Denis Slattery reports in the NY Daily News: “Lawmakers are gearing up for an early return to the state capital if a commission they created moves to do away with cross-party nominations, multiple sources told the Daily News on Thursday.
The Public Campaign Financing Commission is charged with creating a $100 million public matching funds program for state elections and potentially addressing fusion voting, which allows candidates to appear on the ballot line of more than one party.”
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David Lombardo covers the release of the state’s census advisory commission report today in the Times Union “Months of hearings by a panel tasked with shaping the state’s Census preparations produced a 126-page report that is light on specific recommendations and defers much of its authority to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, according to some activists and experts.
The “blueprint” — due nearly nine months ago — was approved Tuesday without objection in a meeting of the Complete Count Commission, which was formed to craft a comprehensive action plan and identify the funding needed to lay the ground work for a complete count of New Yorkers next year.
“It’s a road map, but unfortunately it doesn’t get us to our destination,”Commissioner Esmeralda Simmons said during Tuesday’s meeting.”
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In a Newsday oped column, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone makes a strong argument for ending fusion voting in New York:
“Our democracy in New York State is at a crossroads.
While we recognize that the recent increased level of political engagement is a positive development for our democracy, our optimism must be tempered by the reality that New York State has historically maintained some of the most anti-democratic voting laws in the nation. While the State Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo strengthened our democracy by passing voting reform legislation in the last legislative session, there is still much work to be done.”
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In the Times Union, Cayla Harris reports “New York’s Republican leaders are joining the legal fight to preserve the future of fusion voting in the state.
Legal filings on Thursday from Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb and Senate Minority Leader John Flanagan argues that a commission created by Democratic state lawmakers and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to create a system of publicly financed elections is unconstitutional.”
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A state supreme court judge in Manhattan denied the motion to dismiss sought by the State Board Of Elections in a challenge to the state’s registration cut-off date. A copy of the decision can be read here: 29 Decision
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In the Times Union, David Lombardo takes a look at the state complete count census commission: ” Recommendations that were due in January to shape the state’s Census preparations could be voted on next week.
The Complete Count Commission, which was tasked last year with preparing New York for the 2020 census, has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday morning that lists a discussion and vote on their agenda.”
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The state’s Census 2020 complete count commission will meet in Albany and at 4 other locations around the state on Tuesday, October 8th at 9:00 AM. Several locations are being used to permit members to convene with a quorum to take votes and make other decisions.
While the main meeting will take place at the Rockefeller Institute of Government in Albany, satellite sites will be located in the Manhattan, Rochester and Hartsdale campuses of Empire State College, Buffalo City Hall, and Hauppauge Dennison Office Building. The meetings will be open to the public and live streamed via the Empire State College website.
Anyone wishing to attend should send an email to press@dos.ny.gov by 5:00 PM on Monday, October 7th.
Read the announcement here: Meeting Notice 10 08 19
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