This week, New York and two dozen states sued the Trump administration over its plan to stop funding SNAP during the shutdown effective tomorrow. Governor Kathy Hochul said New York would use $106 million in state funds for emergency food assistance for food banks and meal programs. Hochul appeared at a Harlem food pantry yesterday declaring that the looming suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is a moral crisis for the country. If the government shutdown is not resolved by tomorrow, as many as 3 million New Yorkers and 160,000 Long Islanders will be among 42 million Americans at risk of missing the benefits, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced.

Declaring a “food emergency," Hochul said no state can “backfill" to make up for federal dollars put into the program, which she said was about $650 million monthly in New York. But she said $106 million from state coffers will be dedicated for emergency food assistance in the state. That would provide over 56 million meals to stock food pantries and distribution centers, she said.

In Washington, D.C., New York's Democratic senators — Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand — attacked President Donald Trump for not allowing nearly $5 billion in emergency contingency funds previously designated for the food assistance program to be used during the shutdown.

Meanwhile, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) was accompanied by five New York House Republicans — including Long Island’s Andrew Garbarino and Nick LaLota — at a simultaneous second event at the U.S. Capitol. He called on Schumer and Senate Democrats to avoid the food-funding interruption by simply helping Senate Republicans advance a House-passed bill to reopen government.

The GOP news conference was intended to have a New York bent. Johnson opened by accusing Schumer, the Senate minority leader, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries — both of Brooklyn — of “desperately” putting their own political survival ahead of the nation by appeasing a Marxist and rising “radical socialist wind” in their own city and state.

***

The battle over the timing of local elections has moved to federal court. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the New York State Republican Committee, joined by three counties and eight Long Island towns — including Riverhead — filed a federal lawsuit yesterday in Central Islip challenging New York’s Even-Year Election Law. Also listed as plaintiffs are the Nassau and Suffolk Republican committees and 16 Republican town and county officials and candidates. The suit marks the latest chapter in a months-long fight over whether the state can move most local elections to even-numbered years — a change Republicans argue erodes home rule. The plaintiffs argue that the law violates the First Amendment and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by suppressing local political speech, increasing racial polarization, and undermining the independence of self-government. The Even Year Election Law, passed by the State Legislature in June 2023, was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul that December. The law aligns most local elections outside of New York City with federal and state elections held in even-numbered years. Democrats who control both chambers of the Legislature and pushed for its adoption say the measure is intended to boost voter participation in local elections. Supporters of the law argue that higher voter turnout in even-numbered years — when state and federal offices are on the ballot — will mean more people voting in local contests than is typical in odd-numbered years, when turnout is a fraction of that seen in even years. Opponents don’t see it that way at all. The measure was vehemently opposed by Republicans, who argued it was an attack on local control in counties outside of New York City, in an effort to influence the outcome of local elections in traditional GOP strongholds.

***

The Great Pond (Southold) Cleanup with Group for the East End is tomorrow from 10:00 am – 11:00 am.

Join the Group, Kenney’s/McCabe Beach Civic Association, and the Town of Southold for a cleanup at Great Pond in Southold. Volunteers will help remove phragmites, an invasive species also known as common reed, to help restore this critical habitat and encourage native plant regrowth. Long sleeve shirts, long pants, and closed toe shoes are strongly recommended to protect against ticks and phragmites. Please bring your own tools, work gloves, and plenty of water. Tomorrow’s event is free starting at 10 a.m. at Great Pond in Southold. For more information, please contact Group director of environmental conservation Jenn Hartnagel at [email protected].

***

Local food pantries are bracing for an increase in the number of people seeking assistance after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced its plans to freeze funds for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — known as SNAP. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that the East Hampton Town Board allocated $30,000 in funding for three local food pantries at a special meeting yesterday to help them weather this latest hurdle, which was brought on by the government shutdown. The $30,000 is set to come from a nutritional program that is 90 percent federally funded and 10 percent county-funded. Montauk Food Pantry, East Hampton Food Pantry and Springs Food Pantry will receive $10,000 each. This funding is meant to provide the local food pantries with support as they seek to navigate the additional load that the SNAP freeze…effective tomorrow…will likely bring. East Hampton Food Pantry feeds around 300 families per week according to Chairwoman Vicki Littman. The $10,000 will feed a total of about 100 families. Springs Food Pantry Chairwoman Holly Reichart-Wheaton said Springs Food Pantry serves around 340 families per week, and expects that number will rise to around 360 or 365 as winter approaches. She said Springs Food Pantry can make the $10,000 for the additional load last about three weeks, assuming a 30-percent increase in recipients. For food expenses, specifically, East Hampton Food Pantry incurs about $30,000 per month in costs, down from a high of $53,000 per month in March. “We do know that the demand will increase, obviously, because people will need food, since they’re not getting their SNAP benefits,” Littman said. “But we’re not really sure of how many, and we’re just preparing for the worst case scenario.”

