New York Governor Hochul’s heavy-handed Executive Order banning fired correctional officers from future employment has sparked a rebellion among county officials. The controversial decree, which followed a protest over dangerous prison conditions, is now facing legal challenges from multiple counties refusing to comply with what they view as government overreach.
At a glance:
• Governor Kathy Hochul fired approximately 2,000 correctional officers who protested unsafe prison conditions
• Hochul’s Executive Order bans these officers from future employment with state or county governments
• Chemung County has filed a lawsuit challenging the order as unlawful and unconstitutional
• Oneida County approved a resolution to sue the state over the Executive Order
• Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin plans to defy the order and hire the fired officers
Counties Launch Legal Challenges Against Hochul’s Ban
Multiple New York counties are fighting back against Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul’s ugly Executive Order prohibiting the rehiring of approximately 2,000 correctional officers. The officers were terminated after a three-week strike protesting dangerous working conditions in state prisons, not demanding pay increases as some have incorrectly reported.
Chemung County has taken the lead by filing a lawsuit claiming the governor’s order is both unlawful and unconstitutional. Oneida County has also joined the resistance, with its Board of Legislators approving a resolution authorizing legal action against what they describe as a clear overreach of executive authority.
Republican Officials Condemn Hochul’s “Vindictive” Actions
State Senator Tom O’Mara blasted Hochul’s order, describing her as “vindictive.”
“Governor Hochul’s Executive Order barring fired Corrections Officers from any employment within the New York State Retirement system demonstrates an astounding vindictiveness against former correctional officers and their families, and the communities where they have long lived and worked, that in the long run can only serve to continue this state’s decline,” O’Mara stated.
Assemblyman Phil Palmesano suggested that instead of punishing officers, Hochul should have addressed the legitimate safety concerns that prompted the protest.
“You think Gov Hochul should have learned from her predecessor who abused his executive authority during COVID,” Palmesano said.
Meanwhile, Representative Nick Langworthy has called for a federal investigation into the matter. “Governor Hochul’s latest assault on our hardworking corrections officers amounts to nothing more than callous and petty retribution. These brave men and women engaged in a strike as a last resort because they were pushed to a breaking point and their concerns have fallen on deaf ears,” Langworthy declared.
Rensselaer County Moves to Defy Governor’s Order
Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin has taken perhaps the boldest stance against the Governor yet, describing her Executive Order as “reprehensible and vicious.” McLaughlin has publicly announced his intention to directly defy the ban by hiring the displaced correctional officers for county positions.
The staffing crisis created by the mass firings has forced the state to deploy National Guard members to manage prisons. These guardsmen lack proper training for corrections work and face the same poor conditions that prompted the original strike.
State Senator Daniel Stec has highlighted an additional concern regarding these National Guard deployments. The guardsmen are ineligible for Veterans Affairs care if injured while working in the prisons, as they were activated under state rather than federal orders.
The confrontation between county governments and the Governor comes amid existing understaffing and recruitment challenges in New York’s prison system. Many officials warn that Hochul’s punitive approach will only exacerbate these problems while failing to address the unsafe conditions that led to the workers’ protest.
Hochul thought she could scare workers into compliance – and it looks like it has backfired massively.
