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<h2>Andrew Gounardes is a champion for the working class and middle class families that are the backbone of New York.</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/d33cc8a4-5176-4e04-bae2-11b083798037/d33cc8a4-5176-4e04-bae2-11b083798037.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C351%2C4010%2C2627&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><h5>Whether fighting to make landmark investments into CUNY, advocating new and innovative ways to improve street safety, combatting sexual harassment and corruption in the halls of power, or stepping up to support our state’s robust public workforce, Senator Gounardes has worked tirelessly for a better New York that is fair, safe, affordable, and gives everyone an opportunity to thrive. </h5><h4>Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Andrew knows firsthand the value of putting communities first.</h4>Following Superstorm Sandy, Andrew co-founded Bay Ridge Cares, an organization that prepared 25,000 hot meals for victims after the storm. Today, it still supports community members facing extraordinary need by providing them with emergency assistance. As a member of the Riders Alliance, he organized and formed the Concerned R Train Riders to fight for better service and demand handicapped accessible subway stations in South Brooklyn. Andrew also worked with Bay Ridge Advocates for Keeping Everyone Safe (B.R.A.K.E.S.) and successfully pressured lawmakers to allow speed cameras in school zones, a fight he continues to wage all the way to Albany.&nbsp;<h4>In Albany, Andrew is fighting for policies that will have a direct, positive impact on our state’s working families.</h4><img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/db6467cb-db0b-4a24-a9c9-54abee698a36/db6467cb-db0b-4a24-a9c9-54abee698a36.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=607%2C247%2C2674%2C1753&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed">He’s a leading voice on improving street safety and reducing traffic deaths, securing an expansion of the life-saving school zone speed camera program and proposing a first-in-the-nation vehicle safety rating system to measure how severely vehicles injure pedestrians and cyclists when they crash. Andrew supports the need to reform NYC’s broken and outdated property tax system, working to institute a property tax circuit breaker to help families stay in their homes. He is the author of the New Deal for CUNY, a historic effort to invest billions of dollars into the City University of New York, which is the single greatest pathway into the middle class for New York students.&nbsp;​He’s passed more than 100 bills into law, including legislation to close a loophole in the state’s wage theft law, expand the life-saving school zone speed camera program, guarantee family death benefits for public workers who died from Covid-19, and help secure and expand benefits for 9/11 responders. He is working to expand the Tuition Assistance Program to help make college more affordable for New York students and to dismantle the legal protections that allow perpetrators of workplace harassment and discrimination to prey on vulnerable workers. He understands that every day quality of life issues affect the livability of our neighborhoods, which is why he’s fought to improve subway and bus service in the outer boroughs, make the MTA accessible for all riders, and to end the nuisance of modified car mufflers and exhausts with the SLEEP Act.&nbsp;<h4>Across our community, Andrew and his staff are on the ground providing help to neighbors with any problem they have, big or small.</h4>His team speaks multiple languages to help serve the diverse communities of southern Brooklyn. Andrew’s office helped provide more than 150,000 hot meals to help keep people fed throughout the pandemic. He has secured millions of dollars in state funding to revitalize southern Brooklyn’s parks and millions more to fund community groups that provide crucial services throughout the district.<h4>Andrew and his wife Melanie live in Bay Ridge, where they are raising their sons Evan and James.</h4>Andrew is a graduate of local parochial and public schools, Hunter College - CUNY, and the George Washington University Law School. He is a founding member of the Hellenic-American Leadership Council.

