Jacobs spearheads effort to strengthen 'Whistle Blower' laws

Nassau County Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) today announced that she is reviewing the current county procedures relating to the protection of "Whistle Blowers." She is also weighing whether a county law may be needed to reinforce provisions of the already-existing state and federal laws that protect "Whistle Blowers."

Presiding Officer Jacobs met today with the County Attorney's office, as well as Majority Counsel, to discuss whether a local law may be needed to expand existing state and federal protections.

"We are going to let our employees know that we support them and want them to be proactive in reporting waste, fraud and abuse," she said "If they take that action, they will have protection of the law. We want to make it clear to employees that their communications will be confidential and we will also tell employees who and how they can make contact on an issue."

In addition, Jacobs sent a letter to State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer on Tuesday, requesting clarification on whether current state and federal laws go far enough in protecting Nassau County employees. Jacobs' request was in reaction to a recent report released by the County's Office of Legislative Budget Review entitled, "A Report on Rules Committee Hearing: Economic Development Vertical and Related Matters," which suggested that perhaps the county could better protect employees with its own "whistle blower" law.

"As leader of the majority delegation, I am dedicated to creating an atmosphere of open government, where anyone can feel safe and comfortable speaking the truth, without fear of retaliation," she said.