Rep. Ramos proposes bill for red light cameras in Mass.
Route 9 in Belchertown closed following multi-car crash
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, at least 22 states and Washington, D.C. permit the use of traffic enforcement cameras. Representative Ramos' bill, An Act Relative to Traffic Safety at Intersections, would not apply to speeding, only to red-light violations. The cameras would automatically fine drivers running red lights.
'This legislation is about saving lives,' Ramos said. 'Red light cameras are a proven tool to improve safety and prevent avoidable tragedies at dangerous intersections.'
The act would allow municipalities to opt in after holding public hearings and receiving approval from local governing boards. The bill is scheduled for a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Tuesday.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
OF COURSE ‘restorative justice' in schools doesn't work — and now the proof is in
Surprise, surprise: School 'meditation rooms' and 'harm-reduction circles,' a new study shows, don't cure juvenile delinquents but instead undermine teachers' authority and lead to more chaotic classrooms. Gee, who would've thunk it? Actually, the study — by the Manhattan Institute — confirms what we've long known about then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push for 'restorative justice' in the name of racial equity: It was always doomed to fail. Restorative justice calls for schools to provide students and staff the opportunity to talk through conflicts instead of punishing kids with meaningful measures like suspensions. Yet the data shows that, despite an outlay of $100 million since it became the prevailing practice, incidents requiring the NYPD's school safety division more than doubled — from 1,200 in the first quarter of 2016 to 4,120 in the first quarter of 2025. The report also found that putting troubled students in 'meditation rooms' instead of suspending or kicking them out of class doesn't solve any problems, as violent incidents continued to rise and absenteeism jumped 35%. The study cites several instances of students not being punished or held accountable for deplorable behavior and violent acts. Though students at Origins High School who had subjected a Jewish teacher to Nazi salutes and threats were sent to a 'meditation room,' the harassment did not stop. This spring, an 8-year-old stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates at Staten Island's PS 8. Parents derided the school's response — a meditation room and calls home — as entirely inadequate. A Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn found no statistically significant benefits in schools that implemented restorative-justice practices compared to those that used a traditional disciplinary approach. The Department of Education claims suspensions have plummeted 48% over the past 10 years, resulting in 'keeping more children in class and engaged.' Duh: If your policy is to suspend fewer kids, as restorative-justice calls for, it's no shock that fewer kids get suspended. Even Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos admits the approach isn't cutting it: 'The work is far from done,' she conceded Wednesday. Yet she vowed, 'It's not leaving New York City public schools.' That's unforgivable: The study's bottom line clearly found restorative justice fuels disorder, a lack of accountability and possibly an increase in chronic absenteeism. The disruptions that prevent well-behaved kids from learning alone should be enough to ditch this policy, not to mention the violence and absenteeism that comes from it. Mayor Eric Adams, as a former cop, should know that kids who don't pay meaningful consequences for misbehavior will simply continue misbehaving. Some good news: An April 2025 executive order from Donald Trump puts the kibosh on using race as a factor in discipline, which may help push schools to return to traditional responses to misconduct and a restoration of order in classrooms. But until New York City's policy changes, the chaos will continue — and learning will suffer.
