County lawmakers also voted unanimously on a motion opposing the state's new "Green Light" Law, which allows illegal immigrants to apply for state driver's licenses.....
Sheridan Republican Terry Neibel says it would have been a better idea for the state to issue "Special Licenses" to immigrants so they can drive.
Neibel says it puts County Clerks in a bind because they need six-points of identification before a license can be issued and, with foreign-born drivers, verifying a birth certificate or other proof of ID can be difficult. The former County Elections Commissioner also voiced concern because a standard license is often used for voter identification and, he says this move could result in voter fraud.
The Chautauqua County Legislature has unanimously approved a motion opposing the proposed placing of huge wind turbines on Lake Erie to produce electricity....
Lawmakers in Mayville voted 18-to-0 last night to oppose preliminary plans for the wind farms. Some north county legislators developed the motion and one, Republican Kevin Muldowney, says such a move would destroy the natural beauty of the lake.
Another lawmaker involved with the motion, Dunkirk Democrat Robert Bankowski... thanked south county lawmakers for coming on board with the measure. Irving area Democrat Kevin O'Connell says he supports the idea of clean energy, but not this. O'Connell says Lake Erie currently provides drinking water for some 17-million Americans and Canadians. Jamestown Republican Elizabeth Rankin says, county lawmakers know all too well how devastating the huge wind farm in Arkwright has been and, says there are still impacts from that they may not know about.
A recent visit to the southern border with Mexico by several bi-partisan members of Congress was "an eye-opener" for many of them and, local Congressman Tom Reed is hopeful that this will prompt them to move forward on approving some final legislation on the matter....
Reed says he saw humanitarian and, criminal sides to the border issue. He says the worst was when an agent stopped a man who had a six-month old baby with him that he had "rented" from a smuggler. Reed says the man's initial story didn't add up, and agents threatened to give him a DNA test. He was then threatened with charges if the baby was found not to be his.
Reed says another agent one Democrat spoke with said he was -- "exhausted, you need to fix this." He says that agent talked with them after pulling the dead bodies of four people from the weeds in recent days near McAllen, Texas. The Corning Republican says the vast majority of the illegal immigrants coming over the border are seeking asylum. But, he says there is also a criminal element that has to be addressed.
The second of two Congressional hearings on Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential election wrapped up late Wednesday afternoon with few -- if any bombshell findings...
That was anticipated by local Congressman Tom Reed, who feels the hearings by the Judiciary and Intelligence Committees would yield little more that is new. Reed says they basically reiterated what was in Mueller's 448-page report.
For the most part Wednesday, Mueller mainly referred to parts of his written report, or gave brief 'yes' or 'no' answers. However, he disputed President Trump's claim that he was rebuffed in a bid to fill the post of FBI director. Facing questions from congressional lawmakers, Mueller said he spoke with Trump about the FBI job before he was named as special counsel, but "not as a candidate" for the job.
festival organizer Jonathan Weston says about this weekend's event at Panama Rocks, Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 5....
Weston says their mission is to connect people with the natural world by letting them meet wild animals, enjoy the work of 40 nature artists, and sample local foods. Back this year at noon each day will be the popular wild animal 'edutainment' of Jeff Musial, who makes frequent appearances on 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'. Lee Peterson, the son of Roger Tory Peterson will also be back this year. The full schedule for the Wild America Festival is at WildAmericaFest.com. Adult admission is just $10 per day.
A mainstay technology is missing among New York state troopers....
When used in other states, police cameras have uncovered officer misconduct, cleared authorities of wrongdoing and shifted the tide of public opinion in high-profile police shooting cases. Yet, even as the technology receives support from law enforcement experts, an Associated Press survey found that New York remains one of five states where the primary state law enforcement agency does not have dashboard cameras. The New York State Police say they did have vehicles outfitted with cameras in the past but couldn't afford to maintain or upgrade the equipment. They also don't have body cameras. Christopher Dunn, legal director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, says "it's astonishing that the New York State Police have no video accountability."
The U-S Senate has given final legislative approval to a bill ensuring that a victims' compensation fund related to the September 11th, 2001 attacks never runs out of money.....
The 97-to-2 vote sends the bill to President Donald Trump, who is expected to sign it. The vote came after Democratic senators agreed to allow votes on amendments sponsored by two Republican senators who had been blocking the widely popular bill. The Senate easily defeated the amendments proposed by GOP Senators Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky. Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said 9/11 first responders and their families have had "enough of political games." The bill would extend through 2092 a fund created after the 2001 terrorist attacks, essentially making it permanent.
