Ballot Choice 2017: Open Classroom Presentation
The constitutional convention question is a unique
opportunity for voters to review the foundation of New York State's governance
and to compel a convention to study and propose necessary changes. The best way to make an informed decision
on the ballot vote is to learn everything one can about the process. With
less than a month to go before the vote, many New Yorkers have heard very
little about the convention, or have received misinformation about the process
and possible outcomes.
To help our students and interested members of the community
better understand the process and issues, the History and Politics Event Series
will offer a free public lecture on the New
York State Constitutional Convention Question: Ballot Choice 2017. Two of
the authors of New York’s Broken
Constitution (2016 SUNY-Albany Press) will address the convention question
in light of New York’s constitutional history, with an emphasis on the moment
of opportunity that the 2017 ballot choice represents. The presentation will be
followed by an opportunity for audience Q&A. This open classroom lecture is
free and open to members of the public.
The event will begin at 6:00 pm in Room 236 Duns Scotus
Hall
Daemen College Main Campus
4380 Main Street, Amherst NY
F
or questions, please contact Dr.
Lisa Parshall (
lparshal@daemen.edu),
A
ssociate Professor of Political Science and Section Chair, State and Local
Politics, New York Political Science Association (NYPSA).
About the Speakers
Christopher Bopst, Chief Legal and Financial Officer at Sam-Son Logistics
Christopher Bopst is the Chief Legal and Financial Officer at Sam-Son Logistics in Buffalo, New York. Before that, he was a constitutional litigation partner at law firms in New York and Florida. He is the co-author with Professor Peter Galie of the leading reference work on
New York’s State Constitution, The New York Constitution 2nd ed.(Oxford University Press, 2012), as well as numerous articles on the state constitution. He is also a contributor to and co-editor with Peter Galie and Gerald Benjamin) of a volume of essays entitled N
ew York’s Broken Constitution: The Governance Crisis and the Path to Renewed Greatness (SUNY Press, 2016). In 2016, he was appointed to a Judicial Task Force on the New York Constitution formed to advise the Chief Judge and the New York Court System on issues related to the upcoming vote in 2017 on the holding of a constitutional convention.
Peter J. Galie, Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Canisius College
Peter J. Galie is Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. He is the author of
Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York (Fordham Press, 1996);with Christopher Bopst, T
he New York State Constitution, 2nd ed. (Oxford University Press, 2012) ; an co-editor with Christopher Bopst and Gerald Benjamin, N
ew York’s Broken Constitution: The Crisis in Governance and the Path to Renewed Greatness (SUNY Press, 2016). Other publications include
The New York Constitution and the Federal System,” in the Oxford Handbook on New York State Government (Oxford University Press, 2012) and numerous articles on state constitutional law. He was an expert witness retained by the Attorney General of New York to prepare a report for the A-G’s appellate brief in
Hayden v. Pataki, “The Felony Disenfranchisement Clause of the New York Constitution 1821–1938: Background, Chronology, Origin & Purpose” (June, 2004), and co-author, amicus brief submitted to the New York Court of Appeals in the case of Skelos v. Paterson (2009) on the question: “Does the Governor have the authority to fill a vacancy in the Lieutenant-Governor’s Office by appointment?” In 2016 he was appointed to a Judicial Task Force on the New York Constitution formed to advise the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals on issues related to the upcoming vote in 2017 on the holding of a constitutional convention.
