By Colin Campbell 3/15/12 1:53pm

reform?

redistricting

Grading the Redistricting Amendment

Professor Gerry Benjamin, an expert on the mechanisms of government at State University of New York at New Paltz, was asked by Citizens’ Committee for an Effective Constitution to take a look at Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Legislature’s much-touted redistricting amendment and grade it point-by-point against what a truly independent amendment would look like.

Unsurprisingly, he found it wanting. He gave the amendment a ‘C-’ overall on an ‘A’ through ‘F’ scale. Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/14/12 10:35pm

the big deal

(Photo: Wikimedia)

Albany Announces Casino Deal

As the Legislature debates the sudden onslaught of deals and compromises tonight, Governor Andrew Cuomo sent out a press release touting an agreement with the State Assembly and Senate to amend to the New York State Constitution to allow some amount of casino gambling. The deal would provide for a maximum number of seven additional casinos in the state.

“By taking these important first steps to legalize casinos we are finally confronting the reality that while New York is already in the gaming business, we need a real plan to regulate and capitalize on the industry,” Governor Cuomo said in the statement. Read More

By Colin Campbell 3/12/12 7:50am

battle lines

redistricting

The Constitutional Redistricting Amendment

Albany released the text of the new State Legislative lines last night, but not the maps, resulting in limited clarity for what the new maps will look like. At first glance at the 20,000 word document, it seems a partisan gerrymander remains in place.

However, Albany also released a legible redistricting document last night, the constitutional amendment to permanently reform the process in the future in 2022. The proposed amendment appears designed to lock in this year’s set of maps rather than create any sort of truly independent commission. “The commission shall consider the maintenance of cores of existing districts, of pre-existing political subdivisions, including counties, cities, and towns, and communities of interest,” the bill reads. Read More