Campaign finance, legislative positions, and public trust in government are likely to be among the topics Governor Andrew Cuomo will bring up in his upcoming State of the State address.
Cuomo was a guest on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show on Monday morning, where the he was asked how the convictions of the former State Assembly and Senate leaders will influence his plans for change in 2016.
Cuomo said he’ll be pushing for major reforms in the State of the State address.
“Government has to prove two things – competence and trust,” said Cuomo. “A lot of damage was done to the public trust. The legislature has to understand that and can’t dismiss it and can’t say that was just a couple of people. They were the leaders of both houses.”
As far as the influence of major donors and questions about the state’s LLC loophole, Cuomo said, “You have to do your job and exercise your judgment absent who supports you, who doesn’t support you. If you can’t do that, you can’t be in the position in the first place.”
Cuomo said ethics laws, the reforms and the system are more important than ever as well as the character of individuals. He said he doesn’t want to make reforms in piecemeal fashion, and will present his plan holistically. He said legislators should want the reforms that people are demanding.
The Governor’s State of the State address is scheduled for January 13th.
