Relates to apportionment of staff for members in the Senate and Assembly

9 Co-sponsors

• Kemp Hannon
• Andrew J. Lanza
• William J. Larkin Jr.
• Kenneth P. LaValle
• Betty Little
• Suzi Oppenheimer
• Frank Padavan
• Michael H. Ranzenhofer
• James L. Seward

Title of bill

An act to amend the legislative law, in relation to apportionment of resources for members of the state legislature

Purpose

To provide equal staffing allocations for the running of the offices of Members of the Senate and Assembly; to provide reasonable additional assistance for Committee Chairs and Ranking Members; to equitably apportion central staff allocations; and to develop a non-partisan research service.

Summary of provisions

Amends the legislative law to:

1. Require that members of the Senate and Assembly be given equal staffing allocation within each respective House of the Legislature;

2. Allocate additional resources for Committee Chairs and ranking members. Those additional resources are $90,000 for all committee Chairs except education, codes, health, and higher education (the allocation for those Chairs would be $145,000); and in the case of Finance/Ways and Means, the Allocation would be $200,000. The ranking member of all committees would receive $30,000 except in the case of education, codes, health, and higher education it would be $55,000; and in the case of Finance and Ways and Means, $95,000.

3. Require a centralized research service for the Senate and Assembly to be hired upon the recommendation of the Speaker, Temporary President of the Senate, and Minority Leaders of each House.

Existing law

Allocates staff resources based on seniority and political factors rather than based on any equitable formula.

Justification

Each Member of the Assembly represents approximately the same number of people as any other Member of the Assembly. Likewise, each Member of the Senate represents approximately the same number of people as any other Member of the Senate.

Nonetheless, staff allocations are largely arbitrary and do not rationally relate to the service of the particular Senate or Assembly District. There is simply no good explanation why one representative of roughly 320,000 people should have multiple times the staff allocation of another representative of 320,000 people. It makes no sense.

The staff allocations (and Committee Chair/Ranking member allocations) provided for herein ensure the equal ability to serve the District represented by the Member. With respect to committee work, which is only part of what a Committee Chair/Ranking Member do, the additional allocation provides a rational amount for Committee Chairs to independently function, organize meetings, conduct hearings, and have the resources to have a reasonable amount of advice. With respect to Ranking Members, who do not have the administrative responsibilities of running a committee, the additional amount allows such member to hire a staff person on a basis which allows that staff person to provide advice and research relating to that committee's functions.

Legislative history

2007-2008: Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations (S.5088) and Assembly Committee on Governmental Operations (A.7731). FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : The bill provides for no new appropriation. It will require the reconfiguration of existing appropriations.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediately.