Hakeem Jeffries

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Hakeem Jeffries (b. 1970) is the Assemblyman in New York's 57th Assembly District. A qualified supporter of Bruce Ratner's controversial Atlantic Yards project, he defeated Bill Batson-a former union organizer and opponent of the planned Forest City Ratner development in downtown Brooklyn-by a margin of 64%-25% in September of 2006. [1]

Assemblyman Jeffries previously served as litigation counsel for a media and entertainment company, Jeffries and has worked in the litigation department of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and as a clerk for Judge Harold Baer, Jr.. He holds a degree from New York University (NYU) law school as well as a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Bachelor's in Political Science from the State University of New York where he graduated with honors for outstanding academic achievement.

Jeffries has made two previous attempts at winning this Assembly District-in both races he faced incumbent Assemblyman Roger L. Green-and has also been an active participant in community affairs within the district itself.

During his first year in the legislature, Assemblymember Jeffries has emerged as a champion of working families, the middle class and senior citizens. Assemblymember Jeffries introduced over 25 bills in his inaugural legislative session, including measures designed to assist residents in foreclosure, protect tenants from landlord harassment and reduce property taxes on homeowners. In response to the toy recall crisis that threatens the safety of our children, he recently introduced a bill that would penalize retailers and wholesalers who knowingly sell to the public hazardous or dangerous toys that have been the subject of a recall. Assemblymember Jeffries also co-sponsored bill A10409, which increased the New York State tax on cigarettes.

He co-sponsored a groundbreaking 421-a reform bill that requires developers who receive tax breaks to build affordable housing in the Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights and Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhoods that he represents. At least fifty percent of the affordable housing must go to people who live in the community. Along with his colleagues in the legislature, Assemblyman Jeffries enacted a state budget that provides an additional one billion dollars in funding for public schools. He recently co-sponsored a bill that would make the public display of a noose with the intent to racially intimidate a felony hate crime.