Local Legislators Respond to Questions on ICE, Polarization, the Pool and more at PTC Breakfast

Frances Wills and Amy PaulinWhat do our local legislators think about ICE, universal Pre-K, Mayor Mamdani, curricular mandates and affordable housing?

These were just a few of the questions posed to a panel of local legislators at the annual legislative breakfast at Greenacres Elementary School on February 6, 2026, sponsored by the Scarsdale PTC Legislative Advocacy Committee, chaired by Jeanette Rosen and Juliane Farruggia.

Panelists included NYS Senator Shelley Mayer, NYS Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, NYS Regent Frances Wills, County Legislator Jenn Puja and Scarsdale Mayor Justinn Arest.

Questions were posed by a group of Scarsdale High School students.

Senator Mayer responded to a question about a bill proposed by NYS Governor Kathy Hochul to regulate ICE activityJustin Arest, Amy Paulin and Drew Patrick in New York. One provision of the bill prohibits federal officers from entering homes without a warrant. Mayer felt that the bill does not go far enough as it does not prevent ICE agents from entering schools or houses of worship without a warrant and does not prohibit them from wearing masks. Assemblymember Amy Paulin pointed out that Hochul’s bill was introduced before the second shooting in Minneapolis. Paulin said, “I think we will see more robust legislation as the final package.”

Asked about the potential impact of Mayor Mamdani’s policies, Paulin said, “When you become a new Mayor you make a lot of promises to get there. He was in the NYS Assembly – so I got to know him pretty well. I think he knows that he will not be able to achieve all his goals but he will get childcare and Pre-K. He will advocate for a tax increase on the top brackets. I will not support those increases – they are not good for suburbanites who use the city – but there might be a middle ground…. The public push on childcare and pre-K will make it mandatory for every district to have these programs. It has ignited a movement on broad based childcare. His victory has a transformative effect on the state – and his embrace of diversity and immigrants – has caused a public shift.”

Has the public rancor on the national scene filtered down to New York State?

Andrew Lennon, Drew Patrick and Amy PaulinPaulin explained, in the NYS Assembly, Democrats have 2/3 of the vote but we have a cordial relationship with the minority. “We work to resolve problems.”

Senator Mayor said, “On balance we have a cordial relationship. But given the intensity of this moment, and the fact that members want to bring federal issues into the debate –it can get heated.” She said, “This is a partisan moment. When we don’t see our colleagues condemn what’s wrong – there are issues that do require speaking out. I don’t think it’s a moment for peace. She called on Republicans to speak up about the racist video the President posted that portrayed the Obamas as monkeys.

On partisanship, Mayor Arest said, “We are unique in Scarsdale in that we have a non-partisan system. We don’t talk about political parties. We talk about how we can make Scarsdale better.”

County Legislator Jenn Puja responded: “When you are in local government, you are dealing with those issues. There’s so much we can do here just caring for our communities.”State Senator Shelley Mayer

What is the county doing to provide more affordable housing? Jenn Puja said, “We are collaborating with local municipalities, for housing for people of all ages and all stages of life. We are working on creative options.” She sited an “adaptive re-use of a college building to be turned into affordable condominiums for people who work in White Plains.”

Does the state endorse offering non-corps curriculum courses such as financial literacy, civic engagement and media literacy?

Regent Wills said, “They are all now on the list. There are ways to integrate this into courses – or taught as an elective course. There are opportunities for civic engagement and media literacy in the social studies curriculum.”

Senator Mayer explained, “The legislature does not always want to defer to local control. It is a delicate balance. Schools don’t want to be told what to do, but there is tension about allowing local control of some of these issues.”

Paulin added, “There is a reluctance to pass mandatory curricular bills because we know that political people come and go – and we don’t want their philosophies to be imposed on the school district. Think about immunizations, gun control or banning books that relate to a certain subject matter. We give these decisions to the SED to insulate schools from political change.

Amy Paulin with School Board Members Leah Dembitzer, Colleen Brown, Amber Yusuf and Laura LiuGetting local, a student asked, “With the addition of the pool and the school bond, how has the village communicated the impact to the population?”

The Mayor said, “We are separate governments. The pool decision was out of necessity. It is a resource that the vast community wants to continue and expand. If we could delay it, that would be great. We are all residents. It is out of our hands. We do look at shared services – like the buses, we will continue to do those things. We both have needs and we have to be responsible to our own budgets.”

Panelists

And what is the future of the A-School building and parking lot –since the alternative school moved into the high school?

The Mayor responded saying, “It’s a collaborative process. Parking is separate. There are certain limitations on parking spots in suburban neighborhoods. Should we open more residential streets for parking? The A-School building is underutilized. The school district doesn’t use it. If there is an opportunity to use it, we would be crazy not to use it. We have discussed it – but there is no specific plan right now. We welcome the school to use it if we do renovate it.”

SHS Students