Dinowitz, Rivera focus on practical goals in face of Republican gains

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Over the past two years, bills from progressive lawmakers like Riverdale’s Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz often met roadblocks in the Senate, which Republicans controlled with help from state Sen. Jeff Klein’s small group of breakaway Democrats.

Following last week’s general election that saw Republicans strengthen their hold of the Senate — while Mr. Dinowitz sailed to a 10th term — the local assemblyman has a number of goals he still views as attainable.

In a recent phone interview, he said he will push for bills to make land near the Jerome Park Reservoir an official city park and to create a state advocate for consumers’ utility issues, among other legislation.

In June, Mr. Dinowitz and Mr. Klein, who did not answer an interview request for this article, proposed a bill to switch control of Jerome Park Reservoir’s perimeter from the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Local advocates have criticized DEP’s handling of the reservoir and surrounding land for years, demanding greater access to the vicinity.

“My goal over the long term is to create parkland around the reservoir and I know the DEP takes this absurd position that it can’t be done,” said Mr. Dinowitz, who rejected previous claims from the department that greater access near the reservoir would pose a security risk.

Asked how he would get his Jerome Park Reservoir legislation passed, the assemblyman said, “The strategy is to try to gather more and more support. That’s what we do with every bill. I try to get advocacy groups to back it and through committee and onto the floor.”

“The city may take a position against it. [That’s] unfortunate, because I really hate to fight with the city,” he added.

Regarding his bill to create a state Office of the Consumer Utility Advocate, Mr. Dinowitz said he will call on AARP and consumer groups for support.

The legislation, which Mr. Dinowitz introduced in March 2013, would empower a new official to initiate lawsuits and take other action to fight utility rate hikes.

“Most states have such an office and it’s actually shocking that New York State is so far behind in creating such an office, which would save consumers millions and millions of dollars,” the assemblyman said.

He added that with a successor to outgoing Senate Energy Committee Chairman George Maziarz, a Republican, yet to be named, he hopes for an opening for the legislation once the next session starts in January.

State Sen. Diane Savino, a member of Mr. Klein’s group of breakaway Democrats, is the sponsor of the Senate version of Mr. Dinowitz’s bill. The legislation appears to be one of many items in the balance while Mr. Klein and his Independent Democratic Conference carve out a new role in the Senate following the full Republican takeover of the body.

The outcome of last week’s vote has left mainstream Senate Democrats like state Sen. Gustavo Rivera, whose district includes part of Kingsbridge, feeling down and out for now.

Democrats had hoped winning a Senate majority would pave the way for passing top priorities like the Dream Act to give undocumented immigrants tuition assistance, the 10-point Women’s Equality Act and a new minimum wage increase. But since Republicans won a 32-seat majority in the 63-seat body, Mr. Rivera and his colleagues appear to be recalibrating their goals.

On the local level, Mr. Rivera said he will continue work on his main “pet project” since he took office in 2011, converting the Fulton Correctional Facility into a site to help ex-convicts reenter society.

“We’re reaching out to community organizations and groups to sit down with the [Thomas Osborne Memorial Fund], which has and will control the building, to make sure the services brought to that facility meet needs,” he said.

Mr. Rivera said he will also play a role fighting to change state rent laws, which are set to expire next year, on behalf of tenants. While the Dream Act’s prospects fade, the senator also plans to continue advocating his New York Is Home Bill, which would give “state citizenship” to some individuals who are not U.S. citizens.

“New York Is Home was always about having a conversation about what I believe is the responsibility of states,” the senator explained.

Asked how he views Democrats’ strategy taking shape for the next session, Mr. Rivera said, “A lot of my Democratic colleagues have not sat down to really talk about what the strategy is going to be.”

“We will have much more to say after we have the conversation collectively between all of us,” he added.

Other local winners in the Nov. 4 vote were not immediately available for interviews.

Jeffrey Dinowitz, Gustavo Rivera, Jerome Park Reservoir, Office of the Consumer Utility Advocate, Fulton Correctional Facility, New York Is Home Bill, Shant Shahrigian

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