After campaigning his way to Albany on pledges to push for longer legislative terms and limiting lawmakers’ time in office, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said he made headway on his first state bill, which would extend legislators’ terms to four years, by joining the Independent Democratic Conference.
Avella joined the IDC, a breakaway group of Democrats that controls the Senate through a coalition with Republicans, Feb. 26.
On March 11, the Rules Committee moved a measure extending state lawmakers’ terms from two to four years, which Avella said he introduced shortly after getting elected to the Senate four years ago.
“The fact that it passed the Rules Committee is very significant because it could come up for a vote at any moment,” Avella said, noting that he attributed the measure’s progress to him signing onto the IDC. “It would not have come up otherwise.”
But a companion bill Avella introduced calling for the implementation of 16-year term limits for legislators stalled. A revised version cutting term limits to 12 years or three consecutive terms — whichever is longer — has not fared well either, sputtering in the Judiciary Committee since being drafted in 2013.
“There is a little more discussion this session than there has been in the past,” Avella said. “Term limits is a harder lift because the members have to, in fact, agree to term limits.”
Since most enjoy being senators for life, why would they agree to that?
7 comments:
Another empty gesture by an empty suit politician. Avella knows this will go nowhere. He wants his constituents to believe he's on their side, fighting for them in Albany.
This is why we need term limits: more State legislators (Assembly and Senate) have been indicted, than lost elections. There are in Albany as long as they want. There are just no viable challenges.
Having term be fours years instead of two saves time and money.Although he knew that term limits were not going to go through. He just put that in to make himself look like he was actually doing something and I'm sure he's just as happy they didn't.
Tony was once honest. Now he is part of the system. He gets his bills make believe passed and for that he sold himself out. Disgusting !
But Tony got us that Northeast Queens bus study?
The Sir Gallahad, the pure of heart, rides again.
Like many of the other well intentioned bills that Tony has introduced, this one will probably bite the dust.
Do you really think that these crooked Albany pols will vote to limit their terms in office?
Maybe I'm wrong and a miracles will prevail.
Redistricting was the Founder's idea of term limits
Post a Comment