Assembly District 52 – Democratic Primary 2010

Doug Biviano, who is running for his second campaign for elected office, has a degree in civil engineering and is a community activist.  Biviano indicated that the failure of leadership of the current representative, Assemblymember Joan Millman, was his motivation for running for State Assembly.  If elected, Biviano’s top reform priorities would be the creation of an independent redistricting commission, reform of candidate financial disclosure requirements, and the institution of term limits.  Biviano also seeks to replicate the City’s public campaign financing system at the state level and require greater disclosure of outside income for legislators, including clients of legislators who are lawyers.  He vowed to work with good government groups to pass these reforms. Aside from reform issues, Biviano discussed the need for a plan to refinance the MTA’s debt through a low-interest infrastructure loan from the federal government.  Biviano also noted his experience advocating for the creation of a city committee on anti-violence and peace to address a series of hate crimes in the City.  Citizens Union was encouraged by Biviano’s enthusiasm and energy to achieve reform at the state level, but thought he had not yet demonstrated enough support from the community to receive our preference.

Elected to the State Assembly in 1997, Joan Millman has served on the committees on Transportation, Labor, Education, Corporations, Authorities and Commissions, and has become chair of the committee on Election Law.  Millman conveyed that her motivation for running again is to finish initiatives she has begun.  She believes her legislative experience distinguishes her in this race.   She cited among her accomplishments the passage of Billy’s Law, which brought youth housed in residential treatment centers around the country back to New York State, designation of the Gowanus Canal as a superfund site, and a law mandating that New York City trucks have convex mirrors to allow them to better see pedestrians.  In terms of the state budget, Millman touted her effort to close under-populated prisons, and said she would take a critical look going forward at the roughly 700 authorities throughout the state to eliminate wasteful spending.  If reelected, she hopes to advance the creation of state-of-the-art facilities for youth with disabilities in upstate New York, which she believes would serve as an economic engine in depressed areas.  She would also prioritize moving forward on congestion pricing in New York City.  On reform issues, Millman co-sponsored a bill to override the Governor’s veto of an ethics reform backed by Citizens Union which passed both houses of the legislature.   She also voted in favor of the initial bill.  She noted her effort to get a National Popular Vote bill onto the floor, as well as her support for an independent redistricting commission and nonpartisan state Board of Elections.  While Citizens Union appreciates her support for the reform agenda, we would like to see her assume a more active leadership role in pressing for reform.