Today's daily news update.

Luke Parsnow and Kate Lisa are reporting for State of Politics on May 16 the court-appointed special master charged with drawing New York's new congressional and state Senate maps released a preliminary draft of the new boundaries the state will have for the next decade. Carnegie Mellon University Fellow Jonathan Cervas as special master drew lines for the state's 26 House seats, with 15 leaning Democratic, three leaning Republican and eight falling into the 45-55 percent competitive range. The new map splits up 15 counties compared to 34 county splits under the Legislature's plan that was struck down in April by the state's highest court for unconstitutional gerrymandering. The biggest changes from the maps drawn by state Democratic lawmakers in February include the 22nd District in Central New York and the 19th District in the Hudson Valley. The 19th now extends from Columbia County to Broome County and Cortland County. The district is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado. He has said he will resign and be sworn in as the state's next lieutenant governor, but has not said when. Republican Marc Molinaro, currently the Dutchess County Executive, said May 16 he will continue his campaign for the 19th Congressional District, even though he now lives outside of the new district. The 21st District, currently represented by Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, extends south to include all of Montgomery and Schoharie counties and north to include Saratoga County. "The map maintains Democratic strongholds in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, and also maintains a Southern Tier district," said Jeff Wice, senior fellow at the N.Y. Census & Redistricting Institute at New York Law School. "Overall, the districts are very compact across the state. The downstate districts are very compact." Greene and Columbia counties, though, are split from the Capital District, and paired with far-off Binghamton and Ithaca. MidHudson News is reporting the new 18th District now includes Orange County, southern Ulster, and most of Dutchess County. Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan announced on Twitter that he will run for that seat rather than competing in the 19th District, where he had previously entered a primary election. State Senator James Skoufis, also a Democrat, tweeted that he is “seriously considering” a run for the new district seat. Republican Colin Schmitt previously announced he was running for this seat, and confirmed he still would after the new maps were announced. The new 17th District would encompass much of the lower Hudson Valley and incumbent Democrat Sean Patrick Maloney will run in that district. Rep. Paul Tonko's Amsterdam home is now in Stefanik's 21st District, rather than the 20th District he now represents, so he will also be running in a district where he does not live. Republican Liz Joy opposes him in the 20th District. Primaries for U.S. House and state Senate races were pushed back to Aug. 23. The primary election for the statewide offices and state Assembly races will take place June 28.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that on May 9 the State Office for Renewable Energy Siting issued its notice of incomplete application for the Shepherd’s Run Energy Project in Copake. Hecate Energy, the developer behind the planned 22-acre, 60-megawatt solar farm, now has to complete a long list of items for approval. “On hearing that ORES has marked the application incomplete the town of Copake is cautiously optimistic.,” Copake Town Supervisor Jeanne Mettler said. “We are hopeful that this means they will actually require Hecate to make the changes recommended by the Working Group. The burden is on ORES to convince the town that they are not just a rubber stamp. The State has claimed that ORES will listen to citizens’ concerns. Now let them prove it.” Hecate project developer Alex Campbell said, "I don’t have data on how many applications have been deemed incomplete, but we’re just going to work through the deficiencies hat they found to submit a response.” The proposal for the large solar farm has seen much opposition in Copake. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

MidHudson News reports that swastikas and racially charged graffiti have been turning up in Hyde Park, in Dutchess County. Last week in the Pine Brook Estates neighborhood swastikas were spray-painted on the streets, street signs were damaged, and other signs stolen, according to Dutchess County Legislator Ben Geller. A Hyde Park Police Department detective in investigating, and police patrols in the area have been increased. "Hate has no home in Hyde Park. I’m beyond disgusted at the bigotry and repeat vandalism in this neighborhood,” Geller said. Anyone with information is asked to call the Hyde Park Police Department at 845-229-9340 or email them to HydeParkPoliceTips@hydeparkny.us. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Today's daily news update.

