Helene E. Weinstein (born September 6, 1952) is an American politician who represents District 41 in the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Ass ...

, which comprises

Sheepshead Bay Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to: Fish * ''Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean * Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central Am ...

, Flatlands, East Flatbush, Midwood and

Canarsie Canarsie ( ) is a mostly residential neighborhood in the southeastern portion of Brooklyn, New York City. Canarsie is bordered on the east by Fresh Creek Basin and East 108th Street; on the north by Linden Boulevard; on the west by Ralph Ave ...

Biography

First elected in 1980, Weinstein currently chairs the Assembly's Ways and Means Committee and is a member of the standing committees on Aging, Codes, Rules . She previously chaired the Assembly Committee on Governmental Employees, Election law and Judiciary. And the Assembly Task Force on Women's Issues for seven years. Weinstein chairs the Assembly Standing Committee on Judiciary. She is the first woman in New York State's history to be appointed to this position. The Judiciary Committee presides over virtually all legislation affecting the state's judicial system, Family and Domestic Relations Law, Trusts and Estates, as well as civil practice in the courts. Weinstein has sponsored major reforms in the state's jury system and is the leading proponent of ensuring civil legal services for low-income New Yorkers. Weinstein led the successful effort to increase 18B and Law Guardian rates. Weinstein is also a member of the Court Facilities Capital Review Board. She has been involved in the drafting and passage of several key pieces of legislation, especially with respect to family law. She is the sponsor of the Family Protection and Domestic Violence Intervention Act, as well as the Child Support Standards Act. Weinstein has previously served as an appointee of former Governor

Mario Cuomo Mario Matthew Cuomo (, ; June 15, 1932 – January 1, 2015) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 52nd governor of New York for three terms, from 1983 to 1994. A member of the Democratic Party, Cuomo previously served as ...

to the New York State Child Support Commission and the Governor's Commission on Domestic Violence. Over her political career since 1998, the two groups contributing the greatest amounts to her campaigns have been trial lawyers/lobbyists and public sector unions. On 14 March 2020, Weinstein tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

Education

Weinstein holds a B.A. in Economics from

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was cha ...

as well as a degree from the

New England School of Law New England Law , Boston (formerly New England School of Law) is a private law school in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded as Portia School of Law in 1908 and is located in downtown Boston near the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Fina ...

Occupation

Weinstein is of counsel to her family's personal-injury law firm, Weinstein, Chase, Messinger & Peters, P.C. She has been licensed to practice law in New York since 1977.

References

External links

New York Assembly Member WebsiteKey Votes from Project Vote Smart
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weinstein, Helene Jewish American state legislators in New York (state) Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Women state legislators in New York (state) Living people 1952 births 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians American University alumni New England Law Boston alumni 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians 21st-century American Jews