Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) attended a press conference yesterday led by Assembly and Senate Minority lawmakers with a strong message to colleges and universities statewide: hate has consequences. Smullen joined his colleagues to help introduce proposals aimed at reducing the escalating incidents of antisemitism on college campuses throughout New York state. The proposals would establish new crimes of deceptive wearing of a mask and aggravated deceptive wearing of a mask (A.10043/S.9194) and would prohibit state funding for higher education institutions that permit certain pro-terrorist groups on campus (S.9193).

“My Assembly Minority Conference colleagues and I will continue to voice our grave concerns and call for immediate changes to protect college students and staff throughout our great state,” said Smullen. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated in New York state, let alone on college and university campuses where we send our children off to live and learn in their first few years of adulthood.

“No one should ever feel disrespected or unsafe on the basis of religion. Moving these proposals forward will send a very clear message to anyone who disagrees: hate has consequences,” Smullen concluded.