New York: Don't Bail on Your Beliefs

Protect Bail Reforms [View this email in your browser]( “Belief.” A word that signifies hope but also represents an invisible strength that resonates within our core: no matter what, we won't let go of what we truly believe. Because of that belief, I continue to seek out Democrats who will stand up for the people, not backwards politics. In my experience, standing behind leaders who fight for people-focused policy is not only the right thing to do, but it also wins elections. Brandon Johnson’s historic mayoral win in Chicago is a prime example. While running amid deep concerns about public safety, and against an opponent who believed Chicago could simply arrest and jail its way out of the problem, he won his election by defending criminal justice reform and outlining concrete evidence-based solutions to uplift and not oppress struggling families and communities. On Monday, while in Tennessee, the people spoke up and returned Representative Justin Jones to his rightful seat in the legislature, in New York, the Governor and legislators returned to pass a budget extender as the Governor continues to return people to jail by rolling back Bail. I thought New York was supposed to be the progressive bastion?? He’s far from the only living example of what I’m preaching. Last Tuesday, along with several remarkable public servants and business and community leaders, I co-hosted a fundraiser for Congresswoman Barbara Lee who is running for U.S. Senate in California. Beyond the obvious herstory that would be created by her win, I support Congresswoman Lee because she never bails on her beliefs. From making the difficult decision to have an abortion to being the sole vote against giving a President unilateral decision power to enter into disastrous wars, she understands that being a Democrat means that we stand up for the people, even when inconvenient and difficult. I fundamentally believe that Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to upend New York State’s bail law is driven by the fear of losing an election. Devastatingly, this fear is more important to too many Democrats than the fear I have as a Black person of losing my life at the hands of police, prosecutors, judges, and jailers. I haven’t just witnessed brutality. I’ve endured it twice in my life–once even as a legislator. After leaving the event for Congresswoman Lee, amid a buzz that former President Trump would soon be indicted, I walked past Trump tower, surrounded by a bevy of patrol vehicles and protective barriers, bringing back difficult memories. The last time I saw that presence was in 2020 when I joined a group of Black and Brown Bronxites to protest police brutality and was met with a violent crackdown by the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group—an abuse of force reminiscent of the tactics of police enforcing Jim Crow segregation in the deep south. And this is what I experienced as a state legislator. The police response here led to the largest NYPD settlement ever in New York City's history. The horror of those experiences reflects the fundamental danger of a criminal legal system that all-too-often brutalizes Black and Brown communities because of the unchecked racism of actors within it. As an Assemblymember, these experiences motivated me to work with my colleagues to fight for policies that combat the discriminatory nature of our criminal legal system, including passing bail reform. I stood with my colleagues to fight for criminal justice reform because I believe, with every fiber of my being, that standing up for what is right, and not catering to cynical politics, is what separates true public servants from cowardly politicians – and that, ultimately, voters reward those who live by their convictions. It's the same belief I had as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, where I implored fellow Democrats to stop talking about why Republicans are bad, but to convey why we are good and our policies are better. It matches the example set by my former boss, President Obama, who said that he would rather be a one-term President who passed a landmark expansion of access to healthcare than to get re-elected without trying to save lives. This energy that motivates courageous Democrats to stick to our values has done mountains of good not just for the party, but for New Yorkers at large. Because of bail reform, [24,000 New Yorkers have been able to spend a collective 1.9 million nights at home instead of behind bars and $104 million dollars has stayed in communities]( helping support Black businesses and families. As shown by multiple vigorous data analyses, [it has NOT contributed to a rise in crime.]( Yet despite all of the benefits of bail reform, Governor Hochul has proposed to upend the bail law and effectively allow judges even more racial bias in their decision-making. I know firsthand how this law will directly hurt New Yorkers. As a dark-skinned Black man, every time I walk outside of my home, down the block, or to peacefully protest, I have to constantly fear if I will return home, or if an interaction with an officer will lead to abuse or death on the street or while incarcerated. My experiences — from listening to national candidates to serving as a Vice Chair of the D.N.C., from being an aide in The White House to an Assembly Member in the State Capitol, have all led me to the same point: Don't bail on your beliefs. To my fellow Democrats in Albany and nationally, I ask you to hold that same principle to be true. Because at the end of the day, whether walking the hallowed halls at the State Capitol or just walking up the block in the South Bronx, we have the same desired destination - we just want to get back home ALIVE. Michael A. Blake is the Founder & CEO of Atlas Strategy Group and the President of Next Level Sports & Entertainment. Blake was a three-term New York state Assembly Member, a former Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee and former White House aide to President Obama. [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Website]( [Email](mailto:hello@atlassstrategy.group) [Instagram]( Copyright © 2023 Atlas Strategy Group, All rights reserved. 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