The results of the 2024 presidential election have left many of us grappling with disappointment. As we face the reality of Donald Trump returning to the presidency, it’s clear we have serious challenges ahead. His rhetoric and actions threaten the foundations of our democracy. We remain steadfast in our mission to ensure New York leads by example.
Additionally, four of the five citywide ballot initiatives passed. We had opposed these questions, which were the product of a profoundly flawed charter revision process. Thankfully, Proposition 1 passed. This is an important step towards guaranteeing equality for all New Yorkers and ensuring unimpeded access to reproductive health care.
I also want to take a moment to recognize our board member, John Avlon, for the hard-fought campaign he ran for Congress. Though it didn’t end as we had hoped, John’s leadership and dedication inspire us to keep pushing for the values we share.
This month’s edition of The Reformer dives into these election results, our work on the City’s Charter Revision process, and our recommendations for improving ethics oversight at the state level.
We must stay engaged and active. Thank you for standing with us.
Best,
Betsy Gotbaum
Executive Director, Citizens Union/Citizens Union Foundation
POLICY UPDATES
New York Ballot Propositions Election Results
This month, New Yorkers made their voices heard at the polls. We applaud the decisive approval of Proposition 1, which amends the New York State Constitution to protect dignity and equality and enshrines the right to reproductive health care. The passage of this ballot proposal is a critical step forward in guaranteeing fundamental rights for all.
At the city level, however, we were disappointed by the results of this year’s ballot questions. Four of the five questions referred to the ballot by the Charter Revision Commission passed, affirming a deeply flawed process. The Commission’s rushed two-month timeline over the summer left little time for public engagement or a thorough review of the Charter.
Read our full statement in response to the ballot propositions here.
Advocating for a Better Charter Revision Process
Earlier this month, we stood with Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Tony Simone in support of their legislation to overhaul how the City Charter is revised. Their proposed reform would establish clear timelines for charter revision commissions and ensure mayors cannot block referenda questions from the city ballot for political reasons. We look forward to advancing this bill in the next legislative session. A fair and transparent process is essential to 
building public trust in our city’s governing document, and Citizens Union will continue advocating for reforms to safeguard our democracy.
In the meantime, the City Council established a new Charter Revision Commission, which is set to begin working early next year. We were encouraged by Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ commitment to creating a more inclusive, transparent, and lengthy process than the one undertaken by the most recent charter commission. However, we expressed concerns about granting excessive control over the commission’s appointments to any single office, including the Speaker’s. The process should promote collaboration between appointees from both the executive and legislative branches, avoiding political gamesmanship. CU will closely monitor the new Commission as it begins its work.
You can read our full testimony on the proposed legislation to establish a new Charter Revision Commission, Intro 1088-2024, here.
Addressing Ethics and Transparency in New York State: Highlights from the Annual COELIG Hearing Testimony
We recently testified at the annual hearing of the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (COELIG), reaffirming our support for strong ethics oversight. Since last year’s testimony, COELIG has adopted several critical reforms in response to Citizens Union’s recommendations, including stricter rules on communication between commissioners and the elected officials who appoint them, more transparent procedures for disclosing the status of investigations, and an improved approval process of ethics guidance for high-ranking state officials.
This year, we focused on needed changes to lobbying and ethics laws. COELIG presented a positive legislative agenda for 2025 that would improve transparency and enforcement in several ways. However, we recommended that the commission go further by endorsing legislative proposals that would require lobbyists to disclose their fundraising activities, empower the Commission to correct officials who misrepresent ethics guidance, and add discrimination cases to the Commission’s jurisdiction.
You can read our complete testimony here.
CU IN THE NEWS
The New York Times
New York Today Newsletter
November 5, 2024
BronxNet
Todays Verdict: Report
November 2, 2024
POLITICO
Playbook Newsletter (It’s NO-vember, for Eric Adams critics)
November 1, 2024
City & State
NYC Council gets advice on making their Charter Revision Commission seem legit
October 30, 2024
WHAT WE’RE READING ELSEWHERE
New York Focus: How Low Voter Turnout Helped Trump Gain Ground in New York
NYTimes: Will a $9 Congestion-Pricing Toll Yield Enough Money to Fix the Subway?
Gothamist: NYC Council sets the stage for another power struggle with Mayor Adams
The City: Rikers Island Shutdown Plan Progresses With Construction Firms for New Manhattan Jail
Fox 5 New York: Exclusive: State lawmakers propose new bill that would limit Adams’ powers