Malcolm Smith | The New York Observer

Diaz Excuses His Absence

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:16:30 -0500

ALBANY—State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. is "sorry" he missed a vote on Leandra's Law, which cracks down on people who drive drunk with kids in their car, but he has other business to attend to.

"I am distributing turkeys to my seniors in the Bronx," Diaz told me by phone. He said he's distributing 2,000 turkeys. Last year, he was being wooed by both Republican Leader Dean Skelos and Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith in...

Senate Dems Insist They're Getting Close

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:28:29 -0500

ALBANY—It seems the State Senate Democrats are coalescing around a deficit reduction proposal--the question is whether it will be acceptable to everyone else.

"I said last night we're only $200 million apart on a $3.2 billion DRP," State Senator Liz Krueger said this morning. We've gone back in this morning with a number of additional proposals, as the governor himself has said that he would come back with."

"I hope that we get this...

No Deal, Mixed Messages After Leaders Meet

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:20:54 -0500

ALBANY—Emerging from a thirty-minute closed-door meeting with David Paterson, legislative leaders said they are still working on a deal on the mid-year deficit and hoped it could pass soon, but Paterson insisted we're still in Armageddonous territory.

"I don't know why people are walking out of here saying they're very close to a deal. I don't know why people are leaving here happy and I don't know why it is so difficult to understand...

Paterson Softening on $3.2 Billion Figure

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:58:21 -0500

ALBANY—That $3.2 billion deficit number was just a suggestion, it looks like.

"As I see it, one deficit, one plan," David Paterson told reporters after a meeting with legislative leaders. "I mean, I can't comment on what different people are saying. I'm talking to the leaders. We have a $3.2 billion plan. I mean, I'm sure if it wasn't exactly $3.2 billion that we could work with that. But at the same time, it's...

Smith: We're Not Going Back to Session Until There's an Agreement

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:37:56 -0500

ALBANY—State Senator Malcolm Smith said his colleagues in that chamber will not return to session until a deal is reached on a deficit reduction package, and said that the overall package could be less than the $3.2 billion figure at which David Paterson has pegged the deficit.

"We want to make sure that we do not waste any time, and we want to make sure that we put together an agenda that is acceptable...

Paterson Says That the Senate Has Secretly Promised to Vote on Same-Sex Marriage

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:47:44 -0500

ALBANY—A vote on same-sex marriage will be held "at a date not certain between now and the end of the year," David Paterson just promised publicly.

"This is the first time the Senate leadership has indicated that it will support a vote on marriage equality," Paterson said. He also committed to putting the bill on the calendar for a special session next week.

Conspicuously absent from the Red Room press conference where Paterson spoke...

Last Try for Same-Sex Marriage?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:16:06 -0500

ALBANY—It's a Hail Mary pass for same-sex marriage.

State Senator Tom Duane, the measure's sponsor in that chamber, just walked across the back of the floor trailed by Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson and Eric Adams, his top lieutenant. Along with Senators Malcolm Smith, Eric Schneiderman and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, they walked down to meet with David Paterson. Duane's hands were clasped and he was pacing. A source familiar with the lobbying...

Paterson's Speech: 'We're Running Out of Money'

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:51:51 -0500

ALBANY—David Paterson arrived late for his big speech, and before an Assembly chamber that featured over a dozen empty chairs, delivered a blunt message: "Frankly, we are running out of money."

"At this moment, all of us assembled in this chamber stand as the last defense between our state gong into a downward economic spiral that threatens to engulf generations of future new Yorkers," Paterson said. "We cannot, we must not risk the future...

Even Discussion Is Beneficial, Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Say

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:46:36 -0400

ALBANY—They'll think about it, at least.

After public calls for same-sex marriage to be put on the agenda of a special session now scheduled for Nov. 10, members of the State Senate Democratic conference are hoping to at least hash it out in a closed-door conference.

