Former county Legislator Sarah Anker (D-Mount Sinai) has announced she will be running for the District 1 state Senate seat currently held by Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk).
“I am running for the New York State Senate because we need a strong voice in the majority to put people above politics and deliver for Suffolk County,” Anker said in her Feb. 5 press release.
“For close to 13 years, as a full-time Suffolk County legislator, I have listened to the concerns of my constituents and took action to address them,” she added.
Anker was first elected as the Suffolk County legislator for the 6th District after winning a special election in 2011, being reelected six times before stepping down in 2023 due to term limits.
In a phone interview, Anker said that she first got involved in local politics when she moved to Long Island and read about tritium, a radioactive substance, that was leaking into the local groundwater.
“I read it in the papers and it made me want to get more involved to see what was being done … and I joined the Democratic Party back then to get a better understanding of how to get things done working with the elected officials,” she said.
In the press release, Anker cited her accomplishments during her time as a legislator as including chairing the county Addiction Prevention and Support Advisory Panel, addressing environmental issues through supporting the acquisition of open space to protect drinking water and cleaning up pollution in Long Island Sound, also initiating expediting the health permit process for businesses.
“As a Democrat who has represented a Republican district, I will continue to find common ground for the common good by bringing people together and setting politics aside,” she said.
If elected, Anker said her first priority would be to identify what the state legislators feel are Long Island’s main concerns in order to establish common ground to move issues forward.
“One of [the issues] we’ve had … was when the governor [Kathy Hochul (D)] came and she wanted to take control over local housing and development, and it wasn’t accepted in a positive way,” Anker said, stressing the importance of communication between the senators, governor and legislators “to try to understand where they’re coming from.”
Anker’s top priorities for the state Senate include supporting law enforcement and “working on common sense measures to keep New Yorkers safe, being a leader on policy to support clean water and open space funding, including ensuring that we receive our fair share of New York State Environmental Bond Act funds, supporting fair school aid so school districts have reliable and stable funding” and “supporting New York women’s right to choose and access to health care.”
“The reality is, the state Senate has a 42-21 Democratic supermajority, and the only way Suffolk County can get its fair share is to have strong voices in the majority who will fight for our Long Island values,” Anker said in the press release.
For more information, visit her website at sarahanker.com. The election will be held on Nov. 5.
Suffolk County Executive-elect Ed Romaine condemns the Clean Slate Act, which Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last week. Photo by Raymond Janis
A new state law has public officials from Suffolk County up in arms.
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed the Clean Slate Act on Thursday, Nov. 16, which allows certain criminal records to be sealed years after an individual is sentenced or released from incarceration. The law automatically seals certain criminal records after a required waiting period — three years after conviction or release from jail for a misdemeanor and eight years after conviction or release from prison for a felony — if the criminal has maintained a clean record, is no longer on probation or parole and has no other pending charges.
The legislation still provides access to sealed records “for certain necessary and relevant purposes,” such as law enforcement, licensing or employment for industries requiring a background check, employment in jobs interacting with children, the elderly or other vulnerable groups and application for a gun, commercial driver’s license and public housing.
The state Assembly passed the bill in June 83-64, with the Senate also upvoting the measure 38-25. In a signing ceremony, Hochul referred to the bill as a means for creating jobs and deterring recidivism among convicted felons.
“My number one job as the New York State governor is to keep people safe,” she said. “And I believe that the best anti-crime tool we have is a job.”
She added, “When people have steady work, they’re less likely to commit crimes and less likely to be homeless.”
New York becomes the 12th state to enact Clean State legislation, according to the governor’s website.
Homegrown opposition
State and local officials joined first responders and crime advocates outside the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association headquarters in Brentwood on Friday morning, Nov. 17, blasting the measure as out of touch with the needs of residents.
Suffolk County Executive-elect Ed Romaine (R) acknowledged that there are cases in which records should be sealed but suggested these matters should be considered on a case-by-case basis and determined through the court system instead of the legislative process.
“I think it should be up to the judges,” he said. “I don’t think [sealing criminal records] should be automatic. I think this bill is not the right thing to do, and I think it does weaken the criminal justice system.”
New York State Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue) reiterated Romaine’s sentiments: “A clean slate, carte blanche for everyone — that’s just plain dangerous.”
