NY State Senate Bill 2013-S3436

Senate Bill S3436

2013-2014 Legislative Session

Requires the governor to meet with the assembly and with the senate once a month to answer questions relating to the state

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2014	referred to finance
Feb 01, 2013	referred to finance

2013-S3436 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A957
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §170-c, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S7938, A11207
2011-2012: S401, A883
2015-2016: S2677
2017-2018: S5014
2019-2020: S3979
2021-2022: S1433
2023-2024: S2265

2013-S3436 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires the governor to meet with the assembly and with the senate once a month for the purpose of answering questions relating to the strategic direction, financial status and general governance of the state.

2013-S3436 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S3436

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the executive law, in relation to month-
ly meetings between the governor and the legislature to allow the legis-
lature  to  ask questions of the governor relating to matters concerning
the state

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:   To require that  the  governor  shall
meet regularly with the assembly and with the senate, to publicly answer
questions  from members of each house pertaining to the strategic direc-
tion, financial status, and general governance of the state.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: -Provides that once each  odd-numbered  month,  from  January
through June or during the regular legislative session, and on a regular
or  special  session  day, at the invitation of the speaker and minority
leader of the assembly, and upon agreement by the speaker and the gover-
nor as to the date and time, the governor shall, for no  less  than  one
hour,  publicly  answer questions pertaining to the strategic direction,
financial status, and general governance of the state  from  members  of
the  assembly  in  the assembly chamber. The percentage of time allotted
for questions from members of the  majority  and  the  minority  parties
shall  be based on the percentage of representation of each party in the
assembly. The speaker and the minority leader shall determine,  for  the
time allotted to each, which members of the assembly shall ask questions

and the order in which the questions shall be asked.

Provides  that  once each even-numbered month, from January through June
or during the regular legislative session, and on a regular  or  special
session  day,  at the invitation of the temporary president and minority
leader of the senate, and upon agreement by the temporary president  and
the  governor  as  to the date and time, the governor shall, for no less
than one hour, publicly answer questions  pertaining  to  the  strategic
direction,  financial  status,  and general governance of the state from
members of the senate in the senate  chamber.  The  percentage  of  time
allotted  for  questions  from  members of the majority and the minority
parties shall be based on the percentage of representation of each party
in the senate. The temporary president and  the  minority  leader  shall
determine,  for  the  time allotted to each, which members of the senate
shall ask questions and the order in which the questions shall be asked.

Section 2: Act to take effect immediately.

JUSTIFICATION:  Public dialogue and debate are critical elements of  any
well-functioning democracy. Yet, currently, there is no formal procedure
by  which  members  of  the legislature can regularly engage in open and
substantive discussion with the governor on the many  important  budget,
policy,  and  planning matters confronting the people of New York State.
This bill would institute such a procedure, benefiting the  public,  the
legislature, and the governor alike.

The  bill  will  require  the  governor  to meet regularly with both the
Assembly and the Senate, in order  to  publicly  answer  questions  from
members  of  each house pertaining to the strategic direction, financial
status, and general governance of the state. Members of both the majori-
ty and minority parties will have the opportunity to ask such questions.

By  creating a consistent forum for polite but meaningful discussion and
debate between the legislature and the governor, this bill will  improve
the transparency and accountability of our state government, and encour-
age  responsible  long-range  Planning  for New York's future.   It will
benefit members of the legislature by affording them an  opportunity  to
raise  issues  important to their constituents which might not otherwise
be heard, to highlight legislation, and to  raise  questions  about  the
governor's  program  for  the state. The governor will also benefit from
the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and accountability, and to set
forth and update the public about the progress of his or her agenda.

This practice is already common in the United Kingdom,  Canada,  Austra-
lia,  and other nations around the world, where government leaders regu-
larly meet with legislatures to publicly discuss issues of the  day.  In
the United States, President Obama has shown similar leadership by meet-
ing  with  members  of  the  Congressional minority to debate and answer
questions about important elements of his agenda.   New Yorkers  deserve
the  same accountability from their elected leaders-taxpayers and public
officials will all benefit from a free and public airing  of  the  poli-
tical differences that shape our state's policy.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2009-2010: S.7938/A.11207

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Act to take effect immediately.

2013-S3436 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  3436

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 1, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KRUEGER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance

AN ACT to amend the executive  law,  in  relation  to  monthly  meetings
  between  the  governor and the legislature to allow the legislature to
  ask questions of the governor relating to matters concerning the state

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 170-c
to read as follows:
  S 170-C. JOINT MEETING OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE ASSEMBLY; JOINT MEETING
OF THE GOVERNOR AND THE SENATE. 1. ONCE EACH  ODD-NUMBERED  MONTH,  FROM
JANUARY  THROUGH  JUNE OR DURING THE PENDENCY OF THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE
SESSION, WHICHEVER IS LONGER, AND ON A REGULAR OR SPECIAL  SESSION  DAY,
AT  THE  INVITATION  OF THE SPEAKER AND MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEMBLY,
AND UPON AGREEMENT BY THE SPEAKER AND THE GOVERNOR AS TO  THE  DATE  AND
TIME,  THE  GOVERNOR,  FOR  NO LESS THAN ONE HOUR, SHALL PUBLICLY ANSWER
QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE STRATEGIC DIRECTION,  FINANCIAL  STATUS  AND
GENERAL  GOVERNANCE  OF  THE  STATE  FROM MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY IN THE
ASSEMBLY CHAMBER. THE PERCENTAGE OF TIME  ALLOTTED  FOR  QUESTIONS  FROM
MEMBERS  OF THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY PARTIES SHALL BE ALLOTTED BASED ON
THE PERCENTAGE OF REPRESENTATION OF EACH  PARTY  IN  THE  ASSEMBLY.  THE
SPEAKER  AND  THE MINORITY LEADER SHALL DETERMINE, FOR THE TIME ALLOTTED
TO EACH, WHICH MEMBERS OF THE ASSEMBLY SHALL ASK QUESTIONS AND THE ORDER
IN WHICH THE QUESTIONS SHALL BE ASKED.
  2. ONCE EACH EVEN-NUMBERED MONTH, FROM JANUARY THROUGH JUNE OR  DURING
THE  PENDENCY  OF  THE REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION, WHICHEVER IS LONGER,
AND ON A REGULAR OR SPECIAL SESSION DAY, AT THE INVITATION OF THE TEMPO-
RARY PRESIDENT AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE, AND UPON AGREEMENT
BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNOR AS TO THE DATE AND TIME, THE
GOVERNOR, FOR NO LESS THAN ONE HOUR,  SHALL  PUBLICLY  ANSWER  QUESTIONS
PERTAINING  TO  THE  STRATEGIC  DIRECTION,  FINANCIAL STATUS AND GENERAL

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD01245-01-3

S. 3436                             2

GOVERNANCE OF THE STATE FROM MEMBERS OF THE SENATE IN THE  SENATE  CHAM-
BER.  THE  PERCENTAGE OF TIME ALLOTTED FOR QUESTIONS FROM MEMBERS OF THE
MAJORITY AND MINORITY PARTIES SHALL BE ALLOTTED BASED ON THE  PERCENTAGE
OF  REPRESENTATION  OF EACH PARTY IN THE SENATE. THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT
OF THE SENATE AND THE MINORITY LEADER  SHALL  DETERMINE,  FOR  THE  TIME
ALLOTTED  TO  EACH,  WHICH MEMBERS OF THE SENATE SHALL ASK QUESTIONS AND
THE ORDER IN WHICH THE QUESTIONS SHALL BE ASKED.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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