Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara (D-Rotterdam) announced on Monday that legislation he is sponsoring to close a major campaign finance loophole is advancing in the Assembly.

The bill (A. 6975), which was approved by the Assembly Codes Committee on Monday and was reported to the Assembly Rules Committee, would close the state’s LLC loophole, which currently allows businesses to skirt restrictions on campaign contributions. Closing the loophole would help restore accountability and transparency in our campaign process.

“We must do more to restore the public’s trust in our government. The hardworking families we represent deserve common sense reforms like closing the LLC loophole, increasing financial transparency and limiting outside income,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. “We are taking important first steps in battling corruption, including stripping pensions from corrupt officials and new accountability procedures, but I believe these measures don’t go far enough, and I’ll keep fighting to ensure we continue to effectively serve the people who elected us.”

Santabarbara is also the author of legislation that would limit the outside income of state legislators (A.5824). The bill mirrors existing limitations on members of Congress, which are set at 15 percent of gross legislative pay and restricts types of outside employment, such as a ban on work that could compromise the integrity of serving in a legislative position.

Additionally, he is supporting legislation that would require state legislators to disclose more information about their outside income, including a clear and complete description of the work they did to earn any fees or income.

“We have repeatedly sent a clear message that we’re committed to promoting transparency and accountability in the people’s chamber. We will continue these efforts with our new workgroup, which will promote access to information, increase public participation and adopt smart reforms,” Santabarbara added.