Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora) is a sponsor of the “Spirit of ’76” bill, A.8658, which would allow any bill with 76 sponsors or more to be moved immediately to the floor for a debate and vote by the full Assembly. Seventy-six sponsors is more than half of the 150- member chamber.

“We have several bills tied up in committee because of all the power concentrated in so few hands,” DiPietro said. “The members in this chamber need to learn from the past. Preet Bharara won’t be around to clean up Albany forever. We need to act, and we need to empower every member of this Legislature to circumvent traditional Albany powers. Seventy-six members is more than enough to pass a bill, and 76 members on a piece of legislation should streamline the process of getting a bill to the floor. Committee chairs and party bosses shouldn’t have this much control over the legislative process.”

A resolution similar to this bill was recently defeated on the floor by the Assembly Majority as part of the Minority Conference’s ethics rules reforms last week. This bill is currently assigned to the Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations.