Carl Heastie
Carl Heastie is the Democratic nominee for re-election in NY Assembly District 83, a seat he has held since 2000. He has served as Speaker of the Assembly since February 3, 2015, the historic first African American to lead the chamber, and previously chaired the Assembly Labor Committee.[2][3]
Floor votes in Albany
- YesProvides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits · S10113 · Passed Assembly 88–53 · 2026-06-05 official record ↗Provides that a microbusiness licensee authorized to conduct retail sales may serve as a processor and cultivator for purposes of cannabis showcase event permits.
- YesRelates to granting employees access to personnel records · S3460 · Passed Assembly 92–49 · 2026-05-19 official record ↗Grants employees access to personnel records; requires notice of negative information in such records and an opportunity for a review; permits employee to include certain information in personnel records.
Votes on landmark laws since 2019, plus 2026 roll calls where at least five members voted on the losing side — read from the legislature’s official records.
On the record — official actions
- action2019 · As Speaker, negotiated and passed the SFY 2019-20 budget, which eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses and reformed the discovery process.[3]
- action2021 · Led passage of the Humane Alternatives to Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act, restricting solitary confinement in New York prisons and jails.[3]
- action2021 · Led passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), legalizing adult-use marijuana in New York.[3]
- action2019 · Negotiated and passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a statewide package of tenant protections.[6]
- action2019 · Negotiated the dedicated MTA funding source in the SFY 2019-20 budget that established congestion pricing in Manhattan.[3]
- action2019 · Negotiated and passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.[7]
- action2019 · Passed a package of gun-safety measures including the Red Flag law, a bump-stock ban, and expanded background-check requirements.[8]
- bill2010-12-13 · Sponsored A.11726, the Wage Theft Prevention Act, which established notice requirements for employees in their primary languages and protections for workers reclaiming withheld wages; signed into law by Gov. David Paterson on December 13, 2010.[2]
- action2016 · As Assembly Labor Committee chair, was the principal negotiator of the 2016 law enacting a graduated statewide minimum-wage increase toward $15.[3]
- action2015-02-03 · Elected the 100th Speaker of the New York State Assembly, the first African American to lead the chamber.[2][3]
Positions on the issues
- SupportsStronger rent regulation and tenant protections
Negotiated and passed the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which made the state's rent regulations permanent, eliminated the vacancy bonus, limited rent increases for major capital improvements, and banned lease application fees.[6]
- SupportsFaster transition away from fossil fuels
Negotiated and passed the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which set goals of cutting greenhouse gas emissions 85% by 2050 and reaching emissions-free electricity by 2040.[7]
- SupportsStricter gun laws
Passed a package of gun-safety laws including the Red Flag law, which lets courts issue risk protection orders to keep firearms from people found to pose a danger to themselves or others, a ban on bump stocks, expanded background-check requirements, and a 2018 law barring people convicted of domestic-violence crimes from purchasing or possessing firearms.[8]
- SupportsKeep congestion pricing in Manhattan
Negotiated the dedicated MTA funding source in the 2019-20 state budget that established congestion pricing in Manhattan, the first such program in a U.S. city.[3]
- SupportsRaise the minimum wage
As Assembly Labor Committee chair and later Speaker, was the principal negotiator of increases to the statewide minimum wage, including the 2016 law enacting a graduated $15 minimum wage.[3]
In their words — priorities
- Criminal justice reform: continuing to build on the elimination of cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses, speedy-trial and discovery reforms, and raising the age of criminal responsibility to 18.[4]
- Affordable housing: building on the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which made the state's tenant protections permanent and limited rent increases, retaliatory eviction and security deposits.[6]
- Investing in education, including boosting state school aid and easing the cost of higher education.[9]
- Protecting the environment and combating climate change, building on the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.[7]
- Combating gun violence through further commonsense gun-safety measures.[8]
Background
- Earned a B.S. in applied mathematics and statistics from SUNY Stony Brook and an MBA from Baruch College (CUNY).[2][3]
- Worked as a finance manager, account manager and budget analyst, including as a budget analyst in the New York City Comptroller's office, before joining the Assembly.[2][3]
- Has been a member of the Democratic State Committee since 1996 and chaired the Bronx Democratic Party's county elections committee from 1992 to 2000.[2]
- First elected to the Assembly in 2000, representing the 83rd District in the northeast Bronx.[3]
- Chaired the Assembly Labor Committee before becoming Speaker, and was the principal negotiator of minimum-wage increases including the 2016 graduated plan to raise the statewide minimum wage.[3]
- Elected the 100th Speaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3, 2015, the first African American to lead the 150-member chamber.[2][3]