Reform
For Chris, a big part of being a progressive leader means reforming the way government and campaigns work: increasing transparency, changing the pay-to-play culture, reducing the power of lobbyists and special interests and increasing access of everyday New Yorkers to City Hall. Chris knows that a good government is an open and honest government.
As Speaker, Chris:
- Passed the strongest campaign finance law in the nation that severely limited contributions from people who do business with the City.
- Passed comprehensive Lobbying Reforms that prohibit gifts from lobbyists, increases public reporting and makes campaign contributions non-matchable.
- Created Council Stat to consolidate constituent service data from 51 council districts into one central database.
- Dramatically increased transparency and accountability in the Council’s discretionary budget by enhancing the vetting process and placing new restrictions on certain types of funding.
- Passed legislation requiring the City to complete a cost benefit analysis before outsourcing contracts.
- Passed legislation giving New York City the strongest open data policy in the nation.
- Launched a campaign to improve operations at the Board of Elections, including a survey of more than 1,000 New Yorkers that uncovered widespread problems with ballot design.
- Passed legislation increasing public access to City documents.
- Required the Department of Education to provide more accurate and detailed information on school capacity and facilities and to report on student suspensions, arrests, and other disciplinary actions.
- Began live streaming of City Council Meetings.