![](../../media/newswire/new_york_times_building.jpg)
David Segal, a FairVote analyst and Rhode Island legislator, has a
commentary (a "must read" according to Rick Hasen in his
election law blog) in the
New York Times focused on the importance
of electing U.S. Senate vacancies rather than allowing gubernatorial
appointments. FairVote pursued a special project on this proposal in
2007, issuing a short report and publishing a commentary. Events since
have underscored the value of having U.S. Senators have the same kind of
accountability to voters that every U.S. House Member has always
had. The same day, Sen. Russ
Feingold, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the
Constitution, announced that he would be introducing a constitutional
amendment to require election of vacancies.