Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that all the Republicans in the Dutchess County Legislature voted July 12 to have voters decide whether to reduce the size of the legislature. No Democrats voted for the referendum that would, if passed, reduce the current 25-member Legislature to a 21-member body. Dutchess County Republicans are acting and voting the way other Republicans across the country who control legislative bodies are, to change things so they retain power. Legislators also voted on party lines to create a new independent Reapportionment Commission, with Republicans controlling the process. Democrat Kristopher Munn said the resolution to reduce the size of the legislature was "dumped on us at the last minute.... This was the last possible meeting that this could go on the agenda to be on the November ballot, and they didn't even give a full month's notice. They did it 10 days before the meeting," Munn said. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.