"I think it's a conversation we need to have," said State Senator Diane Savino, a Staten Island Democrat, who is pushing to take up the issue. She said...

Andrew Cuomo Helps Consumers, Saves Upstate

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:19:02 -0400

ALBANY—In one stroke, Andrew Cuomo announced a program that should help health care consumers, bring investment and jobs to upstate New York and bring evil insurance companies to heel.

Cuomo was at Syracuse University's Maxwell School this morning to announce the creation of FAIR Health, a not-for-profit company that will become the clearinghouse for out-of-network health care reimbursement rates. Those rates are currently set almost exclusively by the Ingenix company, against which Cuomo has...

Klein Outraises Everyone, Espada Tells an Untruth About Filing

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:46:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Jeff Klein raised more money in the last six months than any other member of his chamber. Klein's filing shows that the deputy majority leader raised $638,564, and has $866,984 in the bank. That's more than President Pro Tempore Malcolm Smith, who raised $575,835; Republican Leader Dean Skelos, who raised $256,022; Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, who raised $105,223; and Senator Carl Kruger, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who raised $541,510. It's...

Who Runs the Senate? (July 17 Edition)

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—So now that the Senate is nominallly a functioning body, who's running it? It's not an easy question to answer. "It's not a clear, bipartisan operating agreement, but it's not as though the Democrats have established clear control over the Legislature again and are consistently moving their agenda," Justin Phillips, a political science professor at Columbia University who researches state government, just told me by phone. "The Democrats are nominally back in charge, but until we...

Senate Staffer Pleads Down Forgery Case

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:11:00 -0400

ALBANY—Indira Noel, a top Senate Democratic staffer, pleaded guilty this morning to disorderly conduct. Above is the complaint filed against her, which accuses her of two misdemeanor forgery charges related to a 2007 incident in which she falsely signed documents to obtain college transcripts of Jean Pierre, a staffer who Noel hoped to have fired. Heather Orth, a spokeswoman for Albany County District Attorney David Soares, said Noel pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation, and...

Republicans Leave as Dems Do Ordinary Senate Session; Medical Absence Leaves Them One Vote Short of Quorum

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:43:00 -0400

ALBANY—The same two-part dance played out on the chamber floor just now as in recent days: two parties, two procedures. After that happened, Republicans walked out of the chamber and into an immediate conference. But this time, double-flipping senator Pedro Espada Jr. remained alongside 30 other Democrats. (State Senator George Onorato has not yet checked in. Angelo Aponte, the Senate secretary, said he is absent to have an adjustment to his pacemaker.) "Despite some of the...

Sources: Leadership Deal Has Smith and Skelos Splitting Top Jobs

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:17:00 -0400

ALBANY—Negotiations to resolve the State Senate leadership struggle include a deal that would make Malcolm Smith the chamber's president pro tempore and Dean Skelos the majority leader, sources familiar with the discussions said. Irene Liu at Capitol Confidential reported this earlier, and has more on the second level of leadership. I've heard that things are still fluid regarding the role of the much-maligned Senator Pedro Espada Jr., who currently claims the title of president pro tempore,...

In the Chaos, Senate Dems May See One Last Opportunity to Wrest Schools From the Mayor

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:14:00 -0400

ALBANY—As both sides of the State Senate leadership struggle inch closer to an operating agreement, Democrats are positioning themselves to take one last crack at diluting mayoral control of city schools. Speaking to reporters after an extraordinary session that lasted just over three minutes, Senators Malcolm Smith and John Sampson, the leaders of the Democratic conference, insisted that they did not want to work out the problems and convene in a regular legislative session, which...

This Is the Cup of Hiram's Blood, Which Will Be Shed for You and for All

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 13:41:00 -0400

Here’s Hiram Monserrate this morning at the National Action Network, talking about his decision to return to the Democratic caucus. At the event, Monserrate likened himself to Jesus, who “began to turn over a few tables” in order “to get the people’s business done right.” Monserrate went on to say that “if it cost my election because I decided to turn over a table or two, and say that business has got to be done differently,...

