NY Assembly rule now allows votes, without even showing up to the floor
ALBANY, N.Y. (WRGB) — If you're a member of the New York State Assembly, one of the key parts of your job is to show up on the Assembly floor, listen to debate, and vote.
Well, maybe not anymore, after something that happened late in an Assembly session last week.
They are now the highest-paid state lawmakers in the nation, so how does the Assembly celebrate?
MORE: Years later, NYS Assembly finally streaming video of committee meetings
By implementing a new rule that allows members to vote even when they don't show up for work in the chamber.
Assembly resolution E87, full of rules changes. Buried in the last paragraph is so-called fast roll call voting — votes that are along party lines.
It's a provision that says a member's vote will be recorded as affirmative when they aren't actually on the floor to vote.
MORE: Assemblymember double dipping his salary, but this one has a twist
All they have to do is swipe in with their attendance card at the start of the day.
Because they are in control of what goes to the floor, most affirmative votes come from the majority party — the Democrats.
Here is how that part of the resolution reads:
“RESOLVED, That subdivision c of Section 2 of Rule V of the Assembly
Rules is amended to read as follows:
c. In the event a slow roll call is not [required] requested pursuant
to subdivision b, the yeas and nays on the final passage of a bill or
any other question before the House shall be taken by a fast roll call
and a member desiring to vote in the negative on such a roll call shall
do so by entering a negative vote through the electronic voting system
or in such other manner as may be prescribed by the Speaker. All other
members shall be recorded in the affirmative. [On such a roll call the
Clerk of the Assembly shall call the names of the members who are
recorded in the negative.]”
Republicans say the new resolution is outrageous. Democrats say it makes the Assembly more efficient.
