By Hank Russell
Nassau County Legislator Cynthia Nuñez (D-Valley Stream) is urging the Republican majority to reverse rule changes that she said inhibit public comment during the Legislature’s committee meetings.
During the Legislature’s February 9 meeting, members of the public were only permitted to speak on the day’s agenda items before items were presented for consideration. Prior to the Republican rule changes at the start of the year, public comment was allowed after committee members deliberated and prior to votes.
In January, the members of the Democratic delegation voted against the rule changes and raised concerns that residents would be deprived of meaningful opportunities to weigh in on issues and expenditures of their tax dollars. After these concerns were borne out during the Feb. 9 committee meetings, Legislator Nuñez urged Presiding Officer Howard Kopel (R-Hewlet) and the Republican delegation to reconsider the Legislature’s new rules. The Presiding Officer has not yet responded to Nuñez’s request.
“Legislating in the dark is not what the people of Nassau County sent us here to do. This rule change is a transparent attempt by the Majority to shield themselves from informed criticism,” Nuñez said. “By forcing the public to speak before they’ve heard a single word of debate, this body is effectively closing its ears to the very people we represent. You cannot have an informed public if you demand their input before the facts are even laid out on the table.”
Nuñez additionally decried the new rule a “procedural gag order.”
“As a Legislator, I value the exchange of ideas that happens when a resident reacts to a point made during a debate. Stripping that away turns our committee meetings into a scripted performance rather than a public service,” Nuñez said. “This isn’t about efficiency; it’s about avoidance. If the Majority’s proposals can’t stand up to public scrutiny after a debate, then perhaps those proposals shouldn’t be brought forward at all. I will not be complicit in a move that treats public participation as an inconvenience to be scheduled away.”
Long Island Life & Politics has reached out to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s office and the Nassau GOP Legislative Majority, but did not hear back as of press time.