By Sarina Trangle
After campaigning his way to Albany on pledges to push for longer legislative terms and limiting lawmakers’ time in office, state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Bayside) said he made headway on his first state bill, which would extend legislators’ terms to four years, by joining the Independent Democratic Conference.
Avella joined the IDC, a breakaway group of Democrats that controls the Senate through a coalition with Republicans, Feb. 26.
On March 11, the Rules Committee moved a measure extending state lawmakers’ terms from two to four years, which Avella said he introduced shortly after getting elected to the Senate four years ago.
“The fact that it passed the Rules Committee is very significant because it could come up for a vote at any moment,” Avella said, noting that he attributed the measure’s progress to him signing onto the IDC. “It would not have come up otherwise.”
But a companion bill Avella introduced calling for the implementation of 16-year term limits for legislations stalled. A revised version cutting term limits to 12 years or three consecutive terms — whichever is longer — has not fared well either, sputtering in the Judiciary Committee since being drafted in 2013.
“There is a little more discussion this session than there has been in the past,” Avella said. “Term limits is a harder lift because the members have to, in fact ,agree to term limits.”
Avella said both bills were designed to reform the state Legislature, which he characterized as too easily swayed by donors and lawmakers’ need to fund-raise and campaign because of their two-year terms.
“Part of the dysfunction in Albany is they’re constantly running for office, and because of that, of course, they’re constantly raising money,” Avella said. “It would increase the likelihood that we would take up more of the state’s business rather than having some of my colleagues worry about the next election.”
The senator has said entrenched legislators became stagnant, arrogant and resistant to change, often focusing on advancing to key committee positions rather than the public’s priorities.
It is unclear how much support Avella’s bills will garner.
Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), deputy leader of the chamber’s mainstream Democrats, declined to comment on the measures.
Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach) said he could not imagine legislators considering extending terms without delving into term limits, salaries and other parameters of the position.
Even Avella signaled some reservations about the measures’ progress, noting it would be difficult to pass controversial bills with elections approaching and he did not think public sentiment for term limits had reached the critical mass necessary to compel legislation.
Reach reporter Sarina Trangle at 718-260-4546 or by e-mail at strangle@cnglocal.com.
