 STATE VOTER
The League of Women Voters of New York State
July 2010
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 Betsey's Briefs - Betsey Swan, President |  REFLECTIONS AT THE MIDPOINT Completion of the first year of my Presidency offers a time
to reflect on successes and map out a blueprint for the next year. When people ask me if I am enjoying the position, my answer
is a resoundingly loud, "YES!" As a nerd
of the first order, I welcome the organizational challenges the League
provides. An added benefit of the job is
the ability to travel around the state, meeting local League leaders and making
new friends. I never cease to be amazed
by the generosity of local Leagues and the extent to which they have bent over
backwards to welcome me. Of course, in
many respects, my job has been made easy by the support of our talented board
and our wonderful Executive Director, Laura
Ladd Bierman. Successes Voter Services VP Maggie Moehringer has negotiated an agreement
with PBS stations in New York State to co-host candidate debates this
fall. She negotiated with the New York
State Bar Association to publish and print five specialized Voters Guides. CSEA
has also assisted us in the printing of the current Voters Guide, Part I. Key
Bank has given us a grant to fund the statewide license fee for SmartVoter
this year.
Membership VP Georgia
DeGregorio was named as one of the first class of Shur Fellows by the
LWVUS, bringing the knowledge of that program to NYS Leagues and implementing
it through the Regional Director Program. Under her tutelage, we have an exponential
increase of MALs and new MAL units.
Under the capable
stewardship of Sally Robinson, Issues
& Advocacy VP, we have achieved consensus
on our Government Consolidation/Shared Services study and seen an increase
in issue development and advocacy. We
brought approximately 300 people to Albany for our Albany on the Record event and expanded
our good government and pay equity lobbying to include hydrofracking, national
health care, and adoption of the Compact for a National Popular Vote. In the midst of this, Sally has made
headway into update of Impact on Issues, which should be
completed this fall.
We have upgraded our electronic presence, with adoption of
an electronic Voter, upgrade of our website, and establishment of a statewide
Facebook page.
Our finances have
stabilized, thanks to Laura's stewardship and the generosity of our members and constituent Leagues. Goals Voter Service Move forward in our investigation of ways to
bring an affordable electronic Voters Guide to all Leagues within the
state; Monitor implementation of new voting systems and
provide voter education and advocacy for change, as may be necessary; Publish a Voters Guide for military voters.
Membership Launch League Works, a social networking
program to attract working members to the League; After a trial, assist local Leagues in marketing
a similar program tailored to potential working members in their localities; Work with local Leagues to address their
membership challenges.
Issues and Advocacy Develop Lobby
Corps of local League members who would be willing to come to Albany a
couple of times a month during the legislative session to lobby members of the
legislature. Training and materials will
be provided; Complete update of Impact on Issues. Identify
issue specialists or Issue Committees of local League members who are
willing to direct advocacy in their issue areas, including the issues portion of the website;
Citizen
Education And Youth Programs Poll local Leagues to determine youth programs
around the state and additional programs they would like; Develop youth programs or market existing
programs on a statewide basis and through the website; Continue to elicit greater local League
participation in Students Inside Albany.
Technology Through Bo
Lipari, our newly appointed Director of Technology, assess state and local
uses of technology and develop plan to upgrade use of technology; Continue to upgrade electronic presence; Assist local Leagues in upgrading their
electronic presence by working with them and upgrading materials to facilitate
the process.
Financial Continue to seek corporate partners and sponsors
and develop relationships with state and local foundations. My
overarching goal for the next year is to continue the process of strengthening
the New York State League and its constituent local Leagues by: Meeting with local Leagues and their leaders to
brainstorm about challenges and opportunities; Bridging the gap by the state and local Leagues
by creation of statewide electronic committees for purposes of sharing ideas
and development and distribution of materials; Exploring ways to maintain and enhance the
League's reputation for nonbiased, nonpartisan study, education, .and advocacy
as we move forward.
