News from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Assembly Office:
933 Legislative Office Building • Albany, NY 12248 • (518) 455-3751
District Offices:
607 West Washington Street • Suite 2 • Geneva, NY 14456 • (315) 781-2030
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For Release: IMMEDIATELY, March 14, 2013
Contact: Michael Fraser, (518) 455-3751
Recognizing Sunshine Week, Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb Issues Call For Greater Transparency In State Government
Transparency in Government Takes on Added Importance as State Leaders Enter Critical Stage of Budget Deliberations

Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) today recognized this significant time as thousands of organizations in New York and across the country participate in Sunshine Week. Since its start in 2002, Sunshine Week has reinforced the importance of open government and freedom of information.

"Transparency and open government are about respecting the men and women we serve," Leader Kolb said. "There should be no higher priority for elected officials and government leaders. Legislators in Albany are voted in by the people to represent the residents of our districts. It is our responsibility to provide that representation in an open and transparent manner. I am proud of the measures our Conference has presented to bring even greater transparency to State Government operations."

WHY WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE SUNSHINE WEEK

Sunshine Week comes at a time when state representatives engage in discussions about the 2013-2014 State Budget. These critical deliberations determine the fiscal programs and policies that directly impact New Yorkers and the communities in which they live. At the first General Budget Conference Committee meeting of legislative leaders, Leader Kolb encouraged all parties to conduct all budget negotiations "in the light of day."

"When bills are passed quickly in Albany, without public discussion and an open process, the will of the people is not respected. This took place in January when the Assembly and Senate passed the NY SAFE Act," Leader Kolb said. "The public responded immediately and decisively to this legislation and the flawed process in which it was developed. Approximately 10,000 New Yorkers descended on the Capitol last month to show their disapproval. Although their voices were left out of the process, men and women across New York are now letting their voices be heard."

Actions like the late-night passage of the NY SAFE Act violate the spirit of open, responsive government - but they are not the only example.

In a report issued earlier this month, 'Public Authorities by the Numbers,' State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stated that "New York State now relies on public authorities to undertake most borrowing on its behalf, circumventing a Constitutional provision that restricts the issuance of debt without voter approval."

The state's Public Authorities have become a 'shadow government' with a deplorable track record of borrowing money, increasing taxpayer debt and enacting sweeping policies without voter approval or input. This egregious behavior was never more apparent than with the Thruway Authority's attempt to unilaterally implement a 45% toll increase on commercial trucks in order to close a budget gap.

CONTINUING THE CALL FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY

On February 28, 2013, the Assembly Minority Conference offered numerous reforms to procedural rules that govern how the State Assembly conducts business. The reforms, aimed at promoting greater transparency and public input, would:

  • Ensure public access to committee actions by requiring all committee meetings to be recorded by video, web cast live when practicable and made available on the Assembly website;
  • Encourage day-time voting by requiring that bills must be approved by two-thirds of all members elected to the Assembly anytime the Session extends beyond the eight-hour limit, instead of by a simple majority vote that is currently required;
  • Allow adequate time for review and public comment on bills by requiring that any message of necessity submitted by the Governor must be accepted by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Assembly;
  • Promote transparency by requiring that before the Assembly can vote on a resolution, copies of the resolution must be placed on each member's desk at least 3 days prior to such vote, unless the Speaker and Minority Leader waive this rule;
  • Facilitate public participation by allowing one-third of the members of a committee to be able to petition for a public hearing on any bill, unless the request for a hearing is rejected by a majority vote of the committee; and
  • Require all Assembly votes to be made available in electronic format through the Legislative Retrieval System within 24 hours of the vote, including committee votes, votes on proposed bill amendments, and votes on Motions to Discharge.

There is much more work to be done to improve the level of public participation and bring all government operations into the light of day. The Assembly Minority Conference is committed to developing additional strategies to achieve greater transparency and ensure the public's voice is heard in state government.