New York
On June 24, New York Governor David Paterson signed A8501. It makes it fairly easy to qualify a local initiative that has the purpose of asking the voters if they wish to abolish any particular local unit of government, or if they wish to merge two different local governments.
The city of Auburn wants to increase the amount of money it can spend and borrow on green energy projects. But the citizens have to approve the change before it goes on the books. City officials are looking to get a public referendum on the November ballot that, if passed, would raise a spending cap currently in place for all public utility projects. The cap has limited spending on energy projects to $2.5 million each for more than a decade.
The Governor of New York is expected to sign a bill that makes it easier to use the local ballot initiative process. Only initiatives to dissolve or merge local governments would be effected.
Legislation has been introduced in the assembly to put a measure on the ballot for the November 2009 elections.
Following the lead of the legislature-formed 21st Century Commission and this week’s decisions by voters in the towns of West Seneca and Evans to reduce the size of their town boards, the democratic majority in the Erie County Legislature is proposing a local law to reduce the size of its 15-member body to 13.
Today the Buffalo News reported citizens in New York are taking charge of their government. The state has made it easier to bring issues to a vote.
The author of the bill, Attorney General Andrew Cuomos hopes the legislation will empower voters and create a more efficient local government.
The article states:
Citizens will find it easier to bring petitions to merge or abolish local governments ”” from villages to fire districts to sewer agencies ”” under legislation that won final legislative approval Wednesday night in the State Senate.
Citizens in New York are looking for ways to reform the state’s political process.
State Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, D-Queens, and Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer, R-Amherst have introduced legislation to enact an initiative and referendum process in New York.
Today Charles Roda writes an editorial on the why voters should embrace the process. He argues the state’s current system is broken:
A state Senator has launched a petition drive to restore a program that sends tax rebate checks to homeowners to offset property tax increases. The drive to re-establish the STAR program will use online signature collecting and social media networking on sites such as Facebook.
In 1911 the I&R movement organ Equity explained the failure to win
initiative and referendum rights in New York: “No Direct Legislationist has
expected New York State to come into the fold until about the last. The
‘interests’ are so strong, so thoroly intrenched [sic], and have so much at
stake in that state, that it is expected that their strongest fight against real
popular control of public affairs will be made there.”
Article XIX
Section 1.
Any amendment or amendments to this constitution may be proposed in
the senate and assembly whereupon such amendment or amendments
shall be referred to the attorney-general whose duty it shall be within
twenty days thereafter to render an opinion in writing to the senate and
assembly as to the effect of such amendment or amendments upon other
provisions of the constitution. Upon receiving such opinion, if the
amendment or amendments as proposed or as amended shall be
You have no statewide Initiative & Referendum rights.
Poll:
See the results of a poll on support for statewide initiative & referendum here.
Grade: D
Click here to view New York’s individual report in Of the People, By the People, For the People: A 2010 Report Card on Statewide Voter Initiative Rights.
State Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-51st, announced last week in a press release that he will file a bill prior to the 2009 legislative session that will provide for a recall process to remove elected officials at the state and county levels.
Under current Alabama law, only municipal officials are subject to recall.
“Accountability by elected officials to the taxpayers is the key to good government,” Treadaway said.