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Siena poll finds New Yorkers like Cuomo more, bail reform not so much
Jan 21, 2020 1:15 pm
Nick Reisman is reporting for the New York State of Politics blog a new Siena College poll released Tue., Jan. 21, has found support for New York's bail reform laws eroding. According to the survey, 49 percent of those surveyed believe the law is bad for the state, compared to 38 percent in April. The law went into effect January 1, and ended cash bail requirements for anyone accused of misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. According to Siena, 56 percent of independent voters say it is bad for the state; 64 percent of suburban voters oppose the measure; and, 57 percent of those surveyed over age 55 are also in opposition. The poll comes as some lawmakers have proposed amending the law to give judges the ability to decide whether a person is too dangerous to be released from custody. This addition of judicial discretion to the statute is opposed by criminal justice advocates who point to racial discrimination as a factor in keeping people of color behind bars. The poll also found Gov. Andrew Cuomo has seen an increase in both his favorability and his job performance ratings since November. Among those surveyed, there is also broad support for various proposals in the governor's agenda this year: 81 percent support requiring businesses to give employees at least 5 paid sick days; 79 percent support reducing the corporate tax rate for small businesses by 2.5 percent; 76 percent back an Equal Rights Amendment in the state constitution; and, 75 percent say workers in the so-called gig economy should have basic employee protections. The poll of 814 registered voters was conducted from January 11 to 16. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.