Skoufis looks to end state pensions for private groups that lobby Albany

State Senator James Skoufis (D, Cornwall) has taken up the mantle on a bill that has been around for a decade that would end public, taxpayer-funded retirement pensions for dozens of private-sector employees who work for groups that lobby Albany on behalf of local governments.

According to Skoufis, the state pays for the retirement benefits of employees at several private-sector nonprofits that lobby state government, including the Association of Counties, the Association of Towns, and the Conference of Mayors.

The push to end public retirement benefits for these private workers first began more than a decade ago when the bill was introduced by then-Senator George Maziarz (R, Newfane) and by then-Assemblyman, now-Senator Sean Ryan (D, Buffalo).  There has been little movement on the measure over the past decade, until now.

“The lobbyists who work for these associations are not public employees,” said Skoufis.  “They are not employed by the state, their salaries are not set by the state, and they are not subject to the same disclosure requirements as state employees.”

Skoufis plans to formally introduce the bill in the coming days, which would prohibit new employees from these groups from participating in the state retirement system and would stop the current employees from accruing additional retirement benefits.  He is awaiting data from the State Comptroller’s office, which he will include in his bill, that he says will confirm the precise savings to taxpayers.

“My constituents can’t afford to pay bloated pensions for fat-cat lobbyists who created this loophole for themselves decades ago,” said Skoufis.  “Some of the private workers earning public pensions at these groups receive six-figure salaries greater than those of the governor.  It’s high time their anti-taxpayer scheme is put to an end.”