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Audio Feature: This week in News for Rep. John Faso 20180403

Mar 31, 2018 11:43 am
Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area. The Fivethirtyeight.com website currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 87.1 percent of the time, the same as last week. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (13:18).

William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman that Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) told Kingston school board members March 23 that he is working on making schools safer from shootings. "I ... [endorsed] the initiative to get mental health funding that we were able to put in this omnibus [federal spending] bill,” said Faso during the meeting. “We’re working on ... a ‘red flag’ law.... This is modeled after a law in Indiana ... [which] would allow a family member or school, if there’s a particular individual that might [be] exhibiting signs of being destructive to themselves or others, that in the case of firearms they would be able to petition a court to remove the firearms. Then the judge would ultimately make the decision on whether or not they should continue to be withheld from the individual.” Friday spoke with the school administrators the day before millions of students and citizens marched around the country at protests against school shootings, organized after 17 were killed at a Florida school Feb. 14. Faso received $5,950 in 2016 from the National Rifle Association. On December 6, Faso voted for the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which takes away the right of individual states such as New York to determine what qualifications a person must meet before being allowed to carry a concealed firearm in its borders. Instead, the state with the least regulation makes policy for all other states, since its concealed carry rules would be law everywhere. The International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys opposed the bill. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

Jordan J. Michael is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media U.S. Rep. John Faso March 23, hosted a resource fair at the Greenville American Legion to provide veterans of the armed services the opportunity to learn more about available benefits. At least 18 veterans service organizations and private agencies were on hand. “This district is larger than Connecticut, so it might be difficult for some veterans to get access to proper services,” Faso said. “We owe a lot to the veterans and we can’t do enough to provide for what they have earned as a veteran.” The event was the fifth Veterans Resource Fair to be held in Faso's district, and the next event will be held in Dutchess County in April. “I’m impressed with the attitude of the people and companies providing services here,” Crane Davis, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Palenville, said. “They seem to really care about reaching out.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman that Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is “disappointed” with President Donald Trump’s response to Russia’s alleged election meddling. “I’m disappointed in that,” Faso said during a recent interview in Kingston. “I do think that we need to be much more forthright about the fact that the Russians have malign intentions toward the United States.” On March 26 the State Department announced it was expelling 60 Russian diplomats, but not because of election interference. The expulsions came in retaliation for Russia's alleged involvement in the poisoning of an ex-spy and his daughter in England. Faso also complained that the State Department has not spent any of the $120 million set aside to counter Russian efforts to meddle in elections and hack such infrastructure as electrical grid and U.S. aviation systems. “I think we have to be much tougher on the Russians,” he said. “I was pleased to see the Justice Department bring the action against the Iranian nationals for cyber crimes, but I’m not satisfied with the degree to which we have taken action against the Russians.” Faso says, “I have no way of knowing” whether the investigation of the President's involvement with Russia plays any part in the administration's lack of action on Russian issues. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.

• Faso also appeared on Fox News March 26. Watch the clip below.


The Daily Freeman is reporting a Kingston court has ruled the trespassing charge made against community activist and radio host Callie Jayne will be dropped in six months if she does not repeat the offense. Jayne was charged with trespassing after the operator of Seven21 Media Center alleged she was repeatedly warned to stay on the sidewalk and out of the parking lot during weekly rallies at the midtown building where U.S. Rep. John Faso has his district office. Jayne, did not admit guilt during her appearance in City Court. Judge Philip Kirschner said that “under normal circumstances,” any arrest in the next six months would result in the trespassing charge being reopened. But in this instance, Jayne can only be convicted of the charge if she stages a protest on the property, he said. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.


• Millions of young people around the country marched in Washington D.C., Poughkeepsie, Albany, and elsewhere March 24 to change gun laws, organized by the students from the Feb. 14 Florida school shooting. But that was not the last action the students from Parkland, Florida are taking. They have next called for all Congressional representatives to host town hall meetings on April 7, as elected officials are back in their home districts. WGXC reached out to both New York senators and Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) to see if they would be holding town hall meetings that day. They are not. Faso and Sen. Chuck Schumer did not get back to WGXC, but both do not list any public events on their websites. A spokesperson for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand did get back to WGXC, but did not address any upcoming town halls, only listing past events. While none of the current representatives are listening to the Parkland students on this issue, six of the seven Democrats who want to replace Faso will be at a town hall-styled event on April 7 at Cooks Falls/Horton Fire Hall, at 116 Cooks Falls Rd in Delaware County. Zephyr Teachout, who ran against Faso in 2016, will moderate the forum. Candidates Pat Ryan, Gareth Rhodes, Brian Flynn, Antonio Delgado, David Clegg, and Jeff Beals are expected to attend. The Parkland students are also organizing a second school walkout on April 20.

The Daily Freeman is reporting the 10th person looking to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. John Faso announced his candidacy March 28. Steve Greenfield, a former member of the New Paltz school board, said he will seek the Green Party nomination to challenge the Kinderhook Republican, in the Nov. 6 election. Greenfield described his approach to governing as “solve the problem” but without lobbyists. “No corporate lobbyists will ever step foot in my office,” said Greenfield, 56. “They are the problem and the easiest one to solve.” Greenfield said he is the only candidate in the group who has held office and has a legislative record and also the only one "not beholden to corporate donors or party bosses." Greenfield is a 1982 graduate of Columbia College, where he majored in economics. He has made his career in music. Greenfield served two terms on the New Paltz school board. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.
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