NY Senate Democrats Push Their Version of Ethics Reforms

Democrats in the state Senate are pushing for some reforms that directly address problems that led to the arrest and resignation of Sheldon Silver, the former assembly speaker. They want to ban nearly all outside income for lawmakers.

Their proposals come nearly three weeks after Silver was arrested on federal corruption charges, and one week after he resigned as speaker. Silver is charged with using his employment at two private law firms to gain nearly $6 million in kickbacks and bribes.

Senate Democrats, led by Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins of Westchester, said the time has come to drastically curtail the outside income netted by legislators, whose jobs as members of the senate and assembly are considered part-time. 

"We can't serve two masters," Stewart-Cousins said. "We are here to serve the public."

Senator Brad Hoylman of Manhattan is proposing a bill that would impose limits to state lawmakers' outside income, similar to restrictions currently in place for members of Congress. Their outside income is limited to 15% of a congressional member's salary. In the state legislature, where the base pay is just under $80,000, that would be $12,000 a year. Hoylman said it would "provide a sterilizing cure."

"I figure if it's good enough for the U.S. Congress, it's good enough for us," he said.

Representing law clients or giving financial advice would not be permitted. Jobs like teaching part-time at a college would be allowed.

Senator Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx, whose predecessor in the Senate, Pedro Espada, is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption, said his only outside income is $6,000 from teaching two classes a year.

"Someone being in front of a classroom teaching college twice a year is very different than somebody representing clients that none of us know," Rivera said.

Democrats said they would also create a commission to decide every four years whether lawmakers' base pay is adequate, so that they don't need to seek extra employment.

Senate Democrats are pushing many of the same proposals that were recently outlined by Governor Andrew Cuomo. They add another idea not on Cuomo's list: banning the prevalence or limited liability companies, or LLCs, used as a loophole by campaign donors to skirt contribution limits.

Cuomo said he'll hold up the budget if he does not get total disclosure of lawmakers' outside income, and an end to the abuse of taxpayer-funded expense accounts. He also wants to end the practice of using campaign funds for personal spending.

Stewart-Cousins said while she supports the governor's efforts, she doesn't think the ethics reforms need to be tied to the budget, and should be done sooner than the April deadline.

"We need to pass our bills now," she said. "It shouldn't have to be part of the budget conversation at all, to be quite honest."

In the assembly, Speaker Carl Heastie, who was elected February 3, said he won't be taking any outside income. Heastie, who is a Democrat, appointed a task force to search for someone to head up a new assembly office of ethics and compliance.

Democrats, who are in the minority of the state Senate, need majority party Republican votes to enact their proposals. A spokesman for Senate GOP Leader Dean Skelos accused Democrats of "grandstanding," and said instead of press releases, "Senate Republicans are working with the governor and the assembly to get real results and real reforms."

http://www.wnyc.org/story/senate-democrats-say-ethics-reform-should-not-wait-budget/