To: Dean G. Skelos, Senate Majority Leader and Carl E. Heastie, Assembly Speaker
NY Needs REAL Ethics Reform Now
We are past the time for incremental changes in our ethics laws. The ethics deal in the budget should only be considered a down payment on the open and vigorous legislative process we need to overhaul ethics rules here in New York.
We demand that the public's business be conducted in public. It is unacceptable in a functioning democracy that an important ethics reform package gets fast tracked without the benefit of public review.
We demand that the public's business be conducted in public. It is unacceptable in a functioning democracy that an important ethics reform package gets fast tracked without the benefit of public review.
Why is this important?
There are now 32 state legislators who have been indicted or have left office due to criminal or ethical issues since 2000. Incremental change in the budget, negotiated in secrecy, is no substitute for real comprehensive ethics and campaign finance reform. Call on our leaders to tackle this crisis with real reform now.