Assemblyman Richard Brodsky 35th Assembly District
A 1971 graduate of Harvard Law School, Richard Brodsky's career has been marked by consistent and outstanding dedication to public interest issues and service in the public sector. He served as Staff Director of the Commission of Inquiry into High School Journalism, created by the Robert F. Kennedy memorial Foundation. The Commission inquired into issues of free expression and minority access to journalism in secondary education, and published its conclusions in the book, Captive Voices.
He served as Legislative Counsel to Westchester County Executive Alfred Belbello, and designed the first comprehensive legislative agenda for Westchester County Government.
He served as a Westchester County Legislator, elected to that post in 1975, where he focused on health care and tax issues. During that period of time Mr. Brodsky was engaged in the private practice of law and began his tenure as an Adjunct Professor of law at St. John's University Law School. Mr. Brodsky taught entertainment law and municipal law.
In 1982 he was elected to the New York State Assembly where he served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development and Chairman of the Committee on Oversight, Analysis, and Investigation. Concurrently, he serves as Chairman of the Committee of Environmental Conservation. In that Capacity, Mr. Brodsky has structured the most dramatic legislative advances in environmental education in two decades. This effort included authorship of the Environmental Trust Fund, the first dedicated fund for env ironmental protection in the history of the State; the Clean Air Act, which enabled New York State to comply, for the first time, with clean air requirements; and, his creation of the Biodiversity Institute, a permanent mechanism for protection of endange red species in New York.
In his previous capacity as Chairman of the Committee on Oversight, Analysis and Investigation, Mr. Brodsky successfully engineered improved legislative oversight over the executive branch of government. In addition he met with representatives of legisla tive bodies in emerging democracies in the former Soviet Union and the new democratic government of Chile to help them develop independent oversight and investigative capacities as a check on executive power. He has authored legislation regulating the cable television industry, and has enacted major changes in criminal justice legislation, tax policy, and economic development. Mr. Brodsky has been a leader in the struggle for the rights of free expression, minorities, and women. He has recently been successfully involved in work related to banking reform, and protection of cultural institutions, particularly the New York Histo rical Society.
As a result of these efforts, Mr. Brodsky has been recognized by the following groups for his work: The Congress of Italian-American Organizations Award; Martin Luther King Award; United Federation of Teacher's Friend of Education Award; Westchester Distinguished Service Medal; Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center Good Friend Award; Greenburgh-Graham S chool Appreciation Award; Yonkers City Council Commendation Resolution; Community Opportunity Center of the Tarrytowns Appreciation Award; Irvington Volunteer Fire Department Appreciation Award; American Arab Council Distinguished Service Award; and New York State Federation of Police Law Enforcement Achievement Award.
Mr. Brodsky's commitment to public service and his ability to work effectively within public institutions, to bring progress to communities across New York, is widely known. He remains active in local community activities, in the teaching of law, and in encouraging public service careers.
