Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, Legis. Laura Schaefer spar over new bail law
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran speaks at a Long Island Association breakfast event at Cresthollow Country Club in Woodbury on Jan. 10. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran last week took another step in defending her position on the state's new criminal justice laws -- this time sparring with county Legis. Laura Schaefer (R-Westbury).
Curran, a Democrat, in a Jan. 13 letter, criticized Schaefer and majority Republicans for a newsletter to residents in which they claim victory for pressuring Curran to reverse her position on the new law, which has provisions including elimination of bail for nonviolent felons.
"To date, I have not received a single phone call from you or any of your colleagues to discuss the criminal justice reforms passed in Albany in 2019," Curran wrote. "Your claim that I have 'reversed' my position is completely incorrect. My position has never changed. We need amendments to the bail reform law. Please do not confuse my responsibility to enforce the law with agreement."
In her Jan. 10 newsletter, Schaefer said Curran "reversed her position and has admitted that the state law was passed too quickly and needs to be changed."
"Since this legislation was passed, myself and my colleagues in the Majority have urged the County Executive to speak out on behalf of her constituents and work with her colleagues in Albany to repeal these reforms and fight for the safety of our residents," Schaeffer wrote. "I am proud to say that our effort is working!"
Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.
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