A planned New York state election bill that would have given Governor Kathy Hochul more control over special elections has been shelved at her request. Critics argue the bill was designed to delay the filling of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik's vacant seat, while Democrats maintain it was a cost-saving measure.
A controversial New York state election bill will no longer be enacted, according to multiple reports. Sources revealed that Governor Kathy Hochul , at the behest of the Democrat-majority legislature, requested the bill be put on hold. This legislation would have granted the governor greater authority in determining when special elections can be held, potentially delaying the filling of U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik's vacant seat in upstate New York.
Stefanik's Republican stronghold is expected to be confirmed as the U.N. Ambassador.The New York Post and City & State New York reported that some of the reasoning behind Hochul's decision stemmed from ongoing negotiations with the Trump administration regarding the duration of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's 'Congestion Pricing' tolling program in New York City, a program opposed by the president. City & State reported that Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, declared the bill, at least temporarily, a non-starter during an afternoon meeting. Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay, R-Oswego, also confirmed the bill's halt, stating on X that it was a 'terrible piece of legislation in policy & principle.' He credited strong pushback from Republican legislators and North Country residents for its defeat.State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-Niagara Falls, added in a statement to Fox News Digital that while the bill 'appears to be defeated for now, we will remain vigilant against any effort to bring it back.' The reform bill was scheduled for a vote on Monday. Critics condemned it as an attempt to leave Stefanik's North Country congressional district without representation until November, while Democratic sponsors defended it as a cost-saving measure that would encourage voter participation in special elections. Ortt, however, argued that Democrats' claims about Trump's threat to democracy are contradicted by their own legislation, stating, 'It’s all about the outcome, not process, democracy, voter participation – they could give a s---. They could give a s---.' He predicted that Hochul would utilize the law to its fullest extent once enacted.Ortt pointed out that the bill has two distinct provisions: one for federal elections and one for state legislative elections. He suggested that Democrats could benefit from the potential loss of State Sen. Simcha Felder's, D-Brooklyn's Senate seat. Felder previously caucused with Senate Republicans from 2013-18, giving the GOP a slim, technical majority in Albany during former Governor Andrew Cuomo's term. Meanwhile, Barclay asserted that 44% of New York state voted for Trump, and the legislation demonstrates that Democrats are still grappling with that outcome. He stated, 'No, they don't accept that result. So they're going to do everything they can, including depriving 800,000 people of a say in the budget the SALT (tax deduction for high-taxed states) bill.' Barclay highlighted that if Stefanik's seat remains vacant during the Farm Bill vote later this year, a substantial portion of New York's agricultural lands will lack representation.Despite the criticism, Democrats remained united. Senate President Andrea Stewart-Cousins stated that New Yorkers face 'unprecedented challenges, including the strain on our democracy and our high cost of living.' She defended the legislation as a 'common-sense approach that saves taxpayer dollars while maximizing voter turnout.' Currently, Hochul has 90 days to call a special election once Stefanik, or Felder, resigns. The bill's text argued that the existing framework for special elections in Albany is financially burdensome for counties and taxpayers, citing 'voter confusion and fatigue' as additional concerns. The bill's provision to grant the governor the power to potentially consolidate elections was therefore deemed pertinent. As NY1 reported, the bill does not mandate Hochul - or any future governor - to combine special and general or primary elections, but now empowers her to do so. However, some individuals in Stefanik's district believe that Ortt's claims regarding the bill's potential impact may hold merit
NEW YORK ELECTION BILL KATHY HOCHUL ELISE STEFANIK DEMOCRATS REPUBLICANS SPECIAL ELECTIONS CONGESTION PRICING
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