Added in 1894 to prohibit state funding to religious schools, the Blaine Amendment was later changed to allow state-funded transportation and ancillary (not direct classroom) services for religious school students. Repeal of the Blaine Amendment was approved by the 1967 delegates. "In the end, it was one of the reasons many people voted against the newly submitted constitution," Dullea says.
The cost of a convention has been an integral part of the debate. A 1973 book by the League of Women Voters put the 1967 convention cost at almost $11 million, and Dullea estimates it ran no more than $15 million. Adjusting for inflation, current estimates run from $50 to 100 million.
"Regardless of whether it's $50 million or $300 million, or anywhere in between, it's still a lot of money," says Republican Senator George Amedore of the 46th Senate District in the Hudson Valley. Like most elected officials in the state, Amedore opposes a constitutional convention. "I know of infrastructure projects that need to be funded. I know of services that need to be rendered. The governor may be calling us back shortly into special session to address budget deficits." The Senator points out that any project in the state of New York can have cost overruns, and a convention is not necessary because amendments to the state constitution can be made through the legislature. After being proposed and deliberated upon, amendments must be passed by two consecutively elected legislatures, and put to voters for final approval. Convention opponents say it's a system that's been used successfully 200 times since 1894.
In fact, on this year's ballot, there will be two constitutional amendments alongside the constitutional convention question: pension forfeiture for elected officials found guilty of a crime and the creation of a state-owned land bank in the Adirondacks.
Senator Amedore says it's a good demonstration of the legislative process. "It's not easy to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot because of all the work and time it takes," he says. There are 64 members of the Senate and 150 members of the Assembly, all with varying ideologies and constituencies. "Think about all the work that we've done as legislators, and the governor then backed it up by signing it. It's a process that is cumbersome, but it works. It's well thought out, and it happens in a way that's transparent."
"It's a long process. It's not easy to do a constitutional amendment, and it shouldn't be easy," says Jennifer Wilson, Program and Policy Director for the League of Women Voters of New York State, which supports a yes vote. "The biggest problem has been the gridlock in Albany," she says. The League has their sights set on voter reform. "We've been lobbying for these reforms; [the legislature] has done nothing." Difficulty in voter registration is often cited as cause for New York's low voter turnout and enrollment, so the League would like the requirement for absentee ballot justification dropped, party registration deadlines changed, and to block legislators from appointing members to redistricting commissions. "Legislators should not be picking the people who draw their district lines," Wilson says.
A Half Billion Wasted
One of Professor Benjamin's signature achievements was leading the process for adopting an Ulster County charter. Between 1981 and 1993, he served in legislative leadership as both Majority Leader and Chairman, the highest position at a time when Ulster County had no elected executive. On July 13, at an educational forum presented by KingstonCitizens.org at the Public Library, Benjamin said, "It's a massive problem that people don't understand their charters." It's empowering when people learn, he continued, that they can change the fundamentals of their government. The county charter he worked on has a requirement for regular reassessment by a Revision Commission every 10 years.
