By Bill Parry
New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) has created a new work group that will seek to bolster transparency and public participation in the Assembly.
The 12-person group will recommend changes to encourage more openness and public participation in the legislative process, while looking for ways to better harness technology, including to the Assembly’s website.
Heastie named Queens’ Assemblyman Francisco Moya to this new work group. Moya (D-East Elmhurst) said he was “honored” to be names to the panel.
“Government functions better when it is open and accountable,” he said. “In order to heal our government, we must treat the root causes of the ailment. By providing greater transparency, openness, and opportunities for civic engagement, we will begin to set repairs in motion.”
When he was elected speaker earlier this year, Heastie vowed to address longstanding concerns that rank-and-file lawmakers and members of the public were too often left our of legislative decision making. Moya believes he can help.
“It is my hope that these repairs usher in a new era of openness and effectiveness,” Moya said. “Government should be an open door to the people it serves, not draped in secrecy.
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