***

The Sag Harbor Village Planning Board this week revisited the application of the estate of Rose Trunzo to replace a house at 25 Meadow Street with a two-story building that would create 10 apartments, five of which would be set aside as affordable.

Stephen J. Kotz reports on 27east.com that the proposal, first discussed last year, had been scheduled for a pre-submission conference hearing, which offers the board and the public their first opportunity to weigh in on a proposal, but at the request of Mike Trunzo, who is shepherding the application through the review process for his family, the board agreed to postpone that hearing until its January meeting. Instead, the board reviewed the plans with Trunzo and his attorney, David Kirst.

Since he introduced the proposal last year, Trunzo has reduced the number of apartments from 14 to 10. Eight of them would be one-bedroom units, and two would be studios. The units would range in size from 473 square feet to 708 square feet. Variances will be required because the village requires that apartments be at least 800 square feet. A second variance would be required to allow more than one apartment on the property, which is less than 10,000 square feet.

When asked about how he would guarantee the affordability of half the units, Trunzo said he intended to work with Southampton Town, which works with the village on affordable housing projects on its side of the village, to construct the units. He added that the town might be willing to invest money from its Community Housing Fund to make all the units affordable.

Plans showed space for 15 parking spaces on the property, where 17 will be required, necessitating another variance.

***

Early voting continues today at any of 28 locations throughout Suffolk County, from noon to 8 p.m.

On Saturday and Sunday early voting in Suffolk County is 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

No voting next Monday, November 3.

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, you can only vote at your assigned polling place, which you can find online at the NYS BOE website: voterlookup.elections.ny.gov

Once again early voting for today is 12 noon to 8 p.m.

For tomorrow and Sunday early voting in Suffolk County is 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

You can vote at any early voting center in Suffolk County. Check the Suffolk County Board of Elections website for a list of early voting locations.

Voting during the early period means you cannot vote again on Election Day, November 4, 2025.

If you have an Early Mail ballot, you cannot vote in person on a machine; you must use an affidavit ballot.

Check your voter registration status and find your polling site on the New York State voter lookup website.

For questions, contact the Suffolk County Board of Elections at (631) 852-4500.

***

The owners of a proposed motocross track in the pine barrens in Calverton must conduct a full environmental review of the project...a project which has drawn criticism from neighbors over potential noise and what they fear are threats to groundwater from planned excavation. Tara Smith reports in NEWSDAY that Daniel Duffy, who operated 10th Street Motocross in Ronkonkoma for nearly two decades before his lease ended in 2022, first pitched plans for a racetrack on River Road in Calverton in 2023. His plan was delayed by a Calverton building moratorium that expired last October.

Duffy is seeking a special permit from the Riverhead Town Board for the racetrack, which would host daily riding, lessons and racing events at the 15-acre site. Plans call for excavating 120,000 cubic yards of sand and soil to build the track in a “bowl” style, which Duffy said would help mitigate noise.

The Riverhead Town Board voted 5-0 earlier this month to issue a “positive declaration,” which acknowledges that the project could have adverse environmental impacts and triggers a more comprehensive review process under state law.

Duffy, 64, said Long Island lacks venues to ride dirt bikes and all-terrain vehicles, often forcing people to travel upstate or out of state to practice the sport. He told NEWSDAY, “There are no legal, safe places to ride.”

Duffy’s pending application set off a campaign from dozens of motocross enthusiasts across Long Island who wrote to the town board about the lack of safe and legal spaces to ride, and tourism benefits the track could bring to Riverhead.

Neighbors have voiced concerns about noise and impacts to groundwater because of the proposed excavation.

Riverhead Town Supervisor Tim Hubbard said the environmental review process will include several forums for public comment.

“I’m aware there’s a need for places for people to ride. Land is limited,” Hubbard said. “But you’ve got to weigh that against the residents and the location. You’ve got to look at everything involved before you make a decision.”