Support hate crime legislation.
Source: N. Y. Congressional 2008 Political Courage Test
Nov 1, 2008
John Katko:
2002: formulated the Syracuse Gang Violence Task Force
All Americans have a right to feel safe where they live, work, and play. Students have a right to a quality public education in safe schools with equal opportunities.
As a local leader in organized crime and high-level narcotics federal prosecutions, John was instrumental in formulating the Syracuse Gang Violence Task Force in
2002 and overseeing all gang-related federal prosecutions since that time, bringing the first-ever successful RICO gang prosecutions to Syracuse. John's portfolio also includes work with the region's successful
Weed and Seed programs and multiple high profile money laundering, health care fraud, and political and police corruption prosecutions.
Source: 2014 N. Y. House campaign website, JohnKatkoForCongress.com
Nov 4, 2014
John Katko:
Capital punishment can be an effective deterrent
Q: Do you support capital punishment for certain crimes?
A: Yes. My twenty-plus years of experience as a federal prosecutor tells me that capital punishment can be an effective deterrent. But such decisions are best left to the individual states and not Congress.
Source: VoteSmart 2014 N. Y. Congressional Political Courage Test
Aug 30, 2014
Rob Astorino:
Block publication of gun owner names and addresses
County Executive Astorino believes in the limits of government as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. Period.Rob Astorino stood up for law-abiding gun owners when the Journal News published their names and home addresses. It was wrong and it was
dangerous. The Journal News had no right to publish the names and home addresses of law-abiding gun owners in Westchester.
These were law-abiding citizens, and The Journal News treated them like sex offenders. Further, names on the list included domestic violence victims in hiding and retired judges and detectives.
County Executive Rob Astorino immediately spoke out on radio and wrote (and called) the paper's publisher demanding that the online map come down and it came down.
Source: 2014 N. Y. gubernatorial campaign website, RobAstorino.com
Sep 1, 2014
Rob Astorino:
Address root causes of student violence like mental illness
County Executive Astorino took responsible action in the wake of the terrible 2012 Newtown school shooting. Over a period of months, he brought together school, mental health, law enforcement, non-profit, and religious leaders to share and implement
best practice prevention and response initiatives to better protect our kids and their teachers in the classroom, while at the same time addressing the root causes of student violence, such as mental illness and absenteeism.
Source: 2014 N. Y. gubernatorial campaign website, RobAstorino.com
Sep 1, 2014
Zephyr Teachout:
Disenfranchising due to criminal convictions is undemocratic
Voting is a basic principle of our democracy. Yet New York State presently disenfranchises individuals with criminal convictions, taking away their right to vote while they are in jail. This is undemocratic.
We should follow the lead of Vermont and Maine, and ensure felons never lose their right to vote.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
Jul 2, 2014
Zephyr Teachout:
We have a long way to go on criminal justice reform
Residents of New York State deserve a criminal justice system that is fair to all and that makes policies with an eye to their long-term impact, ensuring that we don't address problems by only making them worse.
Governor Cuomo has made strides in reforming our criminal justice system--but there is still a long way to go.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
Jul 2, 2014
Zephyr Teachout:
Give minorities opportunity, not criminal justice system
Arrests for petty crimes cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually and needlessly introduce young people to the criminal justice system while saddling them with permanent criminal records.
Being stigmatized this way has huge long-term consequences, making it far harder to find a job or get into school. We should be expanding opportunities for young blacks and Latinos rather than foreclosing them.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
Jul 2, 2014
Zephyr Teachout:
Raise age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18
New York State should raise the age of criminal responsibility. Presently, New York automatically prosecutes children as adults: around 50,000 16- and 17-years olds are tried as adults each year. Exposing children to the hazards of incarceration in
the adult prison system endangers their well-being and risks setting them down a path of recidivism, as 80% of adolescents forced into the adult prison system go on to reoffend. We should ensure we treat children like children.
Source: 2014 N. Y. Governor campaign website, ZephyrTeachout.com
Jul 2, 2014
Josh Eisen:
Criminalize overcharging for leverage against defendants
Propose legislation that criminalizes the weaponization of the legal system: In criminal cases, prosecutors must be held to the same or a greater standard, especially considering the significantly greater
resources currently at a prosecutor's disposal relative to most defendants. For example, knowingly overcharging to create leverage is criminal in the proposed legislation.
Source: 2024 N. Y. Senate campaign website EisenForCongress.com
Mar 4, 2024
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026