Joseph P. DeStefano for New York State Assembly 3rd District
Republican Assemb. Joseph DeStefano is running for reelection in Assembly District 3. Credit: James Escher
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Joseph P. DeStefano, 64, is running for a fourth term in the 3rd Assembly District. If he is returned to Albany, the Medford Republican says he hopes to work on legislation that requires voters to show photo identification when casting ballots, and on measures that categorize certain crimes against state and local law enforcement officers as hate crimes.
DeStefano, a former Medford Fire District commissioner and former volunteer firefighter, has been a prominent voice for emergency responders in Albany. One bill he sponsored that was passed and signed into law recognized 911 dispatchers as first responders, expanding their benefits. "Public safety is my wheelhouse," he told Newsday’s editorial board.
Earlier this year, he voted for tweaks to the state retirement system for public employees, increasing their benefits. That could mean increased costs for municipalities and increased taxes, but DeStefano said it was needed to incentivize more people to join the public workforce.
DeStefano also plans to continue trying to get passed bills that raise the age limit at which judges must retire, increase driver safety by increasing training course requirements, and give judges more discretion to set bail. He supports renewable sources of energy, and helped pass bills required for the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk County to move forward on the Sunrise offshore wind project.
DeStefano supports ways to extend or modify the state's climate goals to make them more attainable. On school funding, DeStefano said that dropping school enrollment should not be tied to funding, citing inflation costs.
DeStefano's district has been redrawn and no longer includes Gordon Heights and Patchogue, but no matter its lines, he is well-informed and knowledgeable about the needs of his new constituents. He is cognizant of the urgency surrounding the issue of coastal flooding, especially in areas of Mastic Beach, and spearheads meetings with local officials and the Army Corps of Engineers on ways to mitigate flooding in the region.
DeStefano is being challenged by Trina R. Miles, a Democrat from Mastic Beach, who is not actively campaigning.
Newsday's editorial board endorses DeStefano.
ENDORSEMENTS ARE DETERMINED solely by the Newsday editorial board, a team of opinion journalists focused on issues of public policy and governance. Newsday’s news division has no role in this process.
