Jeffrey Dinowitz
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Jeffrey Dinowitz (born December 3, 1954) is an American politician who represents District 81 in the
New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...
, which comprises
Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population ...
, Marble Hill, Norwood, Riverdale,
Van Cortlandt Village Van Cortlandt Village is a subsection of the Kingsbridge neighborhood in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 8. Named after Van Cortlandt Park, it is bordered by the Major Deegan Expressway ...
,
Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
, and Woodlawn Heights. Dinowitz has served in the New York State Assembly since 1994.


Early life, education, and family

Dinowitz was born and raised in the
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
. He grew up in Soundview before moving to Kingsbridge Heights at age 10. He is a graduate of the
Bronx High School of Science The Bronx High School of Science is a State school, public Specialized high schools in New York City, specialized high school in the Bronx in New York City. It is operated by the New York City Department of Education. Admission to Bronx Science ...
,
Lehman College Lehman College is a public college in New York City, United States. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, it became an independent college in 1967. The college is named after Herbert H. Lehman, a former New York governor, United ...
of the
City University of New York The City University of New York (CUNY, pronounced , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven ...
, and
Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a Private university, private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and adjunct faculty. ...
. Dinowitz first entered politics as a volunteer on the
George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American politician, diplomat, and historian who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator from South Dakota, and the Democratic Party (United States), Democ ...
1972 presidential campaign. He was also involved in community issues such as tenant advocacy and volunteering on the board of Bronx Council for Environmental Quality during the 1970s. Prior to entering the Assembly, Dinowitz served for a decade as an administrative law judge for New York. He and his wife Sylvia Gottlieb have been married since 1978 and now live in the Riverdale section of the
Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...
after previously living together in
Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population ...
and Kingsbridge Heights. They have two children: Kara and
Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, Eirik, or Eiríkur is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-N ...
, and four grandchildren.


Career


New York State Assembly

Dinowitz was first elected in a
special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections. A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
held in 1994 to replace G. Oliver Koppell. Dinowitz is currently serving as chair of the New York State Assembly Committee on Codes, as well as the Bronx Delegation. He is also a member of Committees on Ways and Means, Rules, Health, Election Law, and is a member of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force. Previously, Dinowitz served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary from 2018 to 2020. In 2017, Dinowitz served as Chair of the Assembly Committee on Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions, which has oversight of the MTA and public utilities, among other entities. Before that, Dinowitz served as Chair of the Committees on Consumer Affairs and Protection, Aging, and Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.


Major policy achievements

Dinowitz has passed hundreds of bills over the course of his tenure in the New York State Assembly. In 2020, Dinowitz was able to pass legislation to protect tenants and homeowners including the Tenant Safe Harbor Act as well as the Emergency Eviction & Foreclosure Prevention Act. Also in 2020, Dinowitz passed legislation to expedite court-ordered apartment repairs in honor of a child (Jashawn Parker) who was tragically killed in a fire while the apartment's landlord was fighting tenants in court to avoid making repairs. Also in 2020, Dinowitz passed legislation to allow absentee voting through 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Dinowitz passed a personal record 28 bills through both the Assembly and State Senate. One of these bills, which eliminated all non-medical exemptions to school vaccine requirements attracted worldwide attention and praise from the medical community. Dinowitz has also passed legislation in 2016 to enter New York State into the National Popular Vote compact, and to enact protections against human trafficking.


Rainbow Rebellion

Dinowitz was a key figure in the 2008 so-called "Rainbow Rebellion" which united several factions of the Bronx Democratic Party in order to overthrow the party chair, who had been accused of nepotism and patronage in his time as county leader. Dinowitz joined with then-Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., Assemblyman
Carl Heastie Carl Edward Heastie (; born September 25, 1967) is an American politician from New York. Heastie has served in the New York State Assembly since January 2001, and was elected Speaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3, 2015. Early l ...
, Assemblyman Michael Benedetto, then-Assemblywoman Aurelia Greene, and others to overthrow former county leader Jose Rivera.


Other political roles

Dinowitz previously served as Democratic District Leader from 1986 to 1994, originally beating the preferred candidate of the Bronx Democratic Party machine at the time. He has also served as a Democratic State Committeeman (1978), and as a delegate to the
Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 18 ...
on multiple occasions. Dinowitz was first elected as a DNC delegate in 1980 as one of the youngest delegates, and was originally committed to the slate for former U.S. Senator
Ted Kennedy Edward Moore Kennedy (February 22, 1932 – August 25, 2009) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States Senate from 1962 to his death in 2009. A member of the Democratic Party and ...
who was challenging
Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (October 1, 1924December 29, 2024) was an American politician and humanitarian who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party ...
(the preferred candidate of the Bronx political machine at the time). He has also served as President of the Benjamin Franklin Reform Democratic Club three times in the past and remains an active member of the club to this day. Dinowitz is a former Chair of the Bronx Democratic County Committee and is the current Secretary of the Bronx Democratic Party. Dinowitz was a vociferous of opponent of the Croton Water Filtration Plant, due to the required alienation of 23 acres in
Van Cortlandt Park Van Cortlandt Park is a urban park, park located in the borough (New York City), borough of the Bronx in New York City. Owned by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, it is managed with assistance from the Van Cortlandt Park Al ...
and the expenditure of $3.2 billion, a project spearheaded by former NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Christopher O. Ward.


References


External links


Official New York State Assembly Member Website

Gotham Gazette's Eye On Albany: New York State Assembly: District 81Project Vote Smart: Interest Group Ratings
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dinowitz, Jeffrey Living people Jewish state legislators in New York (state) Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Brooklyn Law School alumni Lehman College alumni 1954 births Politicians from the Bronx The Bronx High School of Science alumni 21st-century American Jews 21st-century members of the New York State Legislature 20th-century members of the New York State Legislature