Candidate Profile: Lisa Lin For State Senate

MERRICK, NY — Election Day is fast approaching and while the presidential race is getting much of the attention, there are many down-ballot races of note.

In the State Senate, Steve Rhodes seeks reelection in the 5th District against Democratic Lisa Lin. The 5th District covers South Shore towns such as Bellmore, Merrick, Wantagh and Seaford, along with parts of Bethpage, Levittown, Hicksville and East Meadow.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns for candidate profiles ahead of Election Day. These responses are lightly edited for clarity.

Name: Lisa Lin
Campaign website: www.LisaLin4NY.com
City or town of residence: Merrick
Office sought: NYS Senate, District 5
Party affiliation: Democrat
Education: St. John's University School of Law, Queens
Juris Doctor (June 2013); John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, NY
Bachelor of Arts, Forensic Psychology (May 2008)
Occupation: Supervising Court Attorney, Queens County Criminal Court
Family: My husband and I have two boys, who are four and seven years old.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? No
Age: 38
Previous public office, appointive or elective: No
Why are you seeking this office?
I am running for office because I have had deep concerns about where our country is headed and what kind of future my children will have. I want my children and future generations to have opportunities, rights, freedoms, clean water and air.

They are too young to understand now, but I never want them to grow up in a world where division, chaos, and hate are accepted as societal norms. I feel, as a parent, I have an obligation to protect them and this is the best way I can do it— by protecting their future.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
Since his election in 2022, Steve Rhoads has continued to align himself with some of the more extreme rightwing individuals in NYS and in the process alienated most of his colleagues in the majority.

He has been more focused on waging a culture war than finding solutions to the issues facing this district.
He routinely votes against the needs of his residents. He has opposed common sense gun laws like the 10-day waiting period and steps that we could take to protect people from gun violence in
domestic violence situations.

He has also voted against funding for public education and the environment and the Equal Rights Amendment Act, issues that my campaign cares deeply about.
I will focus on common-sense solutions to issues that would improve the quality of life for my neighbors and build a brighter future for Nassau County and not play political games.

What other issues do you intend to address during your
campaign?
1) Affordability
As someone who is raising a family in Nassau County, I understand the challenges my neighbors are facing. Long Island has become unaffordable for too many and too many are struggling. Young people, seniors and veterans are getting priced out. I will work to
eliminate wasteful spending and prioritize putting money back into the pockets of working families.

I will work to tax huge wealth corporations who are buying up single family homes to speculate on the housing market. We need responsible leaders in Albany who will put solutions before partisan
fighting and empower local communities to address their needs.
Senator Rhoads has fallen short of that.

The Smart Growth Community Planning Program empowers local communities to develop innovative ways to tackle issues like how to create more affordable housing. It provides financial assistance to complete community-led projects that tackle these big issues. Funds are available through the Environmental Protection Fund. Steve

Rhoads voted against $400 million for that fund this year alone.

2) Public Safety
I have been an attorney in the criminal justice system for over a decade and I know what it takes to keep communities safe and hold people accountable. I will fully fund law enforcement as well as
address the recruitment crisis they have been facing by also advocating for pension reform. They must have the staff and resources to keep us safe. I will focus on getting illegal guns off our
streets and support community-based programs that prevent crime before it happens. Our elected officials must also strive to build strong bonds with law enforcement across our communities instead of division and fear.

I will also work on proactive, long-term solutions, such as mental health access, job opportunities, and quality public education to give people the support they need to lead law-abiding lives and be contributing members of society.

3) Reproductive Freedom
I am determined to ensure that New York State continues to be a bastion of reproductive freedom. That begins with making abortion a constitutional right at the state level and ensuring that all New Yorkers have access to the full range of reproductive healthcare services,
including contraception, prenatal care, and abortion services. This also means increasing funding for family planning clinics and ensuring that these services are available in underserved areas. We also have a responsibility to protect healthcare providers from harassment, intimidation, violence and any punitive measures other states may have attempted to put in place to limit our fellow American citizens from traveling to our state to receive these healthcare services. Steve Rhoads voted against legislation to establish those protections.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
For the past ten years I have worked in public service. In my current role as Supervising Court Attorney for Queens County Criminal Court, I oversee a team of court attorneys who help keep our criminal justice system running. In this position, I play a role in managing a court that
handles over 35,000 criminal cases annually.
This requires that I maintain a collaborative working relationship with judicial and non-judicial staff, NYPD, NYC Department of Corrections, the Queens District Attorney’s Office, defense bar, and other partner agencies to ensure that cases are adjudicated expeditiously and in accordance with the law.

