New York State Constitutional Convention, 1967 Committee Correspondence, Minutes, Hearing Transcripts, and Propositions File

L0113-78: Alphabetical by committee name.

L0113-94: Arranged roughly by general subject, proposal, or committee.

The series contains records produced or received by committees considering the large number of propositions referred to committee by the Convention. Records include correspondence, meeting minutes, hearing testimony, draft propositions, position papers, legislation from other states, committee staff reports, and printed material. Records pertain to state and local government officials, business, educators, law enforcement officials, and representatives from a wide variety of business, professional, religious, and civic organizations.

Approximately one-fourth of the records consist of correspondence and position papers sent to the Committee on Bill of Rights either in favor of or opposed to the repeal of an amendment prohibiting state aid to private schools. Many of the records are opinions sent to the Judiciary Committee relating to proposed changes in administering the state's court system and the procedures in which judges are selected. The series also includes correspondence, memoranda, and position papers pertaining to important issues in the operation of state government including reorganization of executive departments, the executive budget, state financing, intergovernmental relations, and changes in administrative procedure.

L0113-94: The accretion consists of copies of speeches, staff memoranda, reports, press releases, and related files concerning the proposals brought before the 1967 Constitutional Convention. In addition to files on various propositions, the series includes information on lobbying activities, news reports, and costs of the convention as well as selected work of standing committees and subcommittees. A file of press releases by Speaker of the Assembly Anthony Travia, indicates these files may have been kept by him in his capacity as president of the convention.

The convention was held with the stated purpose of revising the State Constitution to eliminate obsolete provisions and otherwise streamline the document. Reports in the series pertain to such issues as repeal of the "Blaine Amendment" (to allow aid to non-public schools); expanding individual rights; changing voting qualifications; legislative reapportionment; and judiciary reform.

There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of this material.