The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Announcing Amended Version Of 2013 Fair Elections Act

Capitol, Speaker's Conference Room
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 [Noon]


Good afternoon.

Let me preface my remarks by saying that our prayers are with the victims of yesterday's bombing in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a shocking and terrible tragedy, and we urge our neighbors to the East to stay strong and stay united during this difficult time.

Now, for the purpose of this press conference.

When it comes to campaign finance in New York, no one in our state government today has argued longer for reform, no one has carried the legislation for more years than I have.

In my mind, it was time for the public financing of elections in 1986, when I authored our first campaign finance legislation.

Reform was overdue in 2001, when I debated public election financing face-to-face with the Minority on the floor of the Assembly Chamber.

It was overdue in 2009, when the Assembly passed - and sent to the Senate - my bill establishing public financing of campaigns for statewide offices and state legislative offices.

And it was long past due in 2011, when we passed - and sent to the Senate - an even simpler and more narrow "Comptroller Campaign Finance Reform Act" to provide public financing only for the election of the state comptroller.

Over the years, as the political landscape has changed, I have continually advanced the debate by calling for greater protections, for penalties and transparency, and for action to address the unrestrained proliferation of independent expenditures shrouded in secrecy.

This year, I introduced a strong Fair Elections Act on February 13th.

We shared our bill with the good government groups, many of whom are represented here this afternoon. We heard their concerns. We listened to their suggestions.

Today, I am re-introducing a Fair Elections Act - Assembly bill 4980A - that is broader and stronger than ever before. The specifics of our legislation are contained in the news releases you have received, but essentially, our bill