Photo Courtesy of Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of the Governor
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said that if a special session were to be convened it “should do more than merely reauthorize a committee to consider [legislators’] pay raise.”
By Michael V. Cusenza
As of Wednesday evening, it was still unclear whether State lawmakers would soon convene a special legislative session in Albany to tackle several items, including a salary bump for members of the Senate and Assembly.
“The governor and legislative leaders have been discussing issues that could be reviewed in a special session,” said Rich Azzopardi, spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “The legislators are clearly interested in returning to reauthorize a Pay Commission which would need to act by the December 31st deadline if the legislators will receive any pay raise.”
Cuomo has indicated that the thrust of such a capital confab must be about more than just an increase in income, Azzopardi noted.
“The governor is most interested in having the people’s business attended to and believes if there is to be a special session the legislators should do more than merely reauthorize a committee to consider their pay raise,” he said.
According to Azzopardi, Cuomo and company are discussing:
- Breaking the Senate and Assembly logjam on the $2 billion housing memo and at least release much-needed funds to combat homelessness.
- Provide new funding to operate the governor’s Hate Crimes Task Force run by the State Police and Division of Human Rights to battle recent acts of illegal discrimination.
- Procurement reforms, including providing Inspectors General for SUNY and CUNY with subpoena power for their foundations.
- Sweeping new ethics reforms to change the very structure of state government and puts the major questions before the people for Constitutional Amendments, including: a constitutional amendment to limit outside income and create a full-time Legislature with a full-time salary that will be put before voters; a second constitutional amendment to create four-year legislative terms and put into place eight-year term limits for new members and term limits for statewide officials, which will be put before voters; reducing campaign contribution limits; limiting donations from those seeking state contracts during and after the RFP process; expanding disclosure requirements for local elected officials; extending the life of the Pay Commission until post-Constitutional Amendments determinations; empowering the Office of Court Administration to ensure all legislators’ outside income – as well as the Executive’s Commissioners – are free of conflicts and in compliance with the Public Officer’s Law.
Azzopardi added that Cuomo understands that “legislators often reference the New York City Council which gets paid double the amount State legislators get paid. That is a valid point. However, what the legislators fail to point out is that the New York City Council banned outside income and has adopted term limits.”
The spokesman later noted the Pay Commission’s most recent position on the matter:
“’We recognize that going 17 years without an increase legitimately puts a financial strain on the majority of legislators who rely solely on their government salary. As such, subject to further discussions and deliberations, the executive’s appointees could consider a modest increase. However, anything more than that would need to address the public’s concern and opposition by making the position effectively full time and limiting outside income. Accordingly, should the legislature pass reforms that mirror those of the United States Congress, including a cap on outside income, we are prepared to recommend and approve at a reconvened meeting of the Commission, a salary substantially higher than any discussed so far by this Commission, taking in consideration Congressional and New York City Council salaries.’”