State Assemblyman Steve Stern (D-Dix Hills) said that while he believes in second chances for convicted criminals, the bill exempts only a “small list” of criminal offenders.
“It doesn’t take into account nearly all the types of egregious crimes that impact so many victims, their families and our entire community,” he said. “Manslaughter, armed robbery, terrorism offenses, hate crimes … these are cases where there’s been due process, where there’s been convictions and sentencing.”
The state assemblyman added, “In these kinds of very troubling times, employers, employees, victims, families, neighbors and community members … all have the right to know.”
State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) said the bill would exacerbate the conditions of the opioid epidemic, expunging the criminal records of drug dealers who continue trafficking opioids throughout the county. He said financial criminals, such as Ponzi schemers and elder scammers, receive similar protections under the new law.
“People are entitled to a second chance, but it shouldn’t be us legislators doing this,” he said. “It should be through the judicial system.”
To learn more about the Clean Slate Act, please visit assembly.state.ny.us/cleanslate.
Pictured above, New York State Sen. Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), left of poster, and state Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead), right of poster, along with Republican state legislators. Photo by New York State Senate Photography
This past week in Albany, New York State Sen. Dean Murray (R-Patchogue) and state Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio (R-Riverhead) joined with Republican colleagues from the state Senate and Assembly at a press conference calling for the crackdown on improper and deceptive packaging practices for edible products with THC infusions.
The lawmakers said there has been a dramatic increase in cases of children mistaking these products for regular candies and snack foods, with dangerous and sometimes deadly results.
Murray and Giglio have introduced legislation that would target this practice, mandating that THC-infused edibles on the market are marked and packaged plainly and increasing penalties for violators.
The decades-long proposal to electrify the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road is nearing yet another derailment.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, public owner of LIRR, is expected to unveil its 2025-2044 20-Year Needs Assessment in October. Larry Penner, a transportation analyst and former director for Federal Transit Administration Region 2, considered that document pivotal for the project’s future advancement.
“If the project is not included in that 20-year document, then none of us are going to be alive to see electrification,” he said, adding pessimistically that electrification “is not on the radar screen” of senior MTA or state-level officials.
Requests for comment submitted to the press offices of the MTA, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and U.S. Congressman Nick LaLota (R-NY1) went unanswered.
A cry unheard
‘It’s appalling that they’re using diesel in this day and age.’
— Bruce Miller
Generations of North Shore residents and community leaders have called upon the MTA to electrify the Port Jeff line to no avail.
Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) has been among Long Island’s loudest and most prominent proponents of electrification in recent years. In an interview with TBR News Media last summer, he said public investment has shifted away from the Island.
“Our voice has not been raised,” he said. “There hasn’t been an investment in providing modern technology” to this region.
Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Margot Garant voiced similar frustrations. According to her, a fully electrified rail would boost local and regional economies, expediting travel to Manhattan and between North Shore communities, namely transit to and from nearby powerhouse Stony Brook University.
The project “would incentivize people being able to take the train not only into Stony Brook but into the city in a really timely manner,” she said.
From an environmental perspective, former Port Jeff Village trustee Bruce Miller decried the existing railway infrastructure as “ludicrous.”
“It’s appalling that they’re using diesel in this day and age,” he said, adding, “Everyone is making every effort for green energy in all fields except for the MTA and the Long Island Rail Road.”
Illustration by Kyle Horne: kylehorneart.com @kylehorneart
State legislators join the cause
Local leaders are not alone in their disappointment over the long delay. State Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) condemned what he considered an imbalance between the state taxes Long Island spends and the infrastructure dollars it gets from Albany.
“Long Islanders already contribute greatly to the MTA and deserve better access to more reliable and dependable rail service,” he said in an email, referring to Port Jefferson Branch electrification as a “critical project.”
At the western end of the branch, state Assemblyman Keith Brown (R-Northport), whose district includes travelers from Huntington, Greenlawn and Northport stations, expressed dismay over the state’s billowing budget yet few returns for North Shore residents.
He noted the apparent contradiction between Albany’s green energy priorities and the MTA’s continued use of diesel locomotives, which are due for replacement in the coming years.
Referencing the 2019 Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which targets an 85% reduction in statewide greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels by 2050, Brown regarded the continued dependence upon diesel technology as inconsistent with state law.
“They can’t really replace the existing fleet with diesel trains,” he said. “At the same time they’re calling to stop the use of gas in homes, the MTA and LIRR can’t be purchasing diesel locomotives.”