Politico
3 days ago
- Politico
Battle of the Jessicas
Presented by Resorts World New York City With help from Amira McKee New York Minute: Republican Rep. Mike Lawler's campaign teased 'a major announcement' this morning on 'Fox & Friends.' Most GOP officials Playbook spoke to Tuesday night suspect it's a long-anticipated decision on whether he will run for governor or seek reelection. Lawler's governor dreams have been complicated by Rep. Elise Stefanik's own ambitions. QUEENS QUEENS: State Sen. Jessica Ramos shocked the New York political world by endorsing her longtime foe Andrew Cuomo while running for mayor. He didn't endorse her back. But his rejuvenated mayoral campaign is quick to compliment her in the face of a fierce primary challenge from neighboring Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas. Ramos has 'a real record of delivering — not only for her constituents, but for working New Yorkers as a whole,' Cuomo campaign spokesperson Rich Azzopardi told Playbook. 'She cares about the things that matter, and New York is all the stronger because of it. And I'm sure that's what her constituents are going to consider.' Of course, it's still not an endorsement. 'The cycle hasn't even begun to begin yet,' Azzopardi added. Meanwhile, González-Rojas is gathering star supporters for her state Senate campaign, which she officially launched Tuesday. 'Let's GO @votejgr! We got you,' Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X, adding a raised hands emoji. (Ramos and AOC don't talk and don't get along.) City Comptroller Brad Lander, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Council Members Shekar Krishnan, Tiffany Caban and Shahana Hanif — and many more electeds — joined JGR's Jackson Heights fundraiser Monday night. Assemblywoman Catalina Cruz remarked to attendees that she had been trying to get González-Rojas to challenge Ramos for years, one elected official present told Playbook. JGR's run against Ramos is personal and about unseating an elected official she's found difficult to work with. But it was Zohran Mamdani's mayoral primary win — against both Ramos and Cuomo, among others — that gave her the political push to do it. González-Rojas endorsed Mamdani, who won Ramos' senate district 60-40 over Cuomo in the mayoral primary. Ramos endorsed Cuomo in that race, after sparring with him in the Legislature for years, slamming him as a creep and questioning his mental acuity on the trail. She didn't respond to requests for comment. While she got 0.4 percent in the mayoral primary, she'll be in a much better position if she seeks reelection. She's an incumbent with union allies, thanks in part to her role chairing the Senate's powerful labor committee. She's in bad shape financially, though. Ramos reported just $10,492 in her state campaign account last week, after raising $70,000 and spending $68,000 in the previous six months. (Her biggest expense was $14,000 to polling firm Slingshot Strategies, as she continues to pay for a spring 2024 district survey showing opposition to a casino. The poll was initially covered by an anonymous donor, but Ramos reversed course and said her campaign would pay for it.) Ramos's city account is deeply in debt as well, reporting a negative balance of nearly $126,000. She's in a dispute with another vendor and may see her liabilities increase even more, two people familiar with her finances told Playbook. Mamdani boosters are eager to unseat electeds who backed Cuomo, and this could be a high-profile battle — even if the politics undergirding it are a bit muddled. Both Jessicas are to the left of moderate Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, and both won the Working Families Party's endorsement in 2024. González-Rojas opted not to respond to Playbook's questions about the key policy differences between the two, or if she plans to highlight Ramos' Cuomo flip-flop on the trail. 'I'm running for State Senate to bring bold, inclusive leadership that delivers real results for our community,' González-Rojas said in a statement. 'In this moment of national crisis, our neighbors deserve a fighter who shows up, listens, and works side by side with them to create lasting change. This campaign is about progress rooted in values — and building a future we all shape together.' — Jason Beeferman and Jeff Coltin IT'S WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman. WHERE'S KATHY? In New York City, Suffolk County and Erie County making a public safety announcement. WHERE'S ERIC? Schedule not available as of 10 p.m. Tuesday. QUOTE OF THE DAY: 'Are you going to lose more people than you gain by not attacking Trump, by trying to be too cute by half and say: 'I want people to get to know [me] better?' We know you, we know you were governor, we know why you resigned.' — Democratic strategist Basil Smikle on 'Cuomo 2.0's' shift away from Trump, via NBC News. ABOVE THE FOLD TRUMP TEAM SPLIT: Mayor Eric Adams was spared Donald Trump's wrath Tuesday after the president fielded a question on leaders of 'sanctuary' cities. But he didn't escape blame from Trump's deputies, who accused him and his fellow Democrats of fostering the circumstances that led to a federal customs officer being shot Saturday with two undocumented immigrants now in custody for the crime. The president was asked in the Oval Office: 'What is your message to any local leaders who continue to push 'sanctuary' city policies after this nearly tragic incident?' Trump responded without mentioning any New York leaders. He instead slammed advisers to President Joe Biden who allowed '21 million people, probably much more than that' to enter the country, including dangerous and violent offenders. Meanwhile, Department of Homeland Security officials, including Secretary Kristi Noem and Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, have condemned Adams, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the City Council in the wake of the shooting. Adams, a Trump-friendly Democrat, has been critical of New York's policies limiting cooperation between federal immigration agents and local law enforcement officers, all while saying he would follow the laws as mayor. Trump border czar Tom Homan has frequently said he would 'flood the zone' in New York City with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. The mayor has stressed the need for a good working relationship with the president and saw his federal fraud charges dismissed at the prompting of Trump's Justice Department. Adams has denied wrongdoing and a quid pro quo. 