AUBURN - Cayuga County Judicial and Public Safety Committee members unanimously approved to settle a lawsuit between the county and six sheriff's office corrections officers that repeals a tattoo visibility rule.
On Tuesday night, members approved a settlement, including a withdrawal of the policy that will no longer restrict covering tattoos on current employees.
Former county Sheriff Rob Outhouse authorized the policy in August.
In addition to the ban being lifted, plaintiffs may receive reimbursement for their attorney fees for an amount not to exceed $3,000.
Current Sheriff David Gould said that the office will eventually create a tattoo policy for future employees.
“For now everyone at the office is grandfathered in,” Gould said.
Many deputies have inoffensive tattoos on their forearms that always were visible under department issued short-sleeved uniforms.
After a restriction was issued, the officers filed a lawsuit with a Syracuse law firm in response to the rule, claiming their First Amendment rights were violated.
In other news:
€ The 12-year legislator term-limit law discussion is continuing.
Members of the Government Operations committee on Tuesday debated the law that currently states no legislator can serve for more than 12 consecutive years.
Although no consensus was reached, some members supported Committee Chair Francis Mitchell's idea to remove the word consecutive from the law so that it clearly reads - no legislator may serve more than three terms.
Legislators have debated the term-limit law since 2005 because of the unclear way it's written.
Mitchell proposed that legislators may only be elected for three terms regardless if they were appointed as a mid-term replacement.
If a local law is eventually passed, every legislator's term limit resets, allowing them to serve an additional three terms regardless of how long they had previously served. Yet many legislators at the meeting agreed to committing to their constituents that they would continue to count their terms as they have since 1996 when the original law was created, rather than resetting their term limit.
Members will discuss the idea further next month.
Staff writer Kristina Martino can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kristina.martino@lee.net
Former county Sheriff Rob Outhouse authorized the policy in August.
In addition to the ban being lifted, plaintiffs may receive reimbursement for their attorney fees for an amount not to exceed $3,000.
Current Sheriff David Gould said that the office will eventually create a tattoo policy for future employees.
“For now everyone at the office is grandfathered in,” Gould said.
Many deputies have inoffensive tattoos on their forearms that always were visible under department issued short-sleeved uniforms.
After a restriction was issued, the officers filed a lawsuit with a Syracuse law firm in response to the rule, claiming their First Amendment rights were violated.
In other news:
€ The 12-year legislator term-limit law discussion is continuing.
Members of the Government Operations committee on Tuesday debated the law that currently states no legislator can serve for more than 12 consecutive years.
Although no consensus was reached, some members supported Committee Chair Francis Mitchell's idea to remove the word consecutive from the law so that it clearly reads - no legislator may serve more than three terms.
Legislators have debated the term-limit law since 2005 because of the unclear way it's written.
Mitchell proposed that legislators may only be elected for three terms regardless if they were appointed as a mid-term replacement.
If a local law is eventually passed, every legislator's term limit resets, allowing them to serve an additional three terms regardless of how long they had previously served. Yet many legislators at the meeting agreed to committing to their constituents that they would continue to count their terms as they have since 1996 when the original law was created, rather than resetting their term limit.
Members will discuss the idea further next month.
Staff writer Kristina Martino can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kristina.martino@lee.net