The Empire State Passenger Association is a transit advocacy group that aims for improvements in public transportation services throughout New York state. ESPA president Gary Prophet said the passenger association has endorsed Port Jefferson Branch electrification over the years, referring to the project as necessary and justifiable given the volume of commuters along the line.
“That is a heavily used branch of the Long Island Rail Road that should be electrified,” he said. “It probably should have been electrified in the past, but it just hasn’t happened for a variety of reasons.”
A history of inaction
The original concept of Port Jeff line electrification dates back over half a century. However, planning began in earnest in the early 1970s when electrification of the North Shore line extended up to Huntington.
Derek Stadler, associate professor and web services librarian at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, has closely followed historical developments along the Port Jeff Branch.
He attributes the failures to electrify the line to a combination of resistance from property owners near the tracks, engineering challenges, financial setbacks and bad luck.
“In the ‘80s, they had money set aside to start working on it though they hadn’t secured the funds to complete it,” he said. “Then in 1985, the president of the MTA postponed that indefinitely.” Stadler contends this was the closest the project ever was to moving forward.
In the ‘90s, the MTA launched a fleet of dual-mode locomotives which are still in use today. Despite the good intentions, Stadler maintains that this fleet has not adequately substituted for electric service. Given the high costs to repair and replace outdated train cars, Stadler regarded this effort as a poor long-term investment.
“They have spent more money on that new fleet and repairing them than if they would have done the electrification way back in the ‘80s,” he said.
Prioritization problem
‘If I’m the MTA, I’m electrifying the East End before I electrify the North Shore.’
— Richard Murdocco
The current cost estimate of Port Jeff Branch electrification is $3.6 billion, though that figure will almost certainly climb. To secure these dollars, however, the North Shore is competing against other project proposals across Long Island and New York state.
Throughout LIRR’s history as a public railroad company, North Shore riders have lost out consistently to their inland counterparts traveling along the Ronkonkoma line. Richard Murdocco, adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at SBU, chronicled this pattern, saying the pursuit of Port Jeff Branch electrification continues running up against the hard realities of the MTA’s prioritization scheme.
“The question is: Is electrification really the priority on the North Shore, or should you electrify east of Ronkonkoma?” Murdocco said. Given the spur of recent growth in Yaphank and new developments in the Town of Riverhead, he added, “If I’m the MTA, I’m electrifying the East End before I electrify the North Shore.”
Further hampering investment into the Port Jeff Branch is the topography along its route. Given the large hills and frequent bends, the flatter main line may win the day for its comparably simple engineering logistics.
Murdocco said the MTA could either electrify the Port Jeff Branch, which “meanders along the hilly terrain, or you get a straight shot through the Pine Barrens, where there’s already talk of them doing it, where they’re welcoming it and where there are no neighbors to disrupt.”
‘Suffolk County does not have the political clout that it used to.’
— Larry Penner
Political and financial distress
Penner claims the political and financial currents are also working against North Shore residents. Suffolk County’s state representatives are increasingly in the legislative minority in Albany, leaving mere “crumbs on the table” for infrastructure improvements.
“Suffolk County does not have the political clout that it used to,” he said.
Even so, the MTA is encountering a systemwide economic crisis from the COVID-19 pandemic, with daily ridership hovering around 65% from pre-pandemic levels. Murdocco insists that many of the labor trends unleashed by COVID-19 will likely linger indefinitely.
“There’s no denying remote work is here to stay,” the SBU adjunct professor said, adding, “We don’t know how long the ramifications of the pandemic will last.”
Meanwhile, the MTA is facing even greater fiscal strife over looming labor negotiations. With recent inflation, Penner said the agency could lose potentially hundreds of millions from renegotiated union contracts.
“All of this plays into the bigger picture of MTA’s overall health,” Penner said, which he considered dismal based on state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s (D) most recent analysis. “They’re barely staying afloat maintaining existing service, systems and repairs,” the former FTA official added.
Penner, Stadler and Murdocco expressed collective pessimism about Port Jefferson Branch electrification getting underway within the next decade. “As of right now, I do not see this project happening within 10 years because I do not see a fiscal way for anyone to pay for it, given the MTA’s current financial status,” Murdocco said.