'People are trying to say what he did was because there was some deal,' the mayor said of himself in an episode of the New York Post Pod Force One released this morning. 'There was never a deal. There was never any conversation that he would do A and I would do B. That did not take place at all.' Adams, a former NYPD captain, visited the federal officer who was shot in the hospital over the weekend. The mayor, who is running for reelection as an independent, slammed 'violent migrant and asylum seekers who are bringing violence and really tarnish the reputation of those who come to this country to pursue the American dream.' — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST AFTER-SCHOOL PUSH AMID ELECTIONS: The city is launching 40 new after-school sites this fall as part of a push to offer elementary and middle schoolers after-school seats, including in areas Adams won during his 2021 mayoral campaign. Thirty seven traditional public schools, as well as three charters, are slated to receive 5,000 new seats for students this September at a cost of $21 million, the mayor announced Tuesday. Those include neighborhoods where Adams cruised in his 2021 mayoral bid, including Harlem, Westchester Square in the Bronx, East New York in Brooklyn and Baisley Park in Queens, per the Atlas election map. It comes as the mayor embarks on a long-shot reelection bid as a political independent. Adams' universal after-school push, which the mayor announced at the end of April, came after several candidates in the Democratic mayoral primary made expanding after-school access a priority. 'New York City can no longer afford to lose working class families who leave the city because of the issue of child care,' Adams said Tuesday. 'Two things we hear all the time when new employees come here: how good are the schools and how safe is the community? We're targeting both of those issues.' — Madina Touré and Amira McKee FINAL RESULTS: Some 1,071,730 New York City Democrats voted in the mayoral primary, according to the final certified Board of Elections results released Tuesday — the most in a mayoral primary since 1989, when 1.08 million Dems cast votes as David Dinkins prevailed. The 32 percent turnout was also the highest since 1989, when nearly half of registered Democrats at the time voted. Mamdani won 43.8 percent of the votes in the first round, and 56.4 percent in the final round of ranked-choice voting — a 12.8 point margin over Cuomo. — Jeff Coltin TALK, TALK, TALK: Public Advocate Jumaane Williams called on Adams to resume his regular 'off-topic Tuesday' briefings with the news media. 'Does he understand that his moves against press freedom are just another way he mimics Donald Trump?' the mayoral foe said in a statement slamming Adams' management of the NYPD. 'The mayor has also already answered every single question Jumaane claims he should be addressing,' Adams spokesperson Kayla Mamelak Altus responded. 'Jumaane should do his homework before putting out ridiculous statements that are nothing more than a sad attempt to cling to relevance.' — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Calls to strip Mamdani's citizenship have sparked alarm about Trump weaponizing denaturalization. (NBC News) — At least two dead voters had absentee ballots submitted under their names in a tightly contested GOP City Council primary in southern Brooklyn. (New York Post) — Brooklyn developer Tolib Mansurov, who was named last year as one of Adams' alleged straw donors, is planning a 99-unit building in Park Slope. (Crain's New York) NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY EPSTEIN FALLOUT: Democrats are eager to tweak Republicans over the swirling Jeffrey Epstein saga that has engulfed the Trump White House, POLITICO reports. Struggling to find their footing during Trump 2.0, some Democrats believe the controversy surrounding the federal government's investigation of the disgraced financier can provide added fuel for next year's elections. 'Democrats need to take advantage of openings to chip away at the Trump coalition, and the Epstein files present one of the first major opportunities to do so,' Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis told Playbook. 'He's a con man of the highest order, and some of his most fervent supporters are finally beginning to see it.' There is an acknowledgement, though, that Trump's Epstein headache won't be a substitute for issues like Medicaid cuts. Hochul last week said the matter creates a 'trust gap' for Trump's base, but she expects the party will focus on crucial issues like slashed funding for services. Still, state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal argued that applying pressure on Republicans over Epstein doesn't just turn the tables on the president, but has a shot of winning over Trump voters. 