Northeast
NY election law that 'nationalizes' local politics flies under the radar despite being 'monumental': expert
New York ushered in a “revolutionary” election law change that will nationalize and change the fabric of local elections, but it has overwhelmingly flown under the public’s radar, according to an election attorney.
“It really hasn’t even gotten the attention within New York that I would have thought it would have gotten, because again, this is a monumental change to the electorate,” New York Republican election attorney Joe Burns told Fox News Digital.
Just days before Christmas, Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a Democrat-backed bill that moved town, village and county elections to even-numbered years, alongside higher-profile gubernatorial and even presidential elections. The new law will likely upend local elections as they are expected to be drowned out by massive campaigns for state and federal offices, and local candidates might turn their attention to national issues instead of hyper-local campaign platforms, Burns explained to Fox News Digital.
“It’s nothing short of revolutionary,” Burns said.
BLUE STATE EFFORT TO UPROOT ELECTION LAW COULD FOREVER CHANGE LOCAL RACES: EXPERT
“I Voted” stickers are stacked at a polling place. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
This month, Republicans in New York’s Onondaga County, which is home to Syracuse in the center of the state, voted to approve $100,000 in funds to begin the process of suing New York State, arguing the drastic changes violate local rules.
“We will authorize County Executive Ryan McMahon to pursue legal action opposing New York state’s latest overreach against the county’s constitutional and chartered independence,” Republican Onondaga County Legislature Chairman Timothy Burtis said, according to Spectrum News.
NY COURT DECISION GIVES DEMS INSIDE TRACK ON COMPETITIVE HOUSE DISTRICTS
“The new law is a bold attempt to dismantle Onondaga County’s legal independence without due process,” Burtis added.
Republicans in the county say the new law is an attack on their county charter.
The New York State Capitol in Albany. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
“That’s really the big issue,” Burns said, “The state constitution provides tremendous protections for how they organize themselves. Meaning, that the state simply can’t come in and require that these local offices – county executives, county legislators – require that they truncate their terms, require that they then elect the officers on even years,” Burns said.
Burns sent a letter to Onondaga County Legislature last week, before money was officially set aside for the lawsuit, arguing that the “radical change” is “bad for our local governments, and bad for democracy.”
“In this era of angry, hyperpartisan politics, is this what New York really needs? Will it strengthen our democracy? Will it improve our system of self-government? No, no, and no,” Burns wrote.
Democrats who supported the bill argued it would increase voter turnout, as high-profile presidential or state elections draw more voters compared to local election turnout. The bill had been floated around Albany over the last few years and was expected to pass in 2022, but to no avail. The State Assembly and Senate ultimately approved the bill in June, just hours before 2023’s legislative session ended.
The law officially takes effect next year.
DEMS’ PLAN TO STRIP TRUMP FROM NY BALLOT HAS NUMBER OF FLAWS UNDER STATE LAW: ELECTION EXPERT
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul speaks during the State of the State address in Albany, New York, Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
“I think it’s a great argument,” Burns said of how Republicans in the county are teeing up the lawsuit. “This new law, forcing these counties to elect their officials on even years, violates Article IX of the state constitution, which includes the local government bill of rights.”
The New York attorney told Fox News Digital he believes there is “a very high likelihood of success” with the lawsuit, and that other counties may soon follow or are at least monitoring the situation.
Other counties “may figure, ‘let them go forward. Hopefully, they’ll be successful.’ And then that would apply to similar county governments, specifically counties with a charter like in Onondaga County,” he said.
DEMS TURN TO STATE COURTS AS POLITICAL ‘WEAPON’ AMID 2024’S GERRYMANDER BLITZ: EXPERTS
The law moved county and town elections but does not affect elections such as city, district attorney or sheriff, as those are governed by the state’s constitution. Burns said that the massive election change has likely received little local and national attention as the law does not affect New York City.
The law does not affect New York City. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)
“What’s the media capital of not just New York, but probably the world? New York City. Well, guess what? What do they have in New York City? They have city offices. Meaning, they’re not affected.”
Local governments outside of cities, however, will likely see their candidates turn their attention to national issues, instead of local issues such as infrastructure or deploying snow trucks to clear roads during a storm, Burns argued.
“Under this new law, elections for offices such as town clerk, town highway superintendent, and county legislator would appear on the same General Election ballot as races for Congress, U.S. Senate, and President. Candidates in these races for local office – races where candidates might raise and spend as little as a couple thousand dollars in an entire campaign cycle – will be forced to compete with candidates in multimillion-dollar contests for voters’ attention,” Burns wrote in his letter supporting the planned lawsuit.
“Local concerns will be silent; local politics will be nationalized.”
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Welcome to Day 2 of the Metropolitan Diary challenge, part of our celebration of the column’s 50th anniversary. On Day 1, we gave you tips for identifying your New York City story. Today, we’ll help you write it. (Missed Day 1? It’s not too late to start.)
What makes for a good Diary? It’s simply a good story that happens to be set in, and capture, the essential New York-ness of the city. While this isn’t a full writing course, we do have guidance on the kinds of elements that the submissions we publish include. They typically have: a beginning, middle and end; sharp details; catchy dialogue; a bit of surprise; some humor, warmth or emotion. But there is no formula, so flouting these loose rules can be worthwhile.
