Month: March 2017

March 31, 2017

The Following Message Was Posted On The Wayland-Cohocton School Website:

From the Wayland Cohocton High School Principal Eileen Feinman: We are writing to inform you of a situation that took place earlier this afternoon in the high school. We were made aware of some graffiti that was written on a desk that was very concerning in nature and inferred that there was going to be some type of violence initiated at the high school. We are working with the police and have located the individual we believe to be responsible for the threat. As a result of this situation you will see additional safety measures put into place for the next several days. We take the safety and well being of everyone here very seriously. If you have questions or concerns please reach out and contact me or any building level principal.

fMarch 30, 2017

ABC Radio News reports that North Carolina governor Roy Cooper says he has signed a measure rolling back the state’s controversial HB2 “bathroom bill.”

March 30, 2017

State Assembly members Joe Giglio and Phil Palmesano issued the following joint statement:

Assembly Republicans serving on the New York State Assembly Committee on Corrections are frustrated and angered by a continued spree of assaults on correction officers, including the recent brutal attack at Five Points Correctional Facility that left an officer hospitalized with a facial fracture and a separated shoulder.

Ranking Member Joe Giglio (R,C,I-Gowanda), Assemblymen Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning), and Assemblyman Gary Finch (R,C,I-Springport) noted that the administration has closed facilities, trimmed staffing and championed budget cuts for state prisons. Palmesano said the resulting overcrowding and understaffing has created a work environment of escalating danger for correction officers.

“This budget needs to provide correction officers with the tools and resources they need to protect themselves and inmates pursuing rehabilitation from violent prisoners. That means increasing staffing levels, ending dangerous double-bunking and double-celling practices, and having enough facilities to house our prison population safely. We aren’t achieving any of those objectives right now, and they are all imperative,” said the lawmakers.

The legislators are alarmed by rising assault rates corresponding with facility closures that began in 2009 and continued until 2014.

Gov. Cuomo has closed 13 facilities during his tenure. “I’m going to go down in the history books as the governor who closed the most prisons in the history of the State of New York and I am proud of it,” he announced last year.

Fitting the prison population into 13 fewer facilities has created a pressure-cooker environment. There were 760 assaults on correction officers last year, up 45 percent from 2012.

“These numbers are simply unacceptable. These brave men and women are on the front lines of public safety. Their job is inherently dangerous. As a society, it is unconscionable that we would make their job even more hazardous because we weren’t willing to provide them with needed resources. It starts with the governor, but it requires lawmakers to make this a priority. We continue making this case to our colleagues,” said the legislators.

In his Executive Budget, the governor proposed slashing visitation hours at maximum security prisons in an effort to cut 39 positions. Both houses of the legislature rejected the misguided provision in their own budget resolutions. The proposal would further jeopardize the safety of inmates and correction officers.

Giglio, Palmesano, and Finch said that lawmakers who are pushing for criminal justice reforms that benefit convicted felons should be mindful of the law enforcement officials who put their lives on the line to keep people safe.

“Certainly, we want a criminal justice system that is fair. What we can’t do is focus solely on criminals and ignore the pursuit of justice for brave New Yorkers on the front lines of law enforcement.”

March 30, 2017

GENSESEO, NY – Livingston County Sheriff Tom Dougherty and Livingston County District Attorney Greg McCaffrey, issued a joint statement this morning, condemning the governor’s plan for raising the age of prisoners convicted of violent offenses:

: An important piece of the budget that our Assembly and Senate will be voting on in the very near future entails a “Raise the Age” initiative. Livingston County District Attorney Greg McCaffrey and Livingston County Sheriff Thomas J. Dougherty are encouraging constituents to contact their state leaders today and encourage them to vote no on raising the age of criminal liability.
New York State already has a way for 16 and 17 year old offenders to navigate through the criminal justice system without long lasting implications. Those programs include youthful offender provisions, diversion programs, drug rehabilitation initiatives and educational opportunities. If the offender can change their behavior and not commit a new crime(s), there are no long lasting negative impacts on the offender for most offenses.
This important piece of possible legislation should be examined carefully and decided with the upmost consideration that it deserves due to the long lasting impacts if passed. It should not be presented and voted on in a manner that is combined with several other bills through the budget process.
If passed, the current bill will provide little to no funding for counties; creating another unfunded mandate on our Sheriff’s Offices, Probation Departments and Family Courts. The financial burdens cannot be accurately stated due to so many unknowns that have yet to be clarified in the proposal. Though the specific dollar amount is unknown, it is well known that the proposal will be a significant cost to local taxpayers.
This bill will negatively impact how the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office conduct their business. It is our opinion that it will directly affect the safety of our county and that is why we write to express our genuine concern.

