Who’s Next? Proposals to Reform New York’s Gubernatorial Line of Succession

Authors

Fordham Law School Rule of Law Clinic
Jolie Gentzkow, Fordham University School of Law
Alex Kasdan, Fordham University School of Law
Greta Kaufman, Fordham University School of Law

Files

Description

A workable line of succession to the governor's office is necessary to maintain stable leadership in a variety of possible scenarios. New York's line of succession is flawed in several ways. Some of the weaknesses stem from the designation of lawmakers as the next successors after the lieutenant governor, which raises separation of powers concerns. Additionally, there are significant ambiguities in the constitutional and statutory succession provisions. And the statutory line of succession statute is impossible to use in many situations because it only covers cases where the governor's office is "vacant" due to "an attack or natural or peacetime disaster." In this report, the Fordham Law School Rule of Law Clinic recommends a slate of reforms to strengthen New York's gubernatorial line of succession.

Start Date

12-2023

Publisher

Fordham Law School Rule of Law Clinic

City

New York

Keywords

gubernatorial succession