Inside Government is 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 Robert Carroll. Assembly Member Carroll represents the 44th Assembly District in Brooklyn which includes the neighborhoods of Prospect Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Kensington, Borough Park, Victorian Flatbush, and Ditmas Park.
Q: What piece of legislation are you most proud to have passed this legislative session?
A: A.2687/S.5569 will establish a Center for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia within the State Department of Education. As many as one in five children have dyslexia or another phonemic awareness issue – the Center will ensure the State follows best practices in addressing their needs so they can succeed in school. The Center was one of the 14 recommendations of the State Task Force on Dyslexia and Dysgraphia that was created pursuant to legislation I also authored.
Q: How does your office work to support your constituents in their day-to-day lives?
A: My office supports constituents with everyday, quality-of-life issues as well as personal emergencies. We often break through roadblocks to resolve problems and disagreements with City and State agencies, landlords and management companies, private entities and businesses, and more. We provide direct access to services and service providers that would normally require tedious and frustrating channels online or by phone. We are facilitators, advisors and active partners in achieving positive results for our constituents.
Q: What is the most prevalent issue facing your constituents and how are you working to resolve it?
A: Among top concerns for residents of the district are the quality of public schools, the impacts of climate change and environmental sustainability, pedestrian safety, housing issues, and Trump’s deportation policy. I have sponsored and/or co-sponsored and advocated for legislation pertaining to all these issues, as well as securing funding for local schools for literacy education and other needs.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2025?
A: I believe Governor Hochul should call a special session and the legislature should take action to protect immigrant New Yorkers against deportation by passing New York for All, Dignity Not Detention, and the Access to Legal Representation Act, and to prevent the shredding of our social safety net by passing revenue actions to offset the cuts the Trump Administration’s tax and spending bill makes to health care and food stamps.
Q: What is the proudest moment of your political career?
A: The Dyslexia Diagnosis Access Act, a first of its kind in the nation to require private insurers to cover neuropsychological evaluations and the Build Public Renewables Act, a major piece of “green new deal” legislation which became law through the 2023-24 state budget. I am also very proud of the role I played in making sure Brooklyn’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade became inclusive to all communities in 2019.
