Newsday
1/3/12
Yancey Roy
Activists said they anticipate Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo will advocate public financing of elections as part of his State of the State address, slated for Tuesday.
“We’re very excited about this,” said Karen Scharff of Citizens Action.
Cuomo aides said they couldn’t confirm or deny what the governor might propose.
Good-government watchdogs have long advocated for public financing, decrying the influence of wealthy individuals or well-healed interest groups to bankroll campaigns.
The idea has never gained much traction at the State Capitol. Former Gov. Eliot Spitzer called for it in 2007. But it was killed by Senate Republicans who said they opposed the idea of taxpayers footing the bill for campaigns.
New York City has had a public-financing of elections system in place for years. Candidates who qualify for and received public funding must agree to spending limits.
