New York’s State Legislature is the Most Dysfunctional in the Nation

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

New York's State Legislature is the most dysfunctional in the nation. This is not hyperbole. This is fact.

In an exhaustive 56 page study, The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law illustrated in depressing detail how truly F-ed up our State's Senate and Assembly have become.

The entire study can be read here. (warning: pdf).

The short version - individual rank and file legislators have no power. Senate and Assembly committees have no power and serve no purpose. Everything, and I mean everything, is decided unilaterally by the State Senate leader, Joseph Bruno, and the State Assembly leader, Sheldon Silver. And it's all done secretly. Simply put, the old Soviet Union's Politburo was more of a Democratic institution than the New York State Legislature.

http://www.thealbanyproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=36

Check out a new New York reform blog, "The Albany Project," here:

http://www.thealbanyproject.com/frontPage.do

Its mission:

The Albany Project seeks to return New York State Government to its rightful owners - the people.

[aquart]

1. This ain't new.

The incompetence of the New York State legislature is even immortalized in the musical 1776. Yes, they've been that bad that long.

[salvorhardin]

2. Yep

Basically three men (traditionally -- we've yet to see a woman get these most powerful seats in New York) have controlled New York State; the Governor and the State Senate and Assembly Majority Leaders. And I know we've been talking about reform since at least the days of Mario Cuomo.

BTW: Which song are you referring to in 1776 -- I don't recall that reference but then I'm not too familiar with that musical (only seen it once).

[aquart]

3. I think it was dialog.

The New York rep kept abstaining, courteously, and they finally exploded and asked why he didn't cast his vote and he told them he never had any instructions because the NY leg all talk loud and fast and consequently nothing ever gets done.

[salvorhardin]

4. Hah!

Thanks for the reminder. That musical debuted in 1969 -- how little things change!