Rensselaer County Legislature urges repeal of New York’s HALT Act after officers’ testimony

The Rensselaer County Legislature adopted an amended resolution on March 11, 2025 urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to repeal the HALT Act and opposing Executive Order No. 47.3, after a retired corrections sergeant and several legislators described rising violence and staffing problems in state correctional facilities.

Andy Lashwell, a retired sergeant with the New York State Department of Corrections who addressed the legislature during public comment, said the HALT Act “has created policies that weaken the infrastructure of New York State correctional facilities” and attributed a rise in assaults to those changes. “In 2024, there were over 2,000 inmate‑on‑staff assaults… That’s around 6 every day for 365 days,” Lashwell said, urging repeal of the law.

The resolution (P108 25), sponsored by Legislator Rogers, Legislator Leverage and the full legislative body, was amended on the floor to add a second resolve opposing Gov. Hochul’s March 10, 2025 Executive Order No. 47.3, which the amendment says “temporarily suspends or modifies civil service law, county law, municipal home rule law, correction law, and criminal procedure law” in ways that the amendment characterizes as restricting appointment, transfer or promotion of individuals previously employed by the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision. The amendment was adopted on a voice/roll call and recorded as passing unanimously.

During a subsequent roll‑call vote on the amended resolution, multiple legislators explained their positions. Legislator Nichols said she had been moved by officers’ testimony and expressed concern that the HALT Act’s staffing requirements may be impractical; she also noted the governor had announced a 90‑day suspension for reevaluation. “I learned today that the governor has put a 90 day halt on the HALT Act in order for it to be reviewed and reevaluated,” Nichols said while explaining her vote. Legislator Zalewski said he consulted a family member who is a corrections officer and described safety observations that led him to support the repeal resolution.

Chairwoman Hoffman said she recognized the tension between protecting incarcerated people from inhumane treatment and ensuring safety for corrections staff and other inmates. Several legislators emphasized that their votes were motivated by safety concerns for officers and inmates alike.

The final roll‑call tally on the amended P108 25 was recorded as 14 ayes and 2 abstentions; the transcript records Legislator Fleming and Legislator Nichols as abstaining on the final roll call entry. (Amendment to add opposition to Executive Order No. 47.3 had been recorded earlier as passing 16 ayes.)

The resolution directs the county’s clerk to transmit a copy of the engrossed resolution as appropriate. The county’s action is a formal expression of the legislature’s position; it does not change state law. Legislators noted that the governor’s 90‑day suspension may prompt reconsideration of state implementation while they urged repeal or further revision.

The legislature continued with other business and adjourned later the same evening.