Aravella Simotas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Aravella Simotas
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Simotas in 2012
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| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 36th district |
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| In office January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Michael Gianaris |
| Succeeded by | Zohran Mamdani |
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| Born | October 9, 1978 Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | John Katsanos |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Fordham University (BA, JD) |
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Aravella Simotas (born October 9, 1978) is an American lawyer and politician. From 2011 to 2020, she was a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 36th district in Queens, New York. As a politician, she helped make new laws and worked to improve her community. She is a member of the Democratic Party.
Her district included the neighborhood of Astoria and parts of Long Island City.
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Early Life and Schooling
Aravella Simotas was born in a country that is now called Zimbabwe. When she was a baby, her family moved from Greece to the United States. They settled in Astoria, Queens, where she grew up. She attended local public schools in her neighborhood.
After high school, she went to Fordham University. She graduated in 1999 with the highest honors, known as summa cum laude. She then went to Fordham's law school and earned a J.D. degree in 2002. A J.D. is the degree someone needs to become a lawyer.
Career Before Politics
Before becoming a politician herself, Simotas worked for other government leaders in New York City. She also worked for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, helping to protect the environment.
After finishing law school, she worked as a law clerk, which is a lawyer who helps a judge with legal cases. Later, she worked as a lawyer in New York City.
Simotas also volunteered in her community. She was a member of the Queens Community Planning Board, a group that helps decide how land in the community should be used.
Time in the State Assembly
A politician who is elected to the New York State Assembly helps create and vote on laws for the entire state of New York.
Elections
Simotas was first elected to the State Assembly in 2010. She ran again in 2012 and won with 84% of the vote. She served in the Assembly for ten years. In 2020, she lost the Democratic primary election to Zohran Mamdani. A primary election is a contest where voters from the same political party choose which candidate they want to represent them in the main election.
Committee Work
In the State Assembly, members work in small groups called committees. Each committee focuses on a specific topic, like education or health. Simotas was the head of the Committee on Ethics and Guidance, which makes sure government members follow the rules.
Some of the other committees she served on were:
- Insurance
- Judiciary (deals with courts and laws)
- Ways and Means (deals with the state's money)
- Energy
Laws and Policies
As an Assembly member, Simotas worked on many important issues. She focused on making laws to protect people, improve healthcare, and help her community.
Protecting People
Simotas worked to pass laws that gave more protection to victims of serious crimes. In 2019, a law she supported was passed. It gave victims more time to report crimes to the police.
She also helped pass new laws to protect people from harassment at work. These laws made it easier for people to report problems and made sure companies were responsible for how their employees were treated.
Healthcare
In 2015, Simotas helped pass a law that made New York the first state to allow people to sign up for health insurance at any time during their pregnancy.
She also worked to make sure that health insurance companies would help pay for certain medical treatments for people trying to have a family.
In 2017, one of her ideas became a law to help new parents. The program gives "baby boxes" with important items and information to families in areas where there is a higher risk of infant mortality (when a baby dies before its first birthday). This helps keep newborns safe and healthy.
Community Issues
Simotas worked on many issues to improve life in her district of Queens.
- Environment: She supported replacing old power plants in Astoria with newer, cleaner ones to reduce pollution.
- Hospitals: She supported a plan to expand Mount Sinai Queens hospital so that more people in the area could get medical care.
- Schools: She worked to keep local schools open and supported special programs for gifted and talented students.
- Clean Streets: She asked the mayor of New York City to do more to clean up trash on the streets in Astoria.
Personal Life
Simotas is married to John Katsanos. They have one daughter, who was born in 2012.
