Schuyler County calls on New York to increase support for Cornell Cooperative Extension.

Schuyler County officials are calling on New York State to increase financial support for Cornell Cooperative Extension after twenty years of “stagnant” funding.

At its meeting Monday (January 13, 2020), the Schuyler County legislature voted to ask the state to increase its appropriation for Cornell Cooperative Extension associations to $8 million statewide.

The resolution, introduced by legislator Mark Rondinaro (R-District VII) passed unanimously. It noted that “local extension educators are key community partners” in helping to implement state initiatives including maximizing agriculture, strengthening the economy, promoting healthier eating habits and partnering to promote tourism and local food and farm businesses.

“State funding is needed to ensure that the Cornell Cooperative Extension system can equitably work for all New York residents through increased resources to support rural, suburban, and urban community development needs,” the resolution continued.

However, the resolution said, “state appropriations for county cooperative extension associations to match county government appropriations …have remained stagnant for twenty years.”

Therefore, “the Schuyler County Legislature supports increasing the State appropriation for Cornell Cooperative Extension associations to $8 million, such funds to be distributed directly to the associations through Cornell University as agent for the state as provided by law.”

Currently, New York State law provides for state matching funds for each county or regional extension association, subject to the furnishing of equivalent sums from county appropriations. However, the current funding formula only allows, “fifty cents for each dollar up to the first $100,000 appropriated by such county, and five cents for each dollar in excess of $100,000, subject to annual appropriation by the (state) legislature.”

Cornell Cooperative Extension is a formal collaboration between the National Institute of Food and Agriculture at USDA, New York State, County Governments and the Citizens of the State that has served to apply research-based knowledge from Cornell, New York’s Land Grant University, to the needs of New Yorkers and their communities for over 100 years.

The County of Schuyler is governed by an eight-person legislature, headed by its Chair. Members serve staggered four-year terms. The legislature, in turn, appoints various department heads to oversee the county’s day to day operations, including the county administrator (Tim O’Hearn), county attorney (Steven Getman) and clerk to the legislature (Stacy Husted).

The current members of the legislature are Mark Rondinaro, James Howell, Jr., Gary Gray, David Reed, Michael Lausell, Van Harp, Philip Barnes and Carl Blowers, Chairman.

A complete copy of the resolution appears below.

SCHUYLER COUNTY LEGISLATURE: RESOLUTION SUPPORTING INCREASED STATE SUPPORT FOR CORNELL COOPERATIVE EXTENSIO... by Steven Getman on Scribd

Second Amendment Legal Update January, 2020

A monthly update, prepared for the Schuyler County Chapter of S.C.O.P.E. NY, a statewide 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving the 2nd amendment rights for the residents of New York State.

Schuyler County SCOPE NY Legal Update 2020 01 by Steven Getman on Scribd

Schuyler County Reorganizes, Blowers elected Chair of legislature

Republican Carl Blowers, of Dix, was elected Chair of the Schuyler County Legislature at its annual reorganizational meeting held Thursday. The vote was unanimous among the legislature’s eight members.

In other action, the legislature reappointed Stacy Husted, of Montour Falls as Clerk of the Legislature, Steven Getman, of Watkins Glen, as Schuyler County Attorney and Wesley Roe as Public Defender. Tim O’Hearn continues at County Administrator.

Prior to the voting, County Court Judge Matt Hayden administered the oath of office to newly elected legislators Mark F. Rondinaro (District VII) and Gary L. Gray (District VIII). Blowers, a retired businessman, was first elected to the legislature in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He is active in a number of organizations, including: the Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, the Montour Falls Library, the Arnot Art Museum, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier, the Erie Canal Way Heritage Fund, the United Way of Schuyler County and Catholic Charities of Chemung and Schuyler counties. He has served as a member of the Regional Board of Trustees of Corning Community College as well as its Chairman.

Blowers replaces outgoing chair Dennis Fagan, who did not seek re-election to the legislature.

The County of Schuyler is governed by an eight-person legislature, headed by its Chair. Members serve staggered four-year terms. The legislature, in turn, appoints various department heads to oversee the county’s day to day operations, including the county administrator, public defender, county attorney and clerk to the legislature.

The current members of the legislature are James W.D. Howell, Jr., Gary L. Gray, David M. Reed, Michael L. Lausell, Mark F. Rondinaro, Van A. Harp, Philip C. Barnes and Carl Blowers, Chairman.

New laws for New York in 2020

Gannett News reports on a number of the new laws enacted by the New York State Legislature and scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2020. They include:

• Adoptees can access birth certificates;
• Farmworkers get overtime pay, mandatory rest;
• Cash bail, discovery reforms;
• Safety course requirement for motorboats;
• Teens can 'pre-register' to vote;

For more on these new laws, click here.

New York courts and officials prepare for implementation of bail and discovery reforms. New resources available.

With the discovery and bail reform laws taking effect January 1, 2020, judges, attorneys and other court officers have new resources to help them prepare for and comply with the new procedure:

• New York's Discovery Reform Law: A Bench Book for Judges serves as a guide to the many aspects of the reform such as the prosecutor’s discovery obligations, the defendant’s reciprocal discovery to prosecution, timing requirements, protective orders, and trial readiness.
• New York's Bail Reform Law: A Bench Book for Judges provides information about the new law and gives attorneys notice on information upon which judges are likely to be relying.

In addition, the Queens District Attorney's Office has compiled a list of those crimes for which bail no longer will be an option.

For more on discovery reform laws, click here.   For more on the bail reform laws, click here.

National Human Trafficking Summit

The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) is hosting the inaugural National Human Trafficking Prosecutorial Summit on January 7-8, 2020.

The summit will focus on the needs of jurisdictions responding to human trafficking cases. Experienced prosecutors and other allied professionals will facilitate discussion and train participants on practical strategies and model policies in the prosecution of human trafficking.

Topics to be discussed include:

Demand Reduction;
Creative Prosecution and Charging Decisions; Working with Victims;
Neuroscience of Trauma;
Task Force Models;
Illicit Massage Parlors; and
Labor Trafficking

For more information, or to register, click here.

New law aims to protect rent-controlled tenants from landlord harassment

New York State enacted A.6188/S.2605 on Tuesday (December 3). According to supporters of the law, it will protect rent-regulated tenants from landlord harassment intended to force tenants out of their homes.

The new law increases penalties for when a landlord seeks to force out two or more rent-regulated tenants by creating unsafe, disruptive, or uninhabitable conditions. A landlord engaging in this conduct against one tenant may be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor for harassing a rent-regulated tenant. Where the conduct impacts two or more tenants, a landlord may be guilty of a Class E felony. A landlord guilty of multiple convictions for misdemeanor conduct under these new provisions within five years can be charged with a Class E felony.

Previously, supporters say, the law only provided protections to tenants who could demonstrate physical injury and failed to take into account the conditions caused by the landlord.

For more information on the new law, click here.