N.Y. campaign finance reform pushed

ALBANY — A trio of good-government groups is calling for real, comprehensive reform to the state's campaign finance laws.

In a recent press conference, Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director for the League of Women Voters of New York State, said that two bills recently proposed by Gov. David A. Paterson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, are meaningless.

"These are 'cover your butt' measures," Ms. Bartoletti said. "They would be serious proposals had they been raised in January. But there's been none of what passes for negotiation in Albany. They have no chance of passage."

Thus, she said, the League decided to make public its proposal to highlight the need for major reform in how the political campaigns in New York are funded. Other groups supporting the League's stance are the New York Public Interest Research Group and Common Cause.

"New York's system is terrible," said Blair Horner, NYPIRG's legislative director, pointing to the $94,200 cap on party contributions permissible under current law. "It's like the Wild West."

Under the League's proposal, party contributions to candidates would be capped at $5,000. Individual contributions to candidates running in statewide primary and general elections would be limited to $2,300 per election. Existing law allows contributions of up to $18,000 and $37,800 for primary and general elections, respectively.

The proposal also would prohibit personal use of campaign contributions and ban contributions from corporations and limited liability companies. Campaign contributions would be subject to more frequent reports, while donor occupations also would have to be reported. Anonymous issue ads would be banned.

The centerpiece of the League's proposal, Ms. Bartoletti said, is its enforcement provisions which call for the creation of an independent nine-member commission within the state Board of Elections to strictly enforce contribution and disclosure regulations. She blasted the current four-member board as being gridlocked into ineffectiveness.

"You can have all the laws you want," she said. "But without enforcement they're not worth the paper they're printed on."

Gov. Paterson's proposal, Program Bill 64, was issued June 4. Under this bill, contributions for statewide primary and general elections would be limited to $5,000, while party contributions would be capped at $25,000 per candidate. A summary is available online at: www.ny.gov/

governor/press/press_0604084.

html

"The bill would also begin to dismantle the pay-to-play system by limiting campaign contributions from registered lobbyists and members of their households, and require the reporting of bundled contributions by these lobbyists," said a statement announcing the proposal. "The corporate subsidiary and LLC contribution restrictions will prevent companies with business before a State agency from using their corporate treasury to pay-to-play."

Speaker Silver's bill, issued June 10, is A.11507. It would, among other things, create a public financing mechanism for statewide and legislative campaigns. The text is available online at: assembly.state.ny.us/

leg/?bn=A11507&sh=t.

The state Senate has held hearings on the issue, but has no pending legislation.

Concerning public financing of political campaigns, the three groups generally favor the idea, as long as the level of financing is attractive enough to make candidates use it.

"The idea would be to allow any of New York's 18 million residents to run for state office," Mr. Horner said. "Now, you have to be plugged into a party machine, have wealthy friends, or have big bucks yourself."