Ahead of the April 1 deadline, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has secured ethics reform measures in the state budget. The changes include a pension-forfeiture law, limits on campaign fund usage, additional oversight for government travel expenses and provisions that would require more disclosure from lawmakers on additional sources of income and legal clients. Cuomo has consistently said that he will not sign a budget that lacks these ethics reforms. In the past several months, critics have argued that the reform does not go far enough and Republicans do not publicly support it. Despite the reform’s shortcomings, the changes mark a positive step in reducing corruption in Albany. Unfortunately, Cuomo has given up a lot in order to keep ethics and education reform in this year’s budget.

Recent scandals have illustrated the need for stricter ethics standards. In January, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was arrested for taking about $4 million in bribes and kickbacks. Silver’s actions, while egregious, are far from unique: more than 30 New York state officeholders have been accused of corruption in the last 10 years, with charges varying from bribery and embezzlement to extortion and sexual misconduct. former Gov. Eliot Spitzer and former Rep. Anthony Weiner may have captured national attention, but plenty of wrongdoing has stayed out of the spotlight. Reforms are especially important since a recent anti-corruption panel found that many of the unethical dealings in Albany were not technically legal.

The new ethics measures are likely a response to Cuomo’s own issues  with corruption, like when he shut down a two-month old anti-corruption panel that began to investigate some of his dealings with the private sector.

The rest  of Cuomo’s budget is watered down due to his push for ethics reform — but it was delivered on time, a feat often not accomplished by past governors. Cut proposals were widely opposed by Republicans, who control the state Senate. These include the minimum wage raise to $10.50 by 2017, financial aid for undocumented college students and new oversight for cases in which unarmed civilians are killed by police officers. The removal of the minimum wage hike is particularly disappointing, considering wage increases are critical for alleviating poverty, and recent events have demonstrated the importance of curbing police brutality. A rise in minimum wage would have arguably had a greater effect on New Yorkers.

These ethics measures will hopefully increase government transparency and prevent conflicts of interest while also increasing public confidence in government officials. The new ethics standards are absolutely vital and must be implemented as soon as possible if New York hopes to rehabilitate its reputation as one of the most  corrupt states.

A version of this article appeared in the Tuesday, March 24 print edition. Email the Editorial Board at [email protected].