David Yassky

About David

Council Member David Yassky represents the vibrant and diverse neighborhoods of Greenpoint, Williamsburg, Vinegar Hill, DUMBO, Brooklyn Heights, Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Downtown Brooklyn and Park Slope.

The Democratic Leadership Council named Yassky one of the "Top 100 New Democrats to Watch" in the nation and "Democrat of the Week" late last year. He was endorsed by the New York Times and has been called "the textbook definition of the sort of person who can change the Council for the better" by Michael Tomasky of New York Magazine and "one of the Council's ablest members" by Tom Robbins of the Village Voice. The New York Post called his education platform "courageous," adding he's "doing what's right for kids," and Errol Louis of the Daily News called him a "budget hawk" and "one of the few [Council] Members...who understands how serious government waste has become."

Yassky has compiled an impressive record of legislative achievement in the City Council:

• Public Safety: He took on irresponsible gun companies with the "Gun Industry Responsibility Act." The law will hold gun manufactures and dealers liable when their reckless sales practices result in the injury of a New Yorker. Yassky also authored laws to protect domestic violence victims in the workplace and to prevent domestic violence offenders from obtaining firearms.
• Environmental Protection: As Chair of the Committee on Waterfronts, Yassky authored the "Waterfront Planning Act," called the "the most important piece of waterfront legislation adopted by the City in recent years," by the League of Conservation Voters. He created an innovative pilot program for clean-fuel taxicabs, sued Exxon-Mobil to force a cleanup of the Greenpoint oil spill, and his report on illegal dumping in New York waterways led to prosecution of one of the City's worst polluters.
• Affordable Housing: His "Affordable Housing Zoning Initiative" will create thousands of new moderately priced apartments. Under the plan, developers building luxury apartments in newly rezoned areas are required to finance companion affordable projects.
• Quality of Life for NY Families: His "Junk Food-Free Schools Act" eliminated candy and soda from public school vending machines. His "Quiet Neighborhoods Act," still pending before the Council, would allow bars and clubs in 24-hour neighborhoods to hire off-duty police officers to prevent violent incidents and reduce disruption from noisy crowds.
• Jobs and Industry: He sponsored the "Film Industry Job Creation Act," credited with bringing thousands of jobs to New York's film and television studios. Yassky also led the fight to retain Brooklyn's last container port, keeping hundreds of well-paying jobs in the City.

Before his election to the Council, Yassky had a distinguished career as a public servant, lawyer and educator. Working under Rep. Chuck Schumer, he helped enact the Brady Law, the Assault Weapons Ban, the Violence Against Women Act, and more than a dozen other significant anti-crime statutes. Yassky also taught at Brooklyn Law School. He is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Diana, and their daughters Susan and Margaret.