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It’s no secret: working families in New York are struggling to make ends meet.&nbsp; Parents and their kids are being pushed out of New York thanks to <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/young-families-are-fleeing-nyc-rising-child-care-and-housing-costs-are-to-blame" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">spiraling child care and housing costs</a>. Poverty is climbing across the state, and children are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/21/nyregion/nyc-poverty.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">bearing the brunt</a>. Nearly one in four city residents are struggling to afford basic necessities like housing and food. Andrew has worked to make New York more affordable for families. This year, he won:<img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/4ae96eb7-2d6d-44fa-9908-05c886db2f5d/4ae96eb7-2d6d-44fa-9908-05c886db2f5d.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1800%2C1500&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><ul><li>The lowest middle-class tax rate in over 70 years, saving New Yorkers millions of dollars.</li><li>$350 million for a supplemental Empire State Child Credit to provide additional support to working families.</li><li>Over $1.8 billion for the New York State Child Care Block Grant, which provides child care subsidies for 119,000 eligible children, as well as millions in funding for Child Advocacy Centers that support victims of child abuse and neglect.</li><li>$300 million for Summer EBT to address food insecurity among low-income students, and $58 million for the Hunger Prevention Nutrition Assistance Program. </li></ul>But Andrew knows we need to be even bolder to support New York families. That’s why he’s proposing the Working Families Tax Credit.When the federal government temporarily expanded the federal Child Tax Credit during the pandemic, they lifted millions of families out of poverty and drove child poverty to record lows. But Washington dropped the ball and let the expansion expire, with <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/12/poverty-rate-child-benefits-expire" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">dire results</a>.Andrew’s Working Families Tax Credit would fill in the gap. Here’s how it works:<ul><li>The credit streamlines and fills gaps in current state tax credits by including 17-year-olds and families regardless of citizenship status. It also allows the lowest-income families to receive the biggest credit.</li><li>The credit raises the maximum credit to $1,600 per child, eliminates the cap on the number of eligible kids and pins the credit to inflation.</li><li>The credit is paid out quarterly, providing families with four regular payments per year instead of just one annual sum.</li></ul>Andrew’s Working Families Tax Credit would be “the boldest state proposal” in nearly two decades and “reduce complexity for families,” <a href="https://www.niskanencenter.org/new-yorks-proposed-working-family-tax-credit-is-the-boldest-reform-yet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">according to the Niskanen Center</a>. And the impacts would be far-reaching: when families’ basic needs are met, their educational outcomes and employment opportunities grow, benefiting not only them but their communities, too.

Andrew knows we need to be even bolder to support New York families. That’s why he’s proposing the Working Families Tax Credit.

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<h2>Support Working Families</h2>

Across the country, Republicans are launching increasingly extreme attacks on reproductive freedom. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/abortion-laws-roe-v-wade.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Fourteen states</a> now ban abortion entirely, and eight more have implemented restrictions that would have violated the standard set by Roe v. Wade, which governed reproductive rights until the Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2022. Andrew has always been an unapologetic fighter for reproductive rights. That’s why, in his first term in office, he voted to pass <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/reproductive-health-act-new-york-legislature-gov-andrew-cuomo-roe-v-wade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">the Reproductive Health Act</a>—which codified Roe v. Wade protections into state law—overcoming years of Republican obstructionism. That same year, he voted to pass the <a href="https://nownyc.org/issues/know-your-rights-ccca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Comprehensive Contraception Coverage Act</a>, ensuring New Yorkers have access to the contraception they need. <img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/e00e81f6-1c51-4cb1-96c8-5a8d1fa35227/e00e81f6-1c51-4cb1-96c8-5a8d1fa35227.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C641%2C3024%2C2985&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">But Andrew knows the work is far from over. That’s why he’s a proud supporter of the <a href="https://www.nyequalrights.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">New York Equal Rights Amendment</a>—a.k.a. the ERA or Proposition 1. The ERA would update New York’s constitution to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, and sex—including sexual orientation or gender identity. It would also protect against government actions that limit reproductive autonomy or access to reproductive health care. That means the state could not, for example, pass a state abortion ban, ban private insurance coverage of abortion or criminalize miscarriages. The Amendment would also help domestic abuse victims hold abusers accountable in court, block judges from taking away child custody based on a parent’s sexual orientation, and prohibit policies that make it harder for seniors or people with disabilities to vote. By passing the Equal Rights Amendment, Andrew believes we can both protect communities at home and send a clear message to the rest of the country: we believe in human rights, and we reject any attempt to criminalize people for accessing health care.

