McDonough: Ethics Bill Is A Good Start, But More Needed To Fully Restore Trust

Legislative statement by Assemblyman David McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick)

“I strongly support ethics reform and have been leading the charge against Albany’s pay-to-play culture since I took office. Today’s anti-corruption bill mirrors what I have been advocating. Albany has been plagued by scandal and embarrassment in the last few years following the passage of previous ethics ‘reform.’ I’m hopeful this legislation can begin to restore the people’s trust in state government.

“This bill must only be the start, however, of far-reaching changes to Albany’s culture of corruption. We need to push for strict term limits on legislative leaders. Legislative leaders’ term limits would lead to a genuine commitment to the principles of disclosure, transparency, and accountability, which have been absent from Albany for far too long. This anti-corruption battle is far from over, and I’m eager to continue the work of passing the strongest ethics laws in the country.

“While this ethics bill was important to pass, Albany has a great deal left on the table: capping property taxes and private-sector job creation above all. It’s imperative that in the coming days Albany focus on delivering tax relief to homeowners and putting 800,000 unemployed New Yorkers back to work. Long Islanders deserve our commitment to these and other pressing economic matters.”