Moreover, I have developed and drafted materials, procedures and protocols as they relate to court operations and administrative policies. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I assisted in developing safety measures to deal with the effects of the pandemic. This real world experience, working with diverse stakeholders, has uniquely prepared me to act as a true advocate for my community.

What problems facing your district would you look to solve if you
are elected/re-elected?
One of the biggest challenges our district faces is the fact that we have elected someone who is unable to effectively represent us in Albany. Sen. Rhoads has isolated himself with the extreme members of the Republican Party instead of working on policies that impact our communities and striving for common sense solutions.

Nassau County deserves to have a voice when it comes to things that impact us, like environmental policy, ways to prevent gun violence, concerns about public safety and affordability. I understand the concerns working families have about the future of Nassau County
because I am experiencing many of the same concerns. We all deserve to have representation that is going to put those needs before their own political motivations.

Cancer is a prominent health issue for Long Islanders and is a leading cause of death for children. What measures would you take to help lower cancer rates and bolster research in the field?
We need sound environmental policy in NYS that will protect our citizens and hold those accountable whose carelessness and greed have caused so much harm to Long Island families. We must also develop sufficient support systems so young families struggling with
this issue are not left to fend for themselves and navigate a healthcare system that is not functioning the way it should.

Additionally, we need to develop access to quality affordable and preventative healthcare. So many of our residents do not have the ability to get to regular health screenings that can lead to early
detection and save lives.

We also must harness the incredible scientific, technological, and intellectual potential of our state. Our public education system must be fully funded and we need to recruit well-trained and talented teachers. We also need to make it more affordable for our young people to get educated and then be on the front lines combating cancer.

What would you do to help small businesses struggling with inflation and the cost of goods needed to manufacture their products?
As a daughter of immigrant parents whose livelihood and family depended on the success of their small business, I will fight to ensure small businesses thrive in Nassau County. Small businesses are the backbone of our communities — their success is a sign of a healthy economy. We need less vacant lots in our communities and more thriving small businesses.

In the Legislature I will work to support small businesses in a number of ways. One is to expand the number of Entrepreneurship Assistance Centers (EAC) so they are able to assist more
entrepreneurs in developing business management skills and concepts and help obtain financing. I would also support continuing to match grant funding from the federal Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer grants to support New York small businesses. As Senator, I also pledge to work with state agencies to develop plans to increase the participation in contract bidding for public projects for small businesses and minority and women owned enterprises.

For existing businesses, I will work to responsibly lessen regulatory costs and provide additional tax credits to support investment in their own businesses, help cover costs related to inflation. Our small business cannot be made to foot the bill as we transition to a more energy efficient economy.

Water quality is critical to the region. What plans do you have to help improve water quality and keep it safe for generations?
Our state has been blessed with incredible natural resources and from the great lakes to our ocean coastlines here on Long Island. We have a duty to protect them all. If elected I pledge to support
programs to address harmful algal blooms and protect our waterways, statewide.
Access to safe and clean drinking water is a basic human right and I will work to ensure that right is extended to every corner of our state.
An important part of that fight will be the statewide removal of all lead service lines. No timeline is fast enough for New Yorkers dealing with lead exposure and we will not turn their back on those impacted. I also will work with my colleagues to expand the Safe School Drinking
Water Act.
As Senator, I will foster partnerships with environmental advocates and regularly convene the Drinking Water Quality Council to help establish a continuous dialogue concerning water quality. Those discussions will help to inform the establishment of engineering planning grants for drinking water infrastructure and develop innovative ways to improve our water quality and protect our watersheds and surface water from harmful pollution.

How can the immigration crisis be addressed at the federal and local level? Can federal and local officials work together?
The first thing we need to do is support responsible legislation at the federal level. We know that New York State has taken on the brunt of our country’s immigration crisis. We also know that we had a bill come out of the United States Senate, authored by one of the most conservative Senators in the country.

That bill would have secured $400 million dollars in funding for more border agents and additional border security. It would have limited the number of asylum seekers permitted to enter the country, facilitated work permits and offered a pathway to citizenship in ways that supports American communities while respecting humanitarian needs. It had bipartisan support. It was killed to create a political opportunity. Having Representatives that vote against solutions for political points is not what Nassau County needs and that is not the type of elected
official I will be.

In the State Senate, I will coordinate with Federal Agencies like FEMA and DHS to ensure that New York receives adequate funding and resources to address areas where the impact has been the most severe. We cannot leave local communities to pick up the check for what continues to be a national crisis.

