Statement From Senator Liz Krueger On The Brennan Center Report

The Brennan Center follow up report on our Legislature's notorious dysfunction echoes what the Senate Minority Conference has been saying for years. The Majority has reluctantly agreed to offer only the most minimum of reforms after being forced to do so by Senate Minority who won three seats in 2004 with a strong reform message.

For too long voters have had to tolerate high taxes, underfunded schools and a culture of corruption that undermines the people's faith in their state government. Senate Minority have long maintained that we need to change the culture of Majoritarian rule in Albany which completely disenfranchises the minority conference and the millions of people they represent.

The Senate Minority have offered a comprehensive plan to reform our State Government, make it more effective and open and less dysfunctional. Our long-standing goals are identical to those outlined by the Brennan Center, including:

• strengthening the committee process,
• increasing the responsibility and accountability of rank and file
members,
•utilizing conference committees and ending the leadership's
control over legislation, and
• equitable distribution of Senate resources