Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
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Friday, June 28, 2024
Vol. 99, No. 26
HOME & DESIGN
MINEOLA EYES $5M GRANT
BLANK SLATE HONORS TOP BUSINESS LEADERS
PAGES 23-30
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Legislature OKs county trans ban GOPers vote to bar transgender women on female teams from county facilities BY C A M E RY N O A K ES The Nassau County Legislature approved along party lines a law that codifies County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s executive order barring transgender women and girls from playing on female athletic teams at county facilities. The law was passed on a 12-6 vote. All Republicans voted in favor and all Democrats, excluding Legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton (D–Glen Cove), who was absent, voted against the law. The public hearing Monday was contentious throughout the hours-long session, with audience members calling out to the legislators. At times audience members were threatened with being removed if they continued to speak out of turn. Democrats compared the law to historical instances of fear-mongering used to target other communities and individuals. “You’re creating a false narrative and promulgated based on fear of a perceived advantage,” Legislator Arnold Drucker (D–Plainview) said. Drucker called the law a “fatally flawed bill based on fear and specula-
tion.” “This legislation is a clear contravention of the state of the law and it’s beyond me why this county executive wants to continue squandering taxpayer, hardearned dollars on legal fees defending this proposed law,” Drucker said. Republicans countered that the legislation is not in opposition to transgender people and is not an entire ban to prevent them from playing sports. They continuously argued that transgender women have a competitive advantage against female athletes. Blakeman signed an executive order in February that prohibited transgender women and girls from competing on female sports teams that play at Nassau County facilities. The law does not prevent transgender men and boys from competing on male teams. New York State Attorney General Letitia James issued a cease-and-desist order in response to the executive order. Her office claimed the executive order was discriminatory and violated human and civil rights laws. The State Supreme Court struck Continued on Page 42
PHOTO BY JOEL HARRIS
Mineola Chamber of Commerce President Louis Panacciulli receives an award for being a top business leader in Nassau County. See story on page 6.
Keiserman wins Dem primary for 7th District BY C A M E RY N O A K ES Port Washington’s Kim Keiserman will face off against Republican state Sen. Jack Martins in the race for District 7 after defeating Brad Schwartz in a landslide in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. “My name is Kim Keiserman, and I’m proud to be your nominee for NY State Senate District 7,” Keiserman wrote in a Facebook post. “Together, we will flip the script on the Nassau GOP because Long Island’s so-called
“red wave” stops right here, right now.” Keiserman defeated Schwartz in the primary contest with 75.14% of the 9,135 votes cast — 6,905 to 2,230, according to the Nassau County Board of Elections. All votes had been counted at the time of publication. Martins, a Republican endorsed by the Conservative Party, did not face a Republican primary and will compete against Keiserman in the Nov. 5 general election.
The district, which includes much of the North Shore and the Town of Oyster Bay as far east as Woodbury, is represented by Martins, who flipped the district red in 2022. Keiserman is an education consultant and serves as a commissioner for the North Hempstead Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, chairwoman of the Baxter Estates Planning Board and a board member of the Come to Believe Network. Continued on Page 43