Looking for answers
Given the hefty $3.6 billion price tag, Miller proposed exploring alternatives to electric service. He cited examples in Germany, where zero-emission hydrogen-powered train cars recently went online.
“Hydrogen technology is new but they’ve developed it, and it’s working in Germany,” the former village trustee said. “I don’t think they’re exploring enough options here.”
But implementing high-tech propulsion technologies may be out of reach for the MTA, which uses a late 19th-century fuel source to power the Port Jeff line. When asked about these potential innovations, Brown expressed skepticism.
“As far as hydrogen is concerned, that’s all it is right now — experimental,” the state assemblyman said. Rather, he favored pursuing electrification in a piecemeal, station-by-station fashion, dispersing infrastructure funds for the project over several annual budgets.
Penner implored community members to adopt a policy of maximum pressure upon their elected representatives.
“I wouldn’t give a dime to any elected official unless, with your campaign contribution, there’s a little note in your check [that says] you have to promise me that electrification of Port Jefferson will be your number one transportation priority,” he said.
Stadler emphasized executive support, arguing that several system expansions during the administration of former Gov. Nelson Rockefeller (R) were made possible by the chief executive’s commitment to seeing them through.
“A lot of money has to be budgeted for it,” he said. “State leaders have to be involved in it, and pressure from the governor” can be a reliable instrument.
To make the electrification dream a reality, Garant said all levels of government should pool their energies around this cause. “It’s certainly going to be a long-term plan for the region,” she said. “You need partners on every level, from the federal and state levels to the town and county.”
Prophet said megaprojects, such as the $11 billion East Side Access extension into Grand Central Madison, have taken up much of the political and economic capital in New York state.
“I think there’s a lot of emphasis on large projects that make a big splash,” the passenger association president said. “Politicians need to spend a little more time on smaller projects that may not make a big splash but may help commuters and people looking to travel between cities.”
Setting the stakes, Penner returned to the 20-year capital needs assessment. He equated the North Shore’s present predicament to a baseball game.
“You’re in the ninth inning with two outs,” he said. “The last at-bat is the 2025-2044 20-year capital needs assessment.” He concluded by saying, “If this project is not included in that document, then the ball game is over.”
Former county legislator Susan Berland and incumbent Mario Mattera will be on the ballot for state senator in the second district. Photos by Raymond Janis
TBR News Media isn’t endorsing anyone in the race for state Senate in the 2nd District because the editorial staff feels both candidates are equally qualified.
While it may be difficult for a newspaper to choose who to endorse in this race, it’s a win for voters. Whichever candidate succeeds, we will have someone who is qualified and committed to doing the best for New York state and the 2nd District.
Berland has decades of political experience behind her, and it’s evident her experiences with the Town of Huntington and Suffolk County will be an asset in Albany if she wins.
Mattera has learned a great deal during this two-year term as senator. He has quickly evolved from a freshman senator to a knowledgeable elected official. We are confident that he will stand by his promise that he will not be working to change New York State’s abortion legislation, and if gubernatorial candidate Zeldin wins, we will hold Mattera to his word that he will not work to reverse those laws in the state.
Above, state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk). Photo by Raymond Janis
In New York’s 1st state Senate District, an enlightening policy debate has been ongoing between the two major party nominees. TBR News Media will support incumbent state Sen. Anthony Palumbo in that race.
Palumbo’s experience in Albany impressed us. Despite being a member of the legislative minority, he has wielded his power successfully, getting several necessary measures signed into law. As a token of their appreciation for his service, voters should give him a vote of confidence this November.
This endorsement is not without conditions, however. Some have criticized Palumbo, a resident of the East End, for not being more accessible in the western parts of his district.
Constituents want to see their representatives at community events, civic meetings and other forums, not just during election season. As District 1 has shifted due to redistricting, we look forward to seeing more of Palumbo in this neck of the woods.
As for his opponent, Skyler Johnson is a remarkable young man. His intellect, knowledge of the issues and dedication moved us. Johnson will be a leader in this community in the coming years. When he gets his shot, we know he will accomplish incredible feats eventually. When he does, our community will benefit immensely from his service.
In the meantime, we will stand behind the incumbent for this cycle. This November, the staff of TBR News Media endorses state Sen. Anthony Palumbo’s campaign for reelection.
