Originally Published: May 11, 2015
Urges New Leader to Push Critical Reforms in the Wake of Corruption Charges
Citizens Union congratulates Senator John Flanagan on his election as the new temporary president and majority leader of the New York State Senate and look forward to working with him to bring back responsible government that works for the public interest. We are pleased to hear him announce he is stepping away from his law practice to focus his full time attention on his new duties.
Many issues of great interest to New Yorkers will command his attention in the closing weeks of the legislative session. But in order for the state senate to move beyond the corruption scandals arising from the pay-to-play culture of Albany, attention needs to be paid to a number of reform issues that will help earn back the public’s trust. Overhauling elected official compensation by increasing legislative salaries beginning in 2016 and capping outside income, along with closing the LLC loophole should top the list of immediate reforms.