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NY Ballot Measure Would Strip Pensions Of Corrupt Lawmakers

Money in a pants pocket
Flickr/Mike Schmid

Voters in New York state will decide next month whether to authorize judges to strip the pensions of corrupt officials.

More than 30 lawmakers have left office facing allegations of misconduct since 2000. Many are still eligible for generous pensions for their state service.

A 2011 law allowing judges to revoke the pensions of corruption lawmakers doesn't apply to lawmakers who were previously elected. This year's ballot question, if approved, will close that loophole.

Supporters including Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and top lawmakers, who say revoking the pension of corrupt politicians will deter others from abusing their position.

But some good-government advocates question whether the loss of a pension will be enough to keep lawmakers honest if the threat of federal jail time isn't already enough.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
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