Albany criticized for lack of ethics reform as session ends
ALBANY — The chaotic final days of the 2017 legislative session failed to address new ethics legislation and killed a procurement reform measure prompted by a federal probe into allegations of bid-rigging and influence-peddling in some of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s biggest economic development projects.
“Response from Governor Cuomo, Sen. {Majority Leader John} Flanagan and Speaker {Carl} Heastie to largest bid-rigging scandal in state history: NOTHING,” charged a coalition of good-government groups on June 22, the day after the regular session ended.
Cuomo blamed lawmakers for failure to adopt more ethics reforms in the regular session that ended June 21. He didn’t include procurement or ethics measures in the special session he called for a week later and for which he set the agenda.
“That is disappointing,” Cuomo said after the regular session closed. “They say, ‘I don’t want to try again because it will never be enough.’ ”
Read more: http://www.newsday.com/news/region-state/albany-criticized-for-lack-of-ethics-reform-as-session-ends-1.13778749