State Feed: New York

Undemocratic New York City?

Staff — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:00:36 -0400

Progressive columnist Randy Shaw recently offered New York City as an example of the protections that come from a healthy process of initiative and referendum (emphasis mine):

New York: State Senator honored for legislation creating state initiative process

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:45:40 -0400

Sen. Joseph Robach, R-Greece, received the July 2011 John Lilburne Award for sponsoring legislation that would create a citizen initiative and referendum process in New York. The bill (S.709/A.4978) would give citizens the ability to propose and then vote on statutes and amendments to the state Constitution. As it stands, New Yorkers have no such power to enact or appeal laws, or amend the Constitution.

Read the story from the Legislative Gazette

PRESS RELEASE: New York Senator Honored for Sponsoring Legislation to Create Initiative Process

Staff — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:25:50 -0400

(LAKE RIDGE, VA) – Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, a national voter rights group focused on the ballot initiative and referendum process, presented New York State Senator Joseph Robach with the July 2011 John Lilburne Award for sponsoring legislation this year in the New York Senate to create a citizen initiative & referendum process in the state.

New York: State Senate passes initiative & referendum bill

Thu, 09 Jun 2011 13:53:13 -0400

The New York State Senate today passed a constitutional amendment that would give New Yorkers a more direct role in the legislative process by empowering them to enact and amend laws through initiative and referendum. The bill (S.709), sponsored by Senator Joseph Robach (R-C-I, Rochester), increases the ability of New Yorkers to place an issue on a ballot for a public vote.

Read the story from News Long Island

New York State Senate Approves Creation of Statewide Initiative and Referendum Process

Staff — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:55:05 -0400

While legislatiors in Colorado, Utah, and California work to restrict their constituents’ access to the ballot initiative process, New York Senators voted Tuesday in favor of a constitutional amendment aimed at giving citizens more power by creating an initiative and referendum process in the state.

New York: Local initiative proponents win court case

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 14:36:30 -0500

On January 7, a New York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of proponents of a local initiative, in Saratoga Citizens, Inc. v Franck, 03368/2010, Saratoga County. One of the issues was the requirement that petition sheets be fastened together. The proponents testified that when they had submitted the petition sheets, the sheets were fastened together with a binder clip (a spring-loaded clip).

Read the story from Ballot Access News

New York: Measure could be removed from ballot on appeal

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:57:12 -0400

Whether or not Erie County voters will have a choice in the size of the County Legislature come November will be determined in court soon. A State Supreme Court Judge recently ruled that a referendum on reducing the Legislature from fifteen members to eleven would be allowed on the November second ballot. However, both county election commissioners have filed an appeal to have the referendum removed.

Citizens' Rights Safe in Many States as State Legislatures End Sessions

Staff — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:23:59 -0400

Of the 45 states whose legislatures hold sessions in 2010, 27 of them have adjourned for the year, and 5 more will wrap up before the end of the month. Of the more than 80 bills dealing with the initiative and referendum process in various states, 51 of them would have reduced citizens’ initiative rights. Thanks to the work of activists in our coalitions, only 3 bills reducing citizen’s rights have passed and become law.

Local initiative to decrease size of legislature

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:46:27 -0500

When Niagara County Republican Chairman Henry Wojtaszek announced his resignation following last week’s election, he did so in the knowledge he was going out a winner. For his opposite number — county Democratic Chairman Dan Rivera — the mood was more somber. Incumbent Democrats in North Tonawanda and Lewiston lost by huge margins, Niagara Falls’ Fifth District county Legislature seat had gone Republican for the first time since the Eisenhower administration, and highly respected members of his own party were publicly calling for his resignation.

Special elections law on ballot

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:16:03 -0400

Southampton Town residents heading to the polls on November 3 will not only be asked to fill several town government positions, they also will cast votes on three ballot proposals, including a new town special elections law. Proposal III on the ballot, if approved, would mandate that Southampton Town elected positions that are vacated mid-term would be filled via a special election held 60 to 90 days after a vacancy is declared. If a vacancy occurs within 90 days of a regularly scheduled general election, the post would remain vacant until the general election.

New York Citizen David Schlegel Honored With September Lilburne Award

Staff — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:11:22 -0400

Today, Citizens in Charge Foundation, presented Auburn, New York citizen David Schlegel with the September 2009 John Lilburne Award. Mr. Schlegel is being recognized for standing up for the rights of citizens and actively pressuring his state representatives to enact a statewide process of initiative and referendum.

Ballot initiative debate on property tax cap

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:52:31 -0400

The Brookhaven Town Board meeting Tuesday was dominated by debate — in some ways reminiscent of prosecutorial cross-examination — between a former federal prosecutor, Supervisor Mark Lesko, and 6th District Councilman Keith Romaine (R-Center Moriches). The subject was a proposal by Romaine to place a referendum on the ballot in November to implement a 4 percent property tax cap in Brookhaven. The often heated debate touched more than once on Nov. 3, Election Day.

Easier access for ballot initiatives in New York

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:17:28 -0400

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.

Read the story from Ballot Access News

Citizens need to approve spending cap

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:18:03 -0400

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.

Read the story from The Citizen

New York Governor Likely to Sign Local Ballot Initiative Bill

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:42:23 -0400

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.

Read the story from Ballot Access News

Potential for a November clean water and clean air ballot measure in NY

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:28:39 -0400

Legislation has been introduced in the assembly to put a measure on the ballot for the November 2009 elections.

Read the story from WXXA 23

Public Referendum to downsize local government

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:25:30 -0400

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.

Read the story from WNED

New York Citizens Take Charge

Staff — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:08:52 -0400

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:

Legislation eases path to government consolidation

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:41:29 -0400

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.

Read the story from Buffalo News

New Yorkers Lobby for an Initiative and Referendum Process

Staff — Fri, 22 May 2009 11:02:16 -0400

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: