It has not been a good week for democracy. On Monday, Governor Cuomo and Senate leaders
decided to pass on the historic moment created this budget session to enact
comprehensive campaign finance reform.
While enforcement was slightly enhanced and disclosure of independent
expenditures improved, the final reform package in the budget fell woefully
short of what is needed to ensure a fair, functioning, and uncorrupt government
working on behalf of all New Yorkers.
See LWVNY’s statement on the reform package here.
The failure of New York’s leaders to act was made
even worse yesterday when the U.S. Supreme court decided that aggregate
contribution limits (what an individual can give in total to candidates,
political action committees, and political parties) in federal races is unconstitutional
(see reactions from our good government colleagues here). And so the flood gates of big money in government
widened even further. Governor Cuomo and
the Senate Co-Leader Klein have claimed that they are working to pass more
reform later this session. Yesterday’s
Supreme Court decision makes it all the more dire that they match their actions
with their words.
