Paul Kirby compares, in the Daily Freeman, the positions on guns of the two candidates for the special election in August to pick a Congressperson for New York's current 19th Congressional District. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, wants to bring back the ban on assault rifles and institute universal background checks on gun purchasers. Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, did not list any specific legislation he would back to address the problem. “We must also institute universal background checks, ban bump stocks and high-capacity magazines, prevent straw purchases, close gun-show loopholes, and institute red flag laws and no-buy lists for domestic abusers and suspected terrorists,” Ryan said. “Americans universally support these measures and they deserve representatives with the backbone to take on the gun lobby and deliver actual results.” Molinaro did not use the word gun in his response to the murder of 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Texas. "It is imperative we attack the root of the problem here; reducing isolation and fighting hatred by building a community of inclusion. It’s what we’ve done in Dutchess County for a decade," he said. The Just Facts website reports that Molinaro, in 2018, had a 92 percent rating from the National Rifle Association. In 2018 Molinaro also had a 100 percent rating from the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association. And New Yorkers Against Gun Violence gave Molinaro an F rating in 2008. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Ryan Whelan reports for New York State of Politics about one Republican New York Congressperson willing to say this week that he would vote for an assault weapons ban. "I want to be completely transparent of where I am in Congress," said Rep. Chris Jacobs, a Republican based near Buffalo, where an 18-year-old recently murdered ten people at a grocery store. "If an assault weapons ban bill came to the floor that would ban something like an AR-15, I would vote for it." After reading that quote, play this brief clip of Jacobs. Jacobs said he is also working on a bill to ban body armor for civilians. Jacobs also supports raising the age to purchase an AR-15 style rifle from 18 to 21. Asked if he’s worried, as a Republican, about taking positions to reduce gun violence as he runs for election in the redrawn rural NY-23 district, Jacobs said “yes.” Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan allowed so-called "school resource officers" in the Rondout and Onteora school districts and at Ulster County BOCES last week after the murder of 19 children and two adults at a Texas school. The Ulster County Legislature voted 19-4 for the security guards at the schools at its May 17 meeting, before the Texas shooting. After the shooting, Ryan returned the resolutions unsigned, "a move that is generally used to allow a resolution to go into effect while signaling disapproval of the measure," Doxsey wrote. Ryan put out a statement on the issue May 27. “As a parent, I feel very strongly that we need to do everything that we can to keep our kids safe in school. I also feel strongly that decisions about what happens in schools should be made by parents, teachers, and school boards, that is why I have consistently returned these resolutions unsigned, empowering our school districts to make these decisions,” he said. BOCES will pay the county $53,241.58 for a part-time security guard from July 1, through June 30, 2023. The Onteora and Rondout school districts will each pay the county $111,054.66 for security guards in each of those districts between Sept. 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. The "no" votes against the security guards in schools were from Legislature Chair Tracey Bartels, a non-enrolled voter from Gardiner who aligns with Democrats; and Democrats Philip Erner, Abe Uchitelle, and Eve Walter. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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Wendy Liberatore is reporting for the Times Union the gun industry has a spokesman with exceptional access to U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 Republican in the House: her husband, Matthew Manda. Manda is the manager of public affairs for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, based in Newtown, Conn. The trade group's mission is "to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports" and was one of the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit attempting to block a New York law that increases potential liability for gun manufacturers. The suit was dismissed by a  judge in Albany earlier this week, but an appeal is likely. Manda frequently writes for the foundation's website and other outlets about the group's events and policy positions. "Law-abiding Americans choose over and over again to take their personal safety into their own hands and purchase a firearm," he wrote in April. "Congress needs to ensure the industry is free from ‘woke’ corporate discrimination.” Manda's article did not mention that Stefanik is his wife and he did not respond to a Times Union request for comment. A foundation spokesperson refused to say when Manda started working for the group, calling it "personal information." When the Times Union called Stefanik advisor and campaign spokesperson Alex deGrasse, to ask if Manda's work influences Stefanik’s position on gun rights, deGrasse called the reporter “a very sick person.” He then sent an email calling the Times Union “sexist.” Stefanik was a strong ally of the gun industry long before her husband went to work for the NSSF and she has an A-plus rating from the National Rifle Association. Stefanik and Manda met in 2012 and were married in 2017. At the time, Manda was the marketing and communications director for the Virginia-based Media Group of America, which runs the conservative news website the Independent Journal Review. Read more in the Times Union.

