http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny-brf--votingmachine0422apr22,0,2713663.story

Conference committee created for HAVA legislation

April 22, 2004, 4:57 PM EDT

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Legislative leaders created a conference committee Thursday to try to resolve differences between the state Senate and Assembly over implementing the federal Help America Vote Act.

The committee, which will begin meeting next week, will be co-chaired by Assemblyman Keith Wright, a Manhattan Democrat, and Sen. Thomas Morahan, a Rockland County Republican. Wright and Morahan chair the elections committees in their respective chambers.

Legislative leaders designated eight other members of the committee.

HAVA is designed to rework state voting procedures, including the replacement of New York's 19,800 mechanical voting machines with new electronic devices. New York expects to receive about $140 million in federal money for new machines.

HAVA was passed after the 2000 vote count debacle in Florida between George Bush and Al Gore.

Conference committees have been used by the Assembly and Senate with varying results. On March 31, a conference committee announced an agreement on revamping state budget procedures. As of Thursday, however, the committee had failed to release a bill embodying the details of their agreement.

Copyright © 2004, The Associated Press

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