| I have already covered what the Brennan Center's Larry Norden thinks about the rules reforms passed by the Senate Republicans - the same ones Tom Golisano has been boasting about for the last few days.
But NYPIRG has looked into the rules reforms and came up with their own review and the "reforms" aren't exactly what they are made out to be.
NYPIRG's review of the rules reform shows the following:
REFORM: Equitable Distribution of Resources
What They Promised: Funding for members staff salaries, district offices, and other resources will be distributed equally. Committee chairs, rankers and leaders would get bonus amounts, with the difference between maj. and min. members being proportional to the ration of total members in each party.
What They Actually Did: Pretty much as promised, except with a loophole that "staff necessary to the functions of the Senate are not to be included in the proportional distribution." It is unclear who this covers.
REFORM: Member Items
What They Promised: Member items will be divided evenly."
What They Actually Did: Nothing in the rules.
REFORM: Committee Transparency
What They Promised: Committee votes will be available on the Senate website, committee meetings will be webcast.
What They Actually Did: Exactly as promised, for all committees that meet after July 15th. (Note: That is when these rules go into effect - July 15, 2009.)
REFORM: C-SPAN
What They Promised: "A plan will be put forward by January 1, 2010 to create NY-SPAN statewide broadcast of legislative proceedings similar to C-SPAN for Congress."
What They Actually Did: As promised- a "plan" would be put forth, but there appears to be no requirement that the plan be implemented.
REFORM: Elimination of Proxy voting in committees
What They Promised: "Proxy voting in committee is eliminated."
What They Actually Did: Members can vote by proxy if they have the permission of both the committee chair and ranker.
REFORM: Motions for Consideration
What They Promised: Motions for Consideration would be possible to bring a bill up for a vote.
What They Actually Did: A majority of members can bring these bills up and put them on the next day's active list.
REFORM: Term Limits
What They Promised: 6 years for President and Maj. Leader, 8 years for committee chairs.
What They Actually Did: As promised.
REFORM: Independent Budget Office
What They Promised: Stated by Tom Golisano that there is an agreement
What They Actually Did: Nothing in the rules.
REFORM: Ethics
What They Promised: Nothing mentioned.
What They Actually Did: Nothing yet.
This is based on NYPIRG's review of the Senate rules as outlined by the Republicans. |
