Politics on the Hudson

   Gov. David Paterson vetoed 17 bills yesterday, including one that would require the state Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities and Office of Mental Health to set up hotlines to receive reports of allegations of physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect of adults under the agencies’ care. The legislation would require that the allegations immediately be referred to the commissioners of the offices for action.

   The governor said in his veto that the legislation largely duplicates existing protections that designate the state Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities as the agency to receive and, when appropriate, investigate allegations. The commission has a telephone and Internet-based reporting system. 

   The cost of operating the hotlines would be almost $3.4 million a year, according to an estimate by the state Division of the Budget, and the governor has been vetoeing legislation that would cost money when New York State is experiencing a fiscal crisis.

   Among the other vetoes issued by the governor this week were:

  —Eleven bills that would have extended peace officer status to several new groups of workers, including animal-abuse investigators in Wayne County; animal-control officers in Schuyler County;  and court attendants in the village of Port Chester, Westchester County.

   In recent decades, the number of amendments to confer peace-officer status to new groups has exploded, the governor wrote, “without there always being adequate consideration as to whether there is a legitimate need for the powers that peace officer status confers.” Peace officers have many of the same powers as police officers, such as warrantless arrests, using physical force during arrests and issuing appearance tickets.

   Paterson said giving employees these broad powers is “particularly troubling in light of current peace officers’ training, which is minimal.”

  —A bill that would require the state Labor Department to study the impact of hostile workplace behavior and, within one year, issue a report that includes the results of the study and recommendations to reduce workplace abuse and harassment. Implementing the law would cost an estimated $366,000, the governor said.

  —A bill that would allow insurers to give a discount on premiums to owners of vehicles equipped with side-door airbags.

  —A bill that would authorize local legislative bodies to implement regulations that protect historic buildings and landmarks, such as prohibiting improper maintenance or lack of maintenance that results in substantial deterioration of the properties. The bill’s sponsors said the goal is to protect municipalities from litigation by setting forth their authority to prevent “demolition by neglect.”

   The governor’s veto said municipalities have the authority to prohibit neglect and require routine or major maintenance of historic properties and it’s not clear the bill is needed.

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