For Immediate Release: December 10, 2015

Contact: Gary Ginsburg | ginsburg@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415

Statement From Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins

This latest conviction should signal to all of us that we need to reform how Albany functions.
The time has come for the Republican Majority to finally join with the Senate Democrats and
pass the ethics bills we have introduced and supported for years. We need to implement a fulltime Legislature and restrict legislators outside income; we need to close the LLC loophole; we
need to prohibit taxpayer reimbursement of campaign and legal defense funds and strip pensions
from public officials convicted of corruption. We need to restore the publics trust in state
government and that will only happen when the Senate Republicans agree to listen to the voters
and take meaningful steps to clean up Albany. The Senate Democrats stand ready to reform state
government, and I hope the Senate Republicans will finally join us.
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BACKGROUND
2015 Senate Democratic Conference Ethics Reforms Release:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/255205271/Senate-Democratic-Conference-Introduce-TheClean-Up-Albany-Legislative-Package

2015 Senate Democratic Conference Release on Closing the LLC Loophole:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/263268502/Senate-Democratic-Conference-Calls-ForPassage-Of-Critical-Ethics-Reform-To-Close-The-LLC-Loophole#scribd

2014 Senate Democratic Conference Ethics Reforms Release:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/222382517/05-06-14-Ethics-Reform-Bill-Package-Release

2014 Leader Statement on Need to Clean Up Albany:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/250254027/12-16-14-Statement-on-Ethics-Reform-PusH

2013 Senate Democratic Conference Ethics Reforms Release:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/136063151/04-15-13-Ethics-Reform-Bill-Package-Release
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New York State Senate | DemocraticConferenceNews@nysenate.gov | 518-455-2415