Socialist Lawmakers Discuss Top Priorities as New Legislative Session Begins in Albany (original) (raw)
New York State Sen. Jabari Brisport (left) and State Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes (right).
Good-cause eviction, universal child care and higher taxes on the rich are top priorities.
By Indypendent Staff Jan 19
On Tuesday’s Indypendent News Hour, we focused on the state government in Albany where much of New York City’s fate is debated and decided. In the first half of the show, we were joined by State Senator Jabari Brisport and Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes, both members of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
With a new legislative session getting underway, Brisport and Mitaynes, who both represent Brooklyn districts, spoke about their priorities as the governor and the legislature begin crafting a roughly $230 billion state budget which is due at the end of March.
Listen to the first half of this week’s Indy News Hour, which we spend with State. Sen Jabari Brisport and Assemblymember Marcela Mitaynes.
We also spoke with Jonathan Soto, a public-education advocate in the Bronx running for the NY State Assembly.
Brisport and Mitaynes also spoke about why they believe it’s important to continue adding to the eight-member socialist contingent in Albany. The DSA is running three more insurgent socialist candidates against Assemblymembers in this year’s Democratic primaries in the hopes of expanding their presence in the legislature to 11 members.
In the second half of the show, we spoke with Jonathan Soto, a public school parent and advocate who is running with DSA’s backing against a 10-term incumbent in Assembly District 82 in the northeast Bronx. If elected, Soto would be the first socialist state legislator elected from the Bronx in more than 100 years.
Soto is also a former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He oversaw her Homework Helpers program during the pandemic. Under Soto’s guidance, hundreds of AOC supporters from around the country volunteered to provide tutoring sessions for public school students in her district who were struggling with their remote classes. As you will hear in his interview, Soto continues to be passionate in his support for a community-based system of public education.
The Indypendent News Hour will be preempted on Tuesday, Jan, 23. We will be back on the air on Tuesday, Jan. 30. To check out our archive of past shows, visit The Indy’s SoundCloud page.
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