Dear Lucas,
I attended Governor Andrew Cuomo's news conference at which he announced an agreement with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on far-reaching ethics reform legislation.
Achieving such needed reform is welcome news and marks a capstone in CU's three-year effort to enact a stronger ethics law, which began in mid-2008 after Governor Spitzer left office and corruption within the state legislature rose dramatically. Aided by CU's two reports in 2009 and 2011 on turnover and the rise in ethical misconduct, our own ethics reform proposal in 2009, and our focused determination in getting significant reform legislation passed, an environment and a public clamor for meaningful ethics reform were created. As a result, we achieved a notable success.
This set of ethics reforms is without a doubt significant and momentous. Though it contains several historic firsts, it is not the ideal bill and has some flaws which were necessary to accept in order to get the good reforms that were so needed. Nevertheless, it has the potential to have a game-changing effect on the ethical climate in Albany and that is all for the good.
Information previously shielded from the public - like outside clients and amounts of outside income earned by legislators - will lift a veil on the currently unknown relationships between legislators and business interests. Sunlight will now illuminate formerly dark corners and hopefully end the practice where public service, and the access it provides, has been used for private gain.
For the first time, the legislature will not be self-policing. The new joint commission will now have the authority to investigate legislators, removing a layer of protection that has stopped investigations from moving forward. To prevent the fear of political witch hunts, the decision-making process was structured in a way that empowers two legislators from the same party and branch to block an investigation or a referral to the Legislative Ethics Commission even if a majority of the 14 member joint commission votes to do so.
For more information on the proposed bill and CU's response, you can read our public statement and the news release issued by the governor and the legislative leaders .
Citizens Union is confident that this change in how business in Albany is conducted will lead to better government. This bill puts us on a path forward in restoring the public's trust in our elected officials and their actions. We will now know more about elected officials' interests and will be better able to make judgments about whether they are acting in pursuit of private gain or the public interest. Knowing that will allow us to make better informed decisions about who we send to Albany to represent us.
I thank you for the support you provide to Citizens Union and our work. Your faith in us gives us the voice and strength to pursue our mission of good government and work to advance political reform.
Sincerely,
Dick Dadey
Executive Director
P.S. Here are some of the news clips reporting on this landmark ethics deal that will give you a better idea of its strengths and flaws.
Cuomo and Legislative Leaders Strike Deal on New Ethics Rules , The New York Times, June 3, 2011
Ethics 'Clean Up' bill gets some 'Integrity,' New York Post, June 7, 2011
Ethics deal: Legislature reps could veto probes , The Wall Street Journal, June 6, 2011
Ethics reform, warts and all , Albany Times Union, June 7, 2011
Though Hailed, Albany Ethics Deal Is Seen as Having Weaknesses , The New York Times, June 6, 2011
Citizens Union Director Discusses Ethics Reform, Anthony Weiner On Inside City Hall , NY1.com, June 6, 2011