State Senator Fred Akshar is cosponsoring legislation with Democratic Party Senator Liz Krueger to establish a new, non-partisan and independent regulatory and investigatory body to oversee the legislative and executive branches of state government. The Anti-Corruption Constitutional Amendment would replace the Joint Commission on Public Ethics and the Legislative Ethics Commission, which have been criticized for a lack of independence and transparency. The new commission would have the majority of its 9 members appointed by the judiciary. Anyone having served as a state employee, lobbyist or political party official in the past five years would be ineligible for appointment. The commission would have the power issue subpoenas, receive sworn testimony and to make criminal prosecution referrals to a district attorney, attorney general or a U.S. attorney. To become law, the bill requires a constitutional change and must pass both houses of the State Legislature before going before the public as a referendum. If the referendum passes, the Governor would not have to sign it into law.
