Your vote needed - Brennan Center Reforms

Received From Mary


maybe item 1 & 2 for board 9 blog ....
Mary

From: "Tracey Denton/DFNYC"
To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: [DFNYC] Your vote needed - Brennan Center Reforms
Date: Fri, 10 Dec 2004 16:13:02 -0500


Dear Democracy for NYC,

(1) Urgent Action on Brennan Center Reforms - Your Vote Requested
(2) Brennan Center Forum at NYU, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 5pm
(3) Democratic Clubs, Vigil for victims in Sudan, etc.


(1) Urgent Action on Brennan Center Reforms - Your Vote Requested
We are currently faced with an urgent action here in New York. The Brennan
Center for Justice at NYU School of Law has declared the New York State
legislature the worst in the nation. Along with this diagnosis, the Brennan
Center proposed several reforms to the state legislative process.
Most of these reforms are simply changes to the rules in the State Senate
and the Assembly, which means that each chamber can pass the reforms
independent of each other and independent of the governor, bypassing the
"three men in a room" scenario.

The Brennan Center reforms will make the State Senate and the Assembly more democratic and more open to debate and consideration of bills. Many of you may be familiar with the Brennan Center reforms, and we encourage you to write to your State Senator and Assemblymember to request that they vote for the reforms in January.

We are hearing that many legislators are not receiving many messages on this issue, so your email or phone call will be significant. (To find and
contact your Assemblymember and State Senator, visit this link at our
website: http://www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/view/1128).

For more information about the Brennan Center's proposed reforms for
Albany, please visit this page at the Democracy for NYC website:
www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/view/1100

Be sure to also read our update on activity on the Brennan Center reforms,
which includes Assemblymember Scott Stringer's resolution and his
appearance at our Meetup: www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/view/1261

Due to the urgent nature of this issue, we have adopted an email voting
system. We will not formally endorse any issue or candidate without the
support of our members. Please email your full name and your vote on the
endorsement (yes, no, or abstain) to bevangelist@dfnyc.org. Your vote must
be received by Monday, December 13th at noon in order to be counted.

Over the coming months, we will be rolling out the registration process to
become an official voting member of DFNYC and a system of paper verified
voting. We will notify you at Meetups, on the website, and through our
newsletter when these processes are in place.


(2) Brennan Center Forum at NYU, Wednesday, Dec. 15, 5pm
This Wednesday, December 15, the Brennan center for Justice at NYU School
of Law will be hosting a forum about reforming Albany. The forum will be
held at Tishman Auditorium, Vanderbilt Hall, 40 Washington Square South.
RSVP is required, please contact Mary Lapas at (212) 998-6734 or
mary.lapas@nyu.edu.

For more information about this event, including speakers, please see this
page at the Democracy for NYC website:

www.dfnyc.org/cms/node/view/1253


(3) Democratic Clubs, Vigil for victims in Sudan, etc.
Please visit the Democracy for NYC website, www.DemocracyforNYC.org for
information about NYC Democratic Clubs and upcoming events, including a
candlelight vigil to take a stand against the genocide and ethnic cleansing
in the Darfur region of Sudan, (Mon. 6:30pm in Washington Square Park,
sponsored by several groups.)


Thank you,
Tracey Denton
www.DemocracyforNYC.org - local DFA group
www.DemocracyforNewYork.org - state coalition of DFA groups
Email: tdenton@dfnyc.org
Phone: 646.251.0680