Andrew Cuomo won't be governor of New York in 13 days, resigning amid a movement in the state Assembly to impeach him as a foregone conclusion.
But even as Cuomo is stepping down amid a wave of controversy surrounding sexual harassment allegations, some lawmakers are considering further consequences for impeached governors in New York.
Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara has proposed a constitutional amendment that would bar state officials convicted in an impeachment process of receiving their state pension. It's a more narrow version of a previous amendment, approved in 2016 by voters, that strips officials of their pensions if they are convicted of a felony while carrying out their official duties.
"I think that same standard we're applying, the same concept that was applied back in 2016, should certainly apply here," he said in a Capital Tonight interview on Thursday. "Given all we've seen, I think it's approrpriate."
It's not clear if lawmakers will continue to pursue impeachment even if Cuomo is no longer in office, or if they even can. But an investigation by the Legislature is still likely to move forward, drawing in the reporting of nursing home deaths by his administration as well as the use of government resources to help him write a book about the pandemic.
"My understanding is we can and I believe we should continue with the impeachment investigation," Santabarbara said.
And lawmakers are also eager to retain some of their power back from an executive branch that has consolidated much of it over the last 10 years.
"We saw this governor slowly but surely over the years consolidate power," he said. "We need to take some of that power back, especially when it comes to the budget process."