Republican lawmakers in Albany are calling for immediate action to strengthen New York’s involuntary mental health commitment laws after a brutal stabbing in Brooklyn left four young girls seriously injured.
The attack, carried out by the children’s uncle—who police say has a history of mental health issues—has reignited debate over how the state handles individuals in crisis. An 11-year-old victim called 911 to report the assault earlier this week. All four girls are expected to survive.
Republican leaders from the Assembly and Senate held a joint announcement pushing for reforms they say are long overdue. While Gov. Kathy Hochul has proposed expanding the state’s involuntary commitment standards as part of her budget, no agreement has been reached with the Democratic legislative majority.
“How many tragedies is it going to take before Democrats stop blocking the path toward improved public safety?” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C-Pulaski). “It’s mind-boggling that with the amount of violence we’ve seen, this is still a budget item under negotiation.”
Lawmakers also cited a separate attack in Manhattan this week where a man reportedly suffering from mental illness assaulted two women with a glass bottle, leaving one critically injured. These incidents, Republicans argue, reflect broader systemic failures.
“This brutal attack should have never happened,” said Assemblyman Lester Chang (R,C-Brooklyn). “Our system failed these children. This is why I fully support the effort to strengthen our state’s mental health commitment laws.”
Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R,C-North Tonawanda) pointed to increasing subway violence as further evidence of a growing crisis. “More and more violent crime is occurring… and more often than not, the perpetrators are suffering from mental illness,” Ortt said. “We cannot afford to wait any longer.”
A 2023 study cited by lawmakers found that 80 percent of individuals with the highest number of subway arrests had mental health problems. With the legislative session entering its final budget negotiations, Republicans are urging Democrats to include expanded commitment provisions without delay.
“There is no better representation of why it’s critical that involuntary commitment be included in this year’s budget,” said Sen. Steve Chan (R-17th Senate District). “This is not political; this is common sense.”
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