Schuyler County Recognizes September 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day

At its regular meeting on Monday (September 12), the Schuyler County Legislature joined in communities across the nation by honoring September 17 as Constitution and Citizenship Day. The resolution, prepared by County Attorney Steven Getman, appears below:

WHEREAS, the American Revolution secured the independence of the United States and made possible the vibrant system of self-government of the United States; and

WHEREAS, the supporters of the American Revolution, through their vision and determination, enhanced the lives of countless individuals and made possible the system of equal justice, limited government, and rule of law as aspired to in these United States; and

WHEREAS, the Constitution of the United States, a revered document, provides important rights to every citizen of the United States, secures “the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity,“ and sets the standard of democracy for the world; and

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution, and its amendments, outline the freedoms and the principles of representative government that are as strong today as they were on that momentous occasion in 1787; and

WHEREAS, September 17 marks the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land and the document by which the people of this country self-govern; and

WHEREAS, in remembrance of the signing of the Constitution and in recognition of the Americans who strive to uphold the duties and responsibilities of citizenship, the Congress, by joint resolution of February 29, 1952 (36 U.S.C. 106), designated September 17 as “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day,” and

WHEREAS, this joint resolution urges civil and educational authorities of states, counties, cities and towns to make plans for the proper observance of the day and “for the complete instruction of citizens in their responsibilities and opportunities as citizens of the United States and of the State and locality in which they reside.”

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Schuyler County Legislature hereby commemorates the anniversary of the signing of the United States Constitution as “Constitution and Citizenship Day” and recognizes the sacrifices made by the people who founded our great nation.

Schuyler County helps residents save on prescription drugs

Schuyler County officials are offering residents two possible ways to save on prescription drug costs.

On Monday (September 12), the County Legislature approved an agreement with ProAct, Inc. to renew the county discount prescription drug card program.

This agreement has no cost to county taxpayers. Under this agreement, since 2010 Schuyler County has saved residents more than $905,000 with the ProAct Rx Discount Cards. When residents utilize the discount card they can expect to see savings ranging from 10 to 20% on brand name prescriptions drug costs and a 20 to 70% discount on generic prescription drug costs. This discount card program also offers residents of Schuyler County the opportunity to save on vision, hearing, and LASIK services as well as access to a low cost dental coverage plan. The approved agreement will be forwarded to County Attorney Steven Getman and Legislature Chair Dennis Fagan for final approvals and execution.

In addition, on Thursday (September 22), the county is sponsoring the “Med Check” event at the Silver Spoon Café, in Montour Falls. Residents can bring their medications to this event for a free evaluation. A local pharmacist will check prescriptions and the county’s Insurance Counseling Coordinator can review your insurance coverage and look for ways to save you money on your prescription co-pays.

Med Check is free and runs from 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Reservations are recommended, but not required.

For more information on these and other ways to save money on prescription drug costs, click here.

Schuyler County Legislature vs. Walmart

WENY TV:

The Schuyler County Legislature passed more than 30 resolutions tonight, including one that involved a fight with a corporate giant.

The county will now work with the Town of Dix, Watkins Glen School District and the Village of Watkins Glen to fight Walmart's request for a 30 percent reduction in their property assessment.

The county defends their current property assessment of the Wal-Mart on East fourth street.

"We had five towns reassessed this year, and a good number of residents saw their assessed values increase. Overall we're not seeing a significant reduction in assessed values throughout the county, and certainly not to the extent of 30%," said Chairman of the Schuyler County Legislature, Dennis Fagan.

The legislature also authorized a hazmat grant program and a grant of 10 thousand dollars for the Sheriff's office to be used for investigator technology.

New York law to encourage contact between siblings separated because of abuse and neglect cases.

New York State has enacted a law that confers standing to a child and others to petition the court to order visitation with siblings, including half-siblings, when a child is removed from the home pursuant to a Family Court Act article 10 (allegations of abuse or neglect) proceeding.

The law amends several sections in Family Court Act article 10 and Social Services Law 384-b. It addresses the statutory silence on the rights of siblings to have contact with one another if they are removed from the home and not placed together.

