Hawley: Assembly Majority's defeat of GOP ethics reforms is 'unacceptable'

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today introduced one of 17 resolutions aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in state government at a press conference held by Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C-Canandaigua) in Albany.

Hawley proposed requiring a two-thirds majority of the house to pass a message of necessity, but all of the 17 reform measures were defeated by the Assembly Majority during today’s Legislative Session.

“It is unacceptable that these reforms were unanimously defeated by the Assembly Majority, especially after the slew of corruption cases that stained Albany last year,” Hawley said. “Our top priority should be restoring faith in government and increasing our openness and transparency but it has become clear that the Assembly Majority does not care at all about ethics reform.

“I have been an outspoken opponent of messages of necessity because they are the antithesis to good government and usually accompany controversial legislation such as the SAFE-Act. All legislation should be properly vetted and debated before a vote is taken, but messages of necessity rob us of that procedural safeguard. Until we make major changes to how the house functions, we run the risk of entrenched corruption continuing in Albany.”