[caption id="" align="alignright" width="200" caption="New state legislative bill proposes to end document shredding by losing representatives, with examples cited in bill's publicity."][/caption]The Times Union's Capital Confidential newsblog has a piece up about how a group of state legislators — mostly Assembly Republicans — have gathered to propose a bill making it a misdemeanor for losing lawmakers to destroy constituent case files after leaving office. Assemblyman Phil Boyle, a Long Island Republican who is the bill’s sponsor, said he first experienced the problem in the 1990s as chief of staff to then-Rep. Rick Lazio. “We walked in the office after a tough race, all the files were destroyed,” he said. Recently, Boyle said, he got the idea to outlaw the practice while watching a news report on outgoing-Sen. Antoine Thompson’s destruction of files. Sen. Mark Grisanti, who defeated Thompson, will sponsor the bill in the Republican-majority Senate.

Boyle asked other legislators — Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis and Assemblymen Mike Spano and Dean Murray — to share similar stories. Murray said his office was stripped of all files when he took over after a special election, and even the copier was looted of its toner cartridges. “It got to the point of ridiculous,” he said.

Boyle explained the bill he is sponsoring would not require the preservation of all files, but simply ones relating to individual constituents seeking and/or receiving assistance in dealing with a state agency. This can include everything from cutting through red tape at the Department of Motor Vehicles to making sure their health insurance is in order. Those latter instances, Boyle said, make this a “life and death issue.” In addition to introducing the legislation, Boyle said he would forward the bill language to Gov. Andrew Cuomo with the suggestion it be included in an overall ethics reform package.