Report: Gov. Cuomo to Propose Public Financing of Political Campaigns in Executive Budget

The New York Times is reporting that Gov. Cuomo’s 2014-15 Executive Budget proposal will include a public financing system, ethics reforms and an independent enforcement office for election-law violations.

Proposing these measures as part of his budget plan is seen as strengthening the Governor’s hand on the issue.  In 2013, Gov. Cuomo released his public financing and ethics reform proposals after the budget was enacted.

According to the Times:

“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, seeking to prod recalcitrant lawmakers to take action after a rash of embarrassing corruption scandals in Albany, plans to use his budget proposal this week to push for approval of new ethics laws and a public financing system for state political campaigns, administration officials said.”

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“The proposals in Mr. Cuomo’s budget include measures intended to strengthen criminal statutes relating to bribery, tighten loophole-ridden campaign fund-raising laws and require legislators who hold second jobs outside the Legislature to disclose more about their work, according to the administration officials.”

Fair Elections NY and Common Cause NY both issued statements supporting the Governor’s proposal.

For some analysis of the politics of the issue, read Liz Benjamin’s article titled “What would Cuomo do to get public financing?”

The Governor will release his 2014-15 Executive Budget at 2:00 pm tomorrow.