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North Country Assemblyman Blankenbush slams Democrats for not moving on ethics reform

Posted 5/5/16

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, noting the sentencing Tuesday of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to 12 years on a corruption conviction, has come forward with some proposals for …

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North Country Assemblyman Blankenbush slams Democrats for not moving on ethics reform

Posted

Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, noting the sentencing Tuesday of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to 12 years on a corruption conviction, has come forward with some proposals for ethics legislation.

“New York State’s Legislature is in the spotlight again for all the wrong reasons,” said Blankenbush, whose district includes southwestern St. Lawrence County.

Blankenbush favors lowering the maximum campaign contributions to a state, county or local political committee from $100,000 to $10,000, “thereby taking big money out of the people’s elections,” his statement said.

He also wants to see pension forfeiture for corrupt officials and review of how the state handles the issue of donations after companies are awarded job contracts.

“My Assembly Republican colleagues and I have offered rules and ethics reforms numerous times, but Democrats in the Assembly are content keeping the status quo,” he said Tuesday.

“The people have voiced their opinion and it’s time the Assembly Majority listened to them. Something substantive such as campaign finance reform or the monitoring of special interests involvement with the Legislature must be done before we leave session.”

“It is a mockery of the legislative system and the hardworking people of New York deserve to have fair and honest representatives serving them. I will continue to provide solutions to this blatant disregard of public trust and the onus will be on the Democrats in the Assembly to do the right thing and act on these proposals.”