Richard N. Gottfried facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Gottfried
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| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
| In office January 1, 1971 – December 31, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Jerome Kretchmer |
| Succeeded by | Tony Simone |
| Constituency | 65th district (1971–1972) 67th district 1973–1982) 64th district (1983–2002) 75th district (2003–2022) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 16, 1947 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Louise Gottfried |
| Education | Cornell University (BA) Columbia University (JD) |
Richard N. Gottfried (born May 16, 1947) is an American lawyer and politician. He represented parts of Manhattan in the New York State Assembly. Gottfried served for over 50 years, making him the longest-serving member of that group. He is also one of the longest-serving state lawmakers in the U.S.
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Early Life and School
Richard Gottfried was born in New York City. He went to Stuyvesant High School. There, he was classmates with Jerrold Nadler and Dick Morris. Gottfried earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University in 1968. He later got his law degree (Juris Doctor) from Columbia Law School in 1973.
Political Career
Richard Gottfried represented District 75 in the New York State Assembly. This district includes areas like Murray Hill, Chelsea, and parts of Midtown Manhattan. He is a progressive Democrat. Both the Democratic and Working Families parties supported him.
Gottfried was elected to the Assembly in 1970. At that time, he was still a student at Columbia Law School. He led the Assembly Committee on Health. He was also a member of committees for Higher Education and Rules. He also led the Manhattan Assembly Delegation.
Important Laws and Programs
Gottfried helped create many important laws. These laws aimed to improve healthcare for New Yorkers.
- Prenatal Care Assistance Program: This program helps pregnant people get medical care.
- Child Health Plus and Family Health Plus: These programs provide health insurance for children and families.
- Physician Profiling Law: This law lets patients find information about their doctors.
- Family Health Care Decisions Act: This law helps decide who makes health choices for someone who cannot.
- Health Care Proxy Law: This law lets people choose someone to make health decisions for them.
- HIV Testing and Confidentiality Law: This law set rules for HIV testing and privacy.
Gottfried also supported the 1998 Hudson River Park Law. This law created the popular park. He also helped expand the Jacob Javits Convention Center. He played a role in the Omnibus Crime Act of 1978. He also helped write the 1976 Juvenile Justice Reform Act.
Gottfried introduced the first bill for marriage equality in the Assembly in 2003. This bill aimed to allow same-sex couples to marry. In June 2011, marriage equality became law in New York State.
He worked to protect patients' rights in healthcare. He pushed for laws that give people more control over their medical care. He also supported public funding for healthcare. This would help everyone get good, affordable care. His "NY Health bill" was a big step. It aimed for universal, publicly funded health coverage. It was the first of its kind to pass a legislative body in 1992.
During his time, Gottfried held many leadership roles. He was Deputy Majority Leader and Assistant Majority Leader. He also chaired committees on Codes, and Children and Families. He led the Assembly Task Force on the Homeless. In 2010, he won re-election with 82% of the votes.
Retirement from the Assembly
On December 13, 2021, Richard Gottfried announced he would not run for re-election in 2022. He was the longest-serving member of the New York State Assembly. His time in office ended after a record 18,993 days.