Incumbent state Sen. Anthony Palumbo and Democratic Party nominee Skyler Johnson. Photos by Raymond Janis
In the race for New York’s 1st state Senate District, incumbent Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) is competing againstDemocratic Gen Z challenger Skyler Johnson of Mount Sinai.
In an office debate, these two candidates offered their perspectives on assorted topics affecting this area.
Introductions
Palumbo has served in elective office for nearly a decade, first in the state Assembly and later in the Senate, where he is completing his first term. He is also a practicing criminal defense attorney.
Johnson currently sits on the board of Temple Beth Emeth of Mount Sinai. Before pursuing state office, he worked under Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren and now works for the Brentwood-based nonprofit New Hour for Women & Children – LI, a program for reentry services for formerly incarcerated women and their families. If elected, he would be the youngest person to serve in the state Legislature since Theodore Roosevelt.
LIRR electrification
Electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch line is an area of agreement for the two state Senate candidates. Johnson intends to use his office to apply direct pressure on the MTA-LIRR to get there.
“I’d like to make sure that we’re bringing home funds for the MTA, making sure that the project is properly funded, as well as making sure that there is enough transparency in the process,” he said. “I want to make sure that I’m communicating with environmental and transit advocacy groups to get them involved and make sure that from the public side, they’re also putting pressure on the MTA.”
Palumbo said cleaning up the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site is nearly completed, after which serious deliberations can occur on electrification. “I think that would really get the ball rolling, and then it really does come down to funding,” he said. “I know many people have been clamoring for it. They’ve been asking about it. … It actually is ripe to do it at this point.”
Cost of living
In communities throughout the 1st Senate District, the area is simultaneously experiencing an exodus of residents from the region while encountering difficulties attracting new families. To counteract these trends, Johnson advocated confronting the various facets of the problem in their entirety.
“As a young person trying to invest in my future, trying to invest in my community, I can say that it is very hard to afford the cost of living here,” he said. “It is very hard to find anything remotely affordable to rent, buy or live in our community.”
When discussing the issue of declining student enrollment in school districts, Johnson further pressed this point: “Our schools are not going to seem attractive if people cannot actually get to them, if people cannot afford to buy within our communities,” he said.
Palumbo, on the other hand, said keeping families in the area requires supporting small businesses, which he called the “backbone of our economy.”
“Business owners are not going to operate their business at a loss,” he said. “They’re going to do what they can. Their margins are tight enough in this state. … I think that’s where it starts and, of course, affordable housing and all of those other issues.”
Elaborating upon this position, Palumbo supported cutting taxes on businesses and offering incentives to keep them in New York, including reducing the minimum wage.
“We’ve been doing what we can to help these small businesses get started, but I feel like it’s almost at the point where we need to give [them] a leg up,” the state senator said. “We need to create huge exemptions. … How about an exception for businesses with 10 or less employees?”
Drawing a clear distinction, Johnson said keeping the area populated starts with paying workers a fair wage. “We need to pay workers fairly,” he said. “I fully support the current minimum wage, and I want to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to expand workers wages, not reduce them, because that doesn’t help anyone.”
While much of the conversation on housing surrounds renters, Palumbo said more opportunities to support buyers need to be in place. “It’s not always about renting,” he said. “It’s about affordable housing purchases,” adding that subsidizing first-time homebuyers “is huge.”
For Johnson, the problem has gradually compounded over time. “It is really not good that people cannot afford to buy, that people cannot afford to rent and that people cannot afford to stay here long term,” he said.
Environment
Throughout the 1st District, rising sea levels, increased flooding and intensifying storms threaten waterfront properties. In Johnson’s view, the problem is twofold. It first requires action on the part of the state to reinforce natural barriers to protect coastlines. However, these issues are part of a broader effort to reduce carbon emissions and counteract climate change.
“At the end of the day, this all ties into the fight against climate change,” he said. “It is all about investing in natural energy, doing everything we can to fight the effects of sea-level rise.”
For Palumbo, policymakers can work to resolve these matters through several initiatives. “The sea level is gradually rising,” he said. “There needs to be a big plan and, unfortunately, it’s going to take [money], and the government has to be fully committed, which I think we are in New York.”
For the erosion issue at East Beach bluff in Port Jefferson, Johnson said coastal resilience efforts are a matter of shoreline hardening, but saying there is not “a one-size-fits-all approach.”
