Suffolk County Library Association advises its’ membership to vote No on the back of the Ballot to a NYS Constitutional Convention this November 7, 2017.
A constitutional convention could allow for the weakening of:
- NYS Pension Funds
- Collective Bargaining Rules
- Benefits for injured workers and social welfare programs.
Additional reasons SCLA supports a No Vote
- The cost to tax payers.
- It cost about $6.5 million to stage the last constitutional convention in 1967. The estimated price tag for a Constitutional Convention in 2017 ranges from a conservative $30 Million to $100 Million.
- Sitting Legislators and Judges may serve as elected delegates.
- Many delegates will receive double salaries from the state.
- Delegates must engage in political campaigns that can be financed by wealthy special interests.
- Three delegates from each state senatorial district will be elected in November 2018, along with 15 at-large delegates who will be elected statewide. In 1967, of the 186 delegates to the convention, 154 held public office.
- Lawmakers can amend the Constitution without a Constitutional Convention.
- The NYS Constitution has been amended over 200 times.
- Most recently in 2015, an amendment was made to the New York State Constitution to create an independent commission on redistricting, and to allow the Legislature to save money by going paperless for proposed bills.
-SCLA Executive Board
