William Colton

American politician (b. 1946)

William Colton
Colton in 2012

Member of the New York State Assembly from the 47th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Frank J. Barbaro

Personal details
Born	(1946-03-06) March 6, 1946 (age 78)
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary
Alma mater	St. John's University, B.A. Brooklyn College, M.S. St. John's University School of Law, J.D.
Signature
Website	Official website

William Colton (born March 6, 1946) is an American politician who represents District 47 in the New York State Assembly, which comprises Bath Beach, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Dyker Heights and Midwood.^[1]

First elected to the Assembly in 1996, Colton currently serves as Majority Whip. He sits on the Correction, Environmental Conservation, Governmental Employees, Labor, Rules, and Ways and Means committees and is a member of the Asian Pacific American Task Force.^[2] He has previously served as chair and Vice Chair of the Majority Conference and as Chair of the Legislative Commission on Solid Waste Management.

According to his self-published biography, Colton is a lifelong resident of the district. Prior to entering the Assembly, Colton worked as a teacher within the New York City public school system, serving as a UFT Chapter Chairperson for six of his eleven years in that occupation, and as a licensed attorney since 1979. Colton is the co-founder and organizer of the Bensonhurst Tenants Council, founder of the Bensonhurst Straphangers Committee, and served as an attorney in the lawsuit that successfully prevented the re-opening of the Southwest Brooklyn Incinerator.

He holds a B.A. in degree in Urban Education from St. John's University, an M.S. in Urban Education from Brooklyn College and a J.D. from St. John's School of Law.^[3]

Legislation

In the 2019-2020 and the 2021-2022 legislative terms, Colton was the primary sponsor of legislation to make the National Day of the People's Republic of China a public holiday in New York State.^[4] In the 2021–2022 term, one bill that Colton was the lead sponsor of was enacted, A03964, which increased fines for leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it.^[5]

Controversy

Colton received criticism for a Facebook post he posted on August 9, 2020, calling Black Lives Matter a hate group, comparing it to the Ku Klux Klan. Colton later clarified that he did not think Black Lives Matter was a hate group, but that there were some bad actors within the movement who seek to spread hate, which he said was similar to how the Ku Klux Klan was started by "well intentioned" people until they later turned towards hate.^[6] The Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Legislative Caucus of New York released a statement saying they were "shocked and offended" by Colton's post.^[7]

Elections

Colton has won 14 terms since 1996, and has never been primaried. His closest election occurred in 2022, when he beat Republican Dmitriy Kugel with 54.73% to Kugel's 45.15%.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ "William Colton - Assembly District 47 | New York State Assembly". assembly.state.ny.us. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^ "Committee Membership". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^ "William Colton - Assembly District 47 | New York State Assembly". assembly.state.ny.us. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^ Yan, Flora (December 4, 2021). "Behind Legislators' Push to Make PRC National Day a New York State Holiday". The Diplomat. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
^ "A03964 Summary". New York State Assembly. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^ Adams, Rose (14 August 2020). "Pol shares Facebook post equating Black Lives Matter to Klu Klux Klan • Brooklyn Paper". www.brooklynpaper.com. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^ "CAUCUS STATEMENT ON BLACK LIVES MATTER REMARKS BY BROOKLYN ASSEMBLYMAN". Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislative Caucus. Retrieved 17 January 2023.