Andrew has always been an unapologetic fighter for reproductive rights. That’s why, in his first term in office, he voted to pass <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/reproductive-health-act-new-york-legislature-gov-andrew-cuomo-roe-v-wade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">the Reproductive Health Act</a>—which codified Roe v. Wade protections into state law—overcoming years of Republican obstructionism.

<h2>Protecting Reproductive Rights</h2>

As the father of two young children, Andrew knows that the safety of our families always comes first. But far too many families in Brooklyn and beyond have been torn apart by the crisis of gun violence. When the right-wing Supreme Court gutted New York’s concealed carry regulations two years ago, <a href="https://www.amny.com/oped/op-ed-what-nys-is-doing-to-protect-new-yorkers-from-gun-violence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Andrew jumped into action</a>. That year alone, he worked with colleagues to pass transformative legislation, including voting to: <ul><li>Ban New Yorkers under age 21 from purchasing semi-automatic rifles.</li><li>Require microstamping in firearms, making it easier to track down illegal guns.</li><li>Restrict sales of bullet-resistant vests and body armor to only professionals who truly need them.</li><li>Strengthen New York’s “red flag” law, which limits gun access for people who might pose a threat to the safety of themselves or others.</li><li>Strengthen requirements to obtain a firearms license.</li><li>Require property owners to “opt in” to allowing weapons on their property, increasing safety while protecting private property rights.</li><li>Decrease children’s access to guns by requiring safe storage if a minor under the age of 18 lives in the home.</li><li>Codify rules that a person cannot leave a weapon in a car outside of their possession unless the weapon is in a lockbox.</li></ul>This legislation has helped keep our communities safer, but work still remains to end the gun violence epidemic once and for all. Brooklynites should be able to go about their daily lives without worrying that they're going to be victims of a shooting.&nbsp;That’s why, this year, he voted for <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-historic-investments-fy-2025-new-york-state-budget" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">a state budget</a> that invests $347 million to reduce and prevent gun violence, and why he continues to support groundbreaking legislation to:<ul><li>Update the legal definition of “mass shooting” to include shootings that injure or kill at least four people, which would make it easier for communities to access emergency funding.</li><li>Strengthen the State Office of Gun Violence Prevention and create a Gun Violence Advisory Council.</li><li>Reform school lockdown drills that traumatize kids while doing little to keep them safe.</li></ul>Andrew refuses to sit idly by and do nothing while the Supreme Court tries to eviscerate common sense gun laws and Congress lets years pass with no action.

Andrew refuses to sit idly by and do nothing while the Supreme Court tries to eviscerate common sense gun laws and Congress lets years pass with no action.

<h2>Ending the Gun Violence Epidemic</h2>

From Hurricane Sandy to last year’s flooding, Brooklyn has seen the dangers of extreme weather events firsthand. As the State Senator representing the Brooklyn waterfront, Andrew knows it’s critical to build a sustainable future that not only protects our communities from harm but gives them opportunities to thrive in a green future. As a climate champion, Andrew took action this session by: <ul><li>Voting to create the Climate Superfund, which requires fossil fuel companies that emit greenhouse gasses to fund investments in sustainable infrastructure.</li><li>Passing legislation to expand the state’s food scraps recycling and food donation program, making it easier to divert food from landfills to communities in need.</li><li>Supporting the transformation of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into the country's largest offshore wind port, bringing jobs and investment to Brooklyn while transitioning the borough to clean energy.</li><li>Serving as vice chair of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Taskforce to ensure community members, unions and local businesses are at the table to craft a shared vision for the future of this vital facility.</li><li>Receiving a perfect score on the New York League of Conservation Voters’ 2023 Environmental Scorecard. </li></ul>That’s why I voted for groundbreaking climate legislation my first year in office, and why I’m deeply committed to ensuring New York meets its climate and equity goals. <ul><li>I introduced game-changing legislation to expand sustainable transportation options across the state and reduce our dependence on private cars. (S1981A)</li><li>I also introduced a bill to require that public schools offer students a comprehensive education on climate change and environmental justice. (S278A)</li><li>I crafted a legislative package to reform last-mile trucking to improve air quality and safety in communities like Red Hook and Sunset Park.</li></ul>

