iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 04/10/2026

Carroll’s celebrated 50 years today! My E Main St neighbor is a Rochester institution. ☘️

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 03/10/2026

Congratulations to Salinger’s and owner Dennis on 30 years! 🍺

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 02/10/2026

It’s National Black Dog Day! This is my Prudy, a Sheepadoodle.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 29/09/2026

I’m disappointed my amendment preventing a full year renewal of jail medical provider PrimeCare contract won’t be considered in committees. What seemed like an obvious oversight measure is bogged down in details. 1/

President Roman,
I am withdrawing my PrimeCare amendment from consideration at today’s Public Safety
Committee meeting because concerns remain about the appropriate length of future PrimeCare
authorizations.
I want to be clear that I am withdrawing the amendment from today’s committee, not
withdrawing the proposal or the urgency of resolving this issue. I intend to continue working
toward agreement on the length of future authorizations, submit a revised proposal, and request
that it be introduced as a Matter of Urgency at the October meeting of the Legislature.
I recognize your frustration with the number of submissions associated with this amendment, but
I think it is important to put that process in context. My original proposal called for monthly
authorizations. After discussion in caucus, I agreed to change that to quarterly, which required
another submission. I subsequently discovered that I had mistakenly cited the introduction
number rather than the resolution number from 2022, an error that also was not caught in legal
review, and requested a correction. A separate staff error then required another correction.
I do not believe legislators should be expected to have the votes for passage secured before
legislation is submitted. Introduction should be the beginning of the legislative process, not the
end of it. Legislators need to be able to put forward proposals, hear objections, negotiate changes
and determine through that process whether a proposal can earn sufficient support. The fact that
legislation changes in response to those discussions is not evidence that the process has failed. It
is part of legislating.
Our rules make that more difficult because they provide limited ability to work through multiple
competing alternatives at the table. A main motion can be amended, and an amendment can itself
be amended, but an amendment cannot be amended more than once.

with the inquiry at that time. The Commission has since made clear that our review was not
contingent on completion of its other work.
Your decision, that you claim to have made without any input from anyone, cost the Legislature
months in which this work could have been underway. The special committee that is now being
proposed to conduct the review has not yet even been established. We are now less than four
months from the January 14 renewal date because the review was delayed, not because legislators
are still working through the details of my amendment.
We cannot responsibly assume that a special committee that does not yet exist will complete a
meaningful fitness review before January 14. It has not obtained records, heard testimony or
begun its substantive work. Meanwhile, the existing authorization allows another full-year
PrimeCare extension without a legislative vote.
That is precisely why this amendment is necessary. It preserves the Legislature’s ability to
complete the review before PrimeCare receives another full-year authorization.
Because I am withdrawing the amendment from today’s committee to allow additional time to
resolve concerns about the length of future authorizations, the next opportunity to bring a revised
proposal before the Legislature in October is as a Matter of Urgency. Requiring the revised
proposal to begin another committee cycle would push consideration into November, creating
operational risk, and consuming another month of a timeline that has already been compressed by
the decision not to begin the review when the Commission directed us to do so.
The Legislature should not allow the delay in beginning the fitness review to become the reason
PrimeCare receives another full-year extension before that review is finished.
Once I have a revised proposal, I will submit it and formally request that you allow it to be
introduced as a Matter of Urgency at the October meeting.
Sincerely,
Rachel Barnhart – Legislator District 17

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 29/09/2026

This is what Rochester's Peace Village *should* be www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 23/09/2026

We have members of the Democratic Caucus who see a role for the Office of Public Integrity in the review of PrimeCare Medical (which we still don’t have legislation to start). I am VERY opposed to OPI involvement. They don’t have the expertise & don’t work for the legislature. 1/

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 23/09/2026

Like many of you, I have thoughts about the NHJ essay. It resonated with me on so many levels, as someone who attended RCSD schools and who's been at doors talking to city parents. rachbarnhart.substack.com/p/nikole-han...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 23/09/2026

It’s happening! Forever Spring Studios is painting a mural on the wall of my next door neighbor! I can’t wait to see it progress and have a new view outside my windows!

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 22/09/2026

Venue now secured. Join us for a watch party at Salena's at Village Gate! secure.actblue.com/donate/shann...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 20/09/2026

Many of you want to gather in person, so we are adding an in-person watch party! Figuring out a location. Buy tickets here - we'll send you Zoom and location when finalized! secure.actblue.com/donate/shann...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 20/09/2026

Seven years ago today, I was sworn in as a Monroe County Legislator. It has been the honor of my life to serve this community. Thank you!

