The Question of the New York State Constitutional Convention
Background
On November 7th, New York State voters will be asked to weigh in on a ballot question asking to convene a State Constitutional Convention. By law, this question must come before the voters eve-
ry 20 years. The last time the question was raised was 1997, therefore it will appear on the 2017 ballot.
Why should I vote no?
1- You could lose your pension.
All New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) pensions are currently protected by the
State Constitution. Opening the constitution allows Albany lawmakers to limit/reduce/eliminate
your pension (even for those already retired). The NYSTRS system is extremely healthy due to good
fiscal management. There are some lawmakers that wish to raid those funds in order to finance
other projects.
2- The Convention would waste money.
Albany lawmakers that already earn a salary, would earn a second salary by serving as convention delegates. In addition, these delegates would earn a second year’s credit towards their own pen-
sions. This process would be repeated if the Convention stretched beyond one year. Some esti-
mates put the Convention cost at $350 million dollars.
3- The Convention is unnecessary.
The State Constitution can be amended at any time through the normal legislative process without
holding a convention. The Convention allows for a total rewrite which is simply not needed.
Fact
The ballot question will appear on the rear of the ballot. You must turn the ballot over in order to
vote on the proposal.
Myth
Not voting counts as a “no” vote. This myth has been circulated on social media but is false.
“If a voter leaves the question of convening a ConCon blank on their ballot, whether because they
miss the proposal or by design, it will simply be counted as a blank vote. End of story. In other
words, only those individuals who voted ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on whether to hold a ConCon are
counted.” (Rockerfeller Institute)
In Solidarity,
Dennis