Good-government organizations on Tuesday urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to approve a measure that's meant to expand transparency requirements for economic development in New York.
The measure, if approved, would require community advisory committees, which play a role in helping shepherd and oversee economic development projects, to open their meetings to the public.
The bill would make the committees subject to the state's Open Meetings Law, which would also make public their meeting agendas, materials and minutes.
The measure is backed by a coalition of good-government organizations, which have sought to provide more sunlight to programs and spending overseen by the Empire State Development Corp, the main economic development arm of New York state government.
The groups, led by Reinvent Albany, released a memo of support backing the measure's final approval. In the memo, the groups wrote that opening the meetings would "ensure the broader public is able to view the activities" of the advisory commitees and have access to the same information.
Much of the push for this measure is being brought in response to the ongoing controversy to a plan for renovating Penn Station and the surrounding office space around New York City. Critics and good-government organizations have sought more information on the state's involvement in the project.
"This means that ESD has at times only provided information regarding the spending of billions in taxpayer dollars to a small group of individuals who in theory represent the community, but has not shared this information with the public at large in a complete or timely manner," the groups wrote.