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.

His bill allows for the question of convening a Constitutional Convention to be put before voters in 2010, when all 212 state legislators and four statewide offices are up for election.

“The growing dysfunction, gridlock and partisanship in Albany has become so damaging to New York’s economy, hurtful to taxpayers and poisonous to public trust in state government that bold action must be taken,’’ Kolb said in a statement Friday.

The question of whether the state should convene a Constitutional Convention is placed before voters every 20 years. A convention can also be initiated by an act of the legislature and submitted to voters.
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The last convention was held in 1967. A question of calling a convention was last on the ballot in 1997, when it was defeated.

“An alarming collusion between the special interests and Albany’s entrenched status quo has drowned out the people’s voice from state government. It’s time the people were heard,’’ Kolb said. “We need a Constitutional Convention that is 100 percent of the people, by the people and for the people.’’

What would be covered

Issues Kolb said the convention could address include:

* State spending and property tax caps.
* Debt reform and banning “backdoor’’ borrowing.
* Requiring a two-thirds “supermajority’’ vote for tax increases.
* Recall of state elected officials and ballot initiative and referendum provisions.
* Term limits for legislative leaders.
* Non-partisan redistricting reform.
* Procedures to fill vacancies for lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller and U.S. Senators.
* State budget reform.
* Prohibiting future delegates from holding public or political office.