To you they don’t seem particularly controversial. To New York voters in 1967, they were. Among other things, New York voters have historically been particularly opposed to amendments that allow the State to incur debt (which is one of the things the 1967 package would have not only have done — but would have allowed the legislature to incur debt without any voter referendum in the future!)

The 1967 vote was on a package that was far more than the Blaine Amendment, and in fact the Blaine Amendment played only a small part of the discussion prior to the vote. If given the opportunity to vote on the Blaine Amendment on its own, the outcome would be far different.

According to the New York State Unified Court System website (an official NYS Court site), The Constitutional Convention of 1967 was submitted to the voters as entire package, rather than allowing voters to vote on individual items proposed to change. In other words, voters could “take it or leave it”. If they had approved it, amongst other things, they would have in addition to any changes to the Blaine Amendment:

* provided for the gradual state takeover of the statewide court system

* added authority for cooperative financing among multiple local governments

* required the gradual transfer to the state of the administration and cost of local welfare programs; and allowed the legislature to incur debt without a voter referendum

In other words, this was far more than just the Blaine Amendment. And voters did not like the package deal.

Can you tell me is School vouchers or school tax relief dead? I talk to alot of people in the suburbs and they are telling me the same thing that it’s killing them