Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Franklin) attended the first Joint Budget Hearing of 2022 on Public Protection. As ranking Minority member on Ways and Means, he questioned the New York State Office of Court administration regarding the need for judicial discretion when evaluating the dangerousness of a defendant, which was included in a public safety plan released by NYC Mayor Eric Adams yesterday.

Ra also questioned representatives of the NYS Department of Criminal Justice Services regarding data recently released about re-arrest rates of those released under bail reform.

“It’s abundantly clear that our law enforcement officials need to receive the funding and support they need to safely do their jobs to protect our communities,” said Ra. “We’ve seen the horrific effects of bail reform firsthand. It’s critical we take immediate action to remove bail reform and restore judicial discretion in order to help our law enforcement officers keep our neighborhoods safe.”