Kellner Proposes Governor’s Questions Hour
May 24, 2010
New Yorkers are sick of the “three-men-in-a-room” closed-door process that dominates so much of Albany’s business–and of the failures that this broken system has brought us. This is why I am introducing legislation to create a Governor’s questions hour, opening up debates over the direction of the state to public scrutiny. The bill would require the Governor to stand before the legislature for an hour each month during the legislative session to answer questions from Senators and Assembly Members, in a televised interaction similar to the British tradition of Prime Minister’s Questions.
A Governor’s questions hour would help break the logjam in Albany’s political process, giving New Yorkers direct access to the discussions that shape the state’s policies. By pushing political debates out into the open, it will create a remedy to the backroom dealings and bickering for which New York’s state government has become notorious.
People want to see an ongoing constructive dialogue between their legislators and the Governor to move our state forward. And having a regular questions hour would do just that.
The bill will give legislators an opportunity to question the Governor about the strategic direction, financial status, and general governance of the state. It will require the Governor to stand before the Assembly and the Senate on alternating months during the legislative session, responding to inquiries from Republicans and Democrats alike. The bills specifies that the percentage of time allotted for questions from members of the majority and minority parties will be based on the percentage of representation of each party.
Public dialogue and debate are critical to democracy. But as it stands, there is no opportunity for legislators and the Governor to get together on a regular basis to openly talk about the issues we’re facing. New Yorkers want accountability from their elected officials—and that means putting our debates and competing ideas out in the open.
Kellner Introduces Elle’s Law to Protect Pedestrians from Careless Drivers
May 17, 2010
In September 2009, 3-year-old Elle Vandenberghe was crossing the street in New York City when a motorist who had passed by an open parking spot backed up the wrong way on a one-way street through an intersection and struck Elle while she was in the crosswalk. Injuries sustained from the impact have left Elle with permanent brain damage and limited use the right side of her body. Doctors say that Elle may never walk again. Although the motorist displayed a blatant disregard for pedestrian safety and consequently left Elle permanently disabled, he was issued only a minor traffic infraction, paid a small fine and was free to get back behind the wheel, subject to no further penalty.
Traffic laws exist to keep people safe. But as it stands, drivers who break the law and cause horrible injuries to pedestrians are all too often getting nothing more than a slap on the wrist. This is why I have introduced “Elle’s Law” (A. 10617), which will create significant new penalties for motorists whose traffic violations cause serious physical harm to a pedestrian.
Current law fails to adequately address the significant problem of drivers who flagrantly violate and blatantly disregard the “rules of the road” by speeding, refusing to obey traffic signals, or by committing other “moving” violations, even when such driving results in the tragedy of a serious pedestrian injury. Prosecutors are unable to charge drivers who seriously injure innocent pedestrians under the existing Vehicular Assault laws, even when the serious injury was the direct result of the driver’s moving violation, unless it can be proven the driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. This outrageous reality leaves our pedestrians vulnerable.
Elle’s Law will force drivers to take responsibility for their actions, and it will provide justice for those who are victimized by careless driving. The New York Daily News reported on Elle’s Law here.
A Victory for Students: Agreement Preserves Teaching Assistants for 2010-11 School Year
May 10, 2010
Over the past several weeks, dozens of concerned parents have contacted me to let me know of their support for maintaining parent association-funded teaching assistants in our public schools during the upcoming 2010-11 school year.
I know the important role teaching assistants play in the lives of students and agree that our public schools cannot afford to lose the benefits of the vital services they provide. The hiring of teaching assistants is popular in New York City for good reason—it allows for more individual attention to students struggling to learn in overcrowded classrooms. Maintaining these positions ensures that students continue to receive the education they deserve.
I am happy to report that today an agreement was reached between the United Federation of Teachers and the New York City Department of Education which will maintain our PA-funded teaching assistants for the 2010-11 school year. The program will be a continuation of the temporary agreement from last summer for the current school year.
While today’s news is a victory for our schools, we must not lose sight of the main goal—a permanent, long-term agreement to maintain our invaluable teaching assistants. Since the temporary solution was reached last year, I have worked very hard to bring the UFT and DOE back to the negotiating table in order to develop a comprehensive plan for the future. I will continue to work with the DOE, UFT, our parent leaders, and school administrators to ensure that a long-term solution is reached as soon as possible.
Kellner to Mayor: Save Our Firehouses
May 7, 2010
Assembly Member Kellner speaks at a rally to save FDNY Ladder Company 116, which serves Roosevelt Island. Next to him are City Council Members Elizabeth Crowley and Jimmy Van Bramer
This week, Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a City budget proposal that would entail, among other cuts, the loss of 400 firefighters citywide. At a time when we have been reminded that New York City remains a prime target for terror, we can’t afford to lose essential protective services.
Today, I rallied with firefighters, union members, and other elected officials outside Ladder Company 116 in Dutch Kills, Queens, calling on the Mayor to find another way to save money besides closing firehouses. Ladder 116 is the closest firehouse to Roosevelt Island, and Island residents rely on the company for a quick response in emergencies. Eliminating Ladder 116 would be a mistake with potentially tragic consequences for Roosevelt Island — while we don’t know yet whether it’s on the list of proposed firehouse closures, I will do everything I can to ensure that it stays in the business of protecting Roosevelt Islanders and their neighbors in Western Queens.
Kellner Introduces Major Anti-Corruption Legislation
May 4, 2010
There has scarcely been a month since I first came to Albany where we have not seen a scandal involving a public official abusing the public trust for his or her own gain. This seemingly never-ending tide of graft and corruption reinforces the perception that all lawmakers are crooks or clowns. Unless the legislature faces its responsibility to close loopholes that allow this entrenched, unethical behavior to continue, we will deserve every ounce of scorn and distrust.
This is why I am proud to be the Assembly sponsor of the Public Corruption Prevention and Enforcement Act, a major reform that will strengthen New York’s anti-corruption laws (the New York Times reported on the bill here). This wide-ranging legislation closes loopholes in current state law that prevent the prosecution of corrupt schemes, adds tougher rules for member item grants, implements stronger campaign finance and financial disclosure measures, and fixes an apparent loophole in the Election Law. The bill has been introduced in the State Senate by Senator Eric Schneiderman, and was drafted in co-operation with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
The Public Corruption Prevention and Enforcement Act includes a host of measures to ensure that lawmakers are working for the public and not for their own personal benefit: it enacts a duty of faithful public service, punishes corrupt schemes to defraud the government, reforms criminal bribery statutes, creates new standards and prohibitions for community projects grants (commonly known as “member items”), enhances financial disclosure for state officials to prevent even the possibility of corrupt activities, and strengthens campaign finance rules to prevent loans intended for campaign use from being disguised as personal gifts (fixing a perceived loophole that recently led to the acquittal after trial of a public official in Manhattan).
It is time that lawmakers work to enrich the lives of their constituents instead of their own wallets. This is 2010, not the Boss Tweed era, and our laws should soundly punish those who abuse the public trust.
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