Senator Gounardes in the News
New York eyes ban on legacy college admissions
abc news | may 15, 2024
New York could become the fourth state to ban legacy admissions in the college application process, a practice that has long been criticized as favoring white or wealthy students based on their familial alumni connections.
“Legacy admissions is simply affirmative action for privileged kids,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes in an interview with ABC News.
NY groups seek better transportation through car limit bills
albany times-union | May 14, 2024
A coalition of transportation equity advocates gathered at an entrance to the Capitol, pushing for lawmakers to advance legislation mandating that state and local highway projects align with goals to drop the number of yearly vehicle miles traveled in the state by 20 percent by 2050.
The legislation mandates that proposed state projects seeking to expand highway capacity undergo an assessment of the total number of miles traveled by vehicles on them. Under the bills, if those highway projects don’t align with the 2050 vehicle miles traveled reduction goals, officials would require compliance or efforts to reduce vehicle miles traveled. The legislation lists those efforts as including expanding and improving public transportation, as well as enhancing infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and “micro-mobility” transportation like electric bikes and scooters.
Concerned about mental health, NY lawmakers and advocates want fewer school lockdown drills
chalkbeat Ny | May 14, 2024
Lawmakers, parents, and school safety advocates rallied in Albany on Tuesday, calling for the passage of legislation that would reduce the number of school lockdown drills required under New York state law.
It’s the culmination of a multi-year effort by advocates who want changes in state law, which currently requires public schools to conduct at least four lockdown drills each year. Proponents of the bill say that number was arbitrarily chosen and that conducting so many drills harms student mental health without providing clear safety benefits.
Serial speeders are killing New Yorkers. It’s time to slow them down.
city & State | May 6, 2024
A proposed bill would require “speed limiter” devices to be installed on serial speeders’ vehicles, stopping them from going more than 5 mph over the speed limit. When people drive drunk, we put a device in cars to prevent it from happening again. When people repeatedly speed, we should use similar technology to stop that, too. Our legislation will impact relatively few drivers, but it has the potential to save countless lives.
Despite Big Tech pushback, internet safety bills on track to pass
albany times-union | may 5, 2024
Legislation that would prohibit social media companies from collecting personal data from children and prohibit them using addictive feeds to keep young users online has gained significant bipartisan support among state lawmakers and is expected to pass during the session that ends in June.
Gounardes, a Brooklyn Democrat, is still guarded in his confidence that both bills will pass unscathed.
“We’re still facing some headwinds and opposition from the tech lobby,” Gounardes said. “They’re trying to still make the case publicly and privately that algorithms are good. They’re trying to get us to consider other less effective means of regulation that they want to water down. So… I don’t want to say that we have this in the bag. We’re still up against quite a bit of opposition.”
Amid growing calls to end legacy admissions, New York considers banning the practice
chalkbeat ny | April 30, 2024
Some New York lawmakers, students, and advocates are calling for colleges in the state to end the practice of legacy admissions, which grants additional priority to the relatives of alumni.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes, a sponsor of the bill, called legacy admissions “a form of affirmative action for students of immense privilege.”
A ‘universal FAFSA’ law could be adopted in New York as budget negotiations continue
Chalkbeat NY | April 17, 2024
In 2023, graduating students missed out on more than $225 million in potential Pell Grants by not completing the FAFSA, according to an analysis by the National College Attainment Network. And studies have shown students who complete the FAFSA are far more likely to attend college.
Gounardes: Working Families Tax Credit ‘still very much on the table’
City & State | April 15, 2024
As the state budget nears some version of an end, some lawmakers are trying to find a compromise on the Working Families Tax Credit with the backing of the New York Immigration Coalition. They are pushing for it at a time when the state faces serious affordability issues and not all New Yorkers qualify or can apply for existing tax credits.
Working families need help from New York - or they'll leave
The buffalo news | April 9, 2024
Child care. Housing. Food. Clothes. Medicine. A new dinosaur toy. The costs of raising a family add up quickly. The Working Families Tax Credit can help.
Washington Failed to Expand the Child Tax Credit. Can Albany Get Kids Out of Poverty Instead?
