NORWICH – The choice to have a Constitutional Convention, and potentially make fundamental changes to state government, is put to voters by law every 20 years.
The next scheduled chance will be in 2017.
The “People’s Convention to Reform New York Act,” if passed, would put the question to voters in 2010.
Sponsors of the bill don’t think change can wait seven more years. They’re hoping for the people to approve a Constitutional Convention for 2011, with the intention of changing “how the state does business,” suggesting that limits on state taxes, caps on spending and restrictions on unfunded mandates be addressed.
Introduced last month by Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua), the bill would also prevent elected officials – unless they vacated their posts – and lobbyists from being delegates and having a hand in the reform.
Tuesday the City of Norwich Common Council passed a resolution supporting the bill 5 to 1.
“We need to at least voice our opinion that we do support change,” said Fourth Ward Alderman Walter P. Schermerhorn.
Second Ward Alderman Terry Bresina opposed the measure; he’s concerned that opening up the state’s constitution with the intention of instituting necessary reform will have unintended consequences.
“Back in the 1970s, I lived through one of these in Illinois,” said Bresina. “They made some changes. But there was also a lot of political correctness cow flop squeezed into it.”
Bresina said in this instance, Chicago politicians organized a large group of delegates that tried to institute censorship regulations and other initiatives that had little to do with state reform and more to do with political gamesmanship.
“The problem is once you have a constitutional convention, the things they say will be talked about are not all that’s discussed,” Bresina said.
“It opens the whole thing up,” added 1st Ward Alderman Robert M. Carey.
Carey questioned the effectiveness of constitutional conventions, stating that career politicians have dominated the delegations in the past. “You don’t get real reform,” said Carey.
However, he acknowledged that there needs to be reform at the state level, particularly as it relates to cementing a procedure for filling vacant leadership positions, such as the Lt. Governor, which came into question after David Paterson replaced Eliot Spitzer.
“The state does need some reform. Succession is an issue,” said Carey. “I think there needs to be some change. We need to support changes in the state government.”
Bresina said he had no objection to instituting reforms, and believes issues like succession need to be resolved. He would, however, rather see them done through specific amendments in the legislature, “where the process can be controlled.”
Copies of “The People’s Convention to Reform New York Act” is still at the committee level, and has yet to be voted on in the Assembly or the Senate.
If passed and approved by voters, the convention would be held in Albany in April 2011. It would be comprised of 201 delegates; three elected from each of the state’s 62 senate districts and 15 chosen in a statewide election.
The last convention was held in 1967. Voters defeated those proposed changes.
Sponsors estimate the convention would last 22 weeks and cost between $12 and $15 million to cover delegate and support staff salaries, travel, lodging, facility and printing expenses.
“I’d also like the delegates to consider matters like non-partisan redistricting reform, state budget reform, debt reform, a ban on backdoor borrowing and new procedures for filling vacancies of Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller and U.S. Senator,” said Kolb in a statement earlier this month.