Sen. Griffo joins with state Senate to pass historic package of good government reforms

ALBANY – State Sen. Joseph Griffo, R-C-I-Rome, announced today that the state Senate recently passed the most sweeping package of good government reforms proposed in years. The measures will help ensure taxpayer monies are invested in effective programs, prevent real or perceived conflicts of interest and enhance transparency in government dealings, and increase the accountability of public officials.

Included in the package of legislation were two bills sponsored by Sen. Griffo. One of the bills, S7781, defines the length of time an individual may head a state agency or department in an acting capacity while the Legislature is both in and out of session, and it defines how often a person may serve in an acting capacity.

The other bill, S2325, creates the New York State Independent Budget Office to provide objective, non-partisan analyses of state revenues, expenditures, and management practices to members of the Legislature for any legislation with fiscal impact or at the request of a leader or a committee. Accurate, up-to-date information is a key ingredient for prudent, timely budgetary and policy decisions.

Other legislation passed by the Senate includes:

S8409: Limits political donations from parties applying for grants, licenses, or doing business with public entities to the public officials or candidates who would approve such grants, licenses, or contracts.

S8404: Prohibits appointees who are appointed by the Executive to make political contributions to the Executive or his or her political campaign.

S922B: Codifies the existing Regional Economic Development Councils and requires appointees to comply with financial disclosure requirements and the code of ethics that all other public officers are currently bound by.

S6613B: Requires the creation of a searchable state subsidy and economic development benefits database that would benefit New Yorkers and policy makers by helping monitor the use of taxpayer money used to grow our state's economy and create jobs

S3984A: Prevents self-dealing in the government procurement process by enhancing the integrity, transparency, and accountability of the state’s procurement process.

S7697A: Ensures that the Public Authorities Control Broad members have sufficient information to make informed decisions prior to a vote approving funding and includes disclosure of a claw-back provisions for instances when a project job creation claim doesn’t come through, the state could recoup funding.

S5985A: Restores and bolsters reporting requirements for START-UP NY by requiring the preparation of an annual report which would be provided to the Governor and the Legislature.

S5912C: Curtails state agency overuse of the emergency regulation process to ensure it is only used in true emergency situations when necessary to protect public health and safety.

S3354: Directs the state Division of the Budget (DOB) to prepare an annual Unified Economic Development budget that outlines the aggregate amounts of state investments in economic development projects statewide, the benefactors of these investments, and the number of jobs created or retained by businesses as a result of this development assistance.

During Sen. Griffo’s time in the Senate, he has sponsored several pieces of legislation that offer good government reform. This includes a bill that would create eight-year term limits for leadership positions in the state Senate and the state Assembly and legislation that would amend the state’s constitution and limit the tenures of the Governor, state Comptroller, Attorney General and members of the Legislature.

“Since I was first elected to the Senate, I have always said that state government had to live with the rules, enforce the rules and enact comprehensive reforms that would better serve the people who elect us and trust us with their tax dollars,” Sen. Griffo said. “This legislation will help to make our government more transparent and accountable to those we represent.”

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