Headlines for September 7, 2022

Tompkins County’s Reimagining Public Safety Plan has entered a new phase. The working group is seeking community input on what information about local criminal justice should be made public. Input will help the county decide what information from the District Attorney’s office and the Assigned Counsel Office will be prioritized to share with the public. DA Matt Van Houten said his office is committed to transparency and “giving the community a clearer view of how criminal offenses are prosecuted here and how alternatives to incarceration are working.” Director of the Tompkins County Assigned Counsel Office Lance Salisbury said “This data should be able to help us better address needs before some crimes, including crimes of poverty, happen.” Feedback can be supplied at the Reimagining Public Safety website. 

More than 30 Democratic state lawmakers in New York signed a letter to the Hochul administration requesting funds to support legal services for 2,500 Afghan refugees in the State. The letter comes amidst an influx of refugees from Afghanistan following the United States’ removal of troops last August. 

According to the Times Union, the immigration status of the refugees has remained uncertain as Congress has stalled in passing necessary reforms. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has publicly addressed the uncertainty, and explained that there are not currently enough votes to pass the legislation. The upcoming November 8th Congressional elections could put such legislation further in jeopardy if Republicans were to win the House. 

Northbound route 13 in Ithaca will be reduced to a single lane between Cascadilla and Hancock Streets on Thursday and Friday. Drivers should expect delays or plan alternate routes.