New York Focus | April 9, 2024
One in five kids in New York live in poverty. Legislators are pushing Hochul to fulfill her promise to cut that rate in half. The idea for the Working Families Tax Credit “came from a frustration born out of the expiration of the federal expanded child credit,” said State Senator Andrew Gounardes.
New York advocates make final budget push for social media reform regarding children
spectrum news | April 9, 2024
Twenty-six organizations across New York state have issued a memorandum of support for two pieces of legislation aimed at protecting children on social media as final budget negotiations continue.
The organizations, which include New York State United Teachers, the National Alliance on Mental Illness NY, the state School Boards Association, various Urban League branches and other organized labor, say the state Legislature should act now to pass the "Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act" and the "Child Data Protection Act."
Pols push for ferry funding to Governors Island in final state budget
Brooklyn paper | april 1, 2024
Activists and legislators are pushing for the Brooklyn ferry service to Governors Island to be fully funded in this year’s final state budget to ensure Brooklynites have direct access to the green space.
State Sen. Andrew Gounardes was joined by Assembly Member Jo Anne Simon and Council Member Lincoln Restler on Friday morning at Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Pier 6 to call for state funding for the seasonal weekend ferry service that is currently offered by the Trust for Governors Island.
Commentary: For students with disabilities, higher education is a promise unfulfilled
albany times-union | march 5, 2024
Higher education offers the promise of professional growth and personal transformation. But for far too many students with disabilities, it remains a promise unfulfilled.
Amen to New Housing? Faith-Based Development Bill Looks to Secure Legislative Blessing
City Limits | march 5, 2024
While lawmakers continue to negotiate development incentives and tenant protections in Albany, supporters of the Faith-Based Affordable Housing Act are positioning the bill as one of the state’s best shots at passing meaningful housing legislation this year.
“It’s hard to put your guard up when it’s the neighborhood church saying we want to build,” sponsor Andrew Gounardes told City Limits.
Lawmakers take aim at social media companies
NY1 | february 15, 2024
The Adams administration is suing four major social media companies, accusing them of fueling a mental health crisis, especially in young people. Hundreds of school districts are also joining in on that lawsuit.
New York lawmakers are also working to protect kids from some of the dangers of social media. Right now, there are two bills in Albany to protect kids from predatory aspects of social media like advertisements and from predictive algorithms. Both bills have the support of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James.
State Senator Andrew Gounardes, one of the co-sponsors of that legislation, joined “News All Day” on Thursday to discuss the bills, and responds to Adams’ lawsuit.
States Crack Down on Social Media for Teens: ‘There Are No Guardrails’
wall street journal | february 7, 2024
It’s not just Congress. States are taking on social media’s grip on teenagers, too.
Officials in New York are pushing to restrict the algorithms that power a platform’s feed, making it the latest state to attempt to rein in the big tech companies in the wake of federal inaction.
Community leaders join elected officials to celebrate improved traffic and safety measures on Atlantic Ave.
brooklyn eagle | february 5, 2024
This week, the Department of Transportation installed three mid-block crossings on Atlantic Avenue between Nevins St. and Bond St., Bond St. and Hoyt. St, and Hoyt St. and Smith St. Atlantic Avenue has a history of being unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists; there have been 500 crashes in the last five years on this stretch of Atlantic, and two fatalities just in 2023.
Flush With Biden’s Infrastructure Cash, New York Is Choosing Highways Over Public Transit
New york focus | february 5, 2024
In recent years, politicians in several blue states have steered their transit departments away from excessive road spending. California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Minnesota each required that new infrastructure projects reduce emissions, vehicle use, or both. Colorado’s law led to the cancellation of two planned highway expansions, allowing the state to redirect $100 million to expanding bus service.
A bill written by state Senator Andrew Gounardes seeks to follow these states’ lead by setting a goal to reduce total vehicle mileage in New York by 20 percent by 2050 and only allow highway expansions compatible with that target.
Climate-friendly planning “should not just be a nice add on, it should be at the core of how road projects are developed,” Gounardes told New York Focus. “That’s not how we think about these projects right now, or if we do, it’s only on a limited basis.”