New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is weighing in on the drama in the state Assembly, and is proposing reforms. Cuomo, in a speech at NYU law school on Monday, says he won’t be signing the state budget unless the legislature agrees to the changes.
Cuomo is proposing a five-point plan, including public financing of campaigns, full and complete disclosure of lawmakers' outside income, and reform of the legislative per diem system where the governor says lawmakers come to Albany just to make money through the daily expense payments. And Cuomo says he’s putting his proposals in the budget, and won’t agree to a spending plan without them.
“I will not sign a budget that does not have an ethics plan as outlined in my proposal that addresses the current problems in the system,” said Cuomo.
The governor says he needs to “look every New Yorker in the eye” and tell them there are deterrents and punishments in place.
Cuomo says if lawmakers don’t agree, it’s possible he’ll shut down the government. And he says it’s now unlikely that he will be able to preside over a fifth on-time budget.