I welcome the input and help of all our members as we move
forward over the next year. |
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New State Board Members
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The state Board has appointed two new members recently. Judie Gorenstein (LWV Huntington) will serve as Director of Citizen Education and Youth Programs and Bo Lipari (LWV Tompkins County) was appointed as Director of Technology. Judi Roth (LWV Hamptons) and Lisa Scott (LWV Smithtown) will be assisting Judie Gorenstein off-board. Bo will be assisting both the state and local Leagues in all areas of technology. Judie, Judi and Lisa will be compiling data on the youth programs across the state to help both the state and local Leagues develop new services for youth. Watch for more information from all of them!
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Voter Services - Maggie Moehringer
|  FALL 2010 DEBATES
We have issued a joint press
release with the NYS Association of PBS affiliates announcing our partnership
for the debates for statewide office. The plan is for debates for the offices
of governor and US
senator and possibly for other statewide offices to be broadcast through all
the PBS affiliates.
The New York City LWV requested and received permission from LWVNYS to co-sponsor a debate with WABC-TV
for the Democratic primary candidates for Attorney General on behalf of the
LWVNYS. It was broadcast and made available to other ABC affiliates statewide
on July 18th. You can view it online here.
VOTER'S
GUIDES 2010 / Smart Voter / Vote411
The 2010 Voters Guide Part I - Facts for Voters is now available - download it here or call the state office for paper copies; it is also available on the state League's website. The 2010 Voter's Guide Part II:
Candidate and Ballot Information is in the process of being pulled
together. The questions that will be posed to the candidates the instant that the primary is over are being finalized and we will share them via email with local
Leagues as they become final. We still do not know whether there will be any ballot issues
The questions will be sent out to
all candidates for statewide office, i.e. governor, lieutenant governor,
comptroller, attorney general, and US senator. There may be many
candidates for those offices, and having room for all of their answers to
questions in the paper Voters Guide is in doubt; we will probably have to pick
and choose. However, the state League has received funding and found volunteers to utilize Smart
Voter, the electronic voters guide and we can put
the answers for all the candidates into Smart
Voter. Watch on the
Smart Voter website for more information about the candidates.
MILITARY AND OVERSEAS
VOTERS
Here (in bold) is the
information posted on the NYS Board of Elections web site for military and
overseas voters. The form referred to is not the NYS application, but the
"REGISTRATION AND ABSENTEE BALLOT
REQUEST - FEDERAL POST CARD APPLICATION (FPCA)".
Military Voting
- Persons serving
in the military may vote from their designated 'home of record', regardless of
where they may be stationed or for how long.
- If that 'home of
record' is in New York, you may register and vote in local, state and federal
elections by completing an application and sending it to the board of elections
in your 'home of record' county.
- Your application
will register you and also serve as your absentee ballot application, and will
be valid for 2 federal elections.
- Applications are
available from your Voting Assistance Officer on base, or you can visit
www.fvap.gov
- Always be sure to
share any change of address information with your Board of Elections.
- Questions? Call
the State Board of Elections at 518-473-5086 or the Federal Voter Assistance
Program at 1-800-438-8683, or contact your Voting Assistance Officer or US
Embassy office.
NEW ABSENTEE BALLOT FORM
As of July 15, we have a new
statewide Absentee Ballot Application form. Please check out the new form. |
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New State Position: Local Consolidation/Shared Services
| At its July Meeting the board approved the League's Government Consolidation/Shared Services Position. Twenty-two Leagues participated in the study. A copy of our new position is contained in Attachment C. Thank you to Committee Chair Noreen Fisher (Scarsdale), Issue and Advocacy Vice President Sally Robinson and all the Leagues whose participation made this study a success.
POSITION ON CONSOLIDATION OF GOVERNMENTAL UNITS AND
SHARING OF MAJOR GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES
Adopted July 15, 2010
The League of Women Voters of New York
State (League) supports the efficient and effective operation of government.
