Hochul, NY lawmakers reach agreement on mask-wearing criminals
The New York state budget deal includes a new law that would tack on an extra charge for perps who wear masks while committing another crime, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday.
The governor and state lawmakers finally struck a deal — though it's a far cry from an outright mask ban that some advocates were pushing for in response to out-of-control anti-Israel protests that have been filled with menacing masked demonstrators.
The agreed-to penalty could only be leveled if a suspect is charged with a class A misdemeanor or anything more serious, according to Hochul, who initially wanted stronger legislation.
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The compromise reached is a watered-down version of what Hochul asked for at first.
Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie also confirmed the mask law deal attached to the $254 billion state spending plan while talking to reporters in Albany earlier Monday.
'It's really trying to concentrate on people who wear a mask in regards to hiding their identity while they commit another crime,' Heastie said, according to Gothamist.
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State Sen. James Skoufis, who pushed for harder mask restrictions, told the outlet the new charge would be a class B misdemeanor and would also apply to suspects covering their faces while fleeing a crime scene.
'I think it's an important acknowledgement, and it's a response to a very legitimate issue that is very strongly felt by a lot of New Yorkers, including the Jewish community,' the Democrat said.
'We are at least doing something. It's narrower than I would've liked.'
Wearing masks in public was outlawed in the state before the ban was lifted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Masked demonstrators protest outside Columbia University on April 17.
AP
Hochul originally wanted to create an increased penalty if someone hid their face while threatening a group of people, but lefty lawmakers balked at that proposal — and civil liberty activists also voiced concern, leading to the narrower law agreed to this week.
The contentious issue was first raised after a wave of off-the-rails anti-Israel protests engulfed the Big Apple with mask-wearing goons directing antisemitic hate toward city Jews last year.
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'This is a step forward in an addressing a crisis that has spiraled out of control in New York, as masked up individuals have used face and head coverings as tools of terror to target and menace,' Will Miller, a spokesperson for #UnMaskHateNY, wrote in a statement noting that 'this isn't done.'
'We are committed for the long haul to ensure that legislation meets the crisis.'
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