(Long Island, NY) Following a recent study which presented New York State’s public integrity with a D- rating, Assemblyman Michael Montesano (R,C,I-Glen Head) has again expressed the dire need to clean up Albany, once and for all.
A member of the Assembly Ethics Committee and the Legislative Ethics Commission, Montesano has long supported legislation that ensures New York representatives are held to a higher standard.
“Our government is long overdue for a revitalization of its internal operations, and how each position of power is conducted,” said Montesano. “How are we supposed to eliminate the corruption when the Capitol is led by some of the biggest offenders?”
Montesano, along with many of his colleagues in the Assembly Minority Conference, has introduced The Public Officers Accountability Act, which calls for term limits for legislative leaders and committee chairs, campaign finance and member-item reforms, removing pensions from convicted officials, and replacing the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) with a truly independent integrity panel.
“My colleagues and I have called time and time again for measures that would eliminate the influence of money in politics, ensure that representatives serve with honor and integrity rather than corrupt agendas and provide a more transparent operation within our leadership,” Montesano continued. “The great people of New York deserve far better than a D- rated government. With many legislators heading to Albany in the upcoming week, the time to end the ‘business as usual’ approach is now.”
For more information on the Center for Public Integrity’s 2015 study please visit: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/State-s-integrity-D-minus-6620892.php.
