Legislative Logjam In City Council Prompts Frustration
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As proposals are piling up and going nowhere in City Council, some councilmembers find that they don't want to push politics that the City Council Speaker Christine Quinn isn't interested in despite a measure introduced when she first took the job that sought to avoid such a problem. NY1’s Courtney Gross filed the following report.There's a bottleneck at City Hall.
A majority of council members support paid sick leave at city businesses and higher wages at subsidized developments. More have endorsed a bill to require handicapped-accessible cabs.
However, these proposals are caught up in committee, and they aren't alone.
Some two dozen bills have the support of more than half the council, but they aren't going anywhere. This legislative logjam, critics say, is courtesy of Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
“Individual City Council members have their hands tied behind their back if they are trying to get something done that the speaker doesn’t want done,” said Craig Gurian, editor of “Remapping Debate.”
When Quinn first became speaker, she immediately changed council rules to make it easier for ordinary members to bring bills to the floor, a decision that had been left solely to the speaker.
Since 2006, the rule hasn’t been used a single time.
Critics say council members won't force bills to the floor for fear of retribution, like the loss of committee chairs or member items.
Even members say they don't want to make waves.
"There tends to be a reluctance to force the issue if the speaker doesn't want something to move ahead,” said Councilmember Oliver Koppell.
In response to an inquiry from NY1, Quinn's communication director Jamie McShane issued a statement saying, in part, “Speaker Quinn has worked hard to make the council more open and transparent than it’s ever been before… It should therefore come as no surprise that councilmembers more often than not deliberate, conduct hearings and debate important issues rather than resorting to parliamentary tactics. Speaker Quinn is now leading such ongoing discussions…”
The question is, are these proposals sputtering because of politics or because they're bad public policy?
“Public policy is always about politics,” said political consultant Hank Sheinkopf.
Quinn is eyeing a mayoral run in 2013. Insiders say she has already carved out a pro-business candidacy. Critics allege lagging legislation, like paid sick leave, could impact those interests.
That bill's sponsor is unswayed.
“Our job is to unstall it by making a case that it's veto-proof,” said councilmember Gale Brewer.
As 2013 nears, that job may be more difficult.