Assembly members Ken Blankenbush (R-Black River) and Janet Duprey (R-Peru) Wednesday called for adoption of a set of 17 Assembly rules changes to help create more transparency and openness in the state’s lower house.

Blankenbush, a Republican from Jefferson County whose district includes part of southwestern St. Lawrence County, said in a press release that he has been calling for many of the reforms since he was first elected to the Assembly.

“The halls of the State Capitol have been rocked by scandal and disgraced politicians, and these antics have often kept the Legislature from doing the work of the people. I am here to say enough is enough and to call for reforms to restore accountability and trust,” Blankenbush said.

Duprey, a Republican from Clinton County whose district includes the towns of Brasher, Lawrence, Hopkinton and Piercefield in eastern St. Lawrence County, says the reform package would bring openness and accountability back to state government. She said she has long supported ethics reform and has repeatedly co-sponsored legislation that would punish convicted public officials by requiring them to forfeit their state taxpayer-funded pensions. She also wants to impose term limits on legislative leadership positions and committee chairs, and create harsher penalties for those who violate the public’s trust.

In the 17 new rules is an emphasis on setting those eight-year term limits for legislative leaders, including the speaker of the assembly and committee chairs. Blankenbush said he has consistently called for leadership term limits, noting that former Speaker Silver held onto the powerful position for nearly 20 years before his arrest in January.

Additional reforms include video recording of all legislative committees, which are to be made available on the Assembly website.

To assure the people of the state that they are being represented, the rules proposals would allow each member of the Assembly to bring at least one substantive piece of legislation to the floor for a vote.

Other measures in the package include equal funding for members’ staffs, three days to study a copy of a bill before voting (this could be waived by leadership), more opportunity for members to demand hearings on bills and oversight issues, online posting of roll calls on floor amendments within 24 hours, and posting video recordings of committee meetings, among others.

According to an aide, Blankenbush supports all 17 measures, and is in particular a sponsor of the hearings provision, which says, “1/3 of the members of a committee should be able to petition for a hearing on a bill or an oversight hearing, and such hearing will be held unless rejected by a majority vote of the committee.”

“These common-sense proposals are exactly what the Assembly needs to rebuild the public’s trust in state government,” said Duprey. “There is a great urgency for greater transparency, openness, and accountability in the Assembly. I hope my colleagues across the aisle will commit to joining us in enacting these necessary reforms immediately. It’s our job as elected officials to best represent the needs of the people; we must give the public a reason to trust state government again.”

The proposals would change rules only in the Assembly, which is dominated by Democrats.

“What we outlined today are sensible reform measures that the people of this state deserve. We can and must do a better job for New Yorkers, and it starts with an honest look at ourselves,” Blankenbush said.