Activists rally in Mineola against first responder bill
Roughly 75 minority and progressive activists rallied Friday night in Mineola to urge Nassau County Executive Laura Curran to veto an "unconstitutional" bill that would allow police and first responders to sue protesters if they are harassed or injured due to their status as a first responder.
Opponents of the legislation — a range of police reform advocates including the New York Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP and the LGBT Network — said the bill would curtail free speech by subjecting people to lawsuits for verbal remarks made to officers.
"The bill that’s sitting on [Curran’s] desk waiting for her to make a decision is not just unconstitutional, it’s immoral," said Kiana Abbady of Freeport, a member of Long Island Progressive Coalition.
Protesters held signs reading "This legislation is a shameful attempt to silence dissent" and "Which side are you on? The Bill of Rights or police union?"
"All this bill would do is further erode trust at a time when trust is at all-time lows between communities and police," said Melanie D’Arrigo of Port Washington.
Curran, a Democrat who is seeking reelection in November, has asked state Attorney General Letitia James to weigh in on the legislation. Curran has 30 days to sign or veto the bill, which was passed by the GOP-controlled County Legislature on Monday,
"I continue to talk to residents and law enforcement leaders and look forward to the attorney general’s review of the legislation," Curran said in a statement Friday.
But Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), a supporter of the bill, said the County Attorney's Office is capable of advising Curran on whether the bill is legal.
"The county executive is obviously looking for a pretext to veto the bill," Nicolello said Friday. "The county executive should take a stand one way or another. The residents of Nassau elected her, not the attorney general, to make these decisions."
In 2019, the legislature unanimously passed a bill adding first responders, including police, as a protected class under the county’s Human Rights Law with regard to housing, employment and public accommodations. The law bars discrimination based on factors including race, disability, gender and sexual orientation. No other professions are protected under the law.
Lawmakers voted 12-6 Monday — after five hours of testimony from more than 100 residents — to allow the county attorney to file lawsuits on behalf of first responders seeking financial damages against protesters for "discrimination."
The bill, sponsored by Legis. Josh Lafazan of Syosset, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, would create an "irrebuttable presumption" that any harassment or injury is motivated by their status as a uniformed police officer. The bill has the backing of police unions.
Penalties for "discrimination" could go up to $25,000 per offense or up to $50,000 if the violation occurs "in the course of participating in a riot."
"This bill does not take away anyone’s right to protest," said Ricky Frassetti, president for the Superior Officers Association union. "It provides protections to our law enforcement officers and first responders that are targeted because of the uniform they wear."
But opponents contend the measure puts police above groups such as racial minorities and those discriminated against for their religion or sexual orientation.
"It equates a career to the lives and experiences of Black and brown folks, of race, gender, of sex, of religion and it’s unacceptable," said Nia Adams of Jericho.
With Candice Ferrette
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
