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Ulster County committee rejects proposal to raise petition-to-discharge threshold
Summary
The Laws, Rules and Government Services Committee declined a proposal to change how many legislators must sign a petition to discharge legislation, after an extended debate about minority rights, committee deliberation and public transparency. The resolution failed on a roll-call vote.
The Ulster County Laws, Rules and Government Services Committee rejected a proposal May 15 that would have raised the signature threshold required to petition a defeated committee measure onto the full legislature.
Legislator Elizabeth Collins, sponsor of Resolution 267, proposed replacing the current threshold (expressed in the rules as 75% of the minority caucus) with a requirement equal to a majority of the total legislature. Collins said the change would ensure broader backing before matters bypass committee deliberations and reach the floor. "If you can't get 12 signatures in petition discharge, then you're not going to get it passed at the session anyway," Collins said, arguing a fixed higher threshold would preserve committee negotiation.
Several legislators pushed back. Legislator Kitchen said she was "not sure what the motive is" and called the measure a disservice to minority-party constituents; she urged the sponsor to withdraw the resolution. Legislator Harmon and others said the current rule has enabled important items—citing past petitions that led to changes in emergency-services certificates of need and a landfill debate—to surface for public debate on the floor. "The public expects us to have a discussion on important issues," one member said during debate.
Deputy Chair Lavine cautioned against changing legislative rules midterm and suggested any effective date be set for the next term so the entire legislature would operate under the same rules. Collins acknowledged the concern and said she was open to amending the proposal to a fixed number rather than a percentage.
After debate and a failed attempt to postpone, the committee moved to a roll-call vote on the resolution. The motion to adopt Resolution 267 failed on the committee vote (recorded as 0 yes, 6 no).
The committee record shows the issue prompted detailed discussion about process and minority rights but produced no change to the petition-to-discharge rule; Collins said she would consider revising the proposal for a later term.
The committee then proceeded to other agenda items.
