

Affordability

Jeffrey understands that a strong economy is an economy that works for all New Yorkers, not just the 1%. The affordability crisis is being felt across the Bronx and Jeff is determined to support working families and reduce costs. He’s incredibly proud to have secured the Henry Hudson Bridge Rebate for Bronxites, ensuring our families aren’t unfairly taxed. Jeffrey has also fought hard so that parents have access to childcare and paid family leave -- ensuring that everyone who wants to contribute to our economy is able to do so without struggling to ensure that their children are taken care of. 

Through his leadership, New York raised the minimum wage, easing the burden on thousands of working families who were struggling to get by working multiple jobs.

Immigrant New Yorkers

Jeffrey is a strong ally to immigrant New Yorkers and will always fight for our neighbors. As the Trump Administration and ICE threaten and attack communities here in New York and across the country, Jeffrey is committed to doing everything he can at the state level to combat xenophobia and extremism. 

He is a proud co-sponsor of the New York for All Act, which would restrict the use of local resources and prohibit all law enforcement and state agencies from working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Patrol. Jeffrey is also a co-sponsor of the Access to Representation Act, which would create a right to counsel for all immigrants facing deportation in New York who cannot afford an attorney. 

Jeffrey fought for the excluded workers’ fund and was proud to help pass the DREAM Act, which allows undocumented New Yorkers to apply for higher education grants and scholarships, and the Green Light law, which allows all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status to apply for a driver’s license.

Housing

As Assemblymember for the 81st AD, Jeffrey has been a leader in Albany on both tenants’ advocacy and protecting homeowners from foreclosure. Jeffrey became involved in the tenants’ rights movement before he could vote and has lived in all types of housing – from a rent-controlled walk-up to a rent-stabilized apartment to NYCHA Public housing to Mitchell-Lama to a co-op – and his experiences have informed his advocacy and work on housing issues. He was the lead sponsor on the eviction and foreclosure moratorium during the pandemic, ensuring that working families across our state were kept in their homes. He has prevented landlords from removing rent protections in our neighborhoods, expanded access to resources for co-op owners, and brought in funding for affordable housing, including $10 million for the Amalgamated Houses, $1 million for Park Reservoir Houses and $500,000 for Woodlawn Veterans Mutual Housing Co-op, so that those who have spent their lives in the Bronx aren’t displaced by market forces outside of their control.

Healthcare

 For too many New Yorkers, soaring healthcare costs prevent them from accessing the care they need. He is a co-sponsor of the NY Health Act, which will create a single-payer healthcare system in New York and expand access to health insurance. He is also a co-sponsor on the Fair Pricing Act, which aims to protect patients from unfair medical billing practices and to eliminate price differences for the same care at different healthcare facilities.  

Jeffrey is a staunch protector of reproductive freedom. He was a proud co-sponsor of the NY Reproductive Health Act that codified abortion access into state law. Now, he is working to ensure students understand their reproductive rights and to protect clinics from harassment.  

Even before the pandemic, Jeffrey has been pushing back against disinformation from anti-vax extremists. He was the main sponsor of the law to remove non-medical exemptions for school vaccine requirements, ensuring safety for young children, and he did this by standing up to threats, abuse, harassment and intimidation of some anti-vaxxer fanatics. He has increased access to vaccines for seniors and during the pandemic was a key voice in making sure that everyone in New York would have access to Covid-19 vaccines.

When it comes to protecting the health of our community, from our students to our seniors, there are few in Albany who work as hard as Jeffrey Dinowitz to get us the care we need.

Crime

Every New Yorker deserves to be safe, to feel safe and respected in their community and Jeffrey is working tirelessly in Albany to hold violent perpetrators accountable, address the underlying causes of crime, stop anti-semitism and other bias crimes, get illegal guns off our streets, and empower our youth.

Jeffrey wrote the landmark Anti-Human Trafficking Act to stop human trafficking and provide support for victims. Jeffrey will continue to push for common-sense measures to prevent gun violence so that residents of the Bronx can feel safe going about their daily lives. As former Chair of the Assembly's Judiciary committee, Jeffrey was able to lead the way to add desperately needed Judges to the NYS Supreme Court. He will also work to bring equity and fairness to our criminal justice system as he has done for much of his career.

Workers

Prior to being elected to the Assembly, Jeffrey was a proud member of DC37 and PEF, and he is a strong partner to unions, workers, and working families. From walking picket lines to support nurses at Montefiore Hospital in the 81st District to supporting collective bargaining efforts, Jeffrey will always support workers. 

He is a proud co-sponsor of the ​​EMPIRE Worker Protection Act, which will increase worker safety, limit wage theft, and protect whistleblowers who report violations of labor law in New York. 

Environment

Protecting our environment has always been a top legislative priority for Jeffrey. He led the charge on passing the most aggressive climate action legislation in the nation – the  Climate Change Superfund Act, which holds fossil fuel companies accountable for the damage they cause by requiring them to contribute $75 billion to the funding of critical infrastructure investments, such as coastal protection and flood mitigation systems. His sponsorship of a bill to close the Hazardous Waste Loophole helped protect our environment and New Yorkers from the harmful effects of toxic chemicals. He regularly receives perfect scores from the New York League of Conservation Voters and Environmental Advocates Action. When he’s re-elected, Jeffrey will continue to fight for legislation to address climate change and will work to make our environment safer now and for decades to come.

Schools

Public schools and CUNY were Jeff’s vehicle for economic and social mobility. From the start of his career, he realized there were serious inequities in how school funds were allocated in our state, and the Bronx wasn’t getting a fair shake. As our Assemblymember, he helped secure billions in additional school aid and the funds to build two new high schools in Riverdale and Kingsbridge. Through his efforts, Intech Academy in Kingsbridge added hundreds of new school seats, better preparing students for an ever-changing job market. As a product of the New York public school system, he knows how important a strong, well-funded education system is and he won’t stop fighting for it!

LGBTQIA+

Jeffrey has always been a strong advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. An early supporter of marriage equality, he has consistently stood up for his LGBTQIA+ neighbors in his community and in office. During his time in the New York State Assembly, he has introduced, sponsored, and voted for pro-LGBTQIA+ legislation, including GENDA, the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act, as well as legislation to ban conversion therapy. In addition to GENDA, Jeffrey sponsored legislation requiring home health aid training for LGBTQIA+ patients, and condemned federal policies prohibiting transgender people from serving in the military. Jeffrey has always fought for the LGBTQIA+ community, and will continue to do so as unprecedented attacks on this community continue to come from Washington.

Disability

Much of New York City is not built for people with disabilities. The lack of accessibility throughout the city leaves countless New Yorkers behind—with 70% of subway stations still inaccessible. But Jeffrey has long been a leader in advocating for greater accessibility in our public transit system. In the Assembly, he introduced legislation requiring accessibility in all mass transit facilities operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, setting a framework for the MTA to ensure all stations are ADA-compliant. He is also the lead sponsor of bills requiring larger font sizes in various forms and contracts. Jeffrey has also introduced legislation that makes it easier for New Yorkers to sue for discrimination in court, helped restore funding for the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities, and advocated for removing state regulations that allow for people with disabilities to be paid less than minimum wage. Throughout his time in the Assembly, Jeffrey has spoken up for the voiceless and fought for vulnerable New Yorkers who need an advocate in the government. He is deeply committed to continuing his work to make New York City more accessible for all.