Publications
NY Reform
Design Deficiencies and Lost Votes
In 2010, tens of thousands of votes in New York did not count due to overvotes — the invalid selection of more than one candidate. This report demonstrates how the lack of adequate overvote protections disproportionately affected the state's poorest communities, suggests commonsense reforms, and examines national implications.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden and Sundeep Iyer
– 12/05/11
Meaningful Ethics Reform for the “New” Albany
The corruption scandals of the last few years have profoundly shaken the faith of New Yorkers in their state government. This report examines the system erected by New York's current ethics laws and makes clear recommendations for a way forward.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden, Kelly Williams, & John Travis
– 02/11/11
Executive Orders
Today in Albany, the group Reinvent Albany, New York Public Interest Research Group, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law School, and Center for Research, Regional Education and Outreach (CRREO) at SUNY New Paltz released their report Executive Orders: Actions the Governor can take to make New York government more open, accountable and democratic.
The report includes eleven model executive orders that Governor-elect Andrew Cuomo can use to open up New York State government, increase the accountability of state agencies and reduce barriers to voting. An executive order is a governor’s declaration which has the force of law, and does not require legislation to take effect. The orders are centered on the basic goal of empowering the citizenry with more and better information about what its government is doing, and how it is spending tax payer dollars.
Authored by: Gerald Benjamin, Blair Horner, John Kaehny, and Lawrence Norden
– 11/23/10
Still Broken: New York State Legislative Reform 2008 Update
Still Broken: New York State Legislative Reform is the 2008 update of the Brennan Center’s 2004 and 2006 reports on the New York state legislative process. The report finds that the legislative process remains broken, and offers concrete recommendations for reform.
Authored by: Andrew Stengel, Lawrence Norden, and Laura Seago
– 01/02/09
Unfinished Business: New York State Legislative Reform
Update to the landmark 2004 legislative study details reforms made to the legislative rules of the Senate and Assembly.
Authored by: Larry Norden, David E. Pozen and Bethany L. Foster
– 10/11/06
Strengthening Ethics in New York
This comprehensive analysis of New York’s ethics and lobbying laws produced a set of proposed reforms based on regulations adopted by other states.
– 02/01/06
Lost in the Shadows: The Fight for a Senate Vote on Wetlands Protection Legislation
A case study illustrating how a broken legislative process can stall legislation with wide public support.
Authored by: Lawrence Norden and Jeremy Creelan
– 05/25/05
The New York State Legislative Process: An Evaluation and Blueprint for Reform
This landmark study concludes that New York’s legislative bodies discourage rank-and-file lawmakers from full participation in the legislative process, thus depriving citizens of full representation in Albany.
Authored by: Jeremy M. Creelan & Laura M. Moulton
– 07/21/04
The New York State Legislative Process:An Evaluation and Blueprint for Reform (Executive Summary)
Authored by: Jeremy M. Creelan & Laura M. Moulton
– 07/21/04