Cayuga County officials are taking a stand against a controversial executive order from Governor Kathy Hochul that blocks the hiring of recently terminated state corrections officers.
Sheriff Brian Schenck and legislators Mark Strong, Tom Winslow, and Robert Shea are backing a resolution to challenge Executive Order 47.3, which they say infringes on local hiring authority and home rule rights.
The executive order, issued March 10, bars counties and local governments from hiring corrections officers dismissed following a February strike over prison safety. The state deemed the strike unlawful under the Taylor Law and labeled the terminations “for cause.”
According to the resolution, the order suspends sections of County Law and the Municipal Home Rule Law, preventing counties from appointing or promoting former state employees involved in the strike. It also mandates that these terminations be reported to the state’s central registry for police and corrections personnel.
County officials argue the directive is punitive, unconstitutional, and undermines their ability to fill essential roles in the Cayuga County Jail. Sheriff Schenck urged all legislators to support the resolution and consider legal action to preserve local decision-making authority.
The resolution, if adopted, reserves the right for the county to pursue legal remedies against the state on behalf of Cayuga County and its law enforcement agencies.
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