CHHS Students Spend Time With Senator Peter Harckham 

In December, Croton-Harmon High School students took their seats at the table with New York State Senator Peter Harckham - literally and figuratively. The Senator’s visit was part of a new educational experience for upperclassmen students enrolled in the CHHS SUNY Public Policy in Modern America course and ninth-graders interested in pursuing a Civics Concentration. The visit was organized by CHHS Social Studies Teachers Mr. John Bohuniek and Mr. Rob Ancona, who both teach the SUNY Public Policy class. “This is the first year we are offering the SUNY Public Policy in Modern America course for students,” said Mr. Bohuniek. “It provides a unique opportunity for students to further explore a subject of interest, and to graduate from high school with a college transcript.”

Senator Harckham spoke to the room full of civically-minded students about his experience in politics, starting with the path that led to his career in service. “Growing up, I never thought about pursuing a career in politics,” he said. “I had a communications business and my client was running for Congress. One of the reasons he lost was because there wasn’t a Democratic infrastructure for candidates north of White Plains. That’s when I got involved in Democratic capacity-building. As a result, I caught the political bug. On a daily basis this job is never the same, whether we're up in Albany or here in Westchester. That’s why I love it.”

After his brief introduction, the Senator wanted to be clear he wasn’t there to talk about himself. It was the students’ voices he wanted to hear. And without missing a beat, students across the room raised their hands. “We weren’t sure how comfortable students would be with asking Senator Harckham questions,” said Mr. Ancona, who co-teaches the SUNY class with Mr. Bohuniek. “That worry immediately passed right from the start.”

The students’ questions ranged from environmental and energy concerns, public transportation systems, collaboration across other states in policy-making, and affordable housing. “Are there any large-scale state-wide or county-wide plans to deal with the problem of rent affordability and the mortgage crisis,” asked a SUNY Public Policy student. “I love this state, but it’s hard to imagine I’ll be able to afford to live here when I grow up.” 

Several CHHS students were interested in learning more about the bill-making process on a State level, including how it gets passed and data from the Senator on how often bills become law. “It starts with an idea,” said Senator Harckham. “We are always working on bills during the primary legislative season from January through June. We carry over 100 bills over that given time. In the six years I’ve been in office, I’ve passed 100-125 bills into law. Some of those are local bills that are easier to pass, other bills take more time.” Next, a student asked, “What are the biggest roadblocks to passing a bill?”  Senator Harckham referenced his Senate Bill S4246A - Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act. “This Bill meant to address classic pollution and excessive packaging by reducing raw material used in packaging and to increase the amount of recycled content,” he said. “This was a bill that was passed in California. In New York, we experienced opposition. It took two years of negotiations and compromises to the bill before, on the last day of session, it passed in the Senate. Then it didn’t get passed in the Assembly. I will get back to work on it in January.”

One student expressed interest in urban planning and being politically involved without running for office. He wanted to know what that process could look like. “There are a lot of avenues. I recommend taking advantage of internships,” said Senator Harckham. “We offer a lot of internships in our office. There are also college internships in Washington DC and Albany or with groups like the Urban Planning Institute and Regional Planning Association. That’s a good way to get your foot in the door and see the work first-hand to determine if that’s the route you want to go. From there, you can start to make connections. I would take advantage of internship opportunities in high school and college.” 

During the 52-minute Q&A session with the Senator, a SUNY Public Policy student linked the current unit of study to his question. “In class, we have been talking about economic policy. I have a question about how neoliberalism as a consensus in both parties is ending, and how it’s created tension in the Democratic party,” he said. “As someone inside the party, have you noticed a difference in attitude or policy making?” Mr. Bohuniek clarified his student’s question for the Senator. “We are studying trade and labor policy and looking at shifts of visions and clashes in policy-making between, and within, parties,” he said. Senator Harckham emphasized the importance of messaging on preeminent issues on the local level, outside of values. “Economics have long been at the heart of the polling in Westchester County,” he said. “The economy, affordability, and jobs are the current issues we are facing. When we come into this work, we want to create the tools to help people. We do what we do to give a voice to those who aren’t heard through the process of listening.”

CHHS students were also able to shift the conversation from the State level to the local level with a visit from Croton-on-Hudson Mayor Brian Pugh. What’s more, they will head to Albany as guests of Sen Harckham in February to further their learning of State politics.