New York’s Unsurprising Integrity Grade

A statement by Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora)

It should come as a shock to few New Yorkers that when graded on state integrity by the Center for Public Integrity our state received a D-. In fact, most residents would be shocked we didn’t outright fail. We had an incredible opportunity this year to finally right the ship with the indictment of the sitting legislative leaders, but the Assembly Majority disagreed. An agreed- upon term limits amendment was pulled from the floor during budget night to be replaced with a hollowed version near the end of the legislative session so the prototypical Albany politicians had their soundbite when they went back home for the year. The Majority refused to take up legislative term limits for leaders despite being shown just what kind of power two decades in the Speaker’s chair can do for a legislature’s integrity. New York deserves a cleaner, more ethical legislature, and it’s time we gave it to them.