Inside Government with PoliticsNY is new a Q&A series that gives New Yorkers a glimpse inside the role of the elected officials who represent them. This edition of Inside Government with PoliticsNY features New York State Assembly Member Amanda Septimo. Assembly Member Septimo represents the 84th Assembly District in the Bronx which includes the neighborhoods of Hunts Point, Mott Haven, Port Morris and portions of Highbridge.
Q: What piece of legislation are you most proud to have passed this legislative session?
A: This session, I’m most proud to have passed PromPT (Promoting Pre-Trial Stability Act), which creates a standardized, statewide hearing process for orders of protection in criminal court. This bill will help ensure fairness in the criminal justice system by ensuring victims and the accused have an opportunity to be heard before critical decisions that have potential housing, job loss, and immigration implications.
Q: How does your office work to support your constituents in their day-to-day lives?
A: No matter what kinds of issues our constituents are facing, we make sure to connect them with an agency or resource that can help. Most of the issues that our constituents come to us with are connected to housing. However, we also help our constituents with food insecurity, legal advising, unemployment, and more. We also connect our constituents to various opportunities and resources that can contribute to improving their overall quality of life.
Q: What is the most prevalent issue facing your constituents and how are you working to resolve it?
A: Many in our district are one paycheck away from eviction, and we have the highest number of grade school students in shelters. This year, we secured $1.2 billion for NYCHA upgrades and are fighting for more funding for the right to counsel in housing court. We’re also pushing the city and state to hold abusive landlords accountable and to create truly affordable housing so our neighbors can continue to live and thrive here.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2025?
A: By the end of 2025, I’m hoping to get the $30 million that we allocated for Latino-led and Latino-serving organizations through the LUCHA Coalition (Latinos United for Change) to the partner organizations, so that Latino New Yorkers, who are faring the worst with regard to quality of life outcomes, can start thriving. The funding is being awarded to organizations to support the following types of programming: educational advancement, civic engagement, language access and workforce development.
Q: What is the proudest moment of your political career?
A: The proudest moment of my political career has been supporting the effort to get Medical Aid in Dying passed. This bill was an important step in making sure that New York laws recognize people’s humanity. We fought to make sure that people can have dignity in their end-of-life process, and as someone who has lost a family member to a terminal illness, that makes me incredibly proud.