Kate Lisa is reporting for Capital Tonight Under legislation introduced by state lawmakers last week, fossil fuel companies that have emitted significant greenhouse gases leading to the climate crisis would be required to pay a combined $30 billion to the state for environmental upgrades. The Climate Change Superfund Act would require coal, oil and natural gas companies to pay a share of the cost of green infrastructure projects to remediate environmental harm and remove the burden from taxpayers who did not contribute to the emissions. Companies would pay damages based on their share of total greenhouse gas emissions since the year 2000. The state Department of Environmental Conservation would use industry-specific formulas for each fossil fuel company to calculate their emissions and identify those responsible. Proving negligence or wrongdoing is not required for companies to be obligated to pay damages. The proposed law would create the Climate Change Adaption Cost Recovery Program ⁠— equivalent to a state superfund program to clean up toxic waste sites. "Who should pay? The oil companies should pay because they're the ones who are behind the problem," New York Public Interest Research Group Executive Director Blair Horner said. "They caused a problem, they created waste, and they need to be on the hook for it." The funds collected would be placed in a new Climate Change Adaptation Fund to be used for green infrastructure projects. Potential upgrades include repairing damage from extreme weather events and upgrades to stormwater drains, roads, bridges, electrification and public transportation. Infrastructure projects to curb climate change are estimated to cost New York $10 billion annually by 2050. If the act is signed into law, the DEC, state Department of Taxation and Finance and state attorney general's office would be responsible for enforcement. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics.com.

Noah Eckstein is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson is in the process of finalizing details with the Hudson Business Coalition over the logistics of reinstalling concrete street barriers on Warren Street, intended to increase seating capacities for restaurants during the summer months. Last week, after receiving queries about the status of the Warren Street Seasonal Usage program from the Common Council, Johnson met with HBC President Alex Petraglia. Following the meeting, Petraglia said the concrete block barriers and planters will return starting June 20 and remain in place until October. 3. The barriers will be available to all dining establishments in the city, a change from what Johnson said previously. The mayor had said the program would begin sometime during the week of June 1, and would only be available for cafes, restaurants and juice bars without outdoor dining spaces. The city code is unclear about what constitutes outdoor dining, but city code enforcement officer Craig Haigh said what a business does with some of their sidewalk space is up to them. Businesses are allowed up to four feet of the sidewalk for outdoor seating as long as at least two feet are available for a pedestrian to pass. After the meeting last week, Johnson said the question of whether the program will be open to all dining establishments is still undecided. Petraglia said the cost of the program this year, including parking fees, plants, soil for the planters, materials to repair and improve the planters, paint, reflectors and reflective tape, will cost about $18,000. Petraglia said the HBC is working to secure grant support to cover the cost of aesthetic and safety improvements to the barriers, fixing the planters, and covering the fees that businesses would otherwise have to cover for lost parking revenue. Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Here is this week's Hudson Valley Congressional Report from WGXC, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives of the Hudson Valley in Congress and the candidates who want to replace them. Current Democrat Reps. Antonio Delgado, Paul Tonko, and Sean Maloney vote with the positions of President Joe Biden 100 percent of the time, according to the fivethirtyeight.com website. Republican Elise Stefanik voted with Biden's positions 18 percent of the time. Click here to listen to this report.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Rep. Antonio Delgado is now a representative in name only. At the beginning of May Governor Kathy Hochul picked him to be her new lieutenant governor, but he did not immediately resign the seat. And Delgado has not been voting in person in the Capitol since at least May 10, just over a week after Hochul tapped him for the new job. In a May 10 letter to the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Delgado invoked a House of Representatives resolution that allows him to designate a proxy to vote in his absence. “I write to notify you of the designation of a proxy to cast my vote. I am unable to physically attend proceedings in the House Chamber due to the ongoing public health emergency,” Delgado wrote, adding “I hereby grant the authority to cast my vote by proxy to the Honorable Joe Neguse (CO), who has agreed to serve as my proxy.” Apparently Delgado is using COVID-19 as an excuse, although he has made no public announcement about contracting the virus recently. Rep. Neguse represents the Second Congressional District in the State of Colorado, and will now be casting votes for the 19th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley. Delgado’s office did not respond to requests from Mid-Hudson News seeking additional comments regarding the proxy votes. Delgado announced May 23 that he will resign on May 25, allowing a special election to fill his seat on the same day as the state's congressional and state Senate primaries, Aug. 23. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

