The Brennan Center's Lawrence Norden and Eric Lane write New York State Senate Majority Counsel Diane Burman to explain how the majority has misinterpreted Senate rules, resulting in the suppression of legitimate petitions to have public hearings on legislation. Public hearings on legislation are a basic part of the lawmaking process in most states but have been suppressed in New York's dysfunctional legislature.
The Brennan Center's Wendy Weiser appeared on Capital Tonight to discuss the decision by New York's task force on reapportionment, known as LATFOR, not to comply with the law ending prison-based gerrymandering.
Government corruption keeps making headlines. Such news makes the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision striking down part of Arizona's public financing law particularly troubling. Fortunately for New Yorkers, the Empire State still has plenty of weapons to fight corruption in government.
Without civic literacy we cannot maintain a vigorous democracy, but as multiple national studies and our findings in this report all demonstrate, few Americans have the requisite knowledge to engage in a democratic policy discussion.
