Testimonies and Bill Memos

Testimony before the 2024 Charter Revision Commission – Public Safety Hearing

June 20, 2024 - Citizens Union has been studying police accountability and performance in New York City for more than a decade, and many of our recommendations have been implemented. We believe the best way to ensure the safe and democratic application of policing is to strengthen and streamline systems of oversight and accountability, both within the NYPD and among the independent entities that monitor police misconduct. Public safety is dependent on New Yorkers having faith in law enforcement.

Citizens Union Calls on the Charter Revision Commission Not to Propose Major Changes in Such a Rushed Timeline and to Prevent Future Charter Gamesmanship

June 17, 2024 - Citizens Union testified before the 2024 New York City Charter Commission's Government and Election Reform Hearing. Recommendations include establishing a minimum timeframe for future Charter Revision Commissions and for local laws sent to a referendum, maintaining Ranked Choice Voting, and more.

Testimony on Intro 908-A, expanding advice and consent (before City Council vote)

June 6, 2024 - Citizens Union submits the following statement in response to the amended bill to expand the City Council’s advice and consent, scheduled for a vote on June 6, 2024.

Citizens Union urges the City Council not to rush through advice and consent expansion

May 29th, 2024 - Citizens Union submitted a testimony in response to proposed legislation that would amend the City Charter to require the advice and consent of the City Council for 21 commissioner appointments. In the testimony, Citizens Union urges the Council not to rush through this Charter amendment process, and to allow for more time, committee meetings, and public hearings to fully consider the implications of this proposal.

Voting Rights, Disability Rights, Civic, and Community Groups Support Bill to Move City Election to Even-Years

May 21, 2024 – Citizens Union, the Let NY Vote coalition, and over two dozen advocacy groups signed on to a memo in support of S9126 (Skoufis)/A10466 (Walker), which would align city and other elections with presidential or gubernatorial elections. This change would strengthen our democracy by significantly increasing the number of people who vote for local offices and reducing racial and age-based gaps in voter participation.

Memo of Support, S6875 (Myrie)/A9612 (Walker), voting rights and access for incarcerated individuals

Testimony before the City Council – oversight hearings on lobbying reform

April 19, 2024 – Testimony on bills regarding prohibitions lobbying in connection with campaign-related fundraising or political consulting, the city’s post-employment restrictions, and other proposed reforms in lobbying oversight and enforcement.

Group testimony on proposed COIB rules regarding NYC’s policymaker list

April 17, 2024 – Citizens Union joined Reinvent Albany and Common Cause NY to testify in support of the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board (COIB)'s proposed rule changes to the policymaker list. This testimony includes additional recommendations related to data transparency.

Group Memo of Opposition to legislation making significant changes to the state public campaign finance program, S8969 (Skoufis)

April 9, 2024 – Citizens joins over a dozen groups in opposition for proposed legislation that would make significant changes to the public campaign finance law before the existing public matching law is used for the first time in an election.

Memo of Support, S6173B (Skoufis)/A7052 (Sillitti), requiring New York join multistate voter list maintenance organizations

February 7, 2024 – Memo supporting legislation requiring New York to join the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) or another multistate voter list maintenance organization

Testimony for the 2024 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing

February 6, 2024 - Citizens Union appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony regarding Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed Executive Budget for State Fiscal Year 2025. We will focus on the proposed funding for the Public Campaign Finance Board, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying, and the State Board of Elections.

Memo of Support: S7883/A8618, lobbying for the confirmation of persons to state office

January 16, 2024 - Citizens Union and several other good government groups submitted a memo in support of a bill to expand the term “lobbying” to include any attempts to influence the nomination or confirmation of any person to state office for a position that is subject to Senate confirmation.

Memo of Support: S995B/A3484A, LLC Transparency Act

December 15, 2023 - Citizens Union urges he Governor to sign the bill that would requirements for foreign and domestic limited liability companies (LLCs) in New York State to publicly disclose their “beneficial owners."

Memo of Support: A3291, Absentee Voting When There is Risk of Contracting or Spreading a Disease

April 5, 2023 - Memo of support for A3291 (Dinowitz), which would make permanent the definition of “illness” for the purpose of applying for an absentee ballot to mean instances when there is risk of contracting or spreading a disease that may cause illness to the voter or other members of the public.

Good Government Groups Call on Governor and Legislature to Abandon Flawed, Last Minute Proposal Changing Method for Appointing Judges to the NYS Court of Appeals

March 30, 2023 - Citizens Union, the League of Women Voters of New York State, and the Committee for Modern Courts, released the following statement calling on the Assembly to reject Governor Hochul’s proposed “program bill” (A5983/S06061) which passed the Senate this morning and will change the selection process for appointing judges to the New York State Court of Appeals:

Testimony: First Annual Public Hearing of the New York State Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government

March 29, 2023 – Citizens Union’s testimony before the new state ethics commission focused on several measures that would improve independence, transparency, and public confidence in COELIG, as well as needed changes to the lobbying law.

CU Testimony – 2023 budget oversight hearing – City Council Public Safety Committee

March 20, 2023 - Testimony before the City Council Committee on Public Safety for the FY2024 Preliminary Budget Oversight Hearing – CCRB budget

Testimony for the 2023 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing

February 15, 2023 - Testimony for the 2023 Joint Legislative Budget Hearing, Local Government and General Government, regarding the the proposed funding for the Public Campaign Finance Board and the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying

Watchdogs’ comments on Emergency Regulations, NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government

January 25, 2023 - Comments from several watchdog groups regarding emergency regulations, Part 941 on Adjudicatory Proceedings, of the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government

Memo of Support: Council bill requiring disclosures for independent expenditures in support of or in opposition to municipal ballot proposals, December 2022

December 13, 2022 - Memorandum of Support for Preconsidered Intro. T2022-2607A, Local Law to amend the New York city charter, in relation to requiring disclosure of the identity of contributors to entities making independent expenditures in support of or in opposition to any municipal ballot proposal or referendum

Citizens Union’s testimony before the City Council Committee on Governmental Operations: New York City’s Campaign Finance Program in the 2021 Citywide Elections (December 13, 2022)

Letter to Governor Hochul: Sign the 10-day Voter Registration and “Wrong Church” Bills Into Law

December 5, 2022 - Letter urging Governor Hohul to sign into law S2951A/A8858A (reducing the voter registration cutoff to the Constitutional minimum of 10 days) and S284C/A642C (remedies the “Wrong Church suppression” technicality by counting eligible votes on affidavit ballots cast in the correct Assembly District, but at the incorrect poll site)