New York’s Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, recently heard arguments in the case brought by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo challenging the constitutionality of COELIG, the Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government. COELIG is New York’s only statewide ethics oversight body with jurisdiction over both the executive and legislative branches. The central issue to be resolved by the court is whether our state’s constitution requires that the governor have control over COELIG. A decision from the court is expected in February or early March.

The cause of trusted and transparent government in our state hangs in the balance. Since 1987, when New York’s first concerted foray into comprehensive ethics regulation resulted in the Ethics in Government Act in the wake of faith-shattering political scandals in Albany and New York City, there have been three overhauls of the state’s ethics enforcement structure and four successive ethics oversight bodies.