How A Bill Doesn’t Become Law (Updated)
The tech-savvy Bill Mahoney at NYPIRG has put together a useful spreadsheet of all the bills introduced by state lawmakers and who the best approval record.
State Sen. Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn, has introduced the most bills during the 2008 session, a total of 420 bills, yet partly because he’s in the Democratic minority, just 1.9 percent passed both houses of the Legislature.
Next were Sen. Ken LaValle, R-Suffolk County, with 346 bills introduced, then Sen. Thomas Morahan, R-New City, with 308 bills. They had a little better approval rating: 7.8 percent and 12.6 percent, respectively, as members of the Senate majority.
Not surprising, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, had the highest approval of bills passed at 37 percent, followed by Assembly Ways and Means Chairman Denny Farrell, D-Manhattan and Assemblyman Peter Lopez, R-Schoharie, who had 2 of 6 bills passed.
Who had the worst record?
Fourteen lawmakers have the dubious distinction of not having any of the bills even get passed out of committee, the NYPIRG review show.
Updated: (And as a reader just pointed out, I forgot to mention the obvious: They are all members of the minority party in their houses.)
—Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, with 92 bills
—Assemblyman Robert Barra, R-Nassau County, with 82 bills
—Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, with 68 bills
—Sen. Eric Schneiderman, D-Manhattan, with 66 bills
—Assemblyman Greg Ball, R-Patterson, Putnam County, with 52 bills
—Assemblyman Joseph Errigo, R-Conesus, Livingston County, with 42 bills
—Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, with 40 bills
—Sen. Darrel Aubertine, D-Jefferson County, with 39 bills
—Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt, R-Nassau County, with 39 bills
—Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau County, with 34 bills
—Assemblyman Jim Hayes, R-Erie County, with 33 bills
—Assemblyman Bill Reilich, R-Greece, Monroe County with 32
—Assemblyman Jack Quinn, R-Erie County, with 22 bills
—(Resigned) Assemblywoman Diane Gordon, D-Brooklyn with 2 bills
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I guess it should come as no surprise that every member on here, of both houses, is in the minority. That may have been a useful point for you to make in your report.
ed
That is true. They are all in the minority in their respective chambers. And some have been in their seats for some time, like Liz Krueger. But I will note that she, like Greg Ball, is highly abrasive, a grandstander, who finds fault in everyone but for herself. Maybe Krueger and Ball are great politicians, but as legislators they are at the bottom in effectiveness.
That Dems in the Senate and GOPers in the Assembly are prevented from passing bills is the greatest symbol of the need for reform and change in Albany. The Republican Senate needs to go, as does the Democratic Assembly. Everyone who reads this story should vote against Republican Senate candidates and Democratic Assembly candidates. Enough is Enough! We are fed up with business as usual.
The data collected by Bill Mahoney clearly demonstrates the problem that exists within Albany. We elect our local representatives to represent the interests and needs of their constituencies as well as the greater needs of NYS as a whole. The fact that some many legislators can’t even get one bill onto the floor for a debate is disgraceful. It’s quite obvious that the ruling party in each house would usher through bills from their own members. However, some of those bills that are blocked may be blocked for a good reason that Mr. Mahoney’s survey doesn’t address. Partisan fighting has crippled NYS government and until the Sheldon Silvers’ of the legislature are removed from power and a more cooperative leagilsture is elected there is little hope that we will see anything more that the status quo in Albany.
I guess having John Degnan elected as a Democrat would serve the district well then.
I think “Karl” misses the point. Sure, the majority is always going to control the agenda. That won’t change by “getting rid of” the democrats in the Assembly or the Repulicans in the Senate. That would only serve to give the “other” party the opportunity to be heavy handed. Interestingly, only a small number of legislators didn’t get any bills passed out of committee in their respective houses. I understand that even the most loathesome legislator gets a “local” bill once in a while. I don’t know all the other pols named in the list but prominent among them is Greg Ball. We all know his distain for the legislature and the people who serve there. It doesn’t surprise me that he didn’t get a bill out of committee (despite what he has said repeatedly in his campaign garbage). I would hazard a guess that the other named legislators might also be incapable of working within the system to assure that their constituents are adequately represented. As far as I’m concerned Ball is THE most dysfunctional member of a concededly disfunctional legislature. The voters of the 99th get what they deserve if they send him back.
Just look at it this way. Half of the junk they try yo put through shouldnt even be there anyway. It is there anti gun pro gay rights adgenda that they are pushing that we call them about that gets knocked down. Its we the people. Dont forget that!
this is truly pathetic. so-called conservative republican greg ball supports all this junk legislation: new laws, new regulations, new programs which in new york means more spending and more taxes. what’s wrong with the laws that are on the books? and then as if that’s not bad enough, he’s soooo ineffective that he can’t he even move 1 bill out of committee. all of his other freshman republicans were able to move at least 1 bill out of committee. not ball. but it’s ok, he’s a freshman republican. wait…
what???
Title of Story How a Bill DOESN’T become a law?
Simple. Elect Ball. END OF STORY.