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<h2>Protecting Our Climate</h2>

Whether you were born in Bogota or Brooklyn, in Beirut or Buffalo, you deserve to have freedom of movement, good job opportunities and the chance to make it in New York.As a fourth-generation Greek-American who was born and raised in Brooklyn, Andrew has worked hard to support immigrant communities while guided by the principle of philoxenia, a Greek word meaning "love of strangers. Immigrants help power our economy, sustain our communities and make New York great. To protect immigrant rights, Andrew plans to… <ul><li>Enact his “New York for All” legislation, which would prohibit local law enforcement from conspiring with ICE and Border Patrol. We all deserve to have the freedom of movement without fear or panic. But thousands of immigrant New Yorkers wake up worrying each might be the day they’re torn away from their families, their communities, and the home they’ve built here. Andrew’s “New York for All” proposal allows parents to attend parent-teacher conferences, go to the grocery store, or call for help in an emergency without worrying their family will be torn apart by deportation.</li><li>Codify New York's refugees resettlement services to protect them from future administrations seeking to cut them, as then-President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/us/politics/trump-refugees.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">did in 2019</a>. For years, New York has successfully welcomed refugees from all over the world, helping them get the resources they need to be successful, and to contribute to their new communities.</li><li>Expand culturally-appropriate food access to kids with religious dietary restrictions by requiring New York City public schools that have at least 25% of students practicing a religious faith to offer food options that meet their dietary restrictions, like kosher or halal food.</li></ul>

<h2>Supporting Immigrant Communities</h2>

As the father of two young kids, Andrew’s top priority is keeping our children safe. This year, he stood up to Big Tech and successfully passed two landmark laws to protect children and teens from addictive algorithms and exploitative data collection on social media:<img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/498db1cb-7a7c-4f49-8120-8a6c904c2731/498db1cb-7a7c-4f49-8120-8a6c904c2731.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=437%2C409%2C1122%2C734&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="47.5" tiltdirection="right" variant="framed"> <ul><li>The New York Child Data Protection Act stops sites from collecting and selling our children's data.</li><li>The SAFE for Kids Act protects children and teens from addictive algorithms on social media. </li></ul>The research is clear: social media is fueling the youth mental health crisis. Teens who use social media over three hours each day <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/social-media-teen-mental-health-a-parents-guide#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20research%20study,including%20depression%20and%20anxiety%20symptoms." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">face twice the risk</a> of depression and anxiety. <a href="https://livemorescreenless.org/blog/resource/specification-curve-analysis-shows-that-social-media-use-is-linked-to-poor-mental-health-especially-among-girls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">One study</a> found that, amongst young girls, the correlation between mental health struggles and social media use was stronger than the links to binge drinking, sexual assault, or hard drug use. Social media companies are profiting off this crisis: In 2022, social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok made <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/social-media-platforms-generate-billions-in-annual-ad-revenue-from-u-s-youth/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">nearly $11 billion</a> in ad revenue just from users under 18.&nbsp; That’s why Andrew led a bipartisan campaign to pass first-in-the-nation protections, defeating <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/05/20/business/meta-google-leading-nearly-1m-lobbying-fight-to-kill-ny-online-child-safety-bills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">a million-dollar lobbying effort by Big Tech</a> in the process. The SAFE for Kids Act and the New York Child Data Protection Act get at the heart of the youth mental health crisis by regulating two of social media's most harmful tools: addictive algorithms and predatory data collection. Andrew plans to continue fighting for a better, safer internet, including by: <ul><li>Banning smartphones in schools.</li><li>Updating our anti-harassment laws for the age of social media by enabling victims of digital harassment to more easily obtain a restraining order.</li></ul>

As the father of two young kids, Andrew’s top priority is keeping our children safe. He has stood up to Big Tech and successfully passed landmark laws to protect children and teens from addictive algorithms and exploitative data collection on social media.

