FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 29, 2020
CONTACT: Peter Giunta, 347.621.8031
Assemblymember Michael Reilly (R-Staten Island) announced today his updated committee assignments for the 243rd Legislative Session from Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay. In addition to his reappointment as Ranking Member of the Assembly’s Committee on Cities, which reviews legislation affecting the state’s 62 cities, Reilly was also reappointed to the Assembly’s Committees on Higher Education, Housing, and Codes. Among his new assignments, Reilly was appointed to the Assembly’s Committees on Education and Governmental Employees.
Reilly’s appointment to the Committee on Education is fitting, considering his prior service as President of Staten Island’s Community Education Council, of which he was a member for almost a decade. With Mayoral Control of the New York City public school system now on the table this upcoming session, Reilly will have a better platform to advocate for reforms. In 2019, Reilly introduced legislation to reform the city’s Panel for Educational Policy (http://bit.ly/3rwETaB) by reducing political influence over the panel and increasing parent and educator representation. Reilly’s proposal would also require a review of Mayoral Control every five years by the New York City Public Advocate and the five Borough Presidents to be presented to the State Legislature before an extension of Mayoral Control is authorized.
Since his appointment to the Committee on Codes in January, Reilly has been a staunch opponent of and has demanded reforms to the failed bail reform policy that Albany Democrats passed last year. Reilly had joined members of the Minority Conference on pushing several initiatives throughout the year designed to raise awareness of the shortsightedness of the no-cash bail policy, and has even proposed legislation of his own (http://bit.ly/3hn0MVh) to authorize judicial discretion based on dangerousness, extend the period for discovery, and restrict when appearance tickets may be issued.
“I want to thank Leader Barclay for placing his trust in me to continue providing my contributions of institutional knowledge, as both a former law enforcement officer and education advocate, to the Minority Conference,” said Reilly.
“Mike Reilly has done an outstanding job representing our Conference in New York City, which has a host of complex considerations and unique challenges. It is his community engagement and experience that make him especially qualified to sit on the Committee on Cities,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay. “He has fought hard to improve the quality of life and reduce the cost of living for New Yorkers. I’m confident he will continue to serve his constituents and all New Yorkers admirably in his new committee role.”