Don’t worry if you don’t think of yourself as a “writer.” Focus on being a “storyteller.” Pretend you are telling your story to the person who’d most appreciate it, using whatever conversational language or pacing that would hold their attention. Do it out loud if you want, maybe give that person a call and tell them your story (or tell it to them again). Then write it down.
That’s the big picture. For more tips, read on.
Here is an example of a published Diary that we (and readers) really liked, and a few thoughts on why that may help crystallize yours.
Unacceptable
Dear Diary:
I went to a new bagel store in Brooklyn Heights1 with my son.
When it was my turn to order, I asked for a cinnamon raisin bagel with whitefish salad and a slice of red onion.2
The man behind the counter looked up at me.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t do that.”3
— Richie Powers
One of this item’s best qualities is that it is short and snappy. Only 53 words! Although we will use stories of up to 300 words, many don’t need to be that long and the column doesn’t work if we don’t have a mix of long, medium and short, so we are always looking for stuff like this. Here’s another one!
At Attention
Dear Diary:
It was December 1967. I had just finished basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey and was traveling to Boston in uniform. For reasons I no longer recall, I stopped in New York City on the way.1
Walking on the Upper East Side2 in a snowstorm, I spied another man in a uniform. He was older, and his cap bore the familiar gold band that identified him as an officer.
I rendered a snappy salute. It was not returned. 3The uniform was unfamiliar, so I guessed he was a foreign officer. Military courtesy still required me to salute.
A little farther down the street, I encountered another officer and offered another salute that went unacknowledged.4 His uniform was strange to me as well.
The third time it happened, the man I saluted ignored me while holding the door for a couple 5on their way into a large apartment building.
I realized I had been saluting doormen.6
— Stephen Salisbury
To get your storytelling muscles going, think through or jot down the answers to some of these questions.
Let’s start with setting the scene.
- When and where in the city did this happen? Is this place well-known?
- Was there anything particular about that point in your life that’s relevant?
- What did you see, hear, smell? Was there something notable about the weather?
Now, let’s move to the middle, the meat of the story.
- Did you have an exchange with someone?
- What details are important to how events unfolded, especially in setting up the ending?
And now, the end.
- What’s the resolution? Is there a punchline?
- Does the story end with a sense of shared humanity or some other warm feeling that lingers? You don’t need to name it. A good description will often allow readers to feel it too.
- Why has this experience stayed with you?
- Lines like “and that’s why I love New York” are almost always unnecessary.
That’s it. Keep your story simple and use the kind of plain language you use in conversation. You are sketching a moment in time. The details are important. Let them move the story along. Have fun and good luck.
Once you’re done, read through what you’ve got. What details are less important and can be left out? (Remember, there is a strict 300-word limit.)
Write your Metropolitan Diary however you like, on paper, on your phone or wherever! When you’re happy with what you’ve written, put your diary entry into the box below, fill out your information and submit it. You might just hear from me about including it in a future column.
This is the official submission form, so make sure to double-check your work before hitting submit.
That’s it! Submit your Metropolitan Diary.
By transmitting your submission, you grant The New York Times Company a perpetual, royalty-free license to use the submission in any medium. They may be edited, and may be republished and adapted in all media. You may reprint your story elsewhere after it appears in The Times.
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Pittsburg, PA
Trash pickup schedules adjusted in Pittsburgh-area communities due to impending heat wave
Several communities in the Pittsburgh area have adjusted their trash pickup times as the region is bracing for a heat wave with temperatures and heat indexes expected to be near 100 degrees this week.
The hottest temperatures of 2026 are expected this week and by Tuesday afternoon, temperatures are anticipated to reach into the 90s. This, coupled with extremely high humidity levels, means the heat index — also known as the “feels like” temperature — will flirt with triple digits.
In Mt. Lebanon, trash and recycling pickup routes will begin earlier than normal to help keep workers safe amid the extreme heat.
“All trash and recycling should be placed at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” a notice posted on municipality’s Facebook page said.
Shaler Township said that it received an update from County Hauling that collection crews will begin their routes earlier than normal this week as well.
“Please place all trash and recycling at the curb the night before your scheduled collection day,” the township said.
In Robinson Township, trash collection will begin at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, one hour earlier than normal.
People are being asked to have their trash and recycling at the curb at least one hour prior to their normal pickup time.
Pleasant Hills Borough said it had adjusted its trash pickup schedule for earlier in the day on Friday to “help reduce employee exposure to hazardous temperatures.”
“This temporary adjustment is being made in the interest of employee health and safety,” the borough said. “We kindly ask that you help notify your residents that all trash and/or recycling should be placed at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day, as collection times may occur earlier than usual.”
In Brentwood Borough, Noble Environmental will begin earlier collection on pickup routes as well.
People are being asked to place their trash and recycling at the curb the night before their scheduled collection day.
The borough added that collection days are not changing, only the start time of the pickup routes.
“Thank you for your cooperation as crews work safely during this week’s heat wave,” the borough said.
The Library Volunteer Fire Company said that trash pickup in South Park Township is being moved earlier on Thursday.
“We kindly ask Township residents to place trash and recycling at the curb the night before Thursday, July 2nd pickup, as collection times may occur earlier than usual,” the notice said.
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