Research

In 1934, the Legislature created the Joint Legislative Committee to Investigate Public Utilities (Concurrent Resolution, April 20, 1934). Responding to public demand for an investigation of public utility companies operating in New York, the legislature established the Committee to examine the organization, operation, financing, rate structure, and other phases of gas and electric service and to recommended remedial legislation where necessary.

The Temporary State Commission on Coordination of State Activities (Mahoney Commission) was created by a 1946 law (Chapter 1002) to investigate State agencies' operations, to determine if they were economical and efficient, to determine if unnecessary activities and duplication of functions could be eliminated by reorganizing an agency or consolidating it with another, and to propose legislation to this end.

Clinton Correctional Facility is a receiving prison, admitting inmates on direct commitment from the courts as well as by transfer from other institutions. The direct court commitments are received from the Third and Fourth Judicial Districts embracing 18 counties. Clinton is a maximum security walled institution for male prisoners convicted of felonies. Clinton prison had its origins with the passage of Chapter 245 of the Laws of 1844 providing for the establishment of a prison for the employment of convicts in the mining and manufacturing of iron.

Matteawan State Hospital was established by a commission created by a law of 1886 (Chapter 192) "to inquire into and determine the best method of meeting the demand for additional accommodations" and land for the inmates of the State Asylum for Insane Criminals at Auburn. The following year (Laws of 1887, Chapter 545), this act was amended, authorizing the commissioners to select a site on which to build a new asylum. On the recommendations of the commissioners, an appropriation was made for a new asylum for insane criminals to be constructed at Matteawan (Laws of 1888, Chapter 45).

Continuation and expansion of community services during World War II depended largely on volunteers and initially was organized primarily by women. The Office of Civilian Mobilization (OCM) was created to recruit volunteers for participation in the civilian war effort in areas such as child care, recreation, health services, war production, food production and preservation, and salvage. As World War II progressed and the United States' involvement grew, the citizens of New York considered it their duty to support the war effort overseas by volunteering their services at home.

The Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) was established by Presidential Executive Order No. 7034 on May 6, 1935 to coordinate execution of the Federal work relief program. The Federal Writers' Project (FWP) was approved the following July as part of Federal Project One, the WPA Arts Program. The FWP was supervised by WPA's Division of Women's and Professional Projects (1935-1939), Division of Professional and Service Projects (1939-1941), and Division of Community Service Projects (1941-1942).

The 1894 New York State Constitution (Article 14, Section 2) required that the question "Shall there be a convention to revise the Constitution and amend the same" be put to voters during 1936. The legislature (Laws of 1936, Chapter 598) further clarified this constitutional requirement and on November 3, 1936, New York voters approved the holding of a constitutional convention. This Convention was held in Albany from April 5 to August 26, 1938. As delegates to the Convention, voters chose 92 Republications, 75 Democrats, and one member of the American Labor Party.

This Commission was created to make a comprehensive review of the administration and application of the real property tax and make recommendations to assure that the burden of taxation is equitably distributed while sound social, economic and governmental purposes are served. The Commission made its final report to the Governor and Legislature on March 31, 1988.

A series of highly publicized scandals rocked the government of New York City from 1985 to 1986. In response, in March 1986, Governor Mario Cuomo and New York City Mayor Ed Koch appointed a State-City Commission on Integrity in Government to recommend improvements in laws, regulations, and procedures regarding prevention of corruption, favoritism, undue influence, and abuse of government office. The commission's report identified serious flaws in existing laws, regulations, and procedures and recommended appointment of a new commission with investigatory powers.

The Temporary State Commission on Rental Housing was established in 1977 (Chapter 203) to investigate the supplies, conditions, and economics of and demand for rental housing throughout the State of New York. There were four separate rent regulatory programs in simultaneous operation in 1977 in New York. The commission was to analyze the operations and effects of these four rent laws and to make recommendations as to what changes were needed, if any. The Rental Housing Commission submitted its final report to Governor Hugh L. Carey in 1980.