Good morning,
Out of more than 100 school districts across Long Island voting to approve their budgets Tuesday, only two failed. Sachem and West Babylon school districts were among the six seeking to override the state’s 2% tax cap — and neither passed. East Hampton, Amagansett, Port Washington and Springs districts were all able to pierce the tax cap.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
New Yorkers with employee health insurance plans can still have medically necessary abortions covered, according to the state Court of Appeals. Several religious groups sued the state over a 2017 rule that they believed violated their religious freedoms. Gov. Kathy Hochul called the ruling a critical step towards protecting women’s fundamental freedoms. New York’s Catholic Conference will appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
A new Italian American immigrant family bronze statue was placed in New Haven’s Wooster Square Park on Monday. The statue’s title, “Indicando la via al futuro,” translates to “Pointing the way to the future.” The statue was made to replace a Christopher Columbus statue that was removed in 2020. Sculptor Marc Anthony Massaro said the statue is meant for everyone who has ancestors who came to the United States.
25,000 Nassau County residents will be the first to pre-order tickets for the June World Cup Cricket game. This will be the first time the event will be held at the county's International Cricket Stadium in Eisenhower Park from Saturday, June 1 to Wednesday, June 12. Sales open up to the general public on Thursday.
Wesleyan University has reached a deal with pro-Palestinian protestors. Wesleyan’s Board of Trustees will vote on proposed changes to the university’s investment policy starting in September. The university will additionally disclose defense industries and Israeli companies under Wesleyan’s investment portfolio. In return, the protestors took down their on-campus encampment on Monday.
The U.S. Postal Service has suspended its plan to sort Vermont mail in Connecticut. This was intended to consolidate distribution locations and save mailing costs. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy halted this plan after receiving complaints from 26 members of Congress who were concerned about increased mailing issues.
Shelton will use $2.7 million in insurance and police funds to cover a defamation lawsuit. Four police officers sued Mayor Mark Lauretti and Police Chief Shawn Sequeira after receiving termination letters with allegedly false and inflammatory statements in 2020. A jury ruled in favor of the officers in April. The city’s insurance carrier will cover $1.5 million and the rest will be covered from the police department’s budget.
The Connecticut Port Authority is claiming that it’s immune from being sued. In a court filing, the Authority’s co-defendant, Kiewit Infrastructure, disagreed. This was a part of a lawsuit by the subcontractor Blakeslee Arpaia Chapman, Inc., which sued the Authority for unpaid work. The Authority appealed to a higher court to determine if it should be dismissed from the lawsuit based on its sovereign immunity claim.
Eda Uzunlar contributed reporting…
