Issue Position: Reforming Dysfunctional State Government

Issue Position

I pledge to work to instill openness and legitimacy to State Government -- 20+ years of late budgets and out of control spending increases is unacceptable. I support reform that will put a contingency budget(last year's budget) in place May 1st, if the budget hasn't been passed, and also calls for setting school aid two years in advance so that school districts will know well in advance what State aid they will be receiving when they are planning their school budgets. I have sponsored legislation that requires the forfeiture of Legislators' pay for any period of time the state budget is late.

The Legislative process in Albany is in the hands of too few people -- we must put an end to "three men in a room' legislating and provide the rank and file legislators the ability to be meaningfully involved in the process. I support legislative reforms to: limit the time a legislator can be in a Leadership position; allow for petitions to discharge (enable Bill's stalled in Committee to be moved to the floor for a vote of the full house), prohibit the consideration of any Bill until the Budget has been passed; require Bill's that increase taxes to be so identified; accelerate the process for home rule requests; allow minority committee members to call for public hearings.

I support the Constitutional Convention effort underway to reform the State Government. This will allow everyday New Yorker's, not elected officials, to serve as a delegate to make fundamental changes to the way our state government functions, including consideration of term limits, independent redistricting, spending caps and unfunded mandate relief.

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