Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling on the Assembly Majority to take up the stronger pension forfeiture bill that was previously agreed upon, A.6722. The Assembly Majority’s one-house bill is significantly different from a bill that was agreed upon during the budget process. That version had broad-based support and was much stronger. Blankenbush is urging the Majority to adopt the previous version.

“The pension forfeiture bill the Assembly Majority is supporting does not do enough to ensure taxpayer dollars are protected from those who commit felonies and break the public’s trust,” said Blankenbush. “It’s unfortunate that although there was agreement between the Assembly and Senate during the budget that the pension bill was pulled last minute. New Yorkers are calling for ethics reforms, and the Assembly Majority’s bill doesn’t deliver enough. We must accomplish more for the people we serve.”

The biggest difference is that the Majority bill does not apply to everyone who could potentially abuse their position and commit a corruption or ethics felony. This bill contains a loophole allowing some public employees to continue to collect a public pension after a felony conviction.

Blankenbush points to several votes proving that the Assembly Majority is unwilling to pass meaningful ethics reform legislation. They voted against term limits for legislative leaders and committee chairs, as well as measures that would have created more transparency like recording and televising committee hearings. They also rejected Blankenbush’s Public Officers Accountability Act, A.4617, one of the toughest anti-corruption bill packages in the nation.