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 19/09/2026

Come down to the North Winton Village Festival today at Linear Garden! I’ll be here for a while.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 18/09/2026

Prudy is always very cute in grooming day

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 17/09/2026

I have asked the president of the legislature to submit this as a Matter of Importance, allowing it to be considered at our next committee meetings. We cannot allow Primecare, the jail medical provider, to be renewed for another year come January. 1/

Honorable Legislators:
This resolution would amend the County’s contract authorization with PrimeCare Medical of New York, Inc., the provider of medical care at the Monroe County Jail.
It is prompted by the findings of the New York State Commission of Correction concerning the October 2023 death of Brian Harmon at the jail. The Commission found serious deficiencies in the medical assessment and treatment Mr. Harmon received and concluded that his death would have been prevented had he been properly assessed and timely transferred to a hospital.
Most importantly for this Legislature, the Commission specifically directed the Monroe County Legislature, as the appointing authority for the delivery of jail health services, to review its findings and “conduct an inquiry into the fitness” of PrimeCare as the designated provider.
The Commission sent its report to President Román in December 2025. The report was not provided to members of the Legislature. As a result, the review directed by the Commission never commenced, and PrimeCare was authorized for an additional one-year renewal in January 2026.
We cannot undo that renewal. But we can ensure that another one does not occur before the Legislature carries out the responsibility the Commission specifically assigned to us.
The existing contract authorization provides for a fifth year with PrimeCare beginning January 14, 2027. This proposed amendment would remove that final one-year renewal and instead require any continuation of the contract after January 13, 2027 to be authorized by the Legislature on a month-to-month basis.

This resolution does not terminate PrimeCare’s contract or interrupt medical services at the jail. PrimeCare would continue operating under its currently authorized contract through January 13, 2027. The month-to-month provision provides continuity of care while preserving the Legislature’s ability to determine how to proceed after examining the Commission’s findings, the corrective actions taken since Mr. Harmon’s death, and PrimeCare’s fitness to continue providing care.
The Commission’s directive was addressed to this Legislature. We should not allow another full-year renewal to occur before we have done the work the state specifically directed us to do.
This resolution would have no impact on the Monroe County budget.
Respectfully Submitted,

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 16/09/2026

Good evening from North Winton Village

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 14/09/2026

I’m honored to have the support of @shannonrwatts.bsky.social, activist, author, founder emerita of Moms Demand Action — and a Rochester native! Join us for a virtual fundraiser on October 6. RSVP: secure.actblue.com/donate/shann...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 12/09/2026

I was woken up by what I now believe were gunshots. Neighbors and I went outside. It’s quite a scene here on Main, which is usually so quiet except for the occasional motorcycle. I hope no one was seriously hurt and thank the officers, firefighters and EMS who responded.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 09/09/2026

Stores in Monroe County will be required to post signs if they are collecting your biometric data. The law passed unanimously. I explained my vote 👇

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 07/09/2026

Celebrating our local unions and workers on this #LaborDay in Rochester’s parade.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 05/09/2026

I’m so excited to be among the hundreds of people attending the first ever Rochester Trans Pride Fest. As founder Brittan Hardgers told me, “This is way overdue.” Proud to live in a city where trans people are accepted, loved and celebrated. 🏳️‍⚧️💙🩷

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 05/09/2026

Not really sure what this is all about

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 04/09/2026

Grateful for Rochester's bulk pickup service.

Bulk refuse such as household furniture, bedding and mattresses, large appliances, tree trimmings, and hedge trimmings, may be placed between the sidewalk and curb on collection day. Doors must be removed from refrigerators and other appliances with latches. Loose wood, trees, bushes, and hedges must be tied in bundles. The bundles may not be longer that 4 feet in length, larger than 18 inches in diameter, or weigh more than 60 pounds. All nails must be removed from discarded lumber or bent over and secured so the nail points are not exposed.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 04/09/2026

Many of you have asked what the county legislature is doing about Lake Ontario. We are not changing the name.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 30/08/2026

WSJ goes deep on Syracuse University's stuggles www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 27/08/2026

National Dog Day Penny and Prudy

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 26/08/2026

Big news - The Monroe County Sheriff agreed to post online all expenditures out of jail trust funds, including the commissary and phone/tablet funds. AND they concede the phone/tablet revenue is for inmate welfare. rachbarnhart.substack.com/p/sheriff-ag...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 22/08/2026

Congratulations to Main Place on the new sign!

