Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush, R-Black River, said he’s disappointed a committee in the state Assembly today declined to put forward a bill that would strip state pensions from officials convicted of corruption.

“Today, the Assembly’s Governmental Employees Committee met and had the chance to join me and my Republican colleagues in moving ethics reform legislation to the floor for a full vote. Unfortunately, the Democrats in the committee balked at this opportunity and Assembly Bill 4643, which would strip state officials convicted of corruption of their taxpayer funded pensions, was overlooked,” said Blankenbush, whose Senate district includes southwestern St. Lawrence County.

“With less than 12 days of session remaining time is running low and we’ve still yet to see any form of ethics reform legislation,” he said.

“The people of New York have spoken and the onus is on Assembly Democrats to take up the legislation my conference has proposed or introduce something substantive.”

Assembly Republicans have proposed a package of ethics reform measures that stands little chance of passage in the Democrat-dominated Assembly.