Governor's OfficeTIER 1High
Hochul issued a statement the evening of Aug. 24 following the Supreme Court's ruling on the mail-voting executive order: "Today's ruling does not change the facts: President Trump does not get to rewrite election law or suppress the right to vote with the stroke of a pen. New York's elections are secure. Our laws are clear. And the Constitution does not give the President the authority to override the longstanding role of states in administering their own elections. New York challenged this unlawful executive order from the very beginning and we'll continue the fight." The statement does not name the case or specify next steps.
WAMC Northeast Public RadioTIER 1High
Rensselaer County announced Aug. 24 it will join a federal lawsuit to strike down the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act, the law Hochul signed in May voiding all 287(g) ICE agreements in New York effective Aug. 25. Sheriff Kyle Bourgault, whose office has held an agreement since 2018, will be a plaintiff. County Executive Steve McLaughlin said the state has not explained how the change improves public safety. WAMC reports 11 of the 12 other notified jurisdictions have said they will withdraw by the deadline. Nassau County Executive and Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Blakeman is the exception: "We're still talking with our lawyers. They're reviewing the process. I'll make a decision shortly." Saratoga County Sheriff Jeff Brown has said he will sign on to the suit though his county has no 287(g) agreement. The suit had not been filed and the plaintiff list is not public as of Aug. 24.