Political Questions Aside, Espada's Health Clinic Passes Inspection

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:56:00 -0400

ALBANY—Just over a month ago now, shortly after State Senator Malcolm Smith made the fateful decision to demand some accountability to then conference-mate Pedro Espada Jr., I FOILed inspection records from his Soundview Healthcare Network, a nonprofit which Espada has allegedly used to promote his political campaigns. Espada has denied the charge. Anyway, no smoking guns. A man who complained, loudly and repeatedly, about his kidney dialysis. A woman who claims she had HPV and...

Skelos Refuses to Endorse Espada Publicly

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:37:00 -0400

ALBANY—Emerging from closed door negotiations, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. did not get an endorsement by Republican Leader Dean Skelos. Espada proclaimed to reporters: "I just want to address the many questions you have posed to my office this morning regarding some scurrilous rumors about their being an agreement that Pedro Espada would step down. Let's be clear about where this coalition stands. The coalition is firm, it's united. We are discussing the details of...

Big Senate Meeting, Ongoing

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:04:00 -0400

ALBANY--A massive meeting of Democrats, Republicans and Pedro Espada Jr. is going on on the fourth floor of the Capitol, ostensibly to work out a power-sharing agreement and some temporary resolution to the leadership struggle that has crippled the Senate for the last ten-plus days. Democrats including Malcolm Smith, John Sampson, Carl Kruger, Jeff Klein and prodigal senator Hiram Monserrate just walked out as staffers for Republicans and Espada went in. Golisano aide and coup-facilitator Steve...

Judge Dismisses Democratic Challenge to Senate Coup

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 13:36:00 -0400

ALBANY—Finally, after delaying for negotiations four times, Justice Thomas McNamara dismissed a lawsuit filed by Democrats to declare Malcolm Smith the leader of the State Senate. I'm not in court because I was covering David Paterson, who spoke with reporters, but got the news from Democratic attorney Michael Kink's Twitter feed. Republicans told me last night that they believe this means the vote they took last week electing Pedro Espada Jr. as president pro tempore and...

Bipartisanship, But How?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:57:00 -0400

ALBANY—While both sides in the fight over state senate leadership wait to hear from a judge, the 31-31 split in the chamber means things will have to get more bipartisan. Right? "It's not in their political D.N.A. to work in a bipartisan fashion," said Blair Horner, the legislative director of NYPIRG and a longtime Capitol observer. "I don't know how long it takes to get there, but if there's any hope for the session, it's...

Who Is John Sampson?

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 08:39:00 -0400

John Sampson is the favorite to replace Malcolm Smith as Democratic leader in the State Senate, enjoying the support of a growing number of his colleagues and the blessing of the Conference of Black Senators. Which means that, depending on the outcome of the ongoing struggle for control of the Senate, this anonymous official may soon be one of the Three (or four?) Men who ostensibly run the state. So, who is he? Above...

Steve Israel Is Going to Watertown, Malcolm Smith Is Not

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:42:00 -0400

ALBANY—Senate Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith will not, in fact, give the keynote address at the Jefferson County Democratic Dinner in Watertown this evening, but the event will still prove to be a major mixer for candidates looking to replace John McHugh in Congress. "No," his spokesman Austin Shafran confirmed. "That was on the schedule a while ago." Smith hasn't been sending out a public schedule in recent days as he works to retain his control of...

Monserrate Stays Away, Smith Fades

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:09:00 -0400

Malcolm Smith just emerged from a meeting of Democratic senators at 250 Broadway and said, "The most important thing that we talked about is the lawsuit." He also said, "Our conference is very united."When I asked if Hiram Monserrate had been there, Smith said, "No, no. He was not there."As Smith got into a car, he ignored a reporter who asked if he was still the...

