August 8th, 2009
From the Finger Lakes Times
By DAVID L. SHAW / dshaw@fltimes.com
Saturday, August 8, 2009 10:17 PM CDT
CANANDAIGUA — State Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb has introduced a bill calling for a “People’s Constitutional Convention.’’
In order to ensure that it is truly a “people’s’’ convention, Kolb, R-126, of Canandaigua, said he will call on elected officials and registered lobbyists not to run as delegates. Read the rest of this entry »
August 7th, 2009
From Politics on the Hudson
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said a “People’s Constitutional Convention” is the answer to the public’s frustration with the growing “dysfunction, gridlock and partisanship” at the Capitol. He is introducing legislation that would put the question about holding a convention on the ballot in 2010, when all 212 state lawmakers and four statewide officials are up for election or re-election.
Delegates to the convention could take up issues like putting caps on state spending and property taxes, giving voters the power to recall elected state officials they are not satisfied with, and setting up an initiative and referendum system that would allow the public to vote on issues and have the results be binding. Other topics could include debt reform, term limits for legislative leaders, non-partisan redistricting reform, and establishing a system of filling vacancies in the offices of lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and New York’s U.S. senators. Read the rest of this entry »
August 7th, 2009
August 7, 2009 by The Associated Press / MICHAEL GORMLEY (Associated Press Writer)
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Think New York state government is broken? Want to fix it?
A lawmaker is calling for a constitutional convention to let New Yorkers overhaul a system of government they love to hate — and in a twist on previous calls for conventions, he wants to prohibit politicians, lobbyists and other special interests from being delegates or dominating what he calls a “people’s constitutional convention.” Read the rest of this entry »
August 7th, 2009
August 7, 2009 at 11:01 am by Casey Seiler
Capitol Confidential
Yes, that is a lot of alliteration, but whaddya want? Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb just uncorked legislation calling for a constitutional convention, joining the ranks of Rick Lazio, Rudy Giuliani, Richard Brodsky and others.
On his agenda of topics that could/should be addressed:
* State spending cap
* Real property tax cap
* Debt reform and banning backdoor borrowing
* Requiring a two-thirds “Super Majority” for tax increases
* Recall of state elected officials
* Initiative and referendum
* Term limits for Legislative Leaders
* Non-partisan redistricting reform
* Establish a procedure to fill vacancies of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller and any vacancies for either of New York’s U.S. Senators
* State budget reform
* Constitutional Convention reform to prohibit future delegates from holding public or political office
Read the rest of this entry »