<h2>Keeping Kids Safe Online</h2>

Andrew believes New York should be a place where all families can put down roots, grow, and thrive. That means creating pathways for young people to access a high-quality, affordable college education.Andrew has fought to ensure every high school senior can access college. This year, he…<img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/664fa648-be25-43cd-96a1-7c98f795f98f/664fa648-be25-43cd-96a1-7c98f795f98f.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1021%2C1051&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"><ul><li>Secured a major win for students when the state implemented his proposal to ensure <a href="https://www.wnyc.org/story/new-york-high-schoolers-are-required-fill-out-financial-aid-application-college-under-recent-state-law/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="color: var(--color-text)">universal FAFSA access</a> for all high school seniors. Studies show 90% of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA go to college directly after graduation,<a href="https://www.edstrategy.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Fast-Track-FAFSA-Completion-Final.pdf#:~:text=Students%20who%20complete%20the%20FAFSA%20are%20more%20likely,in%20their%20college%20coursework%20and%20obtain%20a%20degree." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="color: var(--color-text)"> compared to just 55%</a> who don’t.</li><li>Passed a state budget that doubled the minimum award for the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)—the first increase since 2000—and expanded income eligibility from $80,000 to $125,000.&nbsp;</li><li>Secured millions in funding for public colleges—a $60 million increase in operating aid for SUNY and a $40 million increase for CUNY. </li></ul>Andrew will continue to push for a higher education system that is fair, affordable and accessible to all. Here’s what he plans to do next: <ul><li>End Legacy Admissions Preferences. For years, colleges have given the family of alumni an admissions advantage. Legacy preferences favor wealthy families, leading some to<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/07/opinion/sunday/end-legacy-college-admissions.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> describe them</a> as “affirmative action for the rich. <a href="https://edreformnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Future-of-Fair-Admissions-Brief-4-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Over 40%</a> of all four-year colleges in New York provide a legacy preference, which shuts the door on immigrants and first-generation college students. <a href="https://hechingerreport.org/maryland-to-become-the-third-state-to-completely-ban-legacy-preference-in-admissions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Other states</a> have already taken similar action to ban legacy admissions—and<a href="https://edreformnow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/The-Future-of-Fair-Admissions-Legacy-Preferences.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> over 100 colleges</a> have voluntarily done the same.</li><li>Enact a New Deal for CUNY. Chronic underinvestment has forced CUNY to cut academic offerings, short-change students, reduce counseling, and delay building repairs, even as tuition keeps rising. Andrew’s New Deal for CUNY would transform our state's approach to higher education by:</li></ul><ul><li>Making CUNY tuition-free for all students, like it used to be.</li><li>Increasing the number of full-time faculty members while providing a pathway for more adjunct professors.</li><li>Increasing the number of academic advisors and clinical mental health counselors to ensure students have the support they need.</li><li>Creating a five-year capital plan for both CUNY and SUNY in the state budget to address critical maintenance needs.&nbsp;</li><li>Require SUNY and CUNY hire staff to support students experiencing homelessness, and establish a pilot program that provides grants to increase enrollment, attendance, and success for homeless students.</li></ul>

Andrew believes New York should be a place where all families can put down roots, grow, and thrive. That means creating pathways for young people to access a high-quality, affordable college education.

