The Assembly Minority Conference today introduced nine proposals aimed at strengthening transparency and improving efficiency in the Assembly Chamber. The proposals call for common-sense provisions including allowing all members of the Legislature to bring substantial legislation to the floor, timely bill number assignments and long-overdue changes like finally implementing a 2016 rule to broadcast committee meetings.

Minority Leader Will Barclay (R,C,I-Pulaski) expressed disappointment the Assembly Majority decided to block all of the measures.

“The 150 Assembly members elected to the People’s House should represent the interests of every New Yorker, not just those represented by one political party. Our proposals offer a way to ensure fair representation of the state’s 20 million residents regardless of political party, geography or status,” said Leader Barclay. “Unfortunately, the Majority has again chosen to stifle critical reform efforts and inhibit the Assembly Chamber from realizing its full potential.”

 The rules reforms proposed today by the Assembly Minority included:

• Single Opportunity for Legislative Equality (SOLE) Act, which would allow each member of the Legislature, during each two-year term, to bring one substantive piece of legislation of his or her choosing to the Floor for a vote;
• Extended Debate for Budget Bills and Messages of Necessity, which would make budget bills and bills with Messages of Necessity exceptions to the five-hour debate limit, and make the same exception to the one 15-minute speaking limit;
• Staffing Allocation, which would require every member of the Assembly, regardless of Majority or Minority status, to receive an equal annual allocation for compensating employees and staff;
• Timely Bill Introduction After Conclusion of Session, which would require all bills to be assigned a bill number within five business days after being delivered to the Index Clerk after the conclusion of session in the first year;
• Resolution Aging Reform, which would require resolutions to age three days prior to a vote unless the Speaker and the Minority Leader waive the rule;
• 2/3 Vote for Messages of Necessity, which would require a two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly for Messages of Necessity submitted by the Governor to be accepted;
• TV Broadcast of Committee Meetings, which would require implementation of this rule, first adopted by the Assembly in 2016, by May 16, 2022;
• Committee Hearing Petitions, which would allow one-third of the members of a committee to petition for a hearing on a bill or an oversight hearing (currently, a majority is required); and
• Motion to Discharge Reform (Spirit of 76), which would declare a Motion to Discharge to be in order if the bill or resolution is sponsored by at least 76 members of the Assembly or by a vote of the majority of all members of the Assembly. 

“Sadly, today is not the first time the Majority has turned a blind eye to transparency, and for all their ‘we must do better for the people of this state’ talk, they remain complacent and dedicated to the status quo created by One-Party Rule,” added Leader Barclay. “Our Conference will continue to promote bipartisan measures that will create a more efficient government for the people of New York – a government they can trust.”