Events surrounding the State Assembly and its leadership over the past 10 days have been tumultuous to say the least. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested based upon the criminal complaint of the U.S. Attorney alleging serious charges of corruption in malfeasance in office. On one level, the U.S. Constitution provides Mr. Silver with a presumption of innocence and guarantees him the right to a fair trial. I am confident he will be afforded these rights in the months ahead.

Equally important is the public welfare of the people of the State of New York. The State Assembly faces important decisions on the State Budget as well as a multitude of other important policy issues facing New York State and Long Island on issues such as education, health care, the economy, and the environment. The work of the State Legislature cannot be distracted because of the plight of one individual.

Consequently, this past Monday I joined with many of my Assembly colleagues in calling on Sheldon Silver to resign his post as Assembly Speaker for the greater good of the people of New York. The Speaker has agreed to do just that and allow the Assembly to move ahead unfettered by this most recent scandal.

In the coming days ahead, the State Assembly will be electing a new leader. Obviously, who is elected is of great importance for New York State and Long Island. It is now highly likely that the next Speaker will come from the City of New York. That is where the numbers are. Still, it is important that the next Speaker represent the interests of every region of the state, not just New York City, upstate, or the suburbs, but the entire state.

Just as important as the identity of the next leader is the platform that is proposed by that Speaker to reform the Assembly. In the last decade, we have seen scandal after scandal alleging either personal or official misconduct. More representatives have left Albany through the criminal justice system than the ballot box.

Here is a brief list of crucial reforms that I support:

• Decentralization of power in the State Assembly
• More authority for committee chairpersons and individual members and less authority for the Speaker
• A term limit of 6 years for Speaker of the Assembly
• Equitable staff and office resources for all Assembly members
• Limits on outside income of state legislators
• Transparent reporting of all permitted outside income by all state legislators
• Public campaign financing
• Election and campaign finance reform
• Enactment of Initiative and Referendum as a check on the State Legislature

There is no doubt that there are many additional reforms that we need to consider. The next Speaker should appoint a bi-partisan select committee to travel across the State to get public input into reforming the State Legislature. A report would then be submitted for enactment by the Legislature.

This crisis presents a rare opportunity to change an institution that has been in desperate need of transparency for decades. It is an opportunity that cannot be squandered. An open, transparent Legislature which responds to the public interest rather than special interests is a necessary goal that may now be achievable. Legislation such as my efforts to eliminate zone pricing of gasoline could be finally enacted if we finally minimize the influence of special interests. Perhaps even the East End dream of Peconic County could now be revived.

As the only Independent in the New York State Legislature, I am hopeful that the corrosive influences that have contaminated the State Legislature can be swept away. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis famously stated about open and transparent government, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”

Finally, I believe I owe it to my own constituents to provide my own sunlight. All state legislators who reported outside income on their financial disclosure form in 2012 were contacted by the Moreland Commission in 2013, including myself. I provided the Moreland Commission with every item of information they requested about my personal finances. As a public official whose effectiveness depends on public trust, I felt it was paramount that I provide such information. As a result, of my compliance, the Commission never contacted me again.

In addition, even though it is not required by law, it will be my practice each year beginning with the 2014 tax year to publicly release my federal income tax return for each year as long as I remain a State Assembly member. We each need to lead by example. Collectively, our actions will change our State Legislature for the better.