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Voters statewide go the polls May 17, to cast their ballots in the annual school board elections and district budget votes. Andrea Macko reports that in Greene County, all six school districts have proposed spending plans for the 2022-23 school year that fall below their state tax caps. If any budget is rejected by the voters, the district can resubmit the original spending plan or submit a revised proposal to voters on June 21. If that budget is also rejected, the district must adopt a contingency budget with a 0 percent tax levy increase.

Greene County
The Cairo-Durham School District is proposing a $35.18 million annual budget that carries a tax levy increase of 2.9 percent. The district is also looking for voters to approve three additional propositions: the purchase of six school buses at a cost not to exceed $686,000; the creation of a Capital Reserve Fund; and an $848 increase to the annual appropriation for the Cairo Public Library. Voters will select candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education each carrying three-year terms. Information at CairoDurham [dot] org.
The Catskill School District is proposing a budget of $48.6 million that carries a projected tax levy increase of 1.85 percent. The Board of Education has also proposed a separate proposition that would allow the district to bond up to $400,000 over a five-year period to replace aging maintenance and grounds equipment, as well as purchase a 16-passenger school bus. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at CatskillCSD [dot] org.
The Greenville School District is proposing a budget of $33.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.25 percent. Voters will be asked to decide on a $700 increase for the Greenville Public Library and a $563 increase for the Rensselaerville Library. There will be a proposition to authorize the district to bond up to $1.2 million to purchase eight new buses and two vans as part of its fleet replacement plan. And, voters will be asked to approve the district to create a new capital reserve fund to be capped at $2 million. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at Greenville [dot] K12 [dot] NY [dot] us.
The Coxsackie-Athens School District is proposing a budget of $34.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.92 percent. Voters will elect candidates to fill three seats on the Board of Education that carry three-year terms. Information at CACSD [dot] org.
The Windham-Ashland-Jewett School District is proposing a budget of $13.26 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.76 percent. Voters will also decide on a capital project not to exceed $5,655,000. Voters will be selecting one Board of Education member to five-year terms. Information at WAJCS [dot] org.
The Hunter-Tannersville School District is proposing a budget of $14.7 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.36 percent. Voters will be asked to authorize the district to acquire school buses at a maximum cost of $73,000 from the Bus and Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund, and to authorize the acquisition of a transportation vehicle at a maximum cost of $39,000, also from the Bus and Vehicle Capital Reserve Fund. Voters will be asked to select one Board of Education member to fill five-year terms. Information at HTCSD [dot] org.

Columbia County
Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Chatham School Board is proposing a budget of $33.62 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.75 percent. The board also adopted a separate proposition that would create a Capital Reserve Fund allowing the district to set aside up to $5 million over a 10-year period to fund future improvements to the district’s facilities. Voters will be asked to select four Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at ChathamCentralSchools [dot] com.
The Germantown School Board is proposing a budget of $16.9 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.69 percent. Voters will also be asked to select two Board of Education members to fill four-year terms. Information at GermantownCSD [dot] org.
The Hudson School District is proposing a budget of $54.13 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2 percent. Voters will be asked to select five Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at HudsonCSD [dot] org.
The Ichabod Crane School District is proposing a budget of $46.6 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.3 percent. The board is also asking for the approval of a $444,000 bus proposition, providing for the purchase of three new 72-passenger buses and one new 29-passenger bus. There is also a proposition to continue having a student non-voting member on the board. Voters will be asked to select three Board of Education members to serve three-year terms. Information at IchabodCrane [dot] org.
The New Lebanon School Board is proposing a budget of $12.9 million with a projected tax levy increase of 2.3 percent. There is also a proposition on the ballot for the purchase of two 66-passenger buses at a cost not to exceed $251,000. Voters will also be asked to select three Board of Education members. Information at New LebanonCSD [dot] org.
The Taconic Hills School District is proposing a budget of $39.68 million budget with a projected tax levy increase of 1 percent. There are also propositions on the ballot for purchasing three school buses at a maximum cost of $393,500 and authorizing the board to reconstruct various district buildings and sites with incidental costs of $691,000. Voters will be asked to select four Board of Education members to serve terms of various duration. Information at TaconicHills [dot] K12 [dot] NY [dot] US.