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 21/08/2026

I just don't know how this is the takeaway if you actually read the report. The Bello admin allowed Baxter to control the narrative, and it worked. For now.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 21/08/2026

Not that there was any doubt Bello would sign Stonegarden grant.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 21/08/2026

NY calls bulls--- on the Legislature President's excuses. www.rochesterfirst.com/news/state-e...

The Division of Criminal Justice Services responded saying:

“The report clearly identifies the actions necessary to address its findings, and the recommendations directed to the Legislature were not contingent upon any other actions occurring first. Because decisions regarding the hiring, retention or termination of the county’s medical provider fall under the county’s authority, the Legislature’s own review is relevant to its consideration of those matters.”

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 20/08/2026

The President's letter describes a profound failure, takes no accountability, and uses ridiculous excuses. rachbarnhart.substack.com/p/romans-exp...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 18/08/2026

I still think it was not only wrong, but very bad politics for Democrats to vote yes on this. rochesterbeacon.com/2026/08/18/l...

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 18/08/2026

Hello from North Winton Village

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 15/08/2026

Statement in response to this article. www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/l...

Last night's Democrat and Chronicle report raises serious new questions about why the Monroe County Legislature failed to conduct a state-directed review of PrimeCare Medical following the painful, preventable death of Brian Harmon at the Monroe County Jail.

The State Commission of Correction sent Legislature President Yversha Roman its December 2025 report directing the Legislature to review PrimeCare's fitness. Legislators were never informed, and the review never began.

I initially believed this requirement had simply fallen through the cracks. President Roman has now told the Democrat and Chronicle that she was waiting until the contract again comes before the Legislature. That won't occur until late 2027.

We cannot wait. The Sheriff's Office can exercise another one-year renewal in January without coming before the Legislature. The Legislature must complete the state-directed fitness review before that happens, and intervene if necessary.

We also need to determine how a state directive to the Legislature went undisclosed to its members and unaddressed. This is a serious failure of legislative oversight, and there must be accountability.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 12/08/2026

I made the point last night before the Stonegarden vote that the Democratic Party brand is a mess precisely because of stuff like this.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 12/08/2026

This shirt is on sale at Wegmans. Isn’t it supposed to be the Spirit of Rochester?

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 11/08/2026

I had hope because President Melendez signed this, Stonegarden would not be on the agenda tonight, but President Roman is going forward with the vote. So it will pass.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 10/08/2026

In light of abuses and failures of ALPR's across the country, I joined with a group of legislators to ask about what guardrails are in place for our system. We look forward to the Sheriff's response.

Recent reporting shows a national pattern of misuse. The Washington Post found that at least 50
law enforcement officers nationwide have been charged or accused of using license plate readers
for unauthorized surveillance, in most cases to track wives, girlfriends, exes, or other women, and
that many of these searches came to light only through public audit logs rather than internal review.
Flock's system was used in 46 of the cases the Post reviewed, with other cases involving competing
products. The Post separately noted that Motorola's Vehicle Manager, the same software Monroe
County has purchased, is one of Flock's main competitors in the license plate reader market.
Closer to home, Investigative Post found that Monroe County has 89 license plate readers, and that
twenty law enforcement agencies in Erie and Niagara counties alone conducted more than 218,000
searches of their camera network between January 2025 and June 2026. That reporting also found
that access to these networks is often shared far beyond the agency that installed the cameras. In
one Western New York town, for example, officers can search camera networks belonging to more
than 600 other jurisdictions.
We have since reviewed the purchase order for the program. It confirms that Monroe County's
vendor is Motorola Solutions Inc., operating through its Vigilant Solutions license plate reader
platform, at a total cost of $2,850,136.77 over five years. The order also includes a hosted
"LEARN" account with an API service. LEARN is Vigilant's national data-sharing network, the
Motorola equivalent of the Flock network described in the Investigative Post reporting above. The
order separately includes a "Commercial Data Subscription," which allows searches of license
plate data collected by private companies rather than government cameras. It also includes a line

