Lawmakers, civic groups push for JCOPE replacement

ALBANY — Civic groups and lawmakers are pressing Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to include in his Democracy Agenda support for a constitutional amendment that would create an independent ethics panel.In a press conference at the New York State Capitol on Tuesday, they credited Cuomo for including voting and campaign finance reform in his agenda, but noted the absence of significant ethics enforcement reform in his package.The Anti-Corruption Constitutional Amendment, first authored by Sen. Liz Krueg