'MAGA thinks the system is rigged on behalf of the wealthy and the powerful,' he said. 'Perhaps this is the wedge that will begin to illuminate to many people in red states and elsewhere that Donald Trump does not have your best interests at heart.' Democratic consultant Morgan Hook cautioned that Democrats shouldn't overpromise — or indulge their base in the same kind of conspiracy theories the hard right has marinated in during the Trump era. 'If you want to use this to drive a wedge between Trump and his supporters, great,' Hook said. 'Don't go and lie to your supporters, too, and say this will take Trump down.' Republican consultant Vince Casale expects bigger issues — like affordability — will be at play, and the Epstein controversy won't be at the forefront of most voters' minds. 'If the Jeffrey Epstein files become an issue that starts to decide congressional races across the country, then the people in this country are a lot better off than they realize,' he said. — Nick Reisman A STORY ABOUT A BRIDGE: New York is scrambling to stop bridge strikes. The Hochul administration on Tuesday rolled out a public service announcement campaign meant to cut down on commercial trucks and large vehicles hitting low-slung spans. State Police will also ramp up enforcement to ensure tall vehicles aren't on roads with low bridges. There were 350 bridge strikes last year. The campaign runs through Saturday. Watch here. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Phone calls for people in New York prisons will soon be free. (New York Times) — State policymakers have a draft energy plan that includes reliance on fossil fuels. (POLITICO Pro) — The city of Buffalo is cracking down on illegal cannabis shops. (Buffalo News) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION GARBARINO'S NEW POST: The 9/11 terrorist attacks helped shape Rep. Andrew Garbarino's view on national security, he said Tuesday after being appointed a night earlier as the next chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security. The Long Island Republican, a close ally of House Speaker Mike Johnson, focused his pitch for the post on his background in cybersecurity policy. 'As a lifelong New Yorker and representative of a district shaped by 9/11, I understand the stakes of this responsibility,' Garbarino said in a statement. ''Never forget' is more than a slogan.' Garbarino listed securing the border, confronting terrorism, strengthening cybersecurity and hardening national defenses as his top priorities. His predecessor, former Rep. Pete King, was a previous homeland security committee chair. His colleagues, including Rep. Mike Lawler and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, commended the pick after two ballot votes as a 'win for New York.' — Emily Ngo More from Congress: — Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries met to define their government funding demands, avoiding explicit ultimatums to their GOP counterparts. (POLITICO) — The House grinds to halt before a planned recess to avoid voting on the release of the Epstein files. (Washington Post) — House lawmakers are getting a boost to funds they can use for their own security, including at their homes. (POLITICO) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — The New York socialist mayor who came 100 years before Mamdani. (TIME) — Etan Patz, the missing boy whose case keeps coming back. (New York Times) — Columbia University disciplines 70 students for protesting as the school pleads with the Trump administration for funding. (Gothamist) SOCIAL DATA MAKING MOVES: Rep. Laura Gillen (D-N.Y.) is staffing up: Hawa Bassett has joined as her district director after working at Tonio Burgos & Associates and the Town of North Hempstead … Travis Nelson is Gillen's new director of outreach and political adviser, previously working for the Assembly and as Long Island political director for the state Democratic party … and Jaden Jules is now Gillen's New York press secretary, after previously working at Dow Jones and Precision Strategies. … Sloane & Company appointed Zack Mukewa, former managing director at LLYC, as principal and head of capital markets and strategic advisory … and Jon Hammond, founder of Hammond Strategies, has joined as principal and head of media, sports, entertainment and technology. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: David Brock … former Rep. John Hall (D-N.Y.) … Newsmax's Jon Glasgow … FGS Global's Craig James and Josh Gross … Edelman's Courtney Gray Haupt … Reuters' Erin Banco … Monica Lewinsky … Lane Greene … Liza Pluto … Katherine Borgerding … Joey Rault … (WAS TUESDAY): David Shuster Missed Tuesday's New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.
Bloomberg
4 days ago
- Bloomberg
Salt Lake City Bets on Olympics to Spur Economic Overhaul
Salt Lake City is betting on the 2034 Winter Olympics to jumpstart a lasting economic transformation. Local governments and agencies issued more than $4 billion of municipal bonds this year, fueling a surge of development across the city, including an overhaul of its sports and entertainment arena, the Delta Center, and the area surrounding it. Some economists, however, question the long-term benefits of hosting the games, decrying potential gains as 'exaggerated' or, worse, 'nonexistent.' While investment is rolling in to boost tourism, Utah's housing shortage stands to constrain the region's economic growth. There are just 30 affordable and available homes for every 100 'extremely low-income' renter households statewide, and in Salt Lake City, the median home price has surpassed half a million dollars, putting homeownership out of reach for most residents, Arvelisse Bonilla Ramos reports. Today on CityLab:
