Common Cause

Assemblyman Gianaris, Citzens Union, Common Cause/NY Contend Current State Law Allows Governor Paterson To Appoint Lt. Governor Shows How State Constitution and Public Officers Law Can Be Used to Break Albany Impasse

Mon, 6 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST

Assemblyman Gianaris, Citzens Union, Common Cause/NY Contend Current State Law Allows Governor Paterson To Appoint Lt. Governor Shows How State Constitution and Public Officers Law Can Be Used to Break Albany Impasse

New York State Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, Citizens Union Executive Director Dick Dadey, and Common Cause/NY Executive Director Susan Lerner today sent Governor David A. Paterson a letter outlining how under current law he can appoint a Lt. Governor and in doing so resolve the impasse that has paralyzed state government.

Though it has become accepted conventional wisdom that a vacancy in the office of Lt. Governor cannot be filled until the next statewide election, the letter posits that the plain language of the Constitution and the Public Officers Law gives the Governor the power to appoint a Lt. Governor who can serve until next year's elections.

The letter contends that Section 43 of the Public Officers Law applies in this situation and is not precluded by the Constitutional mandate that the Temporary President of the Senate shall perform the duties of the Lt. Governor during a vacancy. Public Officer Law Section 43 states " [i]f a vacancy shall occur, otherwise than by expiration of term, with no provision of law for filling the same, if the office be elective, the governor shall appoint a person to execute the duties thereof until the vacancy shall be filled by an election…"

Read the full release here...

Fed up with gridlock in the State Senate

Fri, 3 Jul 2009 00:00:00 PST

We at Common Cause New York are fed up with the gridlock in our State Senate

Already, their antics have

* Stalled important bills on campaign finance, election reform, federal stimulus oversight, and ethics,
* Blocked renewal of City and county authority to help the unemployed, run schools and collect sales tax, and
* Generally made Albany a national laughingstock.

Aren't you fed up too? We need our State Senators to put aside petty power struggles and get the people's work done. That's what they've been elected to do.

Let's send a message to New York's State Senators. Tell them to get back to work and stick with it!

We'll deliver your message attached to a glue stick so that your State Senator will understand you mean business.

Could public financing of elections work successfully in New York State?

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 PST

Could public financing of elections work successfully in New York State?

Common Cause New York thinks so!

Join us on Thursday, March 19, for "Money in Politics: A Forum on Campaign Finance" to learn how public financing has worked in Connecticut, and to explore viable options for public funding here in New York.

Speakers will include Ed Gomes, the Assistant Majority Leader of the Connecticut State Senate who ran his re-election campaign using Connecticut's new Clean Election Program.

The program will also feature Karen Hobert-Flynn, Common Cause's Vice President for State Operations, who led the grassroots campaign that helped secure passage of Connecticut's Citizens' Election Program.

Be sure to mark your calendar:

Money in Politics: A Forum on Campaign Finance
Thursday, March 19, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Albany Institute of History & Art
125 Washington Ave., near Dove St.
Albany, NY 12202

RSVP is not required, so bring a friend or two, and learn about how we can reform New York’s campaign finance system!