Ethics reform will make Albany more accountable

Dear Neighbor,

As chair of the Assembly’s Ethics Committee, I co-authored and sponsored legislation strengthening New York’s ethics laws to bring integrity back to state government. The Assembly and Senate passed comprehensive ethics reforms to reduce the influence of lobbyists and increase campaign finance requirements to help restore public confidence in our democratic process. Unfortunately, the governor vetoed this legislation.

Last year, I had the Assembly’s Ethics Committee conduct public hearings on ethics reform to obtain New Yorkers’ opinions on the issue. A bipartisan ethics reform bill was passed in the Assembly in June 2009, which I had the privilege to introduce and debate on the Assembly floor. The new legislation builds on that bill, continuing the Assembly’s commitment to making state government more accountable. Sweeping campaign finance and ethics reform will lead to stiffer penalties, greater oversight and increased disclosure to make state government more open and transparent.

Sincerely,
signature
Bill Magnarelli
Member of Assembly

333 E. Washington St., Rm 840
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-428-9651
Magnarw@assembly.state.ny.us

Magnarelli authored extensive legislation to reform New York’s campaign finance and ethics laws

“Citizens Union was founded 113 years ago in response to the corruption of Tammany Hall and the affairs of the city of New York. There’s been a lot of talk in Albany over the past year about the need to enact meaningful ethics reform. And so today, it’s nice to see action replacing the talk.”

– Dick Dadey,
executive director
of Citizens Union

“We the League feel that this, particularly the state Board of Elections enforcement beefing up, is a significant step... We think this is a piece of the reform puzzle that we work so hard for and are gratified to see that we now hope to have a functional responsive agency.”

– Barbara Bartoletti,
legislative director of the
NYS League of Women Voters

Assemblyman Magnarelli knows New York’s ethics laws need major changes. That is why he supports legislation that will increase disclosure of outside income for legislators, enhance enforcement and create independent oversight of legislators.

This measure—for the first time—sets up an independent legislative investigative body and requires disclosure of legislators’ income categories, as well as sources of outside income.

The legislation:

requires that candidates disclose to the public who paid for independent expenditures that cost more than $1,000
mandates that independent communications expenditures for candidates or ballot initiatives in excess of $1,000 be subject to the same filing requirements currently in place for candidates and political committees
creates a new penalty and potential fine for accepting an excessive contribution and requires a refund of the excess amount
requires itemization of credit card payments and other similar payments

These reforms provide the transparency, oversight and tough enforcement New York’s campaign finance laws need.