Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Assembly Democrats announced a two-way deal on ethics reform late Tuesday, that they say will require full disclosure of outside income for state lawmakers. Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie say they will not be releasing details until later Wednesday, but Cuomo says he's very pleased with the agreement.
"I want to applaud the speaker and the Assembly for really stepping up and setting a standard never established before," Cuomo said."There's going to be more disclosure, more transparency than has ever existed in this government."
Cuomo says Assembly Democrats "understand the situation that the government is in." The former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested in January on fraud charges connected to his earnings at two private law firms.
The state Senate has not agreed to the deal, but the public announcement puts pressure on Republicans, who lead the Senate to sign on to the pact. Passage by the Senate is required in order for the ethics deal to become law.
