Death of a seller! Wake New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is replacing the word “inmate” with “seller” in state law a week after banning the word “inmate” … instead of focusing on the big issues like bail reform as crime is rampant in the state
- A New York bill will replace all instances of “seller” with “seller” in all cases in state statutes
- The bill comes as New York City’s overall crime rate rose 36 percent
- Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the bill shortly after an earlier bill swapped “inmate” for “incarcerated person” and another that swapped “his” and “she” for “her” in real estate laws
- Supporting senators of the new bill say “jobs have no gender” in its rationale.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the word “seller” will be replaced with “seller” in state law just a week after the word “inmate” was banned, as critics denounce rising crime rates in the state.
Current bail laws in New York do not require anyone arrested for a nonviolent felony or misdemeanor to post cash bail for release, raising the overall rate in New York City by 36 percent.
Other changes as a result of the decision include any instances where “her” is substituted for “his” or “her” in all laws relating to the real estate industry.
State Senator Anna Kaplan, who sponsored the bill along with Sens. Alessandra Biaggi, Samra G. Brouk, James Gaughran and Robert Jackson, said in her rationale for the decision, “Jobs have no gender.”
“Unfortunately, many of our state’s laws still use gender-specific language when discussing occupations held by people of all genders,” Kaplan wrote.
The law follows recent changes to state statutes that replace the term “inmate” with “person incarcerated” to refer to persons serving a prison sentence.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (pictured) signed legislation replacing all instances of “vendor” with “seller” in all state statutes. She previously replaced all instances of “Inmate” with “Incarcerated Person”.
The current crime rate in New York City is up 36.1 percent from last year. Some attribute the surge to a change in bail laws that no longer require cash bail for those arrested for nonviolent felonies or misdemeanors
Proponents of prison reform say the term “inmate” has a dehumanizing effect.
“Language is important,” said Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Bronx Democrat who sponsored the “inmate” change bill.
“This is another concrete step our state is taking to make our criminal justice system one that focuses on rehabilitation rather than relying solely on punishment.”
Homicides are down 10.5 percent in the city, while robberies are up 39.7 percent from 7,642 cases in 2021 to 10,677 in 2022. Grand theft has seen the biggest change of any crime, up 47.6 percent.
Other cities saw increases in crime, including Rochester and Syracuse, which saw a 26.1 percent and 23 percent increase in fatal shootings, respectively.
“By treating all New Yorkers with dignity and respect, we can improve public safety while ensuring New Yorkers have a fair chance at a second chance,” Hochul said in a statement
Even smaller cities like Troy and Binghamton have felt the surge, and shootings in those cities are up 100 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
The wording change is the latest in the history of state legislation to amend provisions of state law that may be considered obsolete or objectionable.
Last month, Hochul signed legislation replacing the term “mentally retarded” or other variations with “developmentally disabled” in state law.
In 2018, lawmakers passed legislation replacing all occurrences of the words “firefighter” or “police officer” with gender-neutral terms such as “firefighter” or “police officer” in official documents and legislation.
A similar measure to replace the word “inmate” in a number of other state laws was signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2021.
Hochul’s gubernatorial opponent, US Rep. Lee Zeldin, has made fear of crime a central theme of his campaign, as have other Republicans running for Congress.
Hochul said social justice and security can go hand in hand.
“By treating all New Yorkers with dignity and respect, we can improve public safety while ensuring New Yorkers have a fair chance at a second chance,” she said in a statement.