Dem Senators Gather, Tensely

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:46:00 -0400

John Sampson arrived at 250 Broadway for a meeting of Democratic State Senators about 30 minutes ago, flanked by Bill Perkins of Harlem and Eric Adams of Brooklyn. Sampson didn't say much to the reporters gathered out here. Jeff Klein arrived by car with Diane Savino, and said he wants the Democrats to maintain the majority "on our terms." He did not elaborate. Malcolm Smith arrived more than an hour ago, before most reporters arrived. Smith was on...

Democrats Meeting at 250 Broadway; Sampson Says 'We Are Not Going Back to the Minority'

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:47:00 -0400

State Senate Democrats will be a meeting at 250 Broadway this afternoon, where they will attempt to consummate a deal that will bring defector Hiram Monserrate back across the aisle in support of a new conference leader. Whatever arrangement has been agreed upon so far is being described as "very fluid," Democratic sources kept repeating. This would bring about a 31-31 partisan split in the chamber, which has been crippled by a leadership struggle since...

Dilan: 'Malcolm Has Done a Great Job as Our Leader. However...'

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:46:00 -0400

Here’s State Senator Martin Dilan of Brooklyn, outside City Hall this afternoon after endorsing City Council candidate Maritza Davila. I asked him for an update on the Senate leadership situation. “Malcolm is the leader of the Democratic conference. I expect that he will continue,” Dilan said. “But as you know, there is at least a member who is deciding in which direction he is going to go and one of the preconditions that he has is...

Appellate Judge: Espada Jr. Can't Be Senate President Yet

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:18:00 -0400

ALBANY—An appellate judge just granted a temporary restraining order preventing State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. from acting as temporary president of the New York State Senate, a post he claims to have assumed during a floor coup Monday. I'm still waiting for the actual decision, but Mike Kink, one of the top lawyers for Senate Democrats seeking to stop Espada Jr., Tweeted the results just now from a Kingston courtroom. Earlier this morning, an administrative judge...

Espada Says He Has Keys, Talks With Duane

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 14:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. just told reporters that he has the keys to the Senate chamber, and he will go inside and conduct a session in conjunction with the Republicans he partnered with in a coup earlier this week. "We have access, we have keys, and we will open the doors and do our business at 3 p.m.," Espada declared. He alleged that a surrogate for Smith asked David Paterson to have the locks...

Smith: We're Going to Court

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:58:00 -0400

ALBANY—After David Paterson called for a vote to resolve a leadership dispute in the State Senate, a spokesman for Democratic Leader Malcolm Smith announced he would file a lawsuit against Republicans. Here's the statement from Austin Shafran, Smith's spokesman: "The Temporary President and Majority Leader, Senator Malcolm A. Smith, was elected to a two year term pursuant to a resolution passed by a majority of Senators in January 2009. The purported coup was an unlawful violation...

Since When Have the Senate Dems Had a Problem With Thuggery?

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:30:00 -0400

It’s funny what a crafty and flawlessly executed backroom maneuver will do to people. Take the Democrats in Albany: They’ve suddenly discovered morality. The party’s public response to the Monday coup that saw Senators Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate defect to the G.O.P. and hand Republicans control of the chamber has been loaded with self-righteousness and moral indignation. “A thief and a thug,” is how Austin Shafran, the spokesman for Malcolm Smith, the Senate majority until...

Paterson to Democrats: Open the Chamber and Have a Vote

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:18:00 -0400

ALBANY—David Paterson wants the State Senate to vote on new leadership. Today he continued to blast Republicans and renegade Democrats who chose one of the last weeks of session to mount a coup in New York's upper chamber. Paterson also called on Democrats who still hold the keys to "open the doors" of government and vote. "They can resolve that issue by just holding another vote. If the votes are sustaining that leadership, then they would...

