Press Releases

Court-drawn Congressional Maps Show Why Lasting Redistricting Reform Needed

March 6, 2012 - Citizens Union urges Governor and Legislature to act now to improve maps for 2012 and enact permanent constitutional and statutory changes.

Redistricting Experts Call For Governor To Use Veto Threat To Achieve Permanent Redistricting Reform During Briefing Held By Citizens Union

February 28, 2012 - "A Veto is Essentially A Spanking - It Stings, But It is Temporary."

Former NY Attorney General Robert Abrams: Strongest Legal Path To Redistricting Reform Achieved Through A Constitutional Amendment And Statute To Ensure Amendment’s Passage

February 24, 2012 - Former AG details legal framework for a constitutional amendment and statute.

Citizens Union Issues Letter Calling On Governor Cuomo To Use Veto Power To Achieve Two Important Redistricting Reform Goals: Lasting Redistricting Reform And Better 2012 Maps

February 23, 2012 - Good Government Groups wants Governor to seize the moment and seek permanent constitutional reform. LATFOR drawn maps demonstrate why fundamental and lasting redistricting reform is needed.

Citizens Union Commends Appointment Of Ellen N. Biben To Head JCOPE

February 2, 2012 - Experienced prosecutor has the needed integrity to head new ethics body charged with enforcing state's new ethics law.

Citizens Union Calls Latfor Gerrymandered Maps The Inevitable Consequence Of A Politicized Process

February 2, 2012 - Draft maps manipulate population deviation to maximize majority power. Opportunity to elect districts falls short of creating a legislature reflecting the state's diversity. Good Government Group's testimony before LATFOR follows appearance in Albany criticizing LATFOR for unnecessarily dividing cities and counties and violating the state constitution's requirement for compact districts.

ReShapeNY Calls For Impartial Redistricting Process Before 2012 Maps Are Finalized

January 11, 2012 - Redistricting reform must be top reform priority as legislature returns to Albany. Legislators must finally honor commitments to voters to regain public trust.

Citizens Union Applauds Governor Cuomo’s Support For Campaign Finance Reform

January 4, 2012 - Establishment of a campaign finance system based on New York City model will build on Cuomo's first-year accomplishments in changing Albany's culture.

Citizens Union Applauds Us Court Of Appeals Decision Upholding City Campaign Finance Law

December 21, 2011 - Doing business limitations remain an important component of city's robust campaign finance program

Citizens Union Commends City Board Of Elections For Putting Sample Ballots Online For Election Day

October 25, 2011 - Citizens Union Commends City Board Of Elections For Putting Sample Ballots Online For Election Day.

Citizens Union Calls For New Way On Redistricting Reform

September 21, 2011 - Urges state legislature to return to Albany for a special session to pass redistricting reform. New two-step proposal would involve acceptable reform in 2012 and constitutional amendment passage bringing about permanent reform.

Citizens Union Analysis: Gerrymandering In Queens Has Resulted In Representation That Does Not Reflect Borough’s Diversity

September 7, 2011 - Calls on legislators to return to Albany to pass redistricting reform at hearing in Queens. Party-controlled and partisan body continues with the status quo redistricting process.

Legislature Should Return For Special Session To Pass Redistricting Reform

July 6, 2011 - Grade Of "I" For "Incomplete" Needs To Be Removed If Not, LATFOR-drawn Lines Will Be Vetoed By Governor.

Statement On Governor Cuomo’s Decision To Call For Low Turnout Special Elections To Fill Six Vacancies In State Assembly

July 1, 2011 - As New York’s leading civic reform organizations, we are disappointed in Governor Cuomo’s decision not to hold regular primaries and general elections this fall for six vacant State Assembly seats and instead issue proclamations to hold special elections for these seats on September 13th. We strongly disagree with this decision, which we believe will result in lower voter turnout, increased confusion at the polls and potentially higher costs to localities.

Independent Commission For Mandate Relief But Not For Redistricting: How Can Senate Say It Is Ok For One, But Not The Other?

June 24, 2011 - Citizens Union is confused about how the Senate can justify the creation of an independent commission for mandate relief but not for redistricting.

Citizens Union Commends Governor And Legislative Leaders For Agreeing On Far-reaching Ethics Reform

June 6, 2011 - With the crime wave of public corruption in our state government having tripled in the past six years, the formal announcement today by Governor Cuomo, Speaker Silver and Majority Leader Skelos that an agreement exists on a broad ethics package is welcomed news.

MinKwon Center, Coalition of Asian-American Groups Announce Support for Citizens Union’s ReShapeNY Campaign

May 27, 2011 - Citizens Union identifies 15 Assembly and 6 State Senate Districts with Asian Americans equal to or exceeding 20 percent of the population.

Citizens Union Calls For Reforms To The City’s Lobbying Laws

May 11, 2011 - Reforms would limit disproportionate influence of lobbyists also involved in political campaigns and money raising. Good Government Group urges restrictions on public funds for political candidates connected to lobbyists. Fourteen recommendations to be formally presented at city lobbying commission tonight also include moving oversight and enforcement from the city clerk's office to the campaign finance board.

ReShapeNY: Nonpartisan Statewide Redistricting Reform Campaign Refutes Claims That Redistricting Legislation Is Not Constitutional

April 6, 2011 - Campaign unveils legal memo by respected international law firm exposing false assertions. Cuomo bills gain overwhelming majority support in Assembly from both Democratic and Republican conferences with 89 cosponsors.

Citizens Union Supports Pension Forfeiture Option For State Officials

March 23, 2011 - Urges judges be given discretion to deny automatic pension benefits to those officials convicted of public corruption. Calls upon state legislature and Governor to make pension forfeiture part of ethics reform package.

ReShapeNY: A Statewide Campaign For Redistricting Reform Is Launched

March 14, 2011 - Nine distinguished New Yorkers lead call for change including Harry Wilson, Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, John Avlon, Gerry Benjamin, Grace Lyu-Volkhausen and Lillian Rodríguez López, and former elected officials from both parties - Robert Abrams, Ed Koch and Frank Padavan.