New York Assembly locks down debate – again

The Assembly may be the people’s house, but Democrats have gotten criticized recently for the limitations preventing the people from actually accessing the chamber. In the most recent example, members of the Democratic conference approved a change to their rules putting a cap on the number of bills lawmakers can force onto committee agendas. But that’s far from the only transparency issue dogging the Assembly Democratic conference. 

In the past, members of the Assembly could force a committee vote on their legislation at the end of the regularly scheduled session. While this hardly guaranteed the bill went anywhere, Republicans – long since relegated to the minority – have used the maneuver to get Democrats to vote on the record on contentious issues that the GOP supports. Republicans criticized the change to cap the number of times lawmakers can do this as limiting conversation and stifling the voices of New Yorkers.

Last year, Democrats approved a similar, but even more consequential, change to the rules. No longer could lawmakers engage in unlimited debate on controversial issues. Instead, members now only get 15 minutes each to speak on the floor. This, too, was met with staunch resistance from Republicans.

The new rules also came on the heels of a letter to Speaker Carl Heastie from Capitol reporters demanding their access to the Assembly chamber be returned now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in Albany. Prior to the pandemic, reporters had easy access to the floor during session to speak with members. They could also access a hallway in the back of the chamber where members and staff would often gather. But even as most of the business in the Capitol has returned to its prepandemic norms, Heastie has not granted reporters access again. Shortly before reporters sent that letter, Heastie also said that he would no longer take questions from New York Post reporters.

Criticisms over transparency are nothing new to the Assembly. The chamber’s technology is laughably outdated, especially compared to their state Senate counterparts. The Assembly didn’t even video stream committee meetings until this year and did not make the archived audio stream available afterwards, much to the chagrin of Capitol observers.

Heastie spokesperson Mike Whyland told City & State that Monday’s rules changes “allow our chamber to operate more efficiently and are in line with Senate rules” when asked about the fresh criticisms from the right.