CIVIC GROUPS URGE NEW GOVERNOR AND LEGISLATIVE LEADERS TO EMBRACE ETHICS REFORMS IN RESPONSE TO “UNPRECEDENTED” NUMBER OF SCANDALS

2007 IS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF ETHICS LAW, GROUPS URGE IT IS TIME FOR “RADICAL OVERHAUL”

Leading civic groups today urged Governor Eliot Spitzer and state legislative leaders to seize a “once-in-a-generation” opportunity and embrace a package of ethics reforms in the 2007 legislative session. The Brennan Center for Justice, Citizens Union, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and NYPIRG released their “Top 10” list of reforms and urged action in 2007 – the 20th anniversary of the state’s ethics law.

The groups’ call came after series of controversies and scandals involving state lawmakers. In a letter to the governor and the legislative leaders, the groups wrote,

The groups urged action on a package of reforms that would create an independent ethics watchdog to replace the current State Ethics Commission’s and Legislative Ethics Committee’s oversight of state law; ban “pay to play” activities, strengthen ethics guidelines and boost openness (click here for a summary of the proposals).

The groups urged noted that despite an “unprecedented” series of ethical controversies and scandals, little had been done in response. The groups called for action, “such reforms are long overdue and must be tackled early this session.”