Madmallard
.223 Rem
The Republican-led state Senate, for the fourth consecutive session, passed legislation to crack down on violent gangs — but Democratic Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie shot it down.
The bill comes amid a wave of violence by the MS-13 gang, which has menaced suburban Long Island and other areas.
The bill passed 48-13 — with all the no votes coming from New York City Democrats.
But it hasn’t even come up for a vote in Heastie’s Assembly.
The measure would increase sentences for gang-related felonies and create new felonies for individuals who participate or benefit from gang activity or recruit others to join gangs.
Heastie insisted longer prison sentences are not the answer.
“We support anti-gang initiatives. However, increased penalties are not necessarily a deterrent,” he said. “A better approach is to discourage people from engaging in gang activity in the first place, and that is where the focus should be.”
In fact, the bill offers anti-gang initiatives at the front end.
A new Criminal Street Gang Prevention Fund would be established to support a gang violence prevention curriculum in schools, for example.
The Assembly has blocked every previous attempt by the Senate to toughen the law against gangs, but brutal murders by MS-13 could change the equation, said the Assembly sponsor of the bill.
“The MS-13 problem does make a difference. We need to do something about gang violence,” said Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn).
During the Senate floor debate, critics said the proposal was too broad in defining a gang member and they worried that minorities would be unfairly targeted.
One of the “no” votes was cast by Sen. José Peralta (D-Queens), even though MS-13 members stabbed a man leaving a check-cashing business in his district on Saturday.
http://nypost.com/2017/05/08/state-senate-passes-anti-gang-bill-aimed-at-blocking-recruits/
The bill comes amid a wave of violence by the MS-13 gang, which has menaced suburban Long Island and other areas.
The bill passed 48-13 — with all the no votes coming from New York City Democrats.
But it hasn’t even come up for a vote in Heastie’s Assembly.
The measure would increase sentences for gang-related felonies and create new felonies for individuals who participate or benefit from gang activity or recruit others to join gangs.
Heastie insisted longer prison sentences are not the answer.
“We support anti-gang initiatives. However, increased penalties are not necessarily a deterrent,” he said. “A better approach is to discourage people from engaging in gang activity in the first place, and that is where the focus should be.”
In fact, the bill offers anti-gang initiatives at the front end.
A new Criminal Street Gang Prevention Fund would be established to support a gang violence prevention curriculum in schools, for example.
The Assembly has blocked every previous attempt by the Senate to toughen the law against gangs, but brutal murders by MS-13 could change the equation, said the Assembly sponsor of the bill.
“The MS-13 problem does make a difference. We need to do something about gang violence,” said Assemblyman Joseph Lentol (D-Brooklyn).
During the Senate floor debate, critics said the proposal was too broad in defining a gang member and they worried that minorities would be unfairly targeted.
One of the “no” votes was cast by Sen. José Peralta (D-Queens), even though MS-13 members stabbed a man leaving a check-cashing business in his district on Saturday.
http://nypost.com/2017/05/08/state-senate-passes-anti-gang-bill-aimed-at-blocking-recruits/
