September 23rd, 2009
Buffalo News
By Brian M. Kolb
Are you for reform or not? That is the question that News readers — fed-up and frustrated with New York’s directional drift, high cost of living and unresponsive state government — need to ask their legislators and statewide elected officials. If they are for reform, they will support a People’s Convention to Reform New York.
A People’s Convention is a nonpartisan, grass-roots-based, people-driven reform effort. It is not some new, untested idea. The question of whether New York should convene a People’s Convention automatically goes before voters every 20 years. The next opportunity is slated for 2017. A People’s Convention to Reform New York moves up the chance for positive change by seven years. Frankly, things have gotten so bad, reform can’t wait.
Read the rest of this entry »
September 23rd, 2009
By Karen DeWitt/WRVO
ALBANY, NY (wrvo) – Events over the past couple of years in Albany, including the resignation of a governor and a month long coup in the State Senate, have led to a growing movement to hold a constitutional convention to remedy some of state government’s ills. Karen DeWitt spoke to one legislator who’s been spearheading the effort. Read the rest of this entry »
September 23rd, 2009
Click here to view a video of the WENY story:
http://www.weny.com/News-Local.asp?ARTICLE3864=9147807
Upstate NY Assemblyman Calls for Early Convention
Laura Hutchinson, WENY-TV
The end to the budget struggle in Harrisburg got us thinking about the political turmoil in Albany earlier this year.
One upstate New York Assemblyman says he has an idea that could stop the dysfunction from continuing in the capitol.
Minority Leader Brian Kolb is pushing for a “people’s constitutional convention.”
September 10th, 2009
Niagara Gazette
With the state government in Albany bogged down by delay, indecision and petty machinations, it was inevitable that someone would suggest a solution to all the dysfunction.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb, R-Canandaigua, told reporters this week he believes a lot of the problems could be resolved through a Constitutional Convention. Read the rest of this entry »
September 8th, 2009
Joseph Spector
Gannett Albany bureau
ALBANY — In March, good-government groups and academics met in Rochester to talk about their frustrations with state government.
But their priorities were scattered. Consensus on what to do was elusive.
So they settled on this: push the state to hold a constitutional convention at which voters could decide whether to change the state constitution. Read the rest of this entry »
September 4th, 2009
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – A proposal to call a “peoples’ constitutional convention” to overhaul New York state government, possibly including term limits and tax caps, is gaining a critical majority party cosponsor.
Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb says his proposal now has a supporter in the chamber’s Democratic majority. Assemblyman Mark Schroeder of Erie County has signed on to the effort. As a majority member, he has a far better chance of getting the bill to the floor. Read the rest of this entry »
September 4th, 2009
By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A Republican’s proposal to hold a “people’s constitutional convention” to overhaul New York state government gained a critical co-sponsor Friday.
Assemblyman Mark Schroeder, an Erie County Democrat, is the first majority member to sign onto the campaign started by Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, a Finger Lakes Republican. Read the rest of this entry »
