GOP Claims to Remain Focused

Amidst rumors circling the Senate Majority Dean Skelos, the GOP are set to be focused for the next legislative session that began on Tuesday of this week. Senate republicans are going to stand firm in support of Skelos through this process. According to rank and file members of the caucus, when the republicans conferenced on Tuesday it was only to discuss the policies that they wanted to address during the next two months of the legislative session. Issues such as rent control, common core and thousands of parents pushing for an "opt-out" option for their kids taking standardized tests have come to the doorstep of the legislature. The senate will have to be focused on policy and not outside distractions. 

Source: Nathaniel Brooks for the New York Times.

So far only two lawmakers have confirmed the issuing of subpoenas and source has claimed that 8 out of 9 republicans serving in the senate from Long Island have also been subpoenaed. These allegations of corruption on yet another leader of the legislature have put more doubts doubts in the publics eye towards New York's public officials. Even with the passage of ethics reform with the budget, according to Siena College 73% of upstate voter feel as though it will have very little impact on corruption. Also 90% of upstate voters see corruption as "very serious" or "somewhat serious" with 77% of upstate voters saying that the ethics reform did not go far enough. 

As if that wasn't enough Carl Heastie has made an official statement saying he did not benefit from the embezzlement that was charged against his late mother. 

These scandals, and other like it will take away from the legislatures ability to perform its critical roles of oversight, legislation, representation, and education as they might be caught up in a more judicial role this session.