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…
