NY State Senate Bill 2019-S3979

Senate Bill S3979

2019-2020 Legislative Session

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

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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, 2020	referred to finance
Feb 22, 2019	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

2019-S3979 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8794
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Executive Law
Laws Affected:: Add §170-c, Exec L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S7938
2011-2012: S401
2013-2014: S3436
2015-2016: S2677
2017-2018: S5014, A8620
2021-2022: S1433, A4529
2023-2024: S2265, A4417

2019-S3979 (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.

2019-S3979 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S3979

SPONSOR: KRUEGER
 
TITLE OF BILL:  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

 
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 direction, 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 legisla-
ture, 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 bene-
fit 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 gover-
nor'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:

2017-18: S.5014 Passed Senate - A.8620 - O'Donnell - Government Ops
2015-16: S.2677 Governmental ops
2013-14: S.3436/A.957 Kellner - Government Ops
2011-12: S.401/A.883 Kellner - Government Ops
2009-10: S.7938/A.11207 Kellner - Passed Senate - Government Ops in
Assembly

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Act to take effect immediately.

2019-S3979 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3979
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 22, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. KRUEGER, LIU, MONTGOMERY, SKOUFIS -- 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:
   § 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD08608-01-9

 S. 3979                             2
 
 PERTAINING TO THE STRATEGIC  DIRECTION,  FINANCIAL  STATUS  AND  GENERAL
 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S3979

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Sponsored By

Liz Krueger