Plan to revamp police force moves forward in Ithaca
Associated Press
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Black Lives Matter is seen along East Green Street where is passes under South Aurora Street, Monday, March 22, 2021, in Ithaca, N.Y. The nationwide reexamination of policing after the killing of George Floyd has led the Ivy League town in New York to consider an ambitious and contentious plan to remake its force. A proposal would replace the 63-officer Ithaca Police Department with a new Department of Community Solutions and Public Safety.John Munson/AP
Officials in upstate New York voted to proceed with a hotly debated plan to revamp the police force as part of the nationwide reexamination of law enforcement after the killing of George Floyd.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – The leader of the State Senate, Andrea Stewart-Cousins says he’s determined to steer the senate through budget negotiations with Governor Andrew Cuomo, even though the governor has ignored her calls for him to resign over a sexual harassment scandal.
The Senate Leader, along with most of the majority party Democrats in the chamber, have called for Cuomo to leave, after multiple women have alleged he sexually harassed them or behaved inappropriately. Stewart-Cousins says nevertheless, the state budget, which includes plans to help New Yorkers beat Covid and improve the economy , has to be finished by the March 31 deadline, and she will need to work with the governor’s office to do it.
The bill, called the
Humane Alternatives to Solitary Confinement Act, was approved by the Assembly Tuesday and is scheduled to pass in the Senate on Thursday.
This Jan. 28, 2016 photo shows a solitary confinement cell known all as “the bing,” at New York’s Rikers Island jail. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
“On Thursday, we will be passing HALT,” said Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, D-Westchester. “I know so many people have been really hoping we do, and we’re happy that we’re going to be able to do that.”
Under the legislation, incarcerated individuals would not be allowed to spend more than 15 days in solitary confinement. There’s currently no limit on how long someone can spend in solitary, with some incarcerated people reporting months-long stints in isolation.
NEW YORK NOW – Democrats who control the state Legislature in New York took another step toward raising tax rates for wealthy New Yorkers Monday, with each chamber presenting its own proposal for this year’s state budget valued at more than $192 billion.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, meanwhile, appeared to suggest at a public appearance Monday that Democrats should tread carefully with new taxes on the rich, fearing they could backfire.
New York State Assembly Credit: New York NOW
“How you raise revenue can actually raise revenue, or can cost you revenue,” Cuomo said. “If you’re not careful the way you do it, you may actually lose money for the state because businesses and residents will make changes.”