We are asking you to contact your elected state representatives today and ask them to vote no if the raise the age initiative is included in the budget.
The contact phone numbers and email addresses are provided.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY ELECTED STATE REPRESENSTATIVES CONTACTS:
Senator Cathy Young 518-455-3563 cyoung@nysenate.gov
Senator Patrick Gallivan 518-455-3471 gallivan@nysenate.gov
Assemblyman Joseph Errigo 518-455-5662 errigoj@nyassembly.gov

March 29, 2017

12 people were killed and at least 3 were injured when a private church bus was involved in a head-on collision about 75 miles west of San Antonio, Texas Department of Public Safety officials say.

March 29, 2017

Shots were fired on Capitol Hill, police say. A driver apparently struck a Capitol Police cruiser before attempting to run over several other officers who were on foot. No one was struck by the gunfire. The suspect is now in custody.

March 29, 2017

ALBANY, NY – Things are getting down to the wire in Albany, with state lawmakers working on the budget, and Senator Tom O’Mara and Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, are pleased that the final budget will include an increase of $55 million dollars for those who work with those who suffer from traumatic brain injury, Down Syndrome, developmental delay, and other disorders.

Palmesano issued this statement:

“This session, my colleagues and I in the Assembly Republican Conference have been fighting for funding to provide workers who provide quality care to New Yorkers with developmental disabilities with a living wage. As the minimum wage has increased, non-profits facing flat Medicaid reimbursements would have needed to cut critical services or dedicated direct-care workers to keep their doors open. We fought for state funding to protect these workers and the critical, quality-of-life care they provide. I applaud the governor for listening and delivering. I want to thank Leader Kolb for his leadership on this issue, and I want to thank all of the compassionate direct-care professionals for ensuring that the most vulnerable New Yorkers enjoy healthy, fulfilling lives with access to opportunity and inclusion. I can’t emphasize enough that this issue was entirely about of the quality of life and quality of care of our most vulnerable New Yorkers- the developmentally disabled. I am so pleased that this critical funding will be included in the Final Enacted State Budget.”

O’Mara said the following:

“This has been an absolute priority all along for me and many of my colleagues. We cannot afford to risk the health and well-being of people with disabilities because New York State fails to invest in a stable, long-term workforce of trained and skilled direct care professionals,” said O’Mara, a member of the Senate Finance Committee.

March 29, 2017

ALBANY, NY – State Senator Cathy Young says that there was a tragic death of a young woman originally from Fredonia, in the state of Tennessee. Because of this, the senator has introduced legislation to ban the potentially dangerous guardrails in New York State. In November 2016, Hannah Eimers, who was born in 1999 in Fredonia, was killed in a traffic accident in Tennessee when her vehicle left Interstate 75, crossed into the median and struck the guardrail. Tragically, instead of re-directing the car as it left the roadway, the guardrail penetrated the cabin of the car, killing Hannah instantly. Senator Young says that Hannah’s family has raised concerns because the type of guardrail she struck continues to be used across the country, despite growing safety concerns. “Our hearts go out to the Eimers family. Words cannot begin to express our sympathies. Losing a 17-year-old child is devastating, especially in such a tragic way. When I learned about the local connection to Hannah I immediately took action to help the family bring something positive out of their loved one’s tragic passing. New York should be proactive so that a similar tragedy doesn’t occur here,” said Senator Young.

In response to the family’s concerns, Senator Young has introduced new legislation, Senate Bill 5427, which would remove “X-Lite” guardrail products from the list of eligible types of materials used for guardrails in New York State, ban “X-Lite” and similarly designed products from being installed in the future, and require that any existing “X-Lite” guardrail products be replaced. “This legislation is about ensuring the public’s safety on the roadways. We are discovering that there are deathtraps on the sides of our roads. Guardrails are supposed to be designed to protect people from injury when there is an accident. You just can’t cut corners when public safety is involved and this design is seriously flawed. Banning the use of this design will help keep everyone safe while honoring Hannah’s memory. Everything that can be done to protect motorists should be done. If a product is known to be deficient, we should take steps to replace it and make sure municipalities and the state don’t continue investing in the technology,” she said.