|
|
 |
|
|
|
Senator Bruno unveils the Senate Task Force on Government Reform's report to help improve State and local governments. |
Task Force Sets Ambitious Agenda for Short & Long Term Reforms
Thursday, November 18, 2004
The Senate Task Force on Government Reform today outlined an ambitious agenda of short and long term reforms to make the legislative process more open and effective and make State and local governments more accountable and responsive to the public.
As part of the announcement, the Task Force released a preliminary report that details the Senate's leadership on reform issues, including budget and Medicaid reform, procurement lobbying, as well as other legislative reforms. The Task Force also announced a series of hearings to gather public input on structural reforms for State and local governments.
"For a decade, reforming the state budget process has been the Senate�s number one priority and the very first bill passed by the Senate," Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno said. "However, until this year, the Senate stood alone in pushing legislation that would change every step of the process to guarantee that a budget is in place, on time, every year.
"It took ten years to achieve the budget reform agreement with the Assembly and we cannot allow this opportunity to fix the process slip by," Senator Bruno said. "That�s why, as a last resort, the Senate will take up an override of the Governor�s veto of historic budget reform legislation when the Senate reconvenes on December 6th. Ending late budgets is the key to ending legislative gridlock and will serve as the catalyst for an ambitious long term and short term reform agenda.
"In vetoing the bill, Governor Pataki identified some valid technical concerns about the reform plan and made many recommendations that were included in earlier budget reform bills previously passed by the Senate," Senator Bruno said. "We will be talking with the Governor and Speaker about addressing his concerns and possibly amending the budget reform bill."
"But, in the absence of a three-way agreement, we must not lose out on this opportunity to change a process that has failed to produce an on time budget for 20 years and ultimately the people of this State will determine, through the Constitutional Amendment process, whether the reforms we have adopted are ones they can support," Senator Bruno said.
The preliminary Task Force report, which was issued by the Co-Chairs of the Senate Government Reform Task Force, Senator Dale M. Volker (R-C, DePew) and Senator Frank Padavan (R-C, Bellerose), details the Senate's record on reform issues, including budget, Medicaid, legislative and lobbying reform, as well as outlining the goals of the Task Force.
"This report documents all of the changes we've implemented in the Senate in recent years and demonstrates that the Senate has taken the lead on the issue of government reform, that we have a strong foundation of reform and that we will build on our record by implementing further changes to open up the process and regain public confidence," Senator Padavan said.
"The Task Force will make recommendations that will have a major impact in the way that State and local governments function and operate in the immediate and long-term future," said Senator Volker. "We can all feel confident that all proposals for reform will be welcomed, and that serious thought and consideration of these ideas and proposals will be thoroughly debated before we make our recommendations."
The preliminary Task Force Report details the Senate�s record of reform including:
> A decade of action on budget reform legislation;
> Establishing a Medicaid Reform Task Force that conducted the first comprehensive review in the history of the program;
> Initiating joint legislative Conference Committees;
> Initiating public legislative expenditure reports;
> Putting live Senate sessions on the Internet and cable television;
> Passing Initiative and Referendum legislation;
> Passing lobbying reform legislation; and
> Passing local government mandate relief measures.
In addition, the Co-Chairs announced that the Task Force will hold a series of public hearings late this year and early next year, on a broad range of reform issues that impact State and local governments.
Specifically, the hearings will focus on:
> Initiative and Referendum -- Initiative and Referendum legislation would give people the power to directly decide on ideas that have strong public support, yet have not been acted on by their State or local government. The Senate has twice passed Initiative and Referendum proposals that would give New Yorkers a more direct role in the legislative process by empowering them to enact and amend laws. Twenty four states currently have some form of Initiative and Referendum.
> Constitutional Convention -- Convening a Constitutional Convention that, under existing law, comes up for a vote every 20 years. Most recently, voters rejected convening a Constitutional Convention in 1997. However, there have been recent calls for a convention as a way to make structural changes to State and local governments that require changing the State Constitution, such as creating a unicameral legislature.
> Local Government Reform -- The need for local government reform and consolidation; There are more than 4,300 units of local governments in New York State and 7,000 various types of improvement districts that add to high property taxes. The Task Force will discuss ideas to reduce overlapping layers of local government, exploring consolidation and increased cooperation to improve the delivery of services and to reduce costs to taxpayers.
> Public Authorities Reform -- The Task Force will hold a hearing on the increasing role of public authorities in the delivery of government services and what should be done to improve the oversight of public authorities to strengthen public confidence and improve efficiency.
> Lobbying Reform -- The Senate, which has repeatedly passed legislation to strengthen the state�s lobbying laws, including expanding them to cover procurement lobbying, will gather input on what could be done to make the lobbying law more comprehensive and effective, and to make the investigation process more open and fair.
Specific dates and locations of the hearings will be announced shortly.
In addition, Senator Bruno will reconvene the bipartisan Senate Medicaid Reform Task Force that, after holding public hearings and discussions throughout the State, made more than 40 recommendations to reform Medicaid and save State and local taxpayers $2.5 billion over five years. The centerpiece recommendation of the Task Force, a State takeover of the local share of the rapidly-growing Family Health Plus program, was included in the 2004-05 State budget.
"While we were able to take a big step forward, the Medicaid burden on taxpayers continues to grow," Senator Bruno said. "The Senate Medicaid Reform Task Force undertook the most comprehensive review of the Medicaid program since it began and made sweeping recommendations to save money on almost every aspect of the program, while making it more effective for patients. I am calling on this bipartisan Task Force to continue its effort to push for additional reforms to lower Medicaid costs and provide additional relief for taxpayers."
Finally, Senator Bruno said that the Task Force will consider changes in the Legislative process that have been proposed by the Brennan Center and other reform advocates, and make recommendations to implement reforms that can be adopted prior to the beginning of the next legislative session, as well as others that can be undertaken, along with the Assembly, to make the Legislature more open and responsive.
"Making Government Work"
A Preliminary Report from the Senate Task Force On Government Reform
[BIOGRAPHY] [DISTRICT MAP] [PHOTO GALLERY] [LEGISLATION] [CONSTITUENT SERVICES] [YOUR OPINION COUNTS] [GUESTBOOK] [PRIVACY POLICY] [SENATE INSIDER] [CONTACT INFO] [HOME/NEWS]