Democrats Work to Pull Monserrate Back In, Sharpton Plans An Albany Trip

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—Even as the Republican-led coalition in the State Senate forges ahead with plans to hold session today, Democrats are trying to pull State Senator Hiram Monserrate back into their fold. There's a meeting going on right now in his Queens district called by the Rev. Al Sharpton, where I'm told by someone who's there that Sharpton will organize buses to bring demonstrators to Albany. Also in attendance is Julissa Ferreras, Monserrate's former chief of staff, who...

Smith by a Thread, Sampson Moving Toward Leadership, Duane Flirting With Republicans

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:05:00 -0400

ALBANY--Malcolm Smith is hanging on by a thread. A well-placed Democratic source told me the conference of black senators--without Smith--met yesterday and gave their blessing to John Sampson of Brooklyn to lead the Democratic caucus in the State Senate after a coup put a coalition of Republicans and renegade Democrats in charge. "It's not clear that Sampson has the votes yet to put this all together, he's a few votes short," the source said. Liz hashed out...

Coup Ends a Brief Era of Liberal Opportunity

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:23:00 -0400

ALBANY—For liberals, this was the year of great expectations. It was the first time in three-quarters of a century that Democrats controlled all three governmental levers in Albany, and the newly empowered Senate Democrats, led by Malcolm Smith, talked about legalizing same-sex marriage; passing new laws to protect tenants and mandate prevailing wages on public projects; and creating a new governmental process to make the Legislature transparent and decentralized. Of course, it all started...

Democrats Put Out Dirt on Espada

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:35:00 -0400

ALBANY—Yesterday he was a "thief." Today, Pedro Espada Jr. is accused of "political extortion" by Austin Shafran, Malcolm Smith's top spokesman. "It comes down to money, and we obviously found out what Pedro Espada's price was," Austin Shafran, his spokesman said on WGDJ Talk 1300. "He was trying to give $2 million to sham groups with addresses that were clearly linked to Espada employees." Espada, as part of a deal that supposedly toppled Smith's control of...

Queens Democrats Still Behind Malcolm Smith, Mum on a Monserrate Primary

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:26:00 -0400

The Queens County Democratic Party isn't saying what, if anything, they're prepared to do in response to the coup in the State Senate. For them, it's especially painful. A Democratic majority leader from Queens, Malcolm Smith, was deposed in a coup made possible by a Democratic senator from Queens, Hiram Monserrate. Michael Reich, the executive vice president of the Queens County Democratic Party, isn't saying too much right now. “I don’t know enough about what’s going on over...

Paterson Won't the Leave State, Isn't Fighting for Smith

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 13:06:00 -0400

ALBANY—The first thing David Paterson was asked this morning, after speaking at a graduation for new state troopers, was whether he'd feel comfortable leaving the state anytime soon. Under a deal reached yesterday that has apparently toppled Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, if Paterson leaves New York (even to go to New Jersey), State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. would assume the powers of the governor, according to the state constitution. Yes, this is the same...

Smith Is Still Democratic Leader, But Not All Dems Are Willing to Say So

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:20:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senate Democrats just met behind closed doors, and the consensus is to keep meeting. Malcolm Smith, we're told, is still their nominal leader after a floor coup yesterday. "I don't see any reason why not. I think that we have to maintain unity within our conference. This is a real test for us, and I think this is the time that we show what we're made of," State Senator Jose M. Serrano, a consistent...

Anatomy of a Coup

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 08:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—At 3:37 p.m. Monday afternoon, State Senator Jeff Klein, a Democrat, offered a motion to adjourn the State Senate. It was an act of desperation: there was a motion on the floor that would elect the Republican leader in the chamber--Dean Skelos--majority leader, and install a turncoat Democrat, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., as the president pro tempore. The last word was barely out of Klein's mouth before his fellow Democrat State Senator Neil...

Paterson: 'What Happened to the Handshake?'

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:19:00 -0400

ALBANY—In a five-minute tirade, David Paterson just told reporters it was an "outrage" that Senate Republicans would conduct such a "despicable" "dereliction of duty" by engaging in a coup that was an "unnecessary distraction from government dressed up in the cloak, falsely, of reform." "This is a government. Our country was founded on the basis of individualism, where people were encouraged to have beliefs, to have dialogue and flesh their problems out in public. In...

