Hunter, the speaker pro tempore of the New York State Assembly, in April introduced a bill to restrict license plate readers, calling them a “weaponization of technology.”
Patrick McCarthy
Patrick McCarthy is a staff reporter at Central Current covering government and politics. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Maxwell and Newhouse Schools, McCarthy was born and raised in Syracuse and attended Nottingham High School.
Before joining the Central Current team, he worked as a writer at Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo and wrote concert reviews for syracuse.com | The Post Standard. McCarthy also served as a contributing writer for TriplePundit, a publication focused on sustainability and corporate responsibility. In his role with Central Current, he provides access and transparency to elected officials – helping raise accountability and connecting readers to the decisions that shape Central New York.
Patrick McCarthy can be reached at pmccarthy@centralcurrent.org
Posted inNews
How democratic socialists reshaped the Central New York political landscape
DSA members and progressives pulled off Democrats’ second historic election upset in less than a year. An organized campaign and a rising affordability crisis helped topple a CNY titan.
Posted inElections
Maurice ‘Mo’ Brown declares victory while Magnarelli concedes in Democratic primary for Assembly seat
One DSA member likened Brown’s victory to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s unlikely rise in 2018, calling it, “Central New York’s ‘Joe Crowley moment.’”
Posted inJustice & Equity
After 35 years of research and no solution, Onondaga Nation’s leader laments the cultural cost of mudboils
Mudboils have spewed hundreds of tons of silt, sand and clay into the Onondaga Creek, which has prevented the Onondagas from using their sacred waterway for fishing, harvesting and gatherings.
Posted inPolicing
Syracuse police used Flock Safety readers for nearly a month after readers were supposed to be taken down
A city law required Flock to take down its license plate readers by May 26. Syracuse police continued using the readers after Flock left them up.
Posted inElections
Brown leads incumbent Magnarelli in Democratic primary for Assembly seat but race is too close to call
If Brown’s lead holds, he could be poised to complete one of the biggest upsets in Central New York political history.
Posted inPolicing
Syracuse police ‘moved to unplug’ Flock Safety scanners months after revoking company’s privileges
The move came days after Central Current asked city officials why Flock readers were kept up beyond a legislatively imposed deadline for the readers to be taken down.
Posted inCity of Syracuse
Panel of appeals judges rules in Syracuse University’s favor in Schine Center tax exemption spat with city
The city and university have fought for four years over the city’s attempt to revoke a small percentage of SU’s student center’s tax exemption.
Posted inNews
Onondaga County lawmaker proposes buffer zone for protests outside houses of worship; civil liberties expert calls it ‘flatly unconstitutional’
Republican legislator Tim Burtis’ effort to create safe spaces outside places of worship met skepticism from Democratic legislators — and the promise of a lawsuit from a First Amendment expert.
Posted inSyracuse Housing Authority
Syracuse Housing Authority board elects new vice chair; Simmons resolute as Owens’ appointees take majority
Rickey Brown, a close ally of Mayor Sharon Owens, was voted in as the vice chair of the board of commissioners at Syracuse Housing Authority on Thursday.