“Unfortunately, there are going to be places where we need to retreat, where there’s not much else that we can do,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m committed to investing in environmental infrastructure, in making sure that we’re fighting erosion, making sure that we are proactively having engineers who can examine the situations.”
Palumbo agreed with Johnson, stating that shoreline resiliency depends upon the project and should be evaluated case by case.
“There’s a balance that needs to be struck, of course, between what is reasonably feasible for the particular area,” the state senator said. “The bottom line is I do think it would depend on the project.”
Marijuana
With the statewide legalization of marijuana, there will be emerging debates over the future of the substance within communities. The candidates offered similar perspectives when asked whether there should be restrictions on the number of dispensaries and whether the plant should be grown in their district.
“I’m a less-government-is-more kind of guy,” Palumbo said. “There will be a lot of comments, no question, when that’s decided, and if at all, it should always be done with public input.”
He added, “It’s farming. It clearly is farming, but obviously, the nature of it is such that it’s not just like you’re farming corn. … I think siting is very important — where it’s going to be — and I think public input is extremely important.”
Johnson favored growing marijuana in the district, saying it could bolster the local economy and assist farmers.
“Moving forward, I think it would be beneficial to have some growth within our agriculture communities,” he said. “I think the funds that will come from that will be really important. I think that they could be used to invest into our roads, our infrastructure, into a lot of the programs that I want to see take place.”
Polarization/partisanship
Palumbo believes the problem of polarization in politics is further magnified in the age of social media. He advocates returning debates to matters of policy and removing personal attacks.
“I don’t think we need to be impolite, that we need to go after each other’s policies and not the other person,” he said. “I’ve always maintained that sort of a manner in conducting business, and I’m hopeful that we’re going to get back there, and we will.” He added, “I think that happens when we have a diversity of thought.”
Despite their differences on many policy grounds, Johnson thanked his opponent for his willingness to engage in a dialogue.
“Senator Palumbo, we disagree on a lot of things, but you’ve always been willing to have a conversation, and I appreciate that,” Johnson said. “I think maintaining an open dialogue is really important to creating bipartisanship, to working across party lines.”
He added, “Whoever of us wins, I think we will be able to have conversations across the aisle. I hope we can return to a place of civility.”
Voters will have the final word on these two candidates for state Senate District 1 on Tuesday, Nov. 8.
The Port Jefferson Station/Terryville Civic Association held its Meet the Candidates forum at Comsewogue Public Library on Tuesday, Sept. 20.
The Democratic and Republican nominees for New York State’s 1st Senate District and 4th Assembly District attended this civic meeting. The candidates received time to deliver opening statements, then answered questions covering a range of local subjects, followed by closing remarks.
(Left to right) Anthony Palumbo, Skyler Johnson, Steve Englebright, and Edward Flood. Photos by Raymond Janis
Introductions
Before entering elective office, incumbent state Sen. Anthony Palumbo (R-New Suffolk) worked as an attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. He was in private practice for roughly 10 years before running for the state Assembly in 2013. He served the 2nd Assembly District until 2020, after which he assumed his current position.
Challenging Palumbo is Democrat Skyler Johnson, a 22-year-old Mount Sinai native and former political aide to Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren. If Johnson were to win this November, he would become the youngest person to serve in the state Legislature since Theodore Roosevelt.
In the Assembly race, incumbent state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) is also up for reelection. Englebright, a geologist by training, joined the state Assembly in 1992. Before that, he served as a Suffolk County legislator for nearly a decade.
Edward Flood is Englebright’s Republican challenger in this race. Flood serves as an assistant attorney for the Town of Brookhaven and is the town’s lead prosecutor for town code violations.
LIRR electrification
Each candidate supported electrifying the Port Jefferson Branch line of the Long Island Rail Road, with some variations in approach.
Englebright advocates moving the existing Port Jefferson train station onto the county-owned Lawrence Aviation property. This plan, the assemblyman believes, would bring value to the community in the form of cleaner air and higher property values.
“I am working to try to get the Long Island Rail Road to come into the modern age,” he said. “We will prevail. The first thing to do is to have a community that’s united. … If this community is supportive of that, that will be a big boost.”
Flood condemned the MTA for its historical neglect of Long Island communities. He seeks to pressure the MTA’s governing board and add a local representative to that body. “I don’t believe we have a local representative, and I don’t think anyone on that board cares much about us,” he said. “That needs to change.”
