Pitching PEF bills in the majors
By SHERRY HALBROOK
PEF is usually way out ahead of the curve when it comes to state legislation,
because the union adopts its agenda of legislative priorities for the next state
legislative session at the union’s fall convention — two or three months before
the session starts in January.
That’s a good thing, because this year the legislative curve ball has been more
of a hard, fast line drive down the middle.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer didn’t wait to get the state budget out of the way before
tackling his own broad agenda of reform legislation from the budgetary process
to Workers’ Compensation.
“The dynamic start to this legislative season has brought needed reforms in many
areas, including ethics and lobbying,” said PEF President Ken Brynien, “but we
hope state leaders will recognize that an important measure was left out of
their efforts to produce better government services at a lower cost to state
taxpayers — the Cost-Benefit Analysis Bill promoted by PEF in our Go Public
campaign.”
State lawmakers passed the bill last year, but it was vetoed by Spitzer’s
predecessor. Now, Cost-Benefit Analysis is back at the top of PEF’s pitching
line up for 2007.
Sponsored by Assembly Labor Committee Chair Susan John, the bill has been
assigned number A.7092. However, its former chief Senate sponsor, Nick Spano,
lost his bid for re-election last November, so PEF is looking for another
lawmaker to take up the cause in that house.
“This bill would force state agencies to think carefully and critically before
handing off their work to private contractors. Contracting work out has become
such a habit for the state that it happens almost automatically now, even when
it’s obvious that doing the work in-house with state employees would produce
equal or better results, greater public control and accountability, and cost
taxpayers far less money,” Brynien added.
“With the help of the Fiscal Policy Institute and audits by state comptrollers,
we’ve identified at least half a billion dollars a year wasted by this knee-jerk
contracting.”
PEF is also working to get lawmakers and the governor to unite behind bills
aimed at making state worksites safer, and at improving working conditions for
nurses and the quality of patient care they provide.
“In the past, we’ve often found strong support in the Legislature for our bills,
only to lose some crucial games in the final inning when the governor came to
bat,” Brynien said. “Our new governor has a new vision for how to improve our
government and lives in New York state, so this could be an opportunity to
achieve real progress on many important issues.”
So, PEF is working hard to build strong, early support for its two remaining
workplace violence bills — the Judi Scanlon Bill (A.2316/S.3101) and the
Workplace Injury and Reporting Bill (A.6642/S.1710).
And, in May, PEF’s nurses — in concert with those from other labor groups — will
shine a bright, hot public light on all the needless miseries that flourish in
the environments of chronic short staffing and mandatory overtime at many New
York hospitals, nursing homes and even prison infirmaries.
“The nurses will lobby and rally at the Capitol May 22,” said PEF Legislative
Director Brian Curran. “They have a powerful message on behalf of all New
Yorkers’ whose health and even their lives may depend on receiving high quality
nursing care.”
Curran said PEF will send its entire roster of political action liaisons (PALs)
out to engage legislators in late May or early June on these bills and other
high priority issues outlined in the 2007 PEF Legislative Agendas mailed to
state lawmakers earlier in the session.
The
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