Several counties in New York have moved to defy Governor Kathy Hochul’s order that bans the some 2,000 correctional officers she recently fired from ever working for the state again.
Hochul fired the officers for continuing to strike over the dangerous conditions inside understaffed prisons across the state. The following day, in a widely criticized move, she signed an executive order banning them from future work in New York, including even county governments.
Officials in Chemung County, Oneida County, and Rensselaer County have all indicated that they will outright defy the order or move to challenge it legally to regain control of their hiring processes.
Chemung County has issued a lawsuit this past week over the action, arguing that the order is unlawful. “We are taking this action to protect our ability to staff our jail with experienced personnel and to stand against unconstitutional overreach,” Sheriff William Schrom said.
In Oneida County, the Board of Legislators approved a resolution allowing them to sue New York state over Hochul’s order. County Executive Anthony Picente said the resolution was approved because lawmakers believe Hochul overstepped, Spectrum News reported.
“Executive order no. 47.3 is an abuse of the governor’s authority and discretion, and unlawfully intrudes upon the county’s powers of home rule,” Picente said.
Steve McLaughlin, who serves as county executive for Rensselaer County, said he would outright defy the order, calling it “reprehensible and vicious.”
“Just when you think Hochul can’t get worse, she finds a way,” he posted to X, captioning the executive order signed by Hochul. “Preventing Corrections Officers from seeking employment with counties is reprehensible and vicious but that’s exactly who Kathy Hochul is.”
“Like I do with everything else regarding her idiotic statements and actions, I will ignore this as well,” he said. “I will hire as many as I can here in #RensselaerCounty and I dare you to sue me and the individual CO’s as they seek gainful employment Hochul.”
Hochul’s decision to fire these officers in the first place has raised alarm, considering the understaffing and low recruitment already plaguing New York prisons across the state. Even before the strike started last month, there were about 2,000 vacant positions inside the prison system.
Hochul has National Guard members — without proper training — helping to man the prisons, with no end-date in sight. The governor activated thousands of members on the second day of the strike, and their inclusion has been controversial from the start. In some cases, they’ve been sleeping on gym floors and members have leaked photos of their rough conditions.
Moreover, State Sen. Daniel Stec (R) said that these guardsmen were “activated on state orders,” which makes them ineligible for care from Veterans Affairs if they were to get injured.
Related: ‘Vindictive Tyrant’: Hochul Bars Corrections Officers She Fired From Ever Working For New York Again
