A more open New York government? Maybe next session

Sorry, political junkies: Your chance to tune in to state Assembly committee meetings online died at the end of the legislative session last week.

Yes, that may sound slightly less fun than watching paint dry. But for those interested, a proposal to require webcasts of legislative committee meetings could have offered a new window on how state lawmakers decide which proposals make it to the floor and which never see the light of day. The state Senate already offers such video, but the Assembly does not.

This measure was among a handful of bills that advocates hoped would make government's inner workings more accessible to the public, but were left on the table at the end of the session. Continue>>>
======