Smith: We Were Adjourned, It Didn't Happen

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:02:00 -0400

ALBANY—Malcolm Smith, flanked by not quite 31 members of what was the Democratic conference of the State Senate, proclaimed that he was still the majority leader, regardless of the floor coup earlier. "We understand there was a vote taken after the session was gaveled out," Smith told reporters. "When you are adjourned, you are adjourned. You can't assume that just because you have 32 votes that walk out there, that everything has changed." He refused to...

With Friends Like These, How Long Can the Republicans Hold On to the Senate?

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:27:00 -0400

Democrats waited 40 years to win back the state Senate and now, just five months after finally securing control, it’s been snatched away from them again. So it’s only logical that they’re furious. But they should really take a breath, because—while they will have a clear and profound impact on the workings of Albany through 2010—the surprise defections of State Senators Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate to the Republican conference could end up, in...

Dem Spokesman on Espada and Monserrate: 'A Thief and a Thug'

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 18:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—Austin Shafran, spokesman for State Senator Malcolm Smith, just told me that this coup (which he called "illegal") in the chamber was orchestrated by "a thief and a thug." He was referring to State Senator Pedro Esapda Jr., who has run afoul of the state board of elections and is under investigation by the Bronx County district attorney and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's office, as well as State Senator Hiram Monserrate, who has been...

Squadron: My Form Is Already Public, Why Isn't Yours?

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 11:58:00 -0400

ALBANY—Daniel Squadron is practicing what he's preaching. He will unveil a bill today alongside Majority Leader Malcolm Smith which will require, among other things, that the categories describing income and asset holdings on required ethics disclosure forms be made public un-redacted; currently, the public can see who a legislator worked for, but not how much they made. (And even then, only a category would be available). Squadron gave me a copy of his undredacted 2007 form...

Smith: Legislative Leaders Shouldn't Have Outside Jobs

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 13:29:00 -0400

ALBANY—Majority Leader Malcolm Smith just told a bunch of reporters that he thinks legislators should have to disclose the amount of money they earn from other jobs, and that leaders should have no outside income whatsoever. "I believe, at this point in time, the paradigm needs to shift on how state government manages its members," Smith said after speaking at a luncheon. "There are enough circumstances and cases where it's gotten us in trouble, and...

Duane Says That the Votes Are There, Now, for Same-Sex Marriage

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:12:00 -0400

ALBANY—With three weeks and a day left in the legislative session, advocates are once again pushing for a State Senate vote on same-sex marriage. State Senator Tom Duane, the bill's main sponsor in the chamber, said he was completely "confident," but in a back-and-forth with reporters, dodged specifics. "I don't want to seem overconfident, but I'm confident it's coming to the floor, I'm confident it's going to win, I'm confident we're going to have the...

Approaching the End of Session, Paterson Aims Everywhere

Fri, 29 May 2009 10:39:00 -0400

ALBANY—Lawmakers are scheduled to meet in Albany for 13 more days before the close of this year's legislative session, and David Paterson is hoping to do it all. "I would say that the one that we're here to discuss today would be a priority," Paterson said Tuesday, announcing a restructuring of ethics oversight, when asked for his end-of-session list. "The spending cap would be a priority. The property tax cap would be a priority. Mandate...

Smith: Let Paterson Bring His Ethics Proposal to My Committee Hearings

Tue, 26 May 2009 14:01:00 -0400

ALBANY—It looks like it will indeed be a rough road for David Paterson's proposal for a new ethics panel. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith put out a statement inviting Paterson or his surrogates to present the plan at one of three upcoming public hearings. "We welcome the Governor's submission of ethics reform legislation and look forward to a presentation from his office at one or more of the three hearings the Senate Ethics Committee has scheduled...