House of Worship Buffer Zones

The New York Civil Liberties Union strongly opposes S.8599 / A.9335 and Part K of the FY2027 Public Protection and General Government (PPGG) Executive Budget bill (S.9005 / A.10005). These bills would strip away some New Yorkers’ free speech rights on an issue of tremendous importance. The proposed legislation is unconstitutional, undermines current protections, would broadly prevent First Amendment protected protest, and would increase policing of disfavored communities and messages. It would also unnecessarily create yet another enforcement tool where state and federal law already provide a solution.