New York Assemblyman Michael Cashman is in his first term representing the North Country’s 115th District. He sat down with North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley to discuss several issues, beginning with his efforts to rein in high utility costs.
MICHAEL CASHMAN: Since we've broken from an extended session that was, you know, two months delayed due to the New York State budget, that legislation is unlikely to move forward this year. It's disappointing, but I am glad that my colleagues and I were able to advocate for other things, including the bill that would place a moratorium on data centers, which are one of the largest energy suckers of any industry out there and which would pass on you know energy costs to users across New York State.
BRADLEY: Do you and your colleagues plan to reintroduce some of your bills?
MICHAEL CASHMAN: I'm having conversations with lots of my colleagues about bills and priorities. Ultimately, what I can say is some of my bills may not get filed in the same way, but the work that I am planning on doing will still focus on affordability, working to combat and hold our utility companies accountable and also making sure that we're working to protect farmers and seniors and our small businesses.
BRADLEY: Along those lines, can the state legislature do anything to lower energy costs, like fuel oil costs, as we approach winter?
MICHAEL CASHMAN: What we need to realize is that everything is more expensive right now. I'm doing a 40-plus municipal tour and one of the costs that we're seeing that is skyrocketing is the cost of salt. We're also talking with highway departments and the cost of diesel is going up. The cost of food is going up. The cost of oil is going up for you know seniors to heat their homes. So all costs across a wide spectrum are going up and you know we need to do whatever we can where we can to push back on some of those things.
And that's why when we're back in session, I certainly am going to continue to advocate that we're investing in critical programs, you know, such as HEAP, making sure that we are fighting, you know, property taxes. That we're making sure that we're investing in senior citizen facilities and programs. Making sure that there's, you know, important venture exemptions that are there and services.
BRADLEY: Moving on to another topic: prisons. Recently, there was an announcement by the Office of General Services and DOCCS, Department of Corrections and Community Services, seeking bids for a potential design or construction of a brand new prison somewhere in New York State. But that web posting was taken down. I understand you were not pleased with the original announcement.
MICHAEL CASHMAN: Pat, you could probably hear my eye roll in just disgust and frustration. That news, when it broke, was absolutely and utterly tone deaf. We have facilities that have been closed and are on ready and standby status that could be activated for this use. We are lacking people in the facility. Our correction officers are not able to take the holidays and vacation time that they are owed. We still have the National Guard in there. The health and safety for the correction officers and civilians is still not adequate.
Not only was this tone deaf, when you think about the realities of what has been going on, the state has been closing facilities and putting facilities on ready standby status, basically, and yet they, they, they want to explore building a new facility while our correction officers and our civilians are still in unsafe spaces. We have National Guard men and women in the facilities. Our correction officers can't get their vacation time because of the you know the status for coverage.
You know the resources should be going into our current facilities, making sure that they are safe and that we can address the needs now. But it's completely tone deaf.
BRADLEY: Michael Cashman, Flock cameras. We're hearing a lot about them, not just in the region but nationwide. Should the state assembly implement more stringent regulations on their use?
MICHAEL CASHMAN: I think that New York State needs to put guardrails up related to Flock and other types of cameras in this usage. Technology is ever changing and technology has a place in society, but it also demands guardrails. Some of these cameras don't even have a banner or a poster or signage that says that they are recording in you know the public domain.
Let's start with that and then for the businesses that are using these, they should be required to have something on their website that talks about what type of data that they are capturing; how that data is being stored; how it's being shared; because even outside of cameras, you can look at people's data being leaked by hospitals or credit cards. This happens regularly in today's society. So we have a moral and ethical responsibility to protect New Yorkers.
BRADLEY: Michael Cashman, the question of sheriff's departments cooperating with ICE has come up. 15 county sheriffs, including one in your district, Franklin County Sheriff, and the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which is also called FAIR, have asked a federal court to pause enforcement of the state's so-called Local Cops Local Crimes Act. That state act requires termination of any 287G agreement, which allows local forces to cooperate with ICE agents. Now, my understanding is you voted yes to pass the Local Cops Local Crimes Act. What are your thoughts about the challenge by the sheriffs?
MICHAEL CASHMAN: Sure. We are living in a world right now where people are scared. And I've heard from farmers to people that work in the service industry that they're concerned about their employees being just randomly picked up, especially masking. This is the type of reality that we're living in. So, the local cops bill does, is it makes sure that our local agencies are focused on the local work. And I have heard from a number of folks in you know local law enforcement, and they said, you know, we want to focus on our local beats. We have real needs in our community. Well, our local law enforcements, that's what they should be focused on and that's why I supported that law.
BRADLEY: Well, among the arguments that the 15 county sheriffs, and I do want to note there are 65 counties in New York State. They say that the law is hamstringing their ability to identify criminals and fugitives and be able to do their local work. You sound like you disagree heartily with that.
MICHAEL CASHMAN: It doesn't stop ICE from doing their agency job. It just makes sure that the local departments are not being deputized and taking them away from the local beats.
BRADLEY: Michael Cashman, you will be speaking later this month at the New York Association of Towns Fall Legislative Conference. You were, before you became an assemblyman, a town supervisor. What are you planning to talk to these town officials about?
MICHAEL CASHMAN: Yeah, you know, I served as a town supervisor for just about 10 years, and in fact, I was vice president of the New York State Association of Towns and on the executive committee for a number of years. I'm looking forward to speaking with my local government colleagues and fellow legislators about the opportunities to collaborate more between the state and local government. I'm a local government guy. I believe that both at the town, city, and village and state assembly and state senate we’re the closest to the people.
My most favorite part of my job that that kind of is overarching between the two roles, is I see people out in the community all the time. People can approach me and we can have a conversation. But I think that we have more opportunity to collaborate together as we move forward, and that's the conversation I want to have.
That was Democrat, Assemblyman Michael Cashman of New York’s 115th district speaking with Pat Bradley. He was elected last November to fill the term of former Assemblyman D. Billy Jones and is running unopposed for a full term.
