Assemblyman Reilich Continues His Fight To Reform Albany

April 23, 2007

Assemblyman Bill Reilich (R,C,I-Greece) continued his effort to reform state government today by voting in favor of a bipartisan resolution designed to improve the way the state Assembly conducts business.

“While reforming state government is a continual process, the passage of today’s resolution is a step forward in making the state Assembly more transparent and accountable to the taxpayers of New York state,” remarked Reilich.

Reforms in today’s resolution include:

• The number of majority Assembly members on each standing committee shall be in the same ratio as the Majority is to the entire House membership with all fractional members being credited to the Majority, removing the old provision giving the Majority “plus one member” on each committee;
• Providing for ethics training for all Assembly members and employees with an ethics training plan;
• Allowing the sponsor of a bill or resolution to make a statement of up to five minutes in order to open up debate on such legislation; and
• Allowing unlimited introduction of bills by Assembly members until the last Tuesday in May of the second year of the Assembly term.

“Today’s rules reforms will give constituents in districts represented by minority members a louder voice in Albany,” said Reilich. “I will continue to work with my legislative colleagues to implement more reforms during the last two months of session.”

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