Carl Heastie: Policy Positions
Labor and Workers' Rights
Heastie has positioned himself as one of the Assembly's most consistent advocates for workers' rights throughout his legislative career. Before becoming Speaker, he chaired the Assembly Labor Committee from 2013 to 2015 and authored the 2010 Wage Theft Prevention Act, which created enforcement mechanisms for the State Department of Labor to address employers who illegally withheld wages . In 2015, he launched the legislative campaign for a $15 minimum wage in New York, culminating in the 2016 enactment of a graduated statewide increase . Under his speakership, the Assembly also passed paid family leave legislation .
Criminal Justice Reform
Heastie has been a leading proponent of criminal justice reform in New York. Key positions include the elimination of cash bail for most misdemeanor and non-violent felony offenses, enacted in the 2019-20 state budget . He championed speedy trial reform, citing the case of Kalief Browder, and the modernization of the state's discovery laws . In 2017, he helped negotiate Raise the Age legislation to increase the age of adult criminal responsibility to 18 . Heastie has been unwavering in his defense of bail reform against calls for rollback, arguing that wealth and race should not determine whether an accused person remains jailed pretrial . In 2021, he led the passage of the HALT Solitary Confinement Act to restrict the use of solitary confinement for vulnerable populations .
Education
Education funding has been a central priority of Heastie's speakership. Since 2015, the Assembly has secured more than $7.3 billion in additional school aid under his leadership . He has supported statewide universal pre-kindergarten funding and the creation of community schools that integrate wraparound health and social services . Heastie championed New York's adoption of President Obama's My Brother's Keeper initiative in 2016, making it the first state to implement the program, which focuses on improving outcomes for boys and young men of color . He created the Higher Education Road to Success Initiative, which expanded opportunity programs for low- and middle-income students and established the Foster Youth College Success initiative . He has consistently opposed tuition increases at SUNY and CUNY institutions and fought to increase the maximum Tuition Assistance Program award .
Housing and Tenant Protections
Heastie has prioritized affordable housing and renter protections. In 2019, under his leadership, the Assembly passed legislation making rent regulation permanent and enacting what were described as the strongest tenant protections in New York State history, including the elimination of vacancy decontrol and major capital improvement rent increase provisions . In 2016, he helped negotiate a multi-year $2.5 billion investment in affordable and supportive housing . During the COVID-19 pandemic, he supported an eviction and foreclosure moratorium and the allocation of $3 billion in combined relief for renters and homeowners .
Cannabis Policy
Heastie led the Assembly in decriminalizing marijuana possession in 2019 and subsequently in passing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021, which legalized adult-use cannabis in New York . He has framed legalization as a racial justice measure intended to address the disproportionate impact of drug enforcement on communities of color .
Gun Safety
Heastie has supported multiple gun safety measures, including legislation requiring domestic abusers to surrender firearms, red flag laws to keep weapons from individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others, a ban on arming teachers and school administrators, and measures to strengthen background checks and combat modified weapons .
Climate and Environment
Heastie has expressed support for environmental protection and climate action. Under his speakership, the Assembly passed the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, which set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and renewable energy standards . He also included a ban on plastic carryout bags in the 2019-20 budget . However, his record on the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act has drawn criticism from environmental advocates, as the bill failed to reach a floor vote in three consecutive legislative sessions despite having enough Assembly sponsors to pass .
Elections and Voting
Heastie led the Assembly in passing early voting legislation in 2019, establishing a nine-day early voting period and streamlining the voter registration process . In 2019, the Assembly passed the Jose Peralta New York State DREAM Act to extend higher education access to undocumented immigrant students .
Fiscal Policy and Taxation
Heastie has expressed support for progressive revenue measures, including a millionaire's tax. At his September 2025 endorsement of mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, he stated that millionaire taxes poll well and indicated support for the concept as part of a broader affordability agenda .