Griffo, Kearns: Governor finally following our lead on Term Limits

Senator Joseph Griffo and Assemblyman Michael Kearns today said they are pleased the Governor is finally following their lead in embracing term limits on elected officials in New York State.

As Governor Cuomo this week announced his support for term limits on legislators and statewide officials, Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Kearns highlighted their own legislative efforts in the past to impose term limits on such officials. Since 2009, Senator Griffo has been leading the call for term limits on members of the Legislature, as well as the Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General, with Assemblyman Kearns sponsoring the bill in the Assembly. 

The Griffo-Kearns bill – S4470/A7775 – would impose an eight-year term limit on Governor, Comptroller and Attorney General, along with 12-year term limits on members of the Legislature that amount to six two-year terms.

The Governor’s proposal differs slightly, by imposing eight-year term limits on legislators after extending their legislative term to four years, instead of two.

While the proposals differ, both Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Kearns are pleased that the Governor is finally seizing upon their efforts toward real reform to restore the public’s trust in their elected officials. Although Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Kearns have been consistently pushing for term limits, both legislators are encouraged that the latest corruption scandals to shadow Albany seem to have led the Governor to be more open to such ethics reform.

Especially, Griffo and Kearns note, after the Governor has previously suggested in a radio interview that there wasn’t a need for formal term limits: “It’s when people vote you out of office.”

Now, Senator Griffo and Assemblyman Kearns hope the Governor continues to be serious about supporting their efforts to limit the amount of time elected officials can serve in New York State.

Senator Joseph Griffo, R-Rome, said: “If you want to fundamentally and dramatically change the culture of Albany, then you need to limit the amount of time our elected officials are in office. Imposing term limits will regularly shake up the makeup of state government, which will force change and reinvigorate the legislative process by bringing in new faces and fresh ideas. There are plenty of compelling concepts being proposed that are worth examining to restore trust in government, but real ethics reform must begin with term limits.”

Assemblyman Michael Kearns, D-West Seneca, said: “I want to thank Senator Griffo for his leadership and sponsorship of this bill. The Governor’s stance on term limits is a welcome one and long overdue. We have witnessed unprecedented convictions of the highest ranking legislators in this state and continue to be shocked by further indictments. It is time to integrate words with actions by giving the voters the opportunity to decide.”

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