Randy J. Stine at Radio World breaks down the results from the TechSurvey from Jacobs Media showing the COVID-19 pandemic lowering the amount of radio listening. The 12 percent drop in radio listening in the past year is mainly due, the survey reports, to less time spent in cars. “Since COVID, listening less in the car and lifestyle changes are the top reasons people are listening less to the radio,” said Fred Jacobs, president of Jacobs Media. Many people now work from home, who did not before, and others have changed jobs or professions since the pandemic began. While some are listening to the radio less, others surveyed said they now had a stronger bond with their favorite local station. “In a strange sort of way, some radio stations have actually benefitted from COVID in terms of making that closer connection to their audience when they needed it most,” Jacobs said. Folks surveyed felt a stronger bond, mostly, to local stations. “Overall, the local piece turns out to be a very important factor here,” Jacobs says. Read more about this story at Radio World.

Today's daily news update.

Michelle Del Rey reports in the Times Union Rep. Elise Stefanik, a North Country Republican, used the same replacement theory in Facebook ads last fall that the racist Buffalo mass-shooter allegedly cited numerous times in his online screed. Several media descriptions of the shooter's post say he believed in the discredited theory that white Americans are being replaced by foreign migrants. Stefanik's ad said, "Radical Democrats are planning their most aggressive move yet: a PERMANENT ELECTION INSURRECTION. Their plan to grant amnesty to 11 MILLION illegal immigrants will overthrow our current electorate and create a permanent liberal majority in Washington." Even though the language in Stefanik's ad was nearly identical to racist replacement theory chatter online and on Tucker Carlson's Fox TV show, her spokesperson denied the link. "We've never been in favor of 'replacement theory,' " said Alex deGrasse, Stefanik's spokesperson. He added that the congresswoman, "has never advocated for any racist position or made a racist statement." According to the National Immigration Forum, the replacement theory, "states that welcoming immigration policies — particularly those impacting nonwhite immigrants — are part of a plot designed to undermine or 'replace' the political power and culture of white people living in Western countries." The New York shooter traveled from the Binghamton area to a predominately Black area of Buffalo where he shot 11 Black and two white citizens, killing ten. America has welcomed migrants since forming in 1776, and only Native Americans would be here without immigration. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

MidHudson News reports that scammers often attempt to take advantage of tragedies, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James. On May 15, James issued a warning to New Yorkers to watch out for potentially fraudulent charities created in the wake of the racist terror attack in Buffalo. James suggests that anyone who wants to make a donation to assist victims of the shooting should first consult the office’s charitable giving tips before donating. “In the wake of tragedies, like the horrific shooting in Buffalo, scammers often take advantage of acts of kindness for personal gain,” said James. “As New Yorkers from every corner of the state show their support and solidarity with the Buffalo community, I urge them to be careful of sham charities and make sure they give to trustworthy organizations and groups. I join the whole Buffalo community and the entire state of New York in mourning this senseless, hate-filled act of terror.” The attorney general’s website, charitiesnys.com includes financial reports of legitimate charities. Anyone who believes an organization is misrepresenting its work, or that a fundraising or charitable scam is taking place, should contact the Charities Bureau at charities.complaints@ag.ny.gov. Read more about this story at MidHudson News.