<h2>Expanding College Access</h2>

Traveling on our streets shouldn’t mean putting your life at risk. Since Andrew was first elected to the State Senate in 2018, he’s been a tireless advocate for measures that make our streets safer for pedestrians, bike riders, drivers and everyone else.Andrew believes smart regulations, well-designed streets and investments in transit can make it safer and easier for New Yorkers to get to school, work, and all the places they need to go.&nbsp;This legislative session, Andrew…&nbsp; <ul><li>Worked with advocates and colleagues to finally pass Sammy’s Law, which gave New York City more power to set its own speed limits and enabled it to set safer speeds near schools, senior centers and dangerous intersections.&nbsp;</li><li>Passed legislation to quadruple the number of life-saving red light cameras at intersections across the city.&nbsp;</li><li>Passed legislation to implement a first-in-the-nation “weight-in-motion” program that has <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/pr2024/auto-enforcement-reduce-overweight-trucks.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">drastically reduced</a> overweight trucks on the BQE.</li><li>Passed a state budget that cracks down on defaced license plates to hold rule breakers accountable and ensure everyone pays their fair share of tolls.</li></ul><img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/b5b55846-09dc-496c-979b-d5561db68495/b5b55846-09dc-496c-979b-d5561db68495.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1529%2C1557&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="right" alignwidth="50" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed"> When it comes to fighting for safer streets, Andrew’s not slowing down any time soon. That’s why he’s introduced legislation that would… <ul><li>Require speed limiters in the vehicles of repeatedly reckless drivers who put our safety at risk. Speeding plays a role in about<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/speeding" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> one-third of all traffic deaths</a>, about the same as<a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow"> crashes involving drunk drivers</a>. When people drive drunk, we put a device in cars to prevent it from happening again. When people repeatedly speed, Andrew believes we should use similar tech to stop that, too.&nbsp;</li></ul><ul><li>Mandate state vehicle safety ratings take pedestrian safety into account, not just the safety of those in the car.</li><li>Create a weight-based vehicle-registration fee that charges more for heavier, more dangerous vehicles. For every 1,000 pounds of vehicle weight, the chance of a fatality in a crash <a href="https://academic.oup.com/restud/article-abstract/81/2/535/1517632?redirectedFrom=fulltext&amp;login=false" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="color: var(--color-text)">increases by 46%</a>.</li></ul>

Andrew believes smart regulations, well-designed streets and investments in transit can make it safer and easier for New Yorkers to get to school, work, and all the places they need to go.&nbsp;

<h2>Making our Streets Safer</h2>

New York is grappling with a dire affordable housing crisis.<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/25/nyregion/affordable-housing-nyc.html?action=click&amp;pgtype=Article&amp;state=default&amp;module=styln-ny-affordable-housing&amp;variant=show&amp;region=MAIN_CONTENT_1&amp;block=storyline_levelup_swipe_recirc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="color: var(--color-text)"> Half of all households in New York City</a> can’t afford to comfortably hold down an apartment, access sufficient food or get basic health care. As many as<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/28/nyregion/nyc-homeless-shelter-population.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" style="color: var(--color-text)"> 100,000 people</a> are sleeping in shelters each night. Addressing this crisis requires both new housing and strong tenant protections to keep families in their homes.As State Senator, Andrew has won critical investments in housing while adding new protections for homeowners and tenants. This year alone, he… <ul><li>Voted to create historic ‘Good Cause’ protections to protect millions of tenants from price gouging and unreasonable evictions.</li><li>Supported programs to build more affordable housing across the city and state.</li><li>Directed tens of millions in funding to NYCHA, Mitchell-Lama developments and other affordable rental options.</li><li>Supported a crack down on deed theft, so law enforcement can more easily go after those who scam homeowners. </li></ul>Andrew believes much more must be done to create affordable housing options for all New Yorkers. That’s why he’s plans to:&nbsp;&nbsp; <ul><li>Pass his Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act, which would allow houses of worship to build affordable housing on their land. Churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith-based organizations are trusted community pillars that already offer crucial services like child care and education. Many want to continue that noble tradition by creating affordable housing on their land, but can’t because of restrictive zoning.</li><li>Create refundable tax credits for rent-burdened tenants who are struggling to make ends meet.</li><li>Require that SUNY and CUNY hire staff to support students experiencing homelessness, and establish a pilot program that provides grants to increase enrollment, attendance, and success for homeless students.</li></ul>