Johnson criticized the needless delays for residents traveling to New York City by rail. He favored allocating more state resources to address these concerns.
“It’s not the most fun trip getting onto the Long Island Rail Road,” he said. “We need to continually invest in the Long Island Rail Road because that will properly benefit our communities, it will help people commute, help people live better lives, and it will make our communities cleaner and safer.”
Palumbo underscored several of these points, backing his support behind moving the Port Jeff train station to the Lawrence Aviation property. “All of those issues are extremely important to this community,” he said. “I think we all agree that this is something that needs to be done.”
Homelessness
Another central topic for Port Jefferson Station/Terryville residents is homelessness.
Flood proposed that many of the problems associated with homelessness stem from alcohol and substance abuse. He proposed strengthening addiction treatment programs and mental health services.
“Unfortunately, addiction is rampant throughout the homeless community and possibly the reason why they are homeless,” the Assembly candidate said. “We need to do a better job finding resources to adequately treat people.”
Englebright approached the subject of homelessness through the lens of planning. According to him, this requires offering a coherent vision for the Port Jefferson Station area, much of that concentrated around managing the Lawrence Aviation property, followed by investment.
“That would make it possible for us to accelerate the investment into Port Jefferson Station itself,” he said. “We hear a lot of talk about transit-oriented development, and this is the appropriate place for that policy to be fully fleshed out.”
Johnson supported a “great investment into mental health” to ensure people experiencing homelessness receive the necessary tools to get off the streets. He also said the issue is tied to the affordability and housing crises on Long Island.
“We do not have proper affordable housing, and we do not have proper workforce housing on Long Island,” the state Senate candidate said. “I’m going to make sure that we do everything that we can to bring home the funds so that we are investing in housing projects, while investing in our critical infrastructure, our public transportation, our roads to make sure that we are keeping up with the flux of people coming into our community.”
Palumbo discussed homelessness as a multifaceted issue, requiring changes in affordable housing, enforcement practices and mental health services.
“I think, generally, Long Island is unaffordable,” he said. “We need to lower the cost of living on Long Island, make it all more affordable, and most importantly do what we can to deal with an affordable housing crisis.”
Concluding remarks
During their closing statements, the candidates were asked to provide their two highest legislative priorities that would also affect Port Jefferson Station/Terryville residents.
Johnson stated his two highest priorities would be affordability and infrastructure improvements. “We need to make sure that we are putting money back in the pockets of everyday people,” he said. “And I’m going to make sure that we do that, and we’re going to make sure that we are investing in our roads and infrastructure.”
Palumbo said his two highest priorities are closely linked to one another. He first hopes to alleviate the burden of high taxes and the unaffordable cost of living on Long Island, then tackle rising crime rates.
“I think other things will fall in place if we get control of the crime issue,” the state senator said. “Coupling that with affordability … we’re losing people for a number of reasons in New York, and we shouldn’t be losing anyone.” He added, “We’re an amazing state, and we need to do what we can to save it.”
Though he did not identify the two highest priority issues, Flood highlighted several matters he would like to remediate if elected. Among these are rising crime, bail reform and better state budgeting.
“I see firsthand some of the effects the state has put into place in terms of bail reform,” Flood said. “They’ve added extra hardships to prosecutors and those in criminal justice, and you see it in an increase of crime, in the inability of a district attorney to bring cases forward, and in that, you have local governments who are handcuffed in trying to comply with a lot of these laws.”
For Englebright, his two highest priorities are the electrification of the Port Jefferson line and better community planning. The assemblyman foresees many positive effects if the existing railyard relocates to the Lawrence Aviation property.
“This is, after all, Port Jefferson Station,” he said. “Our station area should be enhanced, and the plan that we put forward for that should not just be something that looks like South Brooklyn. It should look like a vision of what this community should look like when it looks itself in the mirror.” He concluded, “It should be a place of pride. I believe it should be a public park.”
The Suffolk Progressives political organization hosted a rally for reproductive rights at Resistance Corner in Port Jefferson Station June 25.
Over one hundred attendees made their voices heard regarding the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 24 decision Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the 1973 landmark decision Roe. v. Wade and the 1992 decision Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Among the attendees were Skyler Johnson (D), who is running for New York State Senate District 1, and Suffolk Progressives activist Shoshana Hershkowitz, both of whom shared their passionate thoughts about this monumental reversal.
