VotebeatTIER 1Breaking
On Aug. 24 the U.S. Supreme Court, in an unsigned order splitting along ideological lines, lifted Judge Indira Talwani's June injunction against key provisions of President Trump's March 31 executive order restricting mail voting. New York is one of the 24 jurisdictions (23 states plus D.C.) whose attorneys general and governors brought that suit. The majority addressed only whether the injunction was premature, writing that its ruling "does not mean that any measure taken by the government to implement the order will necessarily be lawful." Justice Jackson dissented, warning of a "Kafkaesque nightmare"; Justices Sotomayor and Kagan dissented separately. A second injunction issued Aug. 11 in the League of Women Voters case still applies nationwide, so the order remains blocked for now. If implemented, it would require states to send the federal government lists of voters receiving mail ballots, with USPS declining delivery in states that do not comply.
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.