• require that records and legislative proposals to be discussed at an open meeting be made available to the public prior to such a meeting (A.72-A);
• limit the time state agencies would have to appeal a judgment against them for violations of freedom of information laws (A.68); and
• require the commissioner of general services to maintain an inventory and audit of every state-owned real property or unappropriated state land that has been sold (A.2305).

“These bills help shine a light on our state government,” said Lupardo, who voted in favor of the legislation. “Voters deserve a responsive government that encourages citizen participation and conducts its business in the light of day.”

In past years, the Lupardo has supported new laws that modernize the distribution of public records (Ch. 223 of 2008), require posting of certain public records on Assembly websites (Ch. 499 of 2008), require public bodies to post dates and times of public meetings online (Ch. 26 of 2009), require agencies to accept and respond to requests for records under the Personal Privacy Protection Law (Ch. 27 of 2009), and allow courts to overturn government decisions done in violation of open meetings laws (Ch. 44 of 2010).

“For too long, public authorities in New York have remained unaccountable and allowed to proliferate at the taxpayers’ expense,” said Lupardo. “This bill is an important step in streamlining state government and reforming pubic authorities.”

The 129 agencies represent over 15 percent of the state’s public authorities.  None of the agencies included in the legislation have any debt or other obligations.

This legislation is a direct result of the Public Authorities Reform Act of 2009, which Lupardo also co-sponsored. That reform, signed into law last year by Governor Paterson, created an independent Budget Authorities Office which was responsible for identifying the authorities to be abolished.

Two local agencies included in the legislation:  1) the Broome County Resource Recovery Authority and 2) the Village of Johnson City Urban Renewal Agency. Local governments that want to once again to use an authority for urban renewal, industrial development, parking, or other similar purpose, would need to obtain new legislation at the state level authorizing such use.

“People have a right to know how state government operates,” Lupardo said. “The measures we passed today will help open up government and increase accountability by making information more accessible to the public.”

The package of legislation includes bills that would:

• increase public awareness of government by clearly allowing the recording, broadcasting and photographing of government public meetings (A.10093);
• allow courts to overturn government decisions done in violation of open meetings laws and require public officials who disregard the law to attend compliance training sessions (A.10196);
• ban government agencies from claiming copyright protection whenever the materials don’t reflect artistic creation or scientific or academic research (A.5726-A);
• require public meetings, if practicable, to be held in facilities sufficiently sized to accommodate the number of people who wish to attend (A.5873);
• shorten the time state agencies have to appeal judgments against them for Freedom of Information Law violations from four months to 30 days (A.6484); and
• authorize state agencies to waive fees related to the reproduction of records requested by a member of the public (A.6371).

Lupardo has long been an advocate for comprehensive government reform laws. In addition to the package of bills passed by the Assembly today, she is a co-sponsor of legislation (A.7187-A) that would subject advisory boards to the Open Meetings Law and legislation (A.9911) to require that records be posted on agency’s websites at least twenty-four hours prior to a public meeting and provide a reasonable number of “hard copies” prior to or at the meeting.