Assemblyman Christopher S. Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) is calling out the Assembly Majority Conference for stalling on a pension forfeiture measure it agreed to during budget negotiations, but was ultimately blocked from a vote. The new pension bill moving through the Assembly is significantly weaker, and because it comes at the end of session, makes forming a consensus with the Senate, which passed the agreed-upon amendment on March 31, almost impossible before the Legislature leaves Albany.

“The Assembly Majority went back on their word and waited until the last possible moment to act just to be able to say they did something,” Friend said. “In a legislative session marred with corruption arrests in both houses, we had all the momentum to accomplish pension forfeiture, which is a common-sense reform. The people of New York are done being embarrassed by their legislators, and they’re done having to pay for the pensions of criminals. Let’s pass the agreed-upon pension forfeiture measure like we promised.”