ALBANY, N.Y.—New York’s Assembly voted March 15 to limit legislators’ outside income to about $70,000 annually and to treat limited liability companies like other businesses that can give a candidate only $5,000 a year.
Both ethics measures, similar to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposals, are intended to curb the influence of outside money on state government.
Senate Republicans have opposed those measures. A bill to close the loophole allowing LLCs to donate up to $150,000 a year to a candidate without disclosing their owners died last year in a Senate committee following Assembly approval.
Many Assembly Republicans joined Democrats on March 15 in passing the bill 137-to-4. Several said they need to regain public trust, that it was a good first step and other measures are needed, like term and power limits on leaders and pension forfeits by officials convicted of corruption.
“Today I think we’re getting directly at the heart of the problems we had with our former speaker and also issues beyond that,” said Assemblywoman Sandra Galef, a Westchester Democrat. “It really addresses the amount of money you make outside when you’re not working and you’re making that money because you’re using your name.”
