Assemblyman David G. McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) joined Assembly and Senate colleagues in supporting legislation that would create a bipartisan Senate-Assembly task force to examine long-standing legislative procedures and recommend changes to the lawmaking process.

"The goal of the bipartisan task force is to create a more open and efficient legislative process," said McDonough. "To better serve the public, we as a Legislature need to address the problems that plague the process, recommend changes and institute rules reform."

The legislation would create the Bipartisan Legislative Process Task Force that would hold public hearings, take testimony, examine the current legislative process and make recommendations for change to the Legislature during the 2005-06 legislative term.

The Senate majority and minority leaders, Assembly speaker and Assembly minority leader would appoint eight task force members. Panel members would conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the legislative process to include a review of the time and schedule management of all bills; use of conferences and standing committees to coordinate action between the two bodies; number and mission of existing committees; current administrative rules and regulations; and any other issues that are determined as relevant to the legislative process.

The Assembly and Senate recently approved rules changes that govern their internal procedures, including an end to empty-seat voting, requiring the Assembly and Senate to pass a concurrent budget resolution in early March, and easing the motion to discharge process.

Assemblyman McDonough pointed out, "The rules reform measures passed in January are not the whole solution. Rather, they’re the beginning to making Albany the productive, representative body that New Yorkers have demanded."