FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
November 30, 2015

Statement from Speaker Heastie


I am deeply saddened by the events that have taken place this year, culminating with today's conviction of former Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Words simply aren't enough. We will continue to work to root out corruption and demand more of elected officials when it comes to ethical conduct. The Assembly Majority remains committed to exploring ideas and implementing reforms to restore trust in our government.

Accountability and transparency are of the utmost importance to the Assembly Majority. It is our hope that in time, the new measures we have recently put in place to strengthen ethics compliance will have a positive impact. This includes the creation of the Assembly Office of Ethics and Compliance, enactment of more stringent disclosure requirements, enhancements to the per diem reimbursement policy, new limitations on the use of campaign funds, and access to greater resources for the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE). Several of these changes will go into effect over the coming months.

In addition to the enacted measures, the Assembly Majority has independently passed a number of ethics-related bills that were not taken up by the State Senate. Among these measures is a bill to close the LLC loophole and campaign finance reform measures to limit the influence of big money in politics, including the clarification of housekeeping accounts and independent expenditures, as well as the establishment of a meaningful public financing system. We also continue to seek an agreement on a pension forfeiture constitutional amendment that matches the bill we passed earlier this year. These are priorities for the Assembly Majority and while we will continue to advocate for them, we cannot achieve these goals without the support of our partners in government.

The Assembly Majority has taken clear and determined steps to combat corruption, and we will continue our efforts to restore public trust in government. That means remaining vigilant and not losing sight of our duty to families across this state that are relying on us to deliver a stronger minimum wage, quality education that meets the needs of our students and other basic necessities like an affordable home. With preparations for the 2016 Legislative Session underway, we look forward to a session focused on progress and continued success in our mission to put families first and strengthen our communities.