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As the New York state Legislature’s session draws to a close, lawmakers are considering several criminal justice changes, including what’s known as the Clean Slate legislation. It would expunge some criminal records for those who have already served their time in prison.
Supporters of the legislation, who held rallies in cities across the state, said lingering criminal records can lead to a lifetime of blocked opportunities, including discrimination in housing and employment. Advocates who were convicted of crimes and released from prison said it can leave them in a state of “perpetual punishment.”
Since Democrats took over the Legislature in 2019, a number of criminal justice changes have been approved, including bail reform. While many of them were opposed by law enforcement groups, Clean Slate has the backing of some organizations that include police.
Image Courtesy Citizens Campaign for the Environment
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has reintroduced legislation that would more strictly regulate groundwater for PFAS chemicals. PFAS contamination has been detected in 49 states across the country. Homeowners in Calverton, Long Island, who live near a former naval defense manufacturer know the impacts of the contamination well.
The latest analysis by Suffolk County Department of Health Services shows PFAS was detected in nearly 15% of private drinking wells tested in Calverton. Lawn signs now cover Calverton homes calling for the Navy to step in to remediate their contaminated private drinking water wells.
The former Northrop Grumman weapons plant was contracted by the Navy to help build fighter jets during the Vietnam War. The dumping of manufacturing waste, and a jet crash in the 1970s, contributed to the contamination of the groundwater. The site was later a training ground where firefighting foam that contained PFAS
A 31-year-old Long Island man has been convicted of manslaughter for stabbing his mother 47 times, killing her, and trying to murder his father after an.