Headlines for Wednesday, November 23, 2022

A State Supreme Court Judge is questioning Ithaca school’s preparedness to handle potential school shootings. According to the Ithaca Voice, Superintendent Louvelle Brown is expected to be subpoenaed in proceedings against a student who allegedly made terroristic threats on a school bus in late October. Local police weren’t notified of the incident for more than 24 hours after it occurred and requests by Tompkins DA Matt van Houten for the district’s policies on threats of gun violence were denied.

New York has approved its first adult use licenses to sell cannabis. Thirty-six provisional licenses were issued in total. Twenty eight of them to people impacted by cannabis prohibition and eight to nonprofits serving the formerly incarcerated. Tremaine Wright, Chair of NY’s Cannabis Control Board said, “we’ve ensured the first sales will be made at dispensaries operated by those impacted by the unjust enforcement of cannabis prohibition.” Black New Yorkers have been fifteen times more likely to be arrested for weed than their white counterparts. The majority of this initial batch of licenses have been issued to people of color.

Democrats may have lost their majority in Congress but it looks like the party will hold onto its supermajorities in the New York State Senate and Assembly. Spectrum News is reporting that the Assembly is expected to have 102 Democrats just over the 100 seat threshold to achieve a two-thirds majority. Democrats held the chamber despite the fact that Republicans flipped several traditionally Democratic seats in New York City. The fate of the Democrats supermajority in the Senate is down to a paper-thin race in the Syracuse area 50th State Senate district. According to Syracuse.com Democratic incumbent John Mannion has a 57 vote lead over Republican challenger Rebecca Shiroff. Lawyers for both campaigns appeared in County yesterday to haggle over disputed absentee and affidavit ballots. The regular ballots are headed for a manual recount this coming Tuesday.