Albany Update Volume 5 - March 4, 2005 Reform "Reform" is in the air in Albany. The Brennan Center at New York University Law School issued a report earlier this year that called our state legislature “broken” and dysfunctional. Combined with editorial criticism centered on twenty years of late budgets, it made a lot of public officials nervous. Never mind that those who voted for senate and assembly candidates in the last election did not show any great concern for reform or legislative procedures. Voters, after all, are concerned about bread and butter: taxes, education, health care and security. Be that as it may, the Senate did initiate one reform that seems to have backfired. The reformers complained that legislators cast votes even when they were not in their seats. Never mind that most of those votes were on narrow, often very local matters. And never mind that the Republican majority never brings anything to the floor unless they have votes to pass it. So now members will have to sit in their seats as a vote takes place. Consequently, if you are planning to meet your senator "off the floor", you may be out of luck. In the past, you could send your business card into the Senator, who would then come out of the Senate Chamber to talk with you about your issue. Not anymore. Now people will wait endlessly for votes to be completed, and Senators (say privately) that this was a reform whose only result is frustration and inefficiency. Some reform! Save The Date COMPTROLLER ALAN HEVESI Bolton-St. Johns is hosting a PRIVATE fundraiser for ALAN HEVESI in New York City on Thursday, March 24th. Details will be forthcoming. Upcoming Fundraisers Monday, March 6 Senator Carl Kruger [D] - Ranking member, Aging - Albany, $1,000 Senator Joseph Robach [R] - Chair, Civil Service & Pensions Albany, $350 Tuesday, March 8 Assem Thomas Barraga [R] - Ranking member, Ways & Means - Albany, $250 Assem Jeffrey Dinowitz [D] - Chair, Alcohol & Drug Abuse - Albany, $300 Assem Susan John [D] - Chair, Labor Albany, $500 Assem Roy McDonald [R] - Ranking member, Banking - Albany, $250 Assem Joseph Morelle [D] - Chair, Tourism - Albany, $500 Sheldon Silver [D] & Dem Assem Campaign Comm Speaker Albany, $500 Senator Michael Nozzolio [R] - Chair, Crime Victims - Albany, $500 Senator Kevin Parker [D] - Ranking member, Energy & Telecomm - Albany, $250 Senator James Seward [R] - Chair, Insurance - Albany, $400 Thursday, March 10th Assem Margaret Markey - Woodside, $100 Senator Carl Andrews [D] - Ranking member, Civil Service - Brooklyn, $100 Sunday, March 13th Assem James Conte [R] - Ranking member, Education - Huntington Station, $250 Monday, March 14th Senators Alesi, McGee, Meier, and Padavan Assem Bacalles and Brown If you have any questions about fundraisers, please call Sandy in the Albany office, 518 462-4620. Back to newsletter list

New York City 110 William Street Suite 1410 New York, NY 10038 t: [212] 431-4748 f: [212] 226-7554 Albany 146 State Street Albany, NY 12207 t: [518] 462-4620 f: [518] 426-1631 Washington DC 1455 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 100 Washington, DC 20004 t: [202] 841-5695 Company Profile | Biographies | Newsletters Client Services | Client List | Useful Links