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Truth, hard
work and love of his wife are the bedrock values that inform his work
in the Assembly.
When elected
in the 2003 Special Election, Assemblyman
Michael Benjamin put his decades of community, government
and legislative experience to work for his constituents and has proven
that he knows how to get results. He quickly joined the fight to protect
middle class families, children, the elderly, and our hospitals, schools
and other institutions. Assemblyman Benjamin successfully obtained state
funds for local schools, community-based organizations, hospitals and
senior centers.
Benjamin works with tenant associations to get repairs made in public
housing. His collaboration with developers ensures that more affordable
housing is built. His work with community organizations on political redistricting,
improving education, fighting environmental racism, keeping trucks off
residential streets, securing a community asthma education grant to improve
health care and making our neighborhoods safer has resulted in a higher
quality of life for his district.
His previous legislative experiences have taken him from City Hall to
the halls of Congress and to Albany.
Benjamin was the first African American to head the Bronx Board of Elections.
As an Assembly member, his work on the Election Law committee led him
to introduce successful legislation that establishes a nondiscriminatory
administrative complaint procedure for voters. He also co-sponsored legislation
to enact the Campaign Financing Reform Act of 2005.
He is a leader in fighting to stop Governor Pataki from cutting after
school programs, summer jobs and school violence prevention funds. This
year, he introduced legislation to improve the state’s prescription
drug program (EPIC) for senior citizens.
His legislative agenda includes protecting children from sexual predators;
labeling of halal food products; safeguarding pets and humans from dangerous
dogs; providing city schools with a fair share of education aid; and maintaining
access to our public colleges and universities. To make communities safer,
he sponsored laws to increase penalties for domestic violence and to keep
repeat violent felons off our streets.
Assemblyman Benjamin’s work has been honored by the Bronx Branch
NAACP, the New Covenant Board of Christian Education, The Friends of Crotona
Park, La Gran Parada Dominicana del Bronx, Community School District 12,
44th Precinct Community Council, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Committee
to Save Engine Company 41, Bathgate Industrial Park LDC, First Contact
Inc., and Bronx Unity Democratic Club.
Recently, the Public Employees Federation and the New York State Correction
Officers PBA honored him for his successful efforts to keep the Fulton
Correctional Facility open.
Assemblyman Benjamin and his wife, Kennedy, were married in November 2003.
They share their loving home with their dog, Zurich. He holds a bachelor’s
degree in political science from Syracuse University and is a graduate
of the Bronx High School of Science.
Assemblyman Benjamin’s Standing Committee Assignments for 2005 are:
Banks; Children and Families; Correction; Election Law; Housing; Libraries
and Education Technology.
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