MidHudson News is reporting that Hudson resident Osun “O” Zotique, 30, has announced their intention to be the “nation’s first openly transgender, non-binary congressional candidate for the new NY-19 Congressional District." In a statement, Zotique said, “I am running for U.S. Congress because, as a strong transformative community artist/leader who is neither man nor woman, I embody the unity that this country needs right now." They praised current U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado who is stepping down to become the state's lieutenant governor. Zotique is a teacher, community leader, and Ph.D. candidate. Zotique has served as director of OutHudson since February. They were a write-in candidate in the recent Hudson school board election. Zotique finished sixth in the field of six candidates. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Luke Parsnow is reporting for Spectrum News the Antonio Delgado was sworn in as lieutenant governor on May 25, becoming Gov. Kathy Hochul’s second in command and the state’s third lieutenant governor in less than a year. The former Democratic congressman replaces Brian Benjamin who resigned in April following his indictment on bribery and fraud charges. Delgado was selected by Hochul to fill the vacancy earlier this month. “We have enough politicians. We really do. What we need are more public servants," Delgado said, adding that the work he's done in Congress "is work of unity." Delgado was born in Schenectady attended Colgate University and eventually graduated from Harvard Law School. He leaves the 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives without representation. "I am incredibly humbled, beyond words, and truly grateful to be your partner, Gov. Hochul, and every New Yorker around this journey," Delgado said. Going forward, Delgado will face two opponents in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor, less than a month from now. He is running against activist Ana Maria Archila and New York City Council member Diana Reyna. Hochul is also looking to prevail in her primary contests over former New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi [SWAH-zee]. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor run separately in primary elections, which will be held June 28. In August, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, a Democrat, faces Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, in a special election, to serve the remainder of Delgado's term. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman former state Sen. Jen Metzger has added her name to the list of Democrats who have declared their intention to run for Ulster County executive, should Pat Ryan win election to Congress. Metzger, from Rosendale, now sits on the state Cannabis Control Board. She announced her candidacy in a tweet May 25, stating: “Should Pat Ryan represent us in Congress, I will run for Ulster County executive. The opportunities for our county to be a model of a people-centered, sustainable economy are incredibly exciting, and I would welcome the chance to bring my experience to this important job.” County Comptroller March Gallagher and Deputy County Executive Marc Rider have also announced their plan to seek the Democratic Party endorsement to become county executive if Ryan is elected to Congress. Gallagher announced her candidacy almost immediately after Ryan announced his plans. In her statement, she said she has worked with the executive and Legislature to implement “important changes” in county government. Ulster County Democratic Elections Commissioner Ashley Dittus said that under state election law, the parties will choose who will be on the ballot for the special election at party conventions. No Republicans have yet announced their plan to run for county executive. Ryan is running in a special Aug. 23 election against Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro for the 19th congressional district seat vacated by now lieutenant governor Antonio Delgado. The winner of the special election will serve in Congress through the end of the year. If Ryan wins, a second special election would be held, this one in late December to fill the remainder of Ryan’s term as county executive, which expires Dec. 31, 2023. Win or lose in August, Ryan will run again in November for election to the newly drawn 18th congressional district, and Molinaro will run in November for in the newly drawn 19th congressional district. But if Ryan loses in August and wins in November, he would remain county executive through the end of December and a special election would be held in April to fill the remainder of his term. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Mike Masnick writes in TechDirt about how politicians are blaming words sent by radio waves for the multiple murders at schools, grocery stores, houses of worship and other so-called "soft" targets around the nation, rather than guns. For instance, Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker said on Fox News last week that the solution to school shootings involves "a department that can look at young men that's looking at women that's looking at social media." Click here to play an excerpt of Walker's statement. Of course, Masnick points out, a government department that is looking into the speech of people also is taking away constitutional rights. Meanwhile, The Washington Post lists all the social media sites used by the recent mass shooters. "Both the Uvalde, Texas, shooter and the one in Buffalo, used a combination of disappearing video-app Snapchat, Instagram direct messages, chat-app Discord, and social-app Yubo to meet people and share their violent plans with acquaintances. In the case of the Buffalo shooting, the gunman also used video streaming platform Twitch to publicize his deadly attack," Masnick wrote. "It’s weird to blame the tools for the actual communications, but that always seems to be the focus." Read more about this story in TechDirt.