What can be done about inflation, which some say can be attributed to price gouging?
One of the things senators have the ability to do is investigate issues, and then craft policy to address what that research uncovers. If elected, I will use my position to work with the NYS Attorney General to investigate instances of potential price gouging, fixing, or other nefarious actions intended to take advantage of consumers.

In NY, we have held drug manufacturers responsible for the Opioid Crisis responsible and we have done it with prescription drugs. I will continue to protect New Yorkers by tackling this issue head on to stand up for working-class New Yorkers.

The median cost of renting on Long Island falls between $2,000 and $3,100. How can more affordable housing options be created?
We need responsible leaders in Albany that will put solutions before partisan fighting and that will empower local communities to address their needs. One example where Senator Rhoads has fallen short of that is with the Smart Growth Community Planning Program.

The program empowers local communities who develop innovative ways to tackle issues like how to create more affordable housing. These projects are not forced onto communities by the state, these projects are developed by municipalities and the state provides financial assistance to complete those projects.

Funds are available through the Environmental Protection Fund. Steve Rhoads voted against $400 million for the Fund this year alone. I will work with local communities to develop comprehensive plans that fit the unique needs of our individual communities.

Steve Rhoads, has not only voted against funding for this program and others like it, but actively works to make Nassau County less affordable. He and his colleagues in the Nassau County Republican Party have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from firms raking in profits from our broken property tax system.

Steve Rhoads failed to address our out-of-control property tax system during his time in the Nassau County legislature and has done nothing to provide meaningful property tax relief since he was elected to Albany.

What is your stance on SALT (State and Local Tax Relief)?
In 2017, as part of his disastrous tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, Donald Trump put a $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes (SALT) on our taxes. That hurt working families across the country, but even more so here in New York.

My opponent continues to line up behind the former president, despite how many of his policies have hurt his constituents. If elected, I will work with my colleagues in Washington D.C. to remove the SALT Cap.
I will also fight so my neighbors, their families, and my own, can have an equitable and fair property tax system. Right now the needs of Nassau County are going unheard, that includes our overwhelming tax burden.

What needs to be done to keep Long Island streets safe from crime?
Nassau County is privileged to be one of the safest counties in the country. We must not lose sight of why that is. First and foremost it is the Nassau County residents who live and work in our communities who value and prioritize public safety. The second very important piece is that our local law enforcement work tirelessly to keep us safe. That feeling of security is the bedrock of having a shared sense of community.

Moving forward, we need to give our law enforcement the tools it needs to do the job. That means fully funding our police department, and working with our community partners in Suffolk County and the State Police. We need to address the pension discrepancies that are making it harder to recruit and retain good police officers and work to strengthen community ties so we continue to foster positive relationships between law enforcement and local communities.

If elected, I will work to remove dangerous illegal guns from our streets and work with my colleagues in Albany to address root causes of crime while also holding accountable those who do harm.

Finally, we need long-term solutions to public safety – solutions that are proactive, not just reactive. These solutions include investing in public education, affordable housing, treatment for mental health and drug addiction and well-paying jobs.

The DWI/DWAI rate is escalating island wide. What measures can you fight for, to address the escalating addiction crisis?

This is a serious public safety issue that requires a continuous and multi-pronged approach. One that combines expanded enforcement, education and ongoing community involvement.

First thing we must do is commit to fully funding our local law enforcement agencies so they have the staff and tools they need to keep us safe. With those resources, we can increase enforcement
operations and sobriety checkpoints on our roadways. Increasing the number of sobriety checkpoints and their frequency during high-risk times like weekends, holidays, and late evenings, have been proven to deter drunk driving. I will also expand the Nassau County Branch of
the STOP DWI State Task Force and improve the coordination of DWI enforcement across counties, towns and cities throughout Long Island.

I also support stronger penalties and tougher sentencing for repeat offenders, which include extended periods of maintaining an ignition interlock device on any vehicle the defendant owns or has access to and license revocation. Additionally, I support mandatory alcohol
education and substance and/or alcohol abuse treatment for convicted offenders as part of their sentencing.

New York State also needs to fund targeted awareness campaigns to educate Long Island residents about the dangers of drunk driving and emphasize the consequences of drinking and driving. This curriculum should be focused on high school and college students as well as to local bars and restaurants along with their staff to ensure bartenders are trained to spot signs of intoxication.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?
Be authentic. Campaigning is a lot easier when you are true to yourself and your values.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
No.