Senator Serrano Joins Assemblymember Galef In Fighting For Ethics Reform In Albany

Senator Serrano joined Assemblywoman Sandy Galef in Albany to unveil a comprehensive slate of legislative proposals to overhaul New York's ethics rules and laws. The series of bills specifically target issues relating to inequitable power distribution, ethics and the need for greater transparency in state government.

Senator Serrano's member item reform legislation (S. 957A) is one of the bills included in the comprehensive package. This bill would promote fairness and transparency by including a vetting process to guarantee member items and legislative grants are used for legitimate purposes. The bill states that member items will not be distributed when a conflict of interest exists between the legislator designating the member item and the potential recipient. This legislation would require each legislator to sign a conflict of interest form under perjury of law, therefore increasing the individual legislator's accountability when distributing member items.

"I was proud to join my good friend and colleague Assembly Member Sandy Galef at a press conference outlining a package of legislative reform proposals designed to increase transparency and inspire confidence in our state government. My bill on member item reform would help eliminate potential conflicts of interest, while creating a fairer system of providing funding to our community. These common sense reforms are supported by a bipartisan group of legislators and activists, including my friend Senator John J. Bonacic, the New York Public Interest Research Group, & the League of Women Voters of NYS."