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Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting for the Times Union that new census data indicates that each of the five counties of the Catskills — Greene, Schoharie, Delaware, Ulster, and Sullivan  — are growing after years of population loss. The five counties were among the top 10 counties for population growth in the state, according to the data, which tracks changes from July 2020 to July 2021. Greene County had the second-largest population gain statewide by percentage, growing 1.3 percent, or by 609 people, led only by Sullivan County, which grew by 1.5 percent. The region’s population had been in decline for at least 10 years. The most dramatic loss was in Schoharie County, which saw its population fall by more than 10 percent during that time. In Greene County, renewed interest in the region has led to economic growth. The county recorded $1.1 billion in sales in 2021, an 18 percent jump from the year before, in large part due to second homeowners permanently relocating to the county as well as a jump in tourism. Six resorts are planning to open in the Catskills this year. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Maura Rosner is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that real estate developer Aaron Flach promised in public comments May 26, that he would restore the community’s faith in his downtown development project and apologized for the confusion caused by his “casual response” to the permitting process. The comments came during a public meeting of the Coxsackie Village Board about the Empire Riverfront Ventures project. A stop-work order issued by the village against the project remains in place. Flach had applied and received approval for the construction of the 40-room James Newbury Hotel and Wire Event Center, but the village board and Code Enforcement Office learned that the structure under construction did not match either of the original drafts of the two applications submitted to the planning board. Mary Beth Bianconi of Delaware Engineering, the village's consulting engineer on the project, said, “Both plans were in compliance with the village of Coxsackie; however, the Code Enforcement Office realized that the actual construction was not.” Flach was “side-stepping from the plans” and what was permitted and river views were being blocked by the construction, Bianconi said. Village residents have raised concerns about the height of the hotel. “The project will need an updated site plan to be submitted to the planning board for them to review against what the planning board previously approved,” according to the village’s previous statement. “...Once the planning board has a complete list of issues that will need to be addressed, we will hold a public forum with the village board, planning board, code enforcement officer, engineers and our attorney." Once this occurs, the village attorney will outline the proper legal path forward. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Jeanette Wolfberg is reporting for The Columbia Paper that the Hudson Housing Authority on May 16 announced the appointment of Jeffrey Dodson as its new executive director. His selection was announced by the HHA Board of Commissioners chair, Revonda Smith. Dodson has served as regional manager of the Newark Housing Authority for 29 years. His position in Hudson will become official after the terms of his contract are worked out, probably in mid-June, said Nick Zachos, HHA interim executive director. Dodson said he was looking forward to working with the authority and expressed his gratitude to Zachos. “It has been my pleasure to help,” Zachos said, adding that he will be available to assist further as needed. Smith thanked her fellow commissioners for making themselves available to participate in candidate interviews. The HHA runs Bliss Tower, the 135-unit affordable housing high rise, as well as three low rise buildings on North 2nd St. in Hudson. Read more in The Columbia Paper.

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David Cruz reports at Gothamist about the reactions to the murder of 19 elementary school children and two adults in Texas from Republicans running for governor in New York. Long Island Rep. Lee Zeldin Tweeted condolences. Andrew Giuliani, the son of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, urged his Twitter followers to “pray together with me for them.” Millionaire hedge fund manager Harry Wilson called the shooting “unimaginable and unacceptable” on Twitter. Former Westchester County executive Rob Astorino called for “enhanced background checks” but criticized politicians who “rushed out to shamefully politicize this tragedy.” Read more about this story at Gothamist.

Annie McDonough reports for NYN Media about how the now-radical U.S. Supreme Court will probably soon overturn New York's rules about who can carry a concealed firearm in public. “We're now in an age in which the court is heavily polarized along party lines. Thirty years ago, this kind of event could have made a difference,” said Scott Lemieux, a teaching professor of political science at the University of Washington, of Tuesday’s mass shooting in Texas. “The reality is that there is pretty strong opposition among Republican elites to gun control. If Sandy Hook didn't change that, if the Orlando shooting didn’t change that, it just seems unlikely that this is going to do it.” The New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen decision is expected by the end of June. Two Rensselaer County residents brought the suit after applying for unrestricted licenses to carry handguns for self-defense. Instead, they got restricted licenses to carry handguns in specific settings, including hunting and target shooting. They claim that was unconstitutional under the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. “It seems like there’s a majority of the Supreme Court who is skeptical about the constitutionality of New York’s restriction,” said Eric Ruben, an assistant professor at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law and a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice. “You don’t have to say, when you’re looking for a permit to speak on a street corner or whatever, that, you know, your speech is particularly important,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in November. “So why do you have to show in this case, convince somebody, that you’re entitled to exercise your Second Amendment right?” The state legislature is also expected to respond after the ruling. “We’re not going to just sit back at a time of increasing gun violence and not react when the Supreme Court puts us in greater danger than we’re already in. So you can rest assured that the legislature will move very quickly,” said state Sen. Michael Gianaris. Read more about this story at NYN Media.

Ryan Whalen reports for New York State of Politics that Gov. Kathy Hochul is moving forward with a proposal to block anyone under 21-years-old from buying AR-15-style weapons, even though a California court recently struck down a similar law. In the last two weeks, 18-year-olds have used semi-automatic AR-15-style guns to commit mass murders in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas. A few weeks ago a California court ruled against banning 18-year-olds there from purchasing similar weapons. "I'm not going to let my fear of losing a court case to stop me from what I think is correct for New Yorkers and will protect them because you may get a good judge also who actually cares and has common sense and would understand that these are not punitive measures," Hochul said. "We have the right to protect people as well and I'll make that argument in court any day of the week." Former New York State Supreme Court Justice Penny Wolfgang agreed. "There was a dissent in the decision, number one, and number two, California is a different state from New York, different court, different judges and there may very well be a different interpretation," she said. But, when inevitable appeals of any potential lawsuits over a new New York law head to the U.S. Supreme Court, will it have any chance to survive? Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

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