What's Happing Now
New York
This month, Governor Cuomo and legislators in Albany have the opportunity to include citizen-funded elections through the Governor’s 2014 Executive Budget. If enacted, any contribution up to $175 to a participating candidate would be matched 6 to 1, giving every New Yorker the voice that they deserve. It’s modeled after the system used in New York City that has transformed the way that elections are financed.
There is a growing effort in the state of New York to pressure the Governor and the State Legislature leading up to April 1st to pass citizen-funded elections. Our partners at Public Campaign Action Fund have launched an advertising effort aimed at convincing the Governor and state legislators to keep this proposal in the budget and pass citizen-funded elections now.
What are citizen-funded elections? Why are they good for the State of New York? If you’re unfamiliar with the proposal, more information can be found here.
To keep up with the latest on what’s happening in Albany and to find out how you can get more involved in the New York campaign effort, please visit fairelectionsny.org.
Congress
Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. John Sarbanes introduced the Government By the People Act (H.R. 20) in the House, and and Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin introduced the Fair Elections Now Act (S. 2023) in the Senate only days after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his intention to add citizen-funded elections to his budget proposal. Both of the Congressional bills will create a matching system for small donations, similar to the highly successful system in New York City.
The Government By The People Act and the Fair Elections Now Act
- Empower everyday Americans to participate and provides an incentive in the form of a My Voice refundable tax credit
- Amplify the voices of everyday Americans through matching and multiplying small dollar contributions
With over 130 original co-sponsors on the House bill, 16 original co-sponsors on the Senate bill and the support of over 380,000 citizen co-sponsors in the days after launch, both bills will reduce the influence of big money donors and raise the voices of everyday Americans in our elections.
To learn more about both bills, and to see if your Representatives have signed on to co-sponsor the legislation - please visit www.ofby.us