March 16, 2018 by The Rye City Review

RyeCity REVIEW THE

March 16, 2018 | Vol. 6, Number 11 | www.ryecityreview.com

IT’S ALMOST TIME

Learn the importance of camps, plus everything you need to know about sending your child to one. For more, see page 11.

Governor stumps for Mayer in Larchmont Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, made a pit stop in the village of Larchmont over the weekend to stump for state Senate candidate and current state Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, in her pivotal upcoming special election. On March 11, in the village’s VFW Post, Cuomo, accompanied by County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, and Democratic Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, endorsed Mayer in her race against Julie Killian, a Republican from Rye. The two candidates are competing for the Senate’s 37th District seat which was vacated by Latimer at the outset of the calendar year after winning the county

executive race in November 2017. The special election is scheduled for April 24. During the rally, Cuomo impressed upon the audience the importance of the Senate seat— which will help decide the fate of a slim, one-seat majority by Senate Republicans—and its national implications. “In the face of the concerted federal assault from Washington, it is more important than ever that we have strong, progressive leaders in office fighting for our shared values like Shelley Mayer,” Cuomo said. In April, Democrats will look to capitalize on Democratic resentment toward President Don-

ald Trump which helped propel Democrats throughout Westchester County and nationally into office. Killian responded to the event with a statement. “I hope the governor is here to assess the damage from the storms and provide a real plan of action to help local families who are still suffering without power,” she said referring to two significant storms that caused chaos on the county in the span of eight] days. “In Westchester County, politics should be the furthest thing from the governor’s mind right now.” Democrats are banking on another large turnout for this election to follow on the heels of Elec-

tion Day last November, which saw Democrats win almost every seat in play locally due to myriad of factors, including discontent with Republican control of the White House. For her part, Killian will be tasked with ameliorating a distinct Democratic edge in Senate District 37, which encompasses parts of Yonkers and much of the Sound Shore region. According to the county Board of Elections, 37th Senate District’s enrollment numbers in 2017 favor Democrats by 28,000 registered voters—a figure that mirrors the nearly 2-1 advantage Democrats enjoy countywide. -Reporting by James Pero

Westchester approves immigration bill By FRANCO FINO Staff Writer In an 11-3 vote on March 12, Westchester lawmakers passed a bill to set a policy on immigration enforcement that will limit the county’s ability to cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies. Known as the Immigration Protection Act, the policy will limit what information the county Public Safety and Corrections departments can share with agencies like the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, ICE, and will prevent county authorities from aiding federal law enforcement in investigations based on race, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin. The bill was supported by the county Democratic Caucus, in addition to one Republican, Legislator David Tubiolo, of Yonkers. Two Democrats, legislators Mike Kaplowitz, of Yorktown, and Lyndon Williams, of Mount Vernon, were not present for the vote. County Legislator Catherine Borgia, an Ossining Democrat, said, “We have made history tonight by passing the Immigration Protection Act, which enhances safety in Westchester County by increasing trust and cooperation between county employees, particularly law enforcement and all residents.” According to the legislation, the county will not honor federal detainer requests made by ICE agents and Customs and Border Protection unless accompanied

by a judicial warrant. The law will also prohibit law enforcement from interviewing undocumented immigrants housed in the county’s jail for the purpose of immigration-based offenses without a warrant. In a joint statement, Legislator Margaret Cunzio, of Mount Pleasant, and Minority Leader John Testa, of Peekskill, both Republicans who voted against the bill, said the law would make Westchester a “sanctuary county,” as it would “protect undocumented criminals sitting in the county jail, and eliminate the distinction between legal and illegal immigration.” They also took issue with a provision that was omitted from the final bill that would have allowed count law enforcement to communicate with federal immigration authorities if the person in question was a known gang member. This is a reasonable exception since we know of MS13’s growing presence… it was removed and when we asked for it to remain in the law, it was denied, the statement read. A similar immigration bill was passed by the county Legislature last year in a 9-8 party line vote; however, it was vetoed by former County Executive Rob Astorino, a Republican. The new legislation must now be signed into law by County Executive George Latimer, a Democrat, who has already pledged to approve the bill. CONTACT: franco@hometwn.com