When the Legislature approved Monroe County's program, the Sheriff's Office made specific
commitments. Chief Deputy Michael Fowler stated that deputies would need a specific and
legitimate reason to search the database, and that the readers would not be used to assist federal
agencies unless the request involved a criminal charge at the federal level. Your office also stated
that the program would operate under strict supervision with routine audit checks.
We have not received documentation showing how these commitments are being carried out. We
are asking for the following:
1. The current written ALPR policy in full, including the description of the standard a
deputy must meet to establish a "coherent public safety cause" before accessing data,
and who reviews that justification.
2. The results of all audits conducted since the ALPR’s went live.
3. The total number of ALPR database searches conducted since deployment, broken
down by month and by unit or division.
4. Whether any employee has been investigated, disciplined, or removed for misusing the
ALPR system, and a description of each case.
5. A list of every outside agency with which Monroe County shares ALPR data, or which
can search Monroe County's network, including any federal agency.
6. A description of any request for ALPR data received from federal immigration
authorities, and how each request was handled.
7. A copy of the data-sharing terms in Monroe County's agreement with Motorola
Solutions and Vigilant Solutions, including whether Motorola, Vigilant, or any third
party can access, retain, sell, or share captured data.
8. Whether Monroe County's LEARN account connects the county's ALPR data to
Vigilant's national network, and if so, a list of every outside agency able to search
Monroe

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 10/08/2026

We need to understand how revenue from incarcerarted people and their loved ones has been spent. To date, the Sheriff simply refuses to provide a complete set of records amid questions about the spending. I've asked repeatedly. I've been ignored. Today, I'm submitting this resolution.

Honorable Legislators,
The Legislature has a fundamental responsibility to provide oversight of county government, which
requires timely access to accurate and complete information.
In May 2025, during a meeting of this Legislature, I requested information from the Monroe County
Sheriff’s Office regarding expenditures from Trust Fund 9620, T99 Jail Commissary-Phone. When
that information was not provided, I followed up with a formal letter to the Sheriff in September
2025, and again by email in February 2026.
The requested records were not produced until March 2026 — nearly a year after the initial request,
and only covered 2024. I have repeatedly asked for 2025 expenditures over the past six months,
even filing an open records request in June, which to date has not been fulfilled. The only recourse
to forcing governments to respond to open records requests is filing a lawsuit, which would cost
taxpayers money.
This fund is not a typical operating account. It is a trust fund, capitalized through commissions
generated from phone calls and tablet purchases made by incarcerated individuals and their
families. The Legislature has previously treated this fund as one intended to benefit inmates,
including in 2021 when we authorized its use to support free phone calls. The county’s annual
financial report also indicates the funds are only to be used for inmate welfare.
This resolution requests that the Sheriff provide the Legislature with a complete and timely
accounting of this fund on a biannual basis, including revenues, expenditures, and current balances.
This requirement does not interfere with the operations of the Sheriff’s Office. It ensures that
elected officials — and by extension, the public — have access to information necessary to evaluate
the use of these funds.
This resolution will have no impact on the County budget.
Sincerely,
Rachel Barnhart – Legislator District 17

REQUIRING DISCLOSURE TO THE LEGISLATURE OF EXPENDITURES FROM
TRUST FUND 9620, T99 JAIL COMMISSARY-PHONE.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE COUNTY OF MONROE, as follows:
Section 1. On a biannual basis, the Monroe County Sheriff, or his designee, will provide the
Legislature with a list of expenditures from Trust Fund 9620, T99 Jail Commissary-Phone. The list
shall include dollar amounts, vendors and the items or services purchased, and the remaining balance of
the fund.
Section 2. The Sheriff, or his designee, will provide the Legislature with a list of expenditures
retroactive to January 1, 2020 through June 30, 2026 within thirty (30) days of this resolution taking
effect. Biannual reporting required in Section 1 of this resolution shall begin in January 2027.
Section 3. The Sheriff, or his designee, shall provide to the Legislature any documents
establishing and governing Trust Fund 9620, T99 Jail Commissary-Phone, including but not
limited to policies, procedures, or directives related to the receipt, use, or administration of funds.
Section 4. The Clerk shall notify the Legislature when reports required by this resolution have
been filed by the Administration. The Clerk must make the reports available electronically or available
to review in the Clerk’s Office.
Section 5. This resolution shall take effect in accordance with Section C2-7 of the Monroe
County Charter.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 06/08/2026

This is spin. And it’s shameful. The county needs to tell reporters who haven’t covered these cases before that the state *automatically* comes and does its own review.

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Rachel Barnhart @rachbarnhart.com · 05/08/2026

And welcome to Goodman Section, Captain Justin Stewart.

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