Consolidation of governmental units and the sharing of major
governmental services may be a way of promoting the efficient and effective operation
of government. ( As used in this position, consolidation refers to both
the process of consolidation and the process of dissolution.) In achieving this goal, the League supports a cooperative and
transparent process, in which citizens have sufficient and timely information
with which to make informed decisions about proposed actions, and well-defined
channels for citizen input and review. Administrative and fiscal efficiency
should be included in the criteria by which local governments consider whether
to consolidate or share major services. The League supports a system of
state-funded grants to local governments to study the feasibility of the
consolidation of governmental units or sharing of governmental services. In
determining whether to support a consolidation/shared services proposal at the
local level, as a way of making government more efficient and effective, local
Leagues must consider both the adequacy of the process and the likely effects
of the proposal's implementation.
In determining whether to support a
consolidation/ shared services proposal as a way of making government more
efficient and effective, local Leagues should apply the following criteria.
While it is not necessary that each standard be met, the League recognizes that
these standards represent potential benefits of consolidation, leading to more
efficient and effective government:
- Will
the proposal result in projected cost savings and a positive effect on taxes
over the long term;
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Will
the proposal either result in an increased quality and/or efficiency of
services or, at a minimum, maintain services at existing levels;
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Will
the proposal fairly address disparities in employee contracts;
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Will the proposal result in increased social
and economic justice;
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Will
the proposal result in a reduction in the number of governmental entities?
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Redistricting Forums - In Every Local League
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We believe
that redistricting reform is the crucial reform effort on the immediate horizon
in New York State. Every League has an important role to play in this effort. By
raising public awareness of the need for reform and the consequences of not
acting in time for post-2010 census redistricting, local Leagues can help put
our state on the right path for the future.
We need to stop legislators from choosing their voters, not the other
way around. Help encourage your local League to become involved in organizing a community forum.
What Local Leagues Can Do
Whether you
focus on educating and empowering the members of your League or broaden your
outreach to other organizations in your community, your League can help build
the momentum for redistricting reform.
- Redistricting
Study Group or Contact Person.
Have members of your League form a Study Group on redistricting reform or
designate one member to be the point person on this issue with the
state League. This group or individual should
become informed about the issue, follow new developments and take the lead
in educating both your local league and the public. Information on this issue is available
on our home page including under the Albany on the Record Redistricting, and you can also go the Brennan Center website for more general
information.
- Informational
Meeting for members and/or the public.
We would like local leagues to schedule an educational meeting or
community forum on redistricting, preferably with co-sponsors of other
community organizations, as early as possible in the fall. These forums should provide an opportunity for audience
members to ask questions and discuss solutions.
The state League will provide materials to every local League - and to the local Study Groups. Watch from more information but tell your League President and Board that you want to get involved!
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| LWVUS National Convention - June 11-15 - Atlanta, GA | Last
month, hundreds of League members and supporters came together in Atlanta to celebrate the
League's 90th anniversary, discuss critical policy issues, and elect Atlanta
resident Elisabeth MacNamara as the new national president of the League of
Women Voters. Much has been
written about the wonderful speakers and the ambitious program, which was, in
large part, moved forward by New York State delegates. We adopted two new studies - one on the role of the federal government in
education and the other on privatization of governmental functions. Many thanks to Tomkins County League member Kay Wagner, who spearheaded the
successful resolution to expand the LWVUS' global warming legislative priority
to encompass mineral extraction, Tomkins
County League member Rebecca Elgie, who put forward the successful Medicare
for All resolution, Saratoga County
League member Lori Dawson, who was instrumental in both the National Popular
Vote and Marriage Equality concurrences.
Click here for more information.
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| Legislative Update - Barbara Bartoletti | 
There have been many words used to describe this 2010 legislative
session; my two favorite are bizarre and paralyzed. Dysfunctional
goes without saying. This session was also all about politics.
Certainly that's nothing new in an election year but this election year has
taken on a whole new dynamic sbecause the state senate has mere two-vote majority, and because the party that wins or keeps control of the senate gets
to draw the redistricting lines cementing their majority for the next decade.
