Something to Consider
MIDTERMS 2022
Where Are We Headed? BY PAUL HARVEY
I
t is difficult to believe that my first summer back in the Northeast is nearly coming to a close. I have thoroughly enjoyed every single minute being back, going to state parks and existing in the beautiful spaces and enjoying the local festivals that we have. Soon enough, it will be my favorite season, and I get to experience the full glory of fall through the colors of yellow, orange and, of course, red, white and blue. While talks of catching waves are on the minds of many vacation goers, there are some political “waves” that are brewing that will have significant implications on the next two years in both state and federal legislative sessions.
SPECIAL SESSION REQUIRED
After the Supreme Court struck down New York’s restrictive concealed carry permit requirements, Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a proclamation calling the legislature back into session on June 30 to consider new legislation related to firearms in the state. Several other states, including Massachusetts and New Jersey, are also expected to rewrite their laws since they also have similar requirements. Failing to rewrite these laws would leave the states exposed to litigation that would give judges strong legal precedent to overturn these laws outright. The Supreme Court’s ruling comes a month after mass shooting events in Buffalo, New York; Uvalde, Texas, and Chicago, that took the lives of dozens of Americans, including children. These events also led to the first major gun-reform legislation in 30 years, led by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), who has fiercely led for changes since another mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2012, and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), a strong supporter of gun-ownership. Legislators have already announced what kind of changes they would like to see made during the special session, but nothing is considered final until there is an agreement made 16 • Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.
between the Assembly speaker, Senate president and Hochul. Such ideas include excluding concealed carrying in so-called “sensitive areas,” such as mass transit, restaurants, schools, hospitals and public gatherings. Assemblyman Robert Smullen called the special session “political grandstanding” and said that they should only tailor laws to New York City.
READING THE TEA LEAVES
Primary season is quickly drawing to a close, but several hotly contested races have still yet to take place in early September. Massachusetts is of particular importance since the current governor is not running for reelection. Races in Rhode Island are also hotly contested by progressive challengers looking to unseat moderate incumbents in the races for governor, both houses of the state legislature and an open congressional seat. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) will face a nominal contest for his party’s renomination in the state governor’s race, but the marquee race in the state will be which Republican will get the opportunity to face Sen. Maggie Hassan (D) in the fall general election. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott (R) also faced a nominal opposition for his party’s nomination for a fourth term as the state’s governor. Vermont will also elect its first woman to represent the state in Congress later this year and will be the last state to send a woman to Congress. Former Gov. Paul LePaige also handily won the Republican nomination for a rematch against current Gov. Janet Mills (D) in Maine for the fall campaign. New York’s Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado surprised many political observers with their large margins of victory in New York’s June gubernatorial primary. Even in New York City, where both of the governor’s challengers hailed from, Hochul and Delgado still managed to claim a 37% percent average margin of victory in the five boroughs. The general election
