New York State Assembly Leichter, a
Democrat, was first elected to the New York State Assembly in November 1968. The Cook-Leichter bill was the first in the nation to legalize abortion. This law influenced the
U.S. Supreme Court ruling in its landmark January 1973
Roe v. Wade decision.
New York State Senate Leichter won election to the State Senate in 1974 after he defeated incumbent Senate Minority Leader
Joseph Zaretzki in the Democratic primary. Leichter remained in the Senate until 1998, sitting in the
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192nd New York State Legislatures. In the Legislature, Leichter was known as a maverick who fought for reform and effective ethical standards. Leichter took on many causes. He introduced the New York City canine waste law, commonly known as the
"pooper-scooper" law, which requires dog owners in New York City to clean up after their pets. Since its enactment in 1979, similar laws have been adopted throughout the country. Leichter was a strong consumer advocate. As ranking Democrat on the
Senate Banking Committee, he sought to advance the interests of consumers and to block harmful legislation. Among his major achievements was the law that required banks to promptly credit their customers with checks when deposited instead of holding the amounts for days while using the money for their own profit, the first such law in the country. A few years after New York State ended this practice, the
United States Congress followed suit. For many years he issued a popular Consumer's Guide to Banks to help empower consumers with information on how to avoid excessive charges and hidden fees. He also published a similar Consumer's Guide to
Credit Cards. He frequently called attention to hidden bank and credit card charges and other practices that were costly to consumers. Active in support of affordable housing, Leichter pushed the Legislature to pass the "
warranty of habitability" to protect tenants from dangerous and unsanitary conditions. He was a leading advocate for tenants' rights and a vocal supporter of New York's rent regulations to protect affordable housing. Leichter fought for
campaign finance reform and was credited with playing a key role in the establishment of New York City's
campaign finance law. He was instrumental in abolishing wasteful and inefficient tax subsidies to businesses by New York State and New York City. In 1990, Leichter drafted and introduced the first state bill anywhere in the country providing for
domestic partnerships, primarily to expand
civil rights for lesbian and gay people in the absence of their right to marriage. While his bill did not pass it helped move to the forefront the effort to achieve equal rights for gays and lesbians. New York State adopted the
same-sex marriage law in 2011. As a Democrat serving in the minority party his entire legislative career, Leichter described his strategy as "raising issues", which he accomplished through aggressive debate on the Senate floor, extensive research reports, and frequent news conferences in the Senate lobby and on the steps of
New York City Hall. Leichter announced his retirement from the Senate in 1998 at age 67, and was succeeded by
Eric Schneiderman, who went on to be elected as
New York State Attorney General in 2010. Leichter was nominated in 2009 by Governor
David Paterson to serve on New York State's Banking Board. He was confirmed by the New York State Senate and served as a member until its elimination in 2011. Leichter was a Director of the Hudson River Park Trust Board, which is constructing a park along the Hudson River in Manhattan, New York. ==Personal life and death==