Morning News Brief

The Tuscarora Nation which resides in Niagara County is threatening to blockade its roadways to stop the flow of illegal drugs.  Specifically marijuana.  The Tuscarora nation has elected to use New York’s laws by not claiming sovereignty.  And, at this time the commercial sale of marijuana is still illegal.  That hasn’t stopped dispensaries from setting up shop in the reserve and beginning to sell recreational Cannabis illegally.  In an effort to stop sales happening at illegal dispensaries, the Nation is threatening to set up roadblocks at its borders to prevent non-residents from coming in and purchasing it.  Niagara County Chief Deputy Schultz says the Nation does not have its own police or fire departments and relies on area law enforcement for emergencies.  He says that he has met with council leaders to keep the roads open because shutting them down would hurt emergency services’ ability to help people.  

The New York State Cannabis Board is scheduled to meet for the first time on May 20th.  The 13 member board will make recommendations for the state’s marketplace and make decisions about the state’s community reinvestment fund which gets money from the taxes on marijuana sales.  Until now, there’s been no information about the status of the board, and the Office of Cannabis Management and Cannabis Control Board over the past six months have enacted rules and proposed regulations to govern NY’s marijuana marketplace without input.  Hochul announced Wednesday that the members are being appointed but they are working to make sure the membership reflects New York’s diversity.

Wednesday at an anti-hate crime rally at Queens College, Governor Hochul announced nearly $16 million in grants to strengthen safety and security measures at buildings owned or operated by nonprofit organizations at risk of hate crimes or attacks because of their ideology, beliefs, or missions. A total of 205 organizations received 327 grants, which are available through the state’s Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program and administered by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. The funding will allow synagogues, churches, religious schools, civic organizations, and other nonprofit organizations to secure their facilities and better protect individuals and families they serve. 

Governor Hochul said during a live call with WNYC’s Brian Lehrer that the Buffalo Bills were considering moving to another city outside of New York if they didn’t get a new stadium.  She was asked why the state would use public funds to build the stadium and said that “I was aware that they were being reached out to by other cities that have lost teams before. That is real. Their stadium was starting to crumble. Something had to happen and if there wasn’t a decision done soon, they had definitely other options.”  She also stated that needed to balance the needs of upstate and downstate.