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For Immediate Release: Thursday, September 30, 2004 Contact: Jordan Isenstadt (c) 516.991.3842 (w)
212.490.9535 (f) 212.490.2151 ***PRESS RELEASE*** State Senator Liz Krueger Makes Recommendations to Newly-Formed
Senate Majority Task Force on Government Reform New York, NY – State
Senator Liz Krueger was cautiously
pleased to receive the news today that Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno
had announced the formation of a Senate Majority Task Force on Government
Reform. “This is welcome news,” said Krueger, “but I am not
going to hold my breath. The creation
of this task force is a step forward for the majority and I do not want to
discount that. Still, my experience
in the Legislature reminds me of all the empty promises that began with the
formation of similar task forces.” Senator
Krueger, a longtime advocate for legislative reform, indicated that the
recent calls by her colleagues in the Assembly had pushed Senator Bruno to
form the task force. Senator Krueger
is the Chair of the Senate Democratic Task Force on Legislative and Budgetary
Reform. The Democratic Task Force
held a public hearing over one year ago on ways to open the legislative and
budgetary process, as well as increase accountability and efficiency in the
Legislature. Recommendations
included: requiring members to be physically present in the Chamber in order
to vote, allowing bills and resolutions to be open to sponsorship by any
member, requiring consent by a three-fifths majority to limit or end debate
on a bill, establishing standing conference committees to resolve differences
between similar two-house bills, reestablishing motions to discharge, and
eliminating lu-lus to decrease the leadership power over individual members. “Senate Democrats have gone through this process and have
already made recommendations,” remarked Krueger. “The next right step is for the Senate
Republicans to sit down with the Senate Democrats to hash out
differences. The only way to create a
truly deliberative State Senate is to build a coalition of legislators on
both sides of the aisle who recognize the need for change.” -30- |
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