Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) today announced that he has signed on as a sponsor of legislation introduced by Assemblyman Jim Tedisco (R,C,I-Glenville) that seeks to make all pork spending, member items and legislative earmarks fully transparent and clearly defined in the budget process.

“This is common-sense legislation that would make government more accountable, transparent and accessible to citizens,” McDonough said. “New Yorkers have lost faith in how we do business in Albany partially because legislative leaders hide how taxpayer money is spent. The ‘Three Men in a Room’ mentality is no longer acceptable, and ethics reform starts with improving the way we do business in Albany and disclosing how we use tax dollars.”

McDonough stressed the need for greater accountability and ethics reform in Albany following last year’s string of corruption and arrests.

“If the convictions of Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos taught us anything, it was that we cannot continue to allow legislative leaders unilateral power of the purse, which perpetuates their entrenched power and political influence,” McDonough said. “I am proud to stand with the Assembly Minority Conference for stronger ethics reforms, and this bill is a testament to our conference’s unwavering position on ethics.”