Emily Brown and Rebecca McCray report in New York Focus that New York prisoners are losing their right to regularly receive care packages by mail or in person from family and friends. The new policy right now is for eight prisons, but is a pilot program meant to expand to all New York prisons. Family and friends will not be allowed anymore to bring loved ones packages of food when they come to visit or to send them through the mail. And they also can’t send more than two non-food packages per year. And everything else must be purchased and sent through private companies willing to ship to prisons. “Am I going to be prevented from getting winter clothes if I get a book from my mom in the summer?” asked Jeremy Zielinski, who is currently incarcerated at Attica. Acting Department of Corrections and Community Supervision Commissioner Anthony Annucci said in a memo that the new policy is a response to, “an increase in violence and overdoses due to the introduction of contraband through the package room, specifically, illicit drugs and weapons.” Contraband, though, gets to inmates in multiple ways, and limiting mail won't do anything to stop corrections officers from bringing drugs, weapons, and other contraband into prisons and jails. While many cases of corrections officers smuggling contraband for prisoners are in the public record, an investigation into the similar limiting of mail by Texas corrections officials in 2020 showed no impact on the amount of drugs circulating in that state's prisons. In 2018, then Gov. Andrew Cuomo halted a similar policy called the “Secure Vendor Package Program,” which limited packages to coming from vendors with limited selections with prices as much as 130 percent higher than on the outside. “I did 12 years in prison. My whole time in prison, I’ve never received a package from a vendor,” says Michael Capers, who was incarcerated at Upstate, Franklin, and Fishkill Correctional Facilities. “And the reason being is because it’s too expensive. So my family, I told them I’d rather have nothing than to make them pay extra money.” The new policy will end one program from a Germantown farm. Jalal Sabur, founder of Sweet Freedom Farm in Germantown, set up farm stands at the Fishkill and Attica prisons, where they hand out fresh food for visitors to give to inmates. “Now, no one can actually bring those packages in,” Sabur said. “So that whole program that we’ve been doing, we can’t do anymore.” Read more about this story in New York Focus.

Today's daily news update.

Updated @12:55 p.m.

These schools have announced schedule changes for Mon., May 16, in anticipation of forecasted inclement weather:
Cairo-Durham Central School District | Open. No afternoon activities; no after-school events.
Germantown Central School District | Closing early at 1:30 p.m. No after-school program. No afternoon BOCES. No afternoon or evening events. No after-school events.
Greenville Central School District | Open. No after-school program. No after-school events. No late bus.
Hunter-Tannersville Central School District | Closing at 1:15 p.m. Elementary at 1:30 p.m. No after-school program.
Ichabod Crane Central School District | Open. Regular dismissal. No after-school program. No after-school activities. No after-school events.
Onteora Central School District | Open. No after-school program. No after-school events.
Pine Plains Central School District | Closing at 12 p.m.; elementary school at 1:15 p.m. No afternoon BOCES. No afternoon activities. Art show rescheduled to Wed., May 18.
Rondout Valley Central School District | District closing at 1 p.m.; elementary at 2 p.m.; middle school, high school at 1 p.m. No after-school program.
Saugerties Central School District | District closing at 1 p.m. Elementary at 2:15 and 2:45 p.m.; junior/senior high school at 1 p.m.
Taconic Hills Central School District | Open. No after-school program. No afternoon activities. No after-school events.

