I imagine McD that you are much more familiar with the challenges and issues raised.
I wish that hopes for change would be greater.
All or most of the committee members were there and some speakers included former members of the legislature and academics.
http://reformny.blogspot.com/The link has some updates and mentions Larry Norden and Eric Lane. When voters actually have a choice for Assembly or Senate, I hope they would consider the bullet point list of suggested reforms.
I appreciated the realistic outlook of the testimony, the candidness, the insights, and the reforms are simply to bring NYS in line with how govt. has worked better elsewhere for decades.
From their recent updates:
Among the highlights:
* Giving members the right to have bills drafted within a reasonable period of time
* Limiting the number of bills a member can introduce in the Assembly to thirty
* Ensuring that conference committees include members from each party proportional to their representation in the chamber
* Rejecting messages of necessity not approved by a two thirds majority of the chamber
* Requiring actuaries who prepare fiscal notes to attest to no conflict of interest
All of the resolutions failed, even the one that made the single, seemingly modest request that “Access to rooms and facilities by the Minority shall not be unreasonably withheld and once granted, not changed without consent.”
But it’s not all bad news. Three of the bills had meaningful, if not substantial, bipartisan support.