Provisions
NY’s first state Constitutional Convention in 1777 adopted a founding document to establish the state, declare its sovereignty, and develop its laws.
Since then, a proposal to amend part or completely rewrite the constitution had to be sent to the voters for their approval by ballot question in order to join the constitution.
We’re tracking every time the voters weighed in on a proposed amendment.
Check out the lists below – click on a provision to get its full text and even more info, or click on the ballot question link to see how we voted on it!
And come back soon for even more NY Constitution fresh-squeezed! We’re in the process of breaking down each provision by policy issue and getting data to help understand what have been the big issues in state constitutional history.
This way we can ask ourselves: does the constitution reflect what *we* believe is important in New York’s basic law, or do we need to change it?
Every Proposed State Constitutional Provision Ever Sent to NYS Voters
Want to filter or search the constitutional provisions? Click here!
- VI.14 proposed for 1939 • Section 14: Court of general sessions of the county of New York. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.15 proposed for 1939 • Section 15: City court of city of New York; jurisdiction. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.16 proposed for 1939 • Section 16: Vacancies in certain judicial offices and New York city courts, how filled. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.17 proposed for 1939 • Section 17: Justices of the peace; justices of the municipal court of New York city and of inferior local courts; election and removal of. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.18 proposed for 1939 • Section 18: Inferior local courts; children's and domestic relations courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.19 proposed for 1939 • Section 19: Judges, justices and surrogates; compensation; age restriction; not to hold other office; not to act as attorney or counselor. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.20 proposed for 1939 • Section 20: Testimony in equity cases. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.21 proposed for 1939 • Section 21: Clerks of courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.22 proposed for 1939 • Section 22: Testimony in equity cases. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.23 proposed for 1939 • Section 23: Clerks of courts. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.24 proposed for 1939 • Section 24: Publication of statutes. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.25 proposed for 1939 • Section 25: Court of claims. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.26 proposed for 1939 • Section 26: Judicial council. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VI.27 proposed for 1939 • Section 27: Appeals from administrative adjudication. • In Article VI: Judiciary ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 5 of 1938
- VII.1 proposed for 1939 • Section 1: Estimates by departments, the legislature and the judiciary of needed appropriations; hearings. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.2 proposed for 1939 • Section 2: Executive budget. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.3 proposed for 1939 • Section 3: Budget bills; appearances before legislature. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.4 proposed for 1939 • Section 4: Action on budget bills by legislature; effect thereof. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.5 proposed for 1939 • Section 5: Restrictions on consideration of other appropriations. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.6 proposed for 1939 • Section 6: Restrictions on content of appropriation bills. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.7 proposed for 1939 • Section 7: Appropriation bills. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.8 proposed for 1939 • Section 8: Gift or loan of state credit or money prohibited; exceptions for enumerated purposes. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 8 of 1938
- VII.9 proposed for 1939 • Section 9: Short term state debts in anticipation of taxes, revenues and proceeds of sale of authorized bonds. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.10 proposed for 1939 • Section 10: State debts on account of invasion, insurrection, war and forest fires. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.11 proposed for 1939 • Section 11: State debts generally; manner of contracting; referendum. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.12 proposed for 1939 • Section 12: State debts generally; how paid; restrictions on use of bond proceeds. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.13 proposed for 1939 • Section 13: Refund of state debts • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.14 proposed for 1939 • Section 14: State debt for elimination of railroad crossings at grade; expenses; how borne. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 3 of 1938
- VII.15 proposed for 1939 • Section 15: Sinking funds; how kept and invested; income therefrom and application thereof • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VII.16 proposed for 1939 • Section 16: Payment of state debts; when comptroller to pay without appropriation. • In Article VII: State Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.1 proposed for 1939 • Section 1: Gift or loan of property or credit of local subdivisions prohibited; exceptions for enumerated purposes. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.2 proposed for 1939 • Section 2: Restrictions on indebtedness of local subdivisions; contracting and payment of local indebtedness; exceptions. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.3 proposed for 1939 • Section 3: Restrictions on creation and indebtedness of certain corporations. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.4 proposed for 1939 • Section 4: Limitations on local indebtedness. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.5 proposed for 1939 • Section 5: Ascertainment of debt-incurring power of counties, cities, towns and villages; certain indebtedness to be excluded. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.6 proposed for 1939 • Section 6: Debt-incurring power of Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse; certain additional indebtedness to be excluded. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.7 proposed for 1939 • Section 7: Debt-incurring power of New York city; certain additional indebtedness to be excluded. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.7-a proposed for 1939 • Section 7-a: Debt-incurring power of New York city; certain indebtedness for railroads and transit purposes to be excluded. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 9 of 1938
- VIII.8 proposed for 1939 • Section 8: Indebtedness not to be invalidated by operation of this article. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938
- VIII.9 proposed for 1939 • Section 9: When debt-incurring power of certain counties shall cease. • In Article VIII: Local Finances ◦ Proposed by Constitutional Convention ◦ On the ballot as proposed amendment 1 of 1938