Under a new bill introduced by the Empire State’s GOP delegation, federal officials would bypass states like New York, whose policies are seen as soft on crime, and give law enforcement funding directly to localities.
The bill, sponsored by upstate Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY) and shared exclusively with The Post, would distribute some of the federal law enforcement funding directly to localities if states have laws like New York’s Clean Slate Act and loose bail laws.
“Taxpayers should not be held responsible for fueling a system in Albany that is making us less safe,” Molinaro wrote in a statement to the Post.
He added, “This bill would take money out of Albany and invest it directly into local police, courts, and governments that are actually working to restore public safety.”
The bill is co-sponsored by all of New York’s Republican members of Congress except one.
The bill, which lacks detail, would require the Justice Department to withhold funds specifically earmarked for states if they do not allow judges to base bail eligibility on a “dangerousness” standard or if they have “a general policy to seal offenders’ criminal records.”
New York is the only state in the country that doesn't have a “dangerousness standard,” which lawmakers abandoned in the '70s. Last year, the Empire State passed a new standard for fracking Signed into law The Clean Slate Act, which seals a person's criminal history for purposes unrelated to law enforcement and certain background checks.
Crime and public safety will continue to be among the most pressing issues on voters' minds in November.
at Siena College Survey conducted last month54% of likely New York voters believed crime had gotten worse in the past year.
“If Albany politicians like John Manion insist on supporting pro-crime policies like cashless bail that abandon our families, then federal funds should go directly to the men and women in blue uniforms who risk their lives to keep us safe,” Central New York Rep. Brandon Williams wrote in a statement to The Post about his Democratic challenger, state Sen. John Manion (D-Onondaga).
It's a familiar strategy for Republicans. Former Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin campaigned against Gov. Kathy Hochul in 2022 with a heavy message on crime. Democrats have since tried to refocus the narrative around public safety.
Josh Riley, the Democratic candidate seeking to defeat Molinaro for a second time, has previously said he supports the Clean Slate Act.
“We need to do a lot more around the criminal justice system to keep our communities safe and to make sure we're addressing the inequities we've seen over the last several years,” Riley said in a statement. 2022 Interview with WSKG News,
“We must fully fund law enforcement. I will continue to support efforts that achieve this goal,” Riley wrote in a statement to The Post on Sunday.
The Republicans’ bill will almost certainly be stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate, even if it advances out of the House before the end of the year.
