Socialist Lawmaker Suggests Shoplifters Should Get Pass If They Steal For ‘Biological Need’

August 16, 2026 11:42 AM ET A New York socialist lawmaker says people who swipe basic goods from stores shouldn’t face charges because they have a “biological need” for what they take.State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher made the argument Thursday at a news conference outside Manhattan Criminal Court, according to the New York Post. Gallagher is a Democrat who represents parts of northern Brooklyn. She told reporters that most theft cases she had reviewed involved essentials, and that arresting anyone over such items amounts to punishing poverty.“Most of what we saw were crimes of poverty-people who are stealing things like toothpaste, people who were stealing things like, you know, soap. And that means if you’re stealing those things, you need them,” Gallagher said in a video posted on X.