State Senate Committee on Rules Reform: NYC Public Hearing on Feb 26

[brooklynite]

Thursday, February 26, 2009
6 PM - 9 PM
NYS Senate hearing Room
250 Broadway (Between Park Place & Murray Street, across from City Hall)
New York, New York

State Senators David Valesky and John Bonacic, Co-Chairs of the State Senate's Temporary Committee on Rules and Administration Reform today announced the public hearing schedule the Committee will undertake to solicit input from the public on changes that should be made in the way the State Senate operates.

"For too long, the State Senate has operated with oppressive rules that stifled the will of the people," said Valesky. "As we begin this new session, and this new Senate, we have an opportunity to make this body more deliberative, more open and more responsive."

"New York has a moral and legal duty to shed its reputation as having the most dysfunctional Legislature in the Nation. We in the Senate can do that by changing the Rules to create a more inclusive system. The changes we seek will ensure the ability of every Senator to advance legislative and budgetary goals on the merits, and engage in open debate both in Committee and on the floor of the Senate," Bonacic said.

The Hearings are open to the public to both attend and participate. Depending on the number of people wishing to testify, some may be asked to provide written testimony, rather than oral testimony. "Our goal is to obtain the broadest participation by those with a recognized credibility on reform. The process of making law does effect the end product. A better process will lead to a better product for all New Yorkers," Bonacic and Valesky said.

http://www.senate.state.ny.us/sws/reform/index.html