<h2>Creating Affordable Housing</h2>

By <a href="https://www.amny.com/author/barbara-russo/" target="_blank" rel="author">Barbara Russo-Lennon</a><img src="https://run.imgix.net/8e5cf4ec-3be0-43a5-9a79-09de547502f2/8df4d591-f8c4-4ea8-9ada-4a2b28ac87bf/8df4d591-f8c4-4ea8-9ada-4a2b28ac87bf.webp?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C1157%2C798&amp;w=1500" alt="" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" tiltdirection="left" variant="framed">Drivers who hit a <a href="https://www.amny.com/news/free-aspca-clinic-opens-for-pets-in-queens-offer-tender-loving-care-from-experts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pet</a> in a motor vehicle crash will be subject to stricter penalties should a new bill become law, state legislators announced on Tuesday.Brooklyn state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Manhattan Assembly Member Tony Simone joined pet owners and furry friends in Chelsea to announce their new bill, <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S9915" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the “Protecting Animals Walking on the Street” (PAWS) Act</a>, which would, if passed into law, increase penalties against a driver when a pet is injured or killed in a car crash.Drivers who injure or kill a pet in a collision are currently subject to a fine equivalent to making an illegal U-turn, which could be as little as $50.But the bill would add a new category of “companion animals” to the “due care statute” under vehicle traffic law, as it already does for pedestrians, cyclists, sheep, cattle and goats. It would allow a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment up to 15 days, the same penalty already imposed for hitting pedestrians and cyclists.Per the bill, companion animals refer to any domesticated animal normally maintained in or near the household of the owner, including dogs, cats, rabbits and others.Pet owners and lawmakers are concerned that as the number pets in the state increases, the risk they will be hurt or killed by reckless driving increases, too.“Over 1 million pets call New York home, and they play an important role in our lives, whether they be service animals, guide dogs or just members of the family,“ Gounardes said.&nbsp;“But right now, our traffic law treats them like disposable property. The PAWS Act recognizes the dignity and value of these nonhuman New Yorkers, and ensures our laws send a clear message to reckless drivers: paws your vehicle to let pets pass.”The bill also proposes a slightly stricter fine for drivers who leave the scene after hitting guide dogs and service dogs—up to $550 for a first offense or $700 for subsequent offenses.NYS Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Tony Simone joined animal advocates, pet owners and furry friends at the Chelsea Waterside Dog Park to announce the PAWS <a href="http://Act.Photo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Act.Photo</a> credit: Office of State Senator Andrew Gounardes“Our four-legged family members, service animals and their families must know that justice will be served when these tragedies strike,” Simone, who has a dog named Radar, said. “The PAWS Act will classify our furry friends equally as victims of vehicular violence just like the rest of the family.”&nbsp;Allie Taylor, president of the animal rights group, Voters for Animal Rights, said the is “thrilled” that the bill has been introduced.“As an advocacy organization working for animal’s rights, I am thrilled that Assembly Member Simone and Senator Gounardes have introduced this important legislation,” she said. “It is ludicrous that drivers can hit and kill one of our pets with little more enforcement than a parking ticket. I am a strong supporter of this bill, and I look forward to the legislature passing it this year.”The bill is currently in committee in the state Senate. It must pass several reviews and votes before Gov. Kathy Hochul can consider signing it into law.&nbsp;

Drivers who hit a <a href="https://www.amny.com/news/free-aspca-clinic-opens-for-pets-in-queens-offer-tender-loving-care-from-experts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pet</a> in a motor vehicle crash will be subject to stricter penalties should a new bill become law, state legislators announced on Tuesday. Brooklyn state Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Manhattan Assembly Member Tony Simone joined pet owners and furry friends in Chelsea to announce their new bill, <a href="https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S9915" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the “Protecting Animals Walking on the Street” (PAWS) Act</a>, which would, if passed into law, increase penalties against a driver when a pet is injured or killed in a car crash.

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<h4>New bill would increase fines for drivers who hit pets, service animals in New York</h4>

Since 2019, I've written more than 100 laws and helped secure billions of dollars for schools, housing, transit and protecting our climate. Together, we can keep working for a New York that is fairer, safer, and more affordable - a New York that gives everyone an opportunity to thrive.

Andrew Gounardes for State Senate 

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