Martin Golden

Career

Martin J. Golden (R,C) was elected to represent Brooklyn's 22nd Senate District in 2002. The 22nd State Senate District includes the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Marine Park, Gerritsen Beach, Gravesend, Manhattan Beach, and parts of Sheepshead Bay, Borough Park and Midwood.

From 1998 through 2002, Golden represented the 43rd Council District in the New York City Council. In the days immediately after 9/11, Golden's office coordinated the shipment of more than 200 truckloads of food, clothing, and materials to the volunteers working at "Ground Zero" and helped to establish the first Community Emergency Response Team (CERT 1 NYC) in New York State.

Golden has authored over 75 laws in the areas of public safety, taxes, economic development, and senior citizen issues. Golden worked to strengthen the sex offender registry and expand the DNA databank to include all persons convicted of a felony and certain misdemeanors. In December 2005, Golden sponsored the laws to increase penalties against gun-runners and those that injure or kill police officers. In 2006, Golden wrote a law that mandates prison for the possession of a single loaded illegal firearm. He has also worked to support tax credits for public, private and parochial school students. and additional funding to improve New York City Public Schools. He has also supported or written several laws affecting senior citizens, include a law mandating the internet posting of retail prescription drug prices and a single EPIC/Medicare prescription drug card. Golden also wrote a law that raised SCRIE from $24,000 to $29,000 for seniors and disabled. In terms of public safety, he chaired the Senate Majority Task Force on Critical Choices in February 2007. In 2011, Golden was selected by then-Majority Leader Dean Skelos to serve as the Senate’s Representative to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Capital Program Review Board.

In 2011, Golden voted against legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, stating that he considered it to be “destruction of the sacrament of marriage."

In January 2017, Senator Golden co-sponsored Senate Bill S362 which establishes a prohibition on the imposition of any tax, fee or local charge on carry out merchandise bags in cities having a population of one million or more, a move criticized by environmentalists around New York State.

In June 2017, 150-200 protesters rallied outside Golden's office in support of the New York Health Act, an act to establish a single-payer healthcare system in New York Organizers were disappointed when Golden and his staff "snubbed" their protest, refusing their request for him to hold a healthcare townhall, stating that "That won't benefit me."

Controversies

In 2012, Golden advertised an "etiquette class for woman" to help them be successful in the workplace that included strategies such as "walking up and down stairs elegantly" and "sitting, standing, and walking like a model." This event, which was taxpayer-funded, drew heavy critique, which caused Golden to eventually cancel the event, though he did not apologize. Before canceling the event, Golden's office first attempted to neutralize critique by removing references to "walking like a model" from the listing.

In July 2015, Senator Golden made a controversial joke on his Facebook page regarding marijuana and same-sex gay marriage, stating “It all makes sense now. Gay marriage and marijuana being legalized on the same day. Leviticus 20:13 – ‘if a man lays with another man he should be stoned.’ We’ve just been interpreting it wrong all these years,” Golden has since deleted this comment.

in February of 2017, Golden falsely claimed that the 9/11 hijackers originated from Bay Ridge, which is a neighborhood he represents, in defense of Trump's Muslim Ban. He claimed: “A number of them that drove the planes into the — 9-11 — into the building at World Trade Center that killed 3,000 Americans — are you ready for this? They were in this community, they lived here in Bay Ridge, they were visiting in this community,” Golden told host Brian Lehrer. His spokesman, John Quaglione, later claimed that Golden had "misspoken."

In June 2017, while endorsing his staffer, John Quaglione, in a local City Council race, Golden was overheard referring derisively to one of Quaglione's Democratic challengers as "Fat Boy" in front of reporters, warning a reporter present who had taken note of the gaffe not to print it or "[she] would never have a sit-down with [him] again."

Personal life

Golden is the oldest of eight children born to Irish immigrants who settled in Bay Ridge. Marty and his wife, Colleen, have two children, Michael and P.J. Golden attended St. Patrick's and Our Lady of Angels Grammar Schools, New York School of Printing, and John Jay College. He holds an associate degree from St. John’s University.

Golden is a retired New York City Police Officer who received numerous awards during his ten years with the Police Department. Golden was forced to retire in 1983, after suffering a serious injury while making a narcotics arrest. Golden's website claims that his "distinguished career as a New York City Police Officer provided him with the knowledge and experience to make our streets safer."