The law goes into effect Nov. 16, 2016. A copy of the law is available here.

Citizenship in the 21st Century: a free online course

Whether you're with her or planning to make America great again, we hope to see you at the polls on November 8th. Before that though, exercise your passion for politics by joining Citizenship in the 21st Century, an online course offered by Keuka College this fall.

This course is open to community members, alumni, and friends of Keuka College at no cost.

Throughout the class, you will:

• Engage in discussions with Keuka College professors and students, as well as academic and political guests.
• Explore themes including the relationship between citizens and government, voting behavior, and current issues such as race, gender, and immigration.
• Debate with students for an intergenerational look at political discourse.
• Examine how candidates connect with voters through social media.
• Analyze the influence of money on elections and politics.
• Understand how campaigns are built and adapt throughout the election cycle.

As the 2016 presidential election nears, take this opportunity to share your perspective. For more information, click here or email community@keuka.edu.

Law Day 2017 Theme Announced

The American Bar Association has announced the theme for Law Day 2017, which is “The Fourteenth Amendment: Transforming American Democracy.”

As our nation approaches the 150th anniversary of the Fourteenth Amendment, the theme explores how the Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection clauses of this amendment served as the cornerstone of civil rights legislation, the foundation for court decisions protecting fundamental rights, and a source of inspiration for those who advocate for equal justice under law.

Click here to learn more about the 14th Amendment.

Law Day is held on May 1st every year to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession. Learn more about the history of Law Day and past themes here.

Happy birthday, 19th Amendment

Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle, which began in Seneca County, New York.

The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman." Held in Seneca Falls, New York, it spanned two days over July 19–20, 1848.

Several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Finally, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, it passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.

New Advisory Committee on Evidence

New York State Office of Court Administration:

Chief Judge Janet DiFiore today designated the members of the new Judicial Advisory Committee on Evidence, a panel of experts charged with compiling a guide to New York’s existing law of evidence that will be readily available to judges, lawyers and the public.

With its evidence law broadly dispersed among myriad cases and statutory provisions, New York is unique in lacking a consolidated source of the law of evidence, whether by statute or guide. The guide to be produced under the careful supervision of the Advisory Committee will state – in an organized, easy-to-use format − what the rules are. It will be divided into sections, and the rules will be accompanied by notes that include sources of authority and additional information, where appropriate. Once released, the guide will be updated annually to reflect any changes in the law of evidence.

The aim of the guide is to provide judges, lawyers and others with an easily accessible, important reference tool they can look to in discerning New York’s evidentiary rules.

New Task Force on the New York State Constitution

New York State Office of Court Administration:

In anticipation of Election Day 2017 − when for the first time in two decades New Yorkers will have the opportunity to vote on whether there should be a convention held to amend the New York State Constitution − Chief Judge Janet DiFiore [has] announced her appointment of the Judicial Task Force on the New York State Constitution.

A group of leading judges, attorneys and academics from around the state, the Task Force will conduct a thorough review of Article VI of the New York State Constitution, which establishes the structure, organization and jurisdiction of New York’s Judiciary, and propose for Chief Judge DiFiore’s consideration possible revisions that may advance the work of New York’s state court system, making it more modern, efficient and accessible.

The State Constitution requires that the question of whether to call for its amendment be put on the ballot every 20 years. Should New York’s electorate in 2017 approve the holding of a constitutional convention, the process would then call for delegates to be elected to the convention in the next general election (November 6, 2018), with the convention to commence on the first Tuesday in April following the election of delegates (April 2, 2019.

Calling all superheroes: the CASA fun run for abused children

The 4th Annual CASA SuperHero 5K and 1K Fun Run will be held on Sunday, September 18th at Kinsella Park in Painted Post, NY

The 5K Race starts @ 9AM and the 1K Fun Run starts @ 9:45AM.

Pre-register by September 14 to save $5.00 and reserve CAPES for kids. RACE T-SHIRTS for ages 12 and over for first 100 participants.

For more information, click here.