Headlines for Thursday, November 3, 2022

The Newfield Central School District has been awarded $200,000 in state funds for badly needed school bus radios and new Chromebooks for students. State Assembly member Anna Kelles was instrumental in delivering the funds to the district. She highlighted the need for communications technologies like the bus radios in rural areas that lack high quality cell coverage and said the radios will help families feel secure when putting their children on the bus each day.

A coalition of local nonpartisan community groups will host an event this Saturday from noon until 2pm at Southside Community Center. “Your Voice + Your Vote” will be a celebration of democracy and what organizers call our “hard-won right to vote.” The event will feature speakers, danceable music, opportunities to ask questions about the November 8 election and ice cream. Organizers include the Alliance of Families for Justice, Finger Lakes Independence Center, No Mas Lagrimas, Rejoice the Vote, and the Tompkins County League of Women Voters.

According to the Times Union, the State Supreme Court’s Appellate division ruled unanimously Tuesday against cases brought by the Republican and Conservative parties challenging new laws governing absentee ballots. One case was a challenge to when and how absentee ballots should be counted. The other case attempted to challenge the use of fear of contracting COVID-19 as a reason to vote absentee. After questioning the plaintiffs multiple times about the timing of the cases, the judges wrote in their unanimous decision that considering such arguments during the election would be "extremely disruptive and profoundly destabilizing." The plaintiffs may attempt an appeal but, given the unanimous decision by the lower court, the Court of Appeals may decline to hear it.