Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Albany Reform

Brennan Center: Albany’s “Still Broken”

11:18 AM EST on January 6, 2009

sheldon_lg.jpg

NYU's Brennan Center for Justice just published an update of the famous 2004 report that described in excruciatingly precise detail just how deeply lousy New York State government has become. I haven't had the chance to read it yet but the title of the 2008 edition pretty much sums it up: "Still Broken."

The New York Times editorializes this morning:

New York’s government is still a secretive, boss-driven,anti-democratic disgrace.... Legislative leaders, especially Assembly Speaker SheldonSilver, have had “a stranglehold on the flow of legislation at allstages of the legislative process.” Most members have little say. Committees are run like shadow puppet theaters. Details aboutlegislation are hard for the public to get, unless they subscribe to abill-drafting service for $2,250 a year.

After the jump, some bullet-pointed lowlights from the report...

    • In both chambers, but especially inthe Assembly, leadership maintained a stranglehold on the flow oflegislation at all stages of the legislative process.
    • Committee meetings were infrequent inboth chambers and sparsely attended in the Senate, where members canvote without being physically present.
    • Most standing committees in both chambers failed to hold any hearings on major legislation.
    • There were no detailed committeereports attached to major bills in the Senate, and the Assembly rulesdo not require substantive reports to accompany bills reported out ofcommittee.
    • Legislators introduced anextraordinary number of bills in both houses during each session, whileonly a small percentage received a floor vote.
    • 100% of the bills that leadership allowed to reach the floor of either chamber for a vote passed with almost no debate.
    • Senate records indicate that many ofthe bills that received a floor vote lacked critical and requiredinformation about their fiscal impact, usually passing the full chamberwithout any meaningful debate or dissent.
    • The use of conference committees toreconcile similar bills in each chamber remained the exceedingly rareexception, rather than the rule.
    • Member resources were distributed inequitably in both chambers on the basis of party, loyalty and seniority.
    • Much of the legislative processremains opaque; records are difficult to obtain without burdensome"freedom of information" requests, and key records of deliberation-suchas "no" votes on procedural motions in the Senate-are not maintained.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Thursday’s Headlines: What an Historic Day Edition

It was such a big deal that all sorts of strangers in the press corps showed up. Plus other news.

December 7, 2023

Council Repeals Decade-Old Law that Stalled Bike Lane Installation

The City Council repealed a notorious. out-dated law that imposed lengthy delays on the city before it could break ground on new bike lanes.

December 7, 2023

Dynamic! MTA Could Hike Congestion Pricing Toll 25% on Gridlock Alert Days

The MTA said it had that power, and modeled it in its environmental assessment (see footnote 2 below), but no one ever reported it, until Wednesday.

December 6, 2023

Judge Orders Trial for Hit-and-Run Driver Who Turned Down ‘Reasonable’ Sentencing Offer

Judge Brendan Lantry turns down driver's request for mere probation for killing a delivery worker in 2022. The trial will start in January.

December 6, 2023

Wednesday’s Headlines: Another Big Day at City Hall Edition

Today is going to be another busy day for the livable streets crowd. So get ready with today's headlines.

December 6, 2023
See all posts