Governor, Legislative Leaders Announce Agreement on Ethics, Campaign Finance Reforms as Part of State Budget

Last night, Governor Cuomo and the legislative leaders announced that they have reached agreement on budget for the state’s 2015-16 fiscal year. Among the issues that will be addressed in the budget is “an ethics package with the nation’s strongest disclosure laws for legislators with outside income.”

In February, shortly after the arrest of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on public corruption charges, the Governor said that he would not approve a state budget unless it included a strong “reform” component.

In last night’s announcement, Gov. Cuomo said:

“I said I would not sign a Budget without real ethics reform, and this Budget does just that, putting in place the nation’s strongest and most comprehensive rules for disclosure of outside income by public officials, reforming the long-abused per diem system, revoking public pensions for those who abuse the public’s trust, defining and eliminating personal use of campaign funds, and increasing transparency of independent expenditures.”

There is no bill language available yet to see exactly how these reforms will work.

Capital NY explains the client disclosure requirements that would apply to lawmakers.