Charles D. Lavine

Charles D. Lavine
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2005
Preceded by	David Sidikman
Personal details
Born	August 14, 1947[1] Marinette, Wisconsin[1]
Political party	Democrat[2]
Spouse(s)	Ronnie[1]
Children	two: Gregory, Andria[1]
Residence	Glen Cove, New York[1]
Alma mater	University of Wisconsin New York Law School[1]
Profession	Lawyer
Website	Official website

Charles D. "Chuck" Lavine (born August 14, 1947)^[1] represents District 13 in the New York State Assembly, which comprises communities located in and around Nassau County.^[3] Lavine is a member of the democratic party and serves as chair of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance, co-chair of the New York State Legislative Ethics Commission and is a member of the committees on Codes, Health, Higher Education, Insurance, Judiciary, and Social Services.^[2][4]

Early life and education

Lavine was born in Marinette, Wisconsin. He graduated from Marinette High School in 1965 and received a B.A. degree in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1969. After coming to New York, he earned a J.D. from New York Law School in 1972.^[1]

Lavine has been a Glen Cove resident since 1980. He and his wife Ronnie have two grown children, Gregory and Andria.^[1]

Career

From 1972 to 1976 worked as a staff attorney for the Legal Aid Society of New York. From 1977 to 1995 he served as a partner in the law firm of Grossman, Lavine & Rinaldo in Forest Hills, New York. Since 1996, he has been a sole practitioner specializing in criminal defense work.

In 2000 Nassau County Executive and Glen Cove Mayor Thomas Suozzi appointed Lavine to the Glen Cove Planning Board. In May 2003 Lavine was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Glen Cove City Council, a position to which he was subsequently elected. In 2004 he successfully ran in the Democratic Party primary election for an Assembly seat against six-term incumbent David S. Sidikman^[5] and later that year won the seat at the general election, taking office in 2005.

Legislation and Policy Positions

Anti-Sexual Harassment Investigations

As Chair of the Committee on Ethics, Lavine led the investigation of former Assemblyman Vito Lopez for sexual harassment of female staffers, eventually imposing a $330,000 fine in 2013.^[6]

Appointments to the Board of Regents

Lavine voted on March 11, 2014 to re-appoint three members (James Cottrell, Wade Norwood, and Christine Cea) to the Board of Regents, the body responsible for overseeing state education policy and implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.^[7]

Funding the Metropolitan Transit Authority

In 2009, he was one of 17 Democrats to cosponsor A8180, which increased several transportation-related fees to fund the operation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority (including rental car fees, DMV fees and the MTA fee on self-employed workers).^[8]

LGBT Rights

Lavine supports LGBT rights including same-sex marriage as well as opposing gender discrimination.^[9] In 2009, he sponsored A7732 that would allow "same-sex couples the same opportunity to enter into civil marriages as opposite-sex couples".^[10] Lavine sponsored A5710, a bill that would prohibit "discrimination based on gender identity or expression." In 2011, Lavine renewed his support for this legislation.^[11]

Temporary New York State Income Tax Surcharge

In 2011, Lavine supported an extension of the temporary New York State income tax surcharge on individuals earning over $200,000 annually.^[12][13] This temporary surcharge was enacted in January 2009 to balance the New York State budget.^[13][14] It will expire on December 31, 2011.^[12][13]

Veteran's Services

In 2013, Lavine sponsored A2189, which would improve health care services for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries.^[15]

Election results

2014 New York State Assembly General Election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Lavine (Incumbent)	17,755	59.95
	Republican	Louis Imbroto	10,822	38.72%
Total votes			27,949	100

2012 New York State Assembly General Election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Charles Lavine (Incumbent)	29,089	63.3
	Republican	Louis Imbroto	16,470	35.8%
Total votes			45,954	100

References

1. "Charles D. Lavine: Biography". New York State Assembly. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
2. "Editorial: Re-elect Charles Lavine in 13th Assembly District". Newsday. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
3. "Charles D. Lavine - Assembly District 13". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 2010-09-09.
4. "Biography". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
5. Cooper, Michael (September 16, 2004). "Incumbents Lose, Albany Shudders". The New York Times.
6. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/12/nyregion/vito-lopez-fined-330000-in-sexual-abuse-case.html
7. No Consensus Among Local Legislators in Tuesday's NYS Board of Regents Vote, North Word news, 15 March 2014 (updated 19 March 2014). Retrieved 14 October 2014.
8. "A8180-2009: Relates to implementing various supplemental fees and taxes for the metropolitan commuter transportation district; repealer". New York State Senate. May 7, 2009. Archived from the original on February 28, 2011.
9. "CBS News". CBS News. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
10. "New York State Assembly". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
11. "OpenSenate.gov". OpenSenate.gov. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
12. Roy, Yancey (March 7, 2011). "Dems' letter to Cuomo: Keep tax on wealthy". Newsday. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
13. Moreno, Tonya (June 15, 2010). "State Income Tax Changes". About.com. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
14. "Governor Paterson, Senate Majority Leader Smith, and Assembly Speaker Silver Announce Budget Agreement to Close Largest Budget Gap in State History". New York State Division of Budget. March 29, 2009. Retrieved 2011-03-12.
15. http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/A2189A-2013

External links

• New York State Assembly Member Website