Assemblyman David G. McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) joined his minority colleagues at a press conference to push for fundamental rules changes that would change the way the Assembly conducts business by bringing greater transparency and equity to the chamber.

“The business being conducted under the current set of rules in the Assembly is restrictive and secretive,” said McDonough. “As the representatives of our constituents and the 19 million residents of New York, we advocate a more open, transparent and accountable Legislature; this is the foundation of our representative democracy and we should create a more responsive government."

Under current rules governing the Assembly legislative process there is no equity. The rules of the Assembly should apply equally to all members, not just the members of the majority, noted McDonough.

The Rules Assemblyman McDonough supports changing:

• Requiring all standing committee meetings to be transcribed and be made available on the Assembly Website and in the Assembly Public Information Office;
• Requiring all legislators to receive equal staff allotments. Currently, the Assembly majority receives more than twice as much staff allowances as their minority counterparts;
• Requiring immediate convening of conference committees when bills addressing the same subject have been passed by both chambers;
• Allowing ranking minority members of standing committees to call public hearings;
• Requiring committee ratios to reflect the ratio of majority to minority members who are currently elected to the house;
• Requiring bills with Home Rule requests from local municipalities be considered in committee at the first meeting that is held after the bill has been in committee for three days. Currently these types of bills are jammed through at the end of session and are often used as political bargaining chips;
• Requiring all bills reported to the legislative floor to be accompanied by a detailed public committee report to help identify the actual legislative intent;
• Allowing motions to discharge at any time after 20 days has passed since the bill was referred to the committee and until five days before the end of the legislative session;
• Requiring a fiscal impact statement on all bills;
• Requiring any bill that imposes a mandate on municipalities to be specifically labeled on the calendar;
• Requiring a 2/3 super-majority vote for final passage of a bill imposing, continuing or reviving a tax.