New York State Assembly

With only four days remaining in the 2013 legislative session, Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C,I-Canandaigua) today urged the Majority Conference to finally bring important legislation to the floor for up-or-down votes by members. Numerous bills covering a wide range of issues including economic development, public safety and anti-corruption have not been allowed to move through the legislative process and risk being put off even longer as the end of the session approaches.

"In recent weeks, we have witnessed too often the failure of several initiatives - even those with bipartisan support - to advance to the floor of the Assembly," Leader Kolb said. "We are in the final days of the legislative session. It is long past time for the Assembly Majority to finally engage in the process, to put people ahead of politics and to stop short-changing New Yorkers by blocking meaningful proposals that deserve debate and dialogue.

Bills will pass, and bills will fail. But to unilaterally ignore or delay critical measures that impact the people of New York undermines the entire Assembly Chamber and is a disservice to the voters who elected us."

The 2013 legislative session is scheduled to end on June 20. With the potential of additional legislation to be taken up by the Assembly in coming days, continued stalling of existing measures that should already be in place. Consider:

• Despite 63 bill sponsors and widespread support within their own conference, the Assembly Majority refuses to take a vote on Mixed Martial Arts legislation;

• The Public Officers Accountability Act of 2013 is supported unanimously by the Minority Conference and creates new laws, tougher penalties and demands greater oversight and transparency for elected officials. While offering rhetoric and a commitment to clean up Albany, the Majority Conference has yet to advance a single measure addressing public corruption;

• The Majority Conference inexplicably refused to move a bill out of committee that would take away pensions from convicted public officials;

• Despite bills sponsored by both Assembly conferences and passed by the Senate, legislation to enact term limits for legislative leaders has not advanced to the floor of the Assembly;

• Brittany's Law - also recently passed in the Senate - creates a registry of violent offenders and is designed to protect the safety of New York's children, families and communities. Despite rushing earlier this year to create a registry of law-abiding gun owners, the Majority has not moved on this important public safety bill that would give New Yorkers critical and potentially life-saving information; and

• Every lawmaker professes to recognize the need to limit the practice of unfunded mandates that drive up property taxes, cripple the financial flexibility of local governments and diminish the level of services municipalities are able to provide. However, the Majority has not moved existing bills that would place a moratorium on all new unfunded mandates and create mandate relief within their own districts.

"If major legislative proposals continue to hover in political purgatory, New Yorkers need to question the priorities and focus of the Assembly Majority," Leader Kolb said. "We are here to debate bills, to develop sound public policy and to engage in a process that provides our constituents a voice. There is still time left on the calendar. Let's allow the members of the Assembly - from both conferences - do what they were elected to do."