Assemblyman Karl Brabenec (R,C,I-Deerpark) today is calling on newly elected Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to keep his word that he will make ethics reform his top priority. In the wake of former speaker Sheldon Silver’s indictment on federal corruption charges, many, including Gov. Cuomo and Speaker Heastie, called for real ethics reform legislation to be passed immediately. Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case.

“We've been up here for nearly a month and a half and haven't seen a single ethics reform bill come to the floor. This is an outrage,” said Brabenec. “The people of New York are calling out for reform. Why are we waiting? Let’s put ethics reform on our calendar and pass it immediately. If the governor or speaker need help drafting a bill, I suggest they look to the Public Officers Accountability Act (POAA), of which I'm a sponsor. The POAA would enact new income disclosure requirements, establish a truly independent ethics commission, and create term limits for leadership positions. These are long overdue reforms. Let's get them done.”