Budget Reform New York is a group of people studying budget reform proposals in New York State. We started up in June 2004 to discuss the budget process reforms then being drafted by state legislature's joint conference committee on budget reform.

We are interested in how the budget process (including the balance of power between the executive and legislative branches) translates into budget practice, and how that might change given various reform proposals. We share the goal of increased transparency and accountability in the state budgeting.

The following bills (05-06 numbers) would profoundly affect the budget process, and are of special interest:

- S.1/A.2 and S.2/A.1, the package negotiated by the 2004 conference committee. The first, a constitutional amendment, was rejected by the voters in November 2005. The second, an implementing statute, passed over the Governor's veto, but will never take effect since its effective date was linked to passage of the constitutional amendment.
- S.3, a "one year" Senate alternative to the negotiated package. (Passed in 2005.)
- A.596/S.4043, a budget reform amendment introduced by M/A Brodsky, also sponsored by Sen Nick Spano.
- A.4630/S.3195 and A.4631, a amendment-statute package designed to keep legislative changes out of appropriations bills. (A.4630/S.3195 passed both houses in 2005.)
- A.1946/S.707, a budget reform amendment introduced by M/A Galef and Sen Morahan. This amendment establishes a concurrent budget resolution process and features a provision that the budget reverts to a current services budget if the budget is not passed on time. (Passed the Senate in 2002.)

Budget Reform New York also occasionally takes up more general political reforms such as redistricting. Listserve members also follow such topics such as member items, public authorities, and the constitutional convention issue.

All members are welcome to post. The list is "owned" and managed by Jo Brill.