NEW YORK: Gay State Senator Wants To Ban Outside Gigs For Legislators

Openly gay New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman has introduced a bill that would bar state legislators from taking outside jobs while in office.

Though the job of state legislator carries an annual base salary of $79,500 — highest in the country after California — it is considered part-time. Some lawmakers have outside employment that pays them far more than that, particularly the leaders. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver reported making up to $450,000 at his law firm, while Senate GOP leader Dean Skelos makes up to $250,000 from his. Gov. Cuomo’s anti-corruption commission has sent out a slew of subpoenas aimed at finding out what, if anything, the lawmakers are doing for their outside pay. In a recent report, the commission found that 89 of the 174 legislators who served in 2012 and returned in 2013 reported at least one source of outside income, with 73% earning at least $20,000. The panel claimed having second jobs “is not inherently wrong” but can lead to conflicts of interest or the appearance of corruption. Several lawmakers in recent years were charged or went to prison for improperly mixing state and private business. Hoylman said his bill would make the question moot by placing the same moonlighting ban on lawmakers as imposed on the governor, controller and attorney general.

Hoylman is in his first term and was elected to the Manhattan district formerly represented by openly gay state Sen. Tom Duane, who retired in 2012.