Issues
John McGowan holds a distinguished record of leadership in our community. John has been our New York State Assemblyman since being elected in November 2022 and, before that, served as a Rockland County Legislator, elected in 2019. Additionally, John has worked as a prosecutor in the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office and volunteers for his community in several capacities, including a six-year term as the President of the Rockland County Ancient Order of the Hibernians. John is also a practicing attorney licensed in New York State, specializing in general civil litigation, union representation, and transactional matters. As a litigator—which John has been throughout his entire legal career—he is not afraid to make tough decisions and is unwavering in his commitment to Rockland residents as a member of the State Assembly in Albany.
As an Assemblyman, John is dedicated to prioritizing issues vital to the future of Rockland County and New York State:
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Prioritizing Public Safety
John has built his career protecting the vulnerable, first as a prosecutor in the Bronx Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Bureau and then right here in Rockland County’s Special Victims Unit. He has always supported our men and women of law enforcement and first responders.
John understands the sacrifices first responders and their families make to serve our communities. He has fought for stronger fire safety laws, improved housing code enforcement, expanded volunteer benefits, and secured funding to establish a Countywide Swiftwater Rescue Team.
John has also been a strong opponent of so-called “bail reform” and other revolving door-of-crime policies that make New Yorkers less safe.
JOHN WILL CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE THE SAFETY OF NEW YORKERS BY:
✅ RESTORING ACCOUNTABILITY,
✅ IMPLEMENTING COMMONSENSE ANTI-CRIME POLICIES, AND
✅ PUTTING THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTS AND VICTIMS ABOVE CRIMINALS.
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Making New York More Affordable
New York State is one of the most expensive states in the nation to live, start a business or raise a family. Residents are fleeing New York State in record numbers because of the high cost of living and runaway inflation. Many who want to remain here are struggling. New York needs to reverse course and elected leadership at all levels of government must find ways to ease the tremendous cost of living in this great state. New York State budget priorities are completely backwards – we need efficient budgets that put New Yorkers first.
JOHN WILL CONTINUE FIGHTING FOR:
✅ LOWER TAXES,
✅ MORE EFFICIENT BUDGETS,
✅ LESS WASTEFUL GOVERNMENT SPENDING, AND
✅ SMART INITIATIVES TO MAKE NEW YORK AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE.
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Opposing Taxpayer Funding for Migrant Crisis
America is a nation of immigrants, and John is proud of his Irish heritage. He supports lawful and thoughtful immigration, but the migrant crisis is one of mismanagement at the federal, state, and municipal government levels. The crisis has unfairly shifted New York City’s migrant resettlement efforts toward Rockland County, forcing state taxpayers to cover the costs. Meanwhile, the state has funneled billions of our taxpayer dollars to New York City.
JOHN:
✅ OPPOSES ATTEMPTS TO RELOCATE MIGRANTS TO ORANGETOWN AND ROCKLAND,
✅ VOTED AGAINST UNCHECKED FUNDING TO NEW YORK CITY, AND
✅ WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT AGAINST NEW YORK CITY POLICIES THAT WILL CHANGE THE CHARACTER OF OUR COMMUNITIES.
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Educating Our Children
John believes that a strong education is essential to a prosperous future and that every child—whether in public, private, or home school—deserves a quality education. That’s why he has the support of both the NYS Teachers Union and the private school community. He is committed to ensuring students receive a comprehensive, transparent, and appropriate curriculum, schools are well-funded, school choice is protected, teachers are supported, and parents are involved and play an integral role in their child’s education.
JOHN:
✅ VOTED TO INCREASE SCHOOL AID,
✅ INTRODUCED LEGISLATION TO BOOST FUNDING FOR ALL ROCKLAND SCHOOLS,
✅ OPPOSED CUTS TO EDUCATION,
✅ SECURED ADDITIONAL LIBRARY FUNDING, AND
✅ WILL FIGHT TO PREVENT CHANGES TO THE STATE FUNDING FORMULA THAT WOULD HURT ANY ROCKLAND SCHOOLS.
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A Path Forward For East Ramapo Schools
John recognizes that the challenges facing the East Ramapo School District require an “all hands-on-deck” approach, with accountability at every level of government—state, local, executive, and legislative. While he is open to reworking the school aid formula to provide more money to the district, he believes more money alone will not solve the crisis. John will not support increased state funding without restrictions or proper oversight. He remains open to all discussions as part of a comprehensive solution to fix the district’s broken system.
JOHN WILL:
✅ FIGHT FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY,
✅ SUPPORT ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING FOR THE DISTRICT ONLY WITH PROPER OVERSIGHT,
✅ ESTABLISH A LOCAL COMMISSION TO BRING STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO DEVELOP A PATH FORWARD,
✅ KEEP AN OPEN MIND TO ALL LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS MADE, AND
✅ ALWAYS STAND WITH THE CHILDREN OF THE DISTRICT.
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Preserving and Protecting Our Quality of Life
As a lifelong Rockland resident, John knows the county’s suburban charm and strong community make it the perfect place to live, raise a family, and grow a business. He believes that investing in parks, libraries, and open spaces is key to preserving the lifestyle that attracts so many to Rockland. That’s why John secured funding for Veterans, Tappan, and Sparkill Parks, the Rail Trail, and Tigers Den at Spring Valley Memorial Park. He also fought for increased support for libraries like Finkelstein, Pearl River, Piermont, Blauvelt, and Tappan and passed the Preserve Orangetown Bill to protect open spaces for future generations.
JOHN IS DEDICATED TO:
✅ MAINTAINING ROCKLAND’S QUALITY OF LIFE,
✅ CONTINUING INVESTMENT IN OUR PARKS, LIBRARIES, AND OPEN SPACES, AND
✅ PROTECTING OUR WAY OF LIFE FROM ANY INTERFERENCE THAT THREATENS IT.
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Maintaining Local Control of Zoning and Development
Local control of zoning laws, building codes, and other regulatory frameworks is a crucial part of New York’s long-standing legal principles. Preserving local control is essential to maintaining the character of our towns and ensuring responsible development that reflects the needs and values of residents. Top down one-sized-fits-all policies and state mandates—not mandates from the state or infringement by proximate neighborhoods is the wrong way to develop our local communities. John was proud to join with his colleagues to stop Governor Hochul’s housing plans, which would have overridden local zoning laws and stripped communities of the right to shape their own neighborhoods.
✅ JOHN IS A STAUNCH DEFENDER OF LOCAL CONTROL AND
✅ BELIEVES ZONING AND DEVELOPMENT MUST BE RESPONSIBLE, SUSTAINABLE, AND ALIGNED WITH COMMUNITY INTERESTS.