Click above to download or play today's "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics that on May 15 Gov. Kathy Hochul called for limiting the spread of hate and white supremacy online in the wake of the mass shooting in Buffalo the day before that killed 10 people and injured three. “It’s spreading like a virus now,” she said on ABC's "This Week." Police believe the alleged shooter was motivated in part by racist conspiracy theories such as the so-called replacement of white people by immigrants. Hochul said she is worried that copycat crimes could happen. It's not clear what action the Hochul administration or state lawmakers may take in response. In her State of the State address, Hochul called for efforts to better scrutinize social media postings to identify potential hate crimes before they occur. The governor voiced support for strengthening the State Police's Social Media Analysis Unit to perform a daily review of publicly available social media activity. The proposal was focused on monitoring school violence threats, gang activity and illegal firearms. Hochul on May 15 indicated the alleged shooter Payton Gendron was not known to law enforcement, but according to reporting by the Binghamton Press and Sun-Bulletin, a law enforcement official, who was not authorized to comment publicly, said that as a student, Gendron threatened to attack his own high school in Conklin, Broome County. The threat was reviewed by state authorities last year and resulted in a referral for a mental health evaluation. In another interview on National Public Radio, Hochul said the weapon allegedly used in the shooting was purchased legally in New York, but the high-capacity magazine is barred under state law. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Josh Conner reports for Spectrum News that hundreds of people rallied for abortion rights in Hudson May 14. The "Bans Off Our Bodies" rallies were also held locally in Albany and Kingston, and across the country. “It’s important for people to take notice that women’s voices matter,” Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood CEO Chelly Hegan said at the rally near the group's Hudson location. “And trans voices matter. We are being pushed off to be second class citizens once again in this country and that is not OK.” A leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion two weeks ago revealed the Roe vs. Wade ruling will be overturned this summer. New York's abortion laws will remain in place, but millions of women around the country will have limited health choices. Assemblymember Didi Barrett was among the speakers at the event. Click here to download or play a short excerpt of Barrett speaking May 14 in Hudson. Read more about this story at the Spectrum News website.

Shaniece Holmes-Brown is reporting for the Times Union that three regional hospitals are warning that longer than usual waits should be expected when using their emergency rooms. The reason is a large increase in the number of patients going to the ER for mild COVID-19 symptoms, Albany Medical Center, Ellis Medicine, and St. Peter’s Health Partners said in a combined advisory. Hospital officials advise that patients seeking non-emergency care are likely to have shorter waits by contacting their primary care physician or being seen at an urgent care sites. "Between our current inpatient numbers and the surge in COVID-19 cases, all of our area's emergency departments are reporting longer wait times for patients seeking care,” said Dr. Steven Hanks, chief clinical officer, chief operating officer, and Acting CEO for St. Peter's Health Partners in the statement. "We understand that people are frustrated with the longer wait times and ask for their patience and respect for our health care providers." In the past week, state Health Department data show the Capital Region has the second-highest level of COVID-19 cases statewide, with hospitalizations also rising. The region is seeing 55 people per 100,000 test positive daily for coronavirus on a seven-day average. In Hudson, Columbia Memorial Hospital is not warning of long waits at the ER or that it has any plans to divert patients due to higher than usual wait times. Read the full story in the Times Union.

MidHudson News is reporting that Governor Kathy Hochul on May 13 announced the distribution of $28 million in federal pandemic funding to help New Yorkers with children cover expenses incurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Families on Public Assistance with a child 17 or younger in their household will this month receive $250 to help pay for housing expenses, bills, and other critical needs. The payments are administered through the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The one-time payment is intended to help families pay past-due bills or other household expenses. Approximately 112,000 households will receive the payments, which will help more than 216,000 children. OTDA will issue the payments directly to the household’s Electronic Benefit Transfer account. Eligible households will receive written notification from OTDA. The Pandemic Emergency Assistance Fund was created as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. According to federal guidelines, the funding must be used for issuing non-recurring benefits to impacted households with children to deal with a specific short-term situation or need. Read more at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

On May 15, Swiss voters approved a four percent tax levy on international streaming services there, to be invested in local film production, with 58.42 percent of voters favoring the measure. Switzerland is the latest European country to support local TV and film production and boost locally-produced content by taxing the international streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and others. "This result underlines the cultural importance of film-making in Switzerland," Swiss Interior Minister Alain Berset told a press conference on May 15. The international companies can buy locally-made shows, make programmes themselves in the country, or put the money into an investment fund. "We believe that good stories can come from anywhere, and we have already invested in content from Switzerland in the past," a Netflix spokesperson said. Portugal already passed a similar law, with streaming service providers paying one percent of their income to the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisuals. France and Italy also already make streaming services invest a proportion of their revenues in European content in local languages, while Denmark and Spain are considering similar proposals, Reuters reports.