The state budget has taken up the entire session; and, as you read
this article, the budget will be about 110 days late. The Governor issued
his budget in January and has then spent the next six months cajoling,
demanding, and otherwise trying to get the legislature to cut spending that he
says has to be done to close the $9.2 billion dollar deficient. The Governor then attempted to do something not before seen in state budget
negotiations; he inserted his major budget cuts into the "budget
extenders" needed to keep state government running. Either the
legislature passed his cuts in the extenders or they shut down the government.
Republicans in the state senate refused to give the Democrats any votes on
the budget so Democrats HAD to have all their members on the votes.
Therein lies the problems we have seen and why the budget is six months
late. Any senator could with-hold his/her vote and hold the entire
process hostage. Right now Senator John
Sampson does not have 32 votes to pass the revenue bill which needs to be
passed for the Comptroller to call the budget complete and release the
paychecks for all 212 legislators. SUNY/CUNY empowerment is stalling the
process because two (at least) senators need to have this legislation for their
reelection and will not vote to complete the budget until they get that
legislation. The Assembly has passed the revenue bill and does not expect
to come back until after the election. Stay tuned to the possible latest
budget ever.
League legislative issues have suffered because of the ongoing
budget mess. We were able to get some election issues done and had a good
success with the bill to simplify the absentee ballot, now law. Campaign
finance legislation including State Board of Elections increased enforcement,
independent expenditures disclosure, restrictions on personal use of campaign
funds and shareholder approval of corporate political spending was introduced
the last week of session and remains in Rules in both houses. The National
Popular Vote legislation passed the Senate and remains in Rules in the Assembly. A little bill that could make a big
difference is the tanning bed bill, which League supports under our health care
position on preventive health care. This
bill would ban tanning bed usage for anyone under 18 years old. Studies have shown that the second leading
cause of death in young woman 20-26 is melanoma, a deadly form of skin
cancer. The bill has been referred to
Rules in the Assembly and Codes in the Senate. The League's pay equity bill, around which
League members did a lot of advocacy, passed the Assembly and sits in the Codes
Committee in the Senate. Senator Dilan
introduced two redistricting bills this session, both of which we opposed. These bills have no Assembly sponsorship and
are in the Finance Committee in the Senate.
The redistricting bill the Senate does support is the Valesky/Giannaris
bill which contains the nonpartisan redistricting commission. This legislation will be the subject of
gubernatorial debates, as well as being a key question for Candidates this
fall. The two slickwater hydraulic
fracturing bills the League supports were the subject of much lobbying at the
end of the regular session. The Addabbo
bill was reported to Rules in the Assembly and currently sits in ENCON in the
Senate. The Thompson bill was pushed
with much effort into Rules in the Senate and also in Rules in the
Assembly.
The Governor has called both houses of the legislature into
Special Session for Wednesday, July 28th to deal with the budget,
which will by then be about 120 days late.
Once the legislature has disposed of the Governor's agenda, which they
can do by gaveling in and immediately gaveling out, they will be free to deal
with agenda items of their own. The
Governor has submitted three bills dealing with SUNY/CUNY empowerment, property
tax relief, wine in grocery stores and tax on soda. The League will be there to prod the
legislature into finishing some of the League's legislative priorities. Stay tuned...
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Bill #
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Companion Bill
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Subject
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Support/Oppose
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Assembly Status
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Senate Status
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S.8405/Sampson
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A.11588/Rules (Silver)
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CFR
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Support
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7/1/10 Ordered to 3rd Reading Rules Calendar
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6/28/10 Referred to Rules
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A.1580/Dinowitz
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S.2286A/Parker
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NPV
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Support
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7/1/10 Ordered to 3rd Reading Rules Calendar
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6/7/10 Passed Senate
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A.9110/Weisenberg
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S.3461A/Johnson, C
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Tanning Bed
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Support
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6/28/2010 Referred to Rules
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5/25/10 Reported and Committed to Codes
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S.5480/Savino
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A.1119/Destito
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Pay Equity
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Support
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4/19/10 Passed Assembly
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6/15/10 Reported and Committed to Codes
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S.7881A/Dilan
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no same as
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Redistricting
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Oppose
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6/15/10 Reported and Committed to Finance
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S.7882/Dilan
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no same as
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Redistricting
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Oppose
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6/15/10 Reported and Committed to Finance
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S.1614B/Valesky
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A.5279B/Gianaris
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Redistricting
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Support
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6/24/10 Reported to Ways and Means
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5/25/10 Reported and Committed to Finance
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S.7592/Addabbo
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A.10490A/Englebright
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Hydraulic Fracturing
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Support
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6/3/2010 Referred to Rules
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6/2/10 Amended and Recommited to Encon
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S.8129/Thompson
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A.11443/Rules (Sweeney)
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Hydraulic Fracturing
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Support
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7/1/10 Ordered to 3rd Reading Rules Calendar
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7/14/10 Referred to Rules
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| Advocacy Areas: Election Law - Aimee Allaud |  Assemblywoman Sandra Galef recently presented the League of Women
Voters of NYS a certificate and a pen used by Governor Paterson to sign
into law the new legislation simplifying the absentee ballot process.
"The League of Women Voters of New York State applauds the NYS Legislature for increasing opportunities for eligible New York voters to choose how and when they can exercise their right to vote. This bill simplifies the absentee voting application process for voters by eliminating unnecessary and intrusive personal information from the application form," said Aimee Allaud, Elections Specialist, for the League.
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| Local League News | |
Many local leagues have been busy educating citizens about the new voting machines. Here are some excerpts of what these leagues are doing: We (Utica/Rome LWV) met
with our new Oneida County Board of Elections Commissioners and related our
willingness to co-sponsor some of their planned community outreaches on the new
machines. They assured us that they were in the planning stages of
scheduling locations and times leading up to the elections and we will remain
in contact with them as these plans develop. The Oneonta League
does not do the voting machine education, but our local BOE has a schedule
of at least 12 dates where they are traveling around the various small
communities in our county to do it. I'm sure some of us will get to attend, but
it has never really been our direct job.
The BOE of Steuben County asked for and received our (LWV Steuben) services in
demonstrating the voting machines in August of 2009 for several days at the
Steuben County fair. A week ago they called to ask us again. At our annual meeting
a few days ago people signed up for whatever shifts they are available on
August 17 - 21 between noon and 7 p.m., and the rest of the membership is being
invited through the minutes of the meeting. We (LWV Greater Oneida) had
a voting machine at our candidates forums last fall, with folks from the Board of
Elections on hand to assist with training for anyone interested in
"practicing" on them. The Wayne County Board of
Elections is demonstrating the new voting machine at various places around the
county. It was made very clear to our new, small, LWV MAL of Wayne County
that we were not to be part of it. We can register voters nearby, if we
wish, but have to make our own arrangements and, make it clear that we have
nothing to do with the Board of Elections. We (LWV Mid-Hudson) will
have a voting machine at our candidates' forum and may do more voter education
once we see what the Board of Elections is doing. The New York City League is working with our
local Board of Elections to have a voting machine demonstration at our August
24th meeting. The BOE have a calendar of where other demonstrations are
scheduled to take place.
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| 1919 Society |
Don't forget to tell the state League office if you have remembered the state League in your will. Join the 1919 Society, by including the LWVNYS in your will. If you already have included the League in your will, just let us know and we'll add you to the members of the Society. We will not ask for either proof of the bequest or its amount - we just want to honor your future support. As a member, your name will be engraved on a plaque in the state League office, listed in the State Voter, and on the website. You have worked so hard for the League for so many years. Why not help to ensure the future of the League by including support for the League in your will? Your donation can specify the Centennial Fund of the Education Foundation, a perpetually endowed fund, the general fund of the Education Foundation or the League. The process is simple, and we can help you with the correct language. Just contact Laura Ladd Bierman, Executive Director, LWVNYS, at Laura@lwvny.org or by phone at 518-465-4162 for more information or to join this new Society. If you believe that a strong League is vital to the health of our democracy, please become a member of the 1919 Society.
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