2017 NYS Governance Forum

On Wednesday, June 28th, the Orange County Citizens Foundation will host a discussion on the upcoming vote to hold a 2019 New York State Constitutional Convention. The event will take place on from 7pm-9pm at the Seligmann Center at the Orange County Citizens Foundation, 23 White Oak Drive, Sugar Loaf. Under the NYS Constitution, the question of whether to hold a Convention appears on the ballot once every 20 years and will appear at the general election in November 2017. If voters decide to call a Convention, delegates would be elected in November 2018 and the Convention would convene in 2019. Two speakers, Evan Davis and Gerald Benjamin, will provide an overview of the process and issues surrounding the discussion of a Constitutional Convention. Both speakers serve on the Committee for a Constitutional Convention. A question and answer period will follow the formal presentations. Evan Davis is an attorney based in New York City, with an A.B. from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School. He has clerked for Justice Potter Stewart of the US Supreme Court and has served as a Counsel to New York State Governor Mario Cuomo. He was the former President of the New York City Bar Association from 2000-2002 and was also a New York State Attorney General Candidate in the 1998 election.  Gerald Benjamin is a professor at SUNY New Paltz, with a B.A. from St. Lawrence University and a Doctorate of Political Science from Columbia University. He serves as the Director of the Benjamin Center as well as the Associate Vice President of Regional Engagement at SUNY New Paltz. He served as the Chair of Department of Political Science from 1996 to 2008, and was appointed by Governor Spitzer to the State Commission on Local Government Efficiency and Competitiveness. “Our goal is to inform the public about the upcoming vote and various perspectives on the necessity of a constitutional review,” said Nancy Proyect, President of the Citizens Foundation. “We hope to provide an interesting and informative discussion on prospective Constitutional issues and to inform the public about the history, process and next steps.” The event is free of charge and the public is invited to attend. For more information or to RSVP, call 845.469.9459 or email Bonnie Neucall at bonnie@occitizensfoundation.org.