This Election Day, Nov. 7, New York State citizens will be voting on whether or not the state should hold a constitutional convention to rewrite the New York State constitution. To get the facts (and opinions) about this important issue, Nassau Community College will hold the debate Should New York State Hold a Constitutional Convention to Rewrite the State Constitution? on Monday, Oct. 30, at 12:30 p.m. in room 252/253 of the College Center Building.
Speaking for the convention will be Tom Bergdall, Senior Associate at the Citizens Union. Susan Gottehrer, Director of the Nassau chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union, will speak against the convention. The moderator of the debate will be Blair Horner, Executive Director of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG).
Tom Bergdall was General Counsel/Deputy Commissioner to the New York City Department of Correction and held senior governmental positions under Mayors Koch, Dinkins, Giuliani and Bloomberg. After his retirement, he earned a master’s degree in politics at Fordham University, where the focus of his work was on the state constitutional convention.
Susan Gottehrer previously served as a political science professor, a social studies teacher and a public relations executive. She holds an MPA from New York University, a master’s degree in political science from The New School for Social Research, and a master’s degree in social studies education from Columbia University.
The convention proposal has some interesting combinations of organizations for and against. For example, the New York State Conservative Party, the Civil Liberties Union and the Citizens Campaign for the Environment are all opposed!
For more information about the program Should New York State Hold a Constitutional Convention to Rewrite the State Constitution?, which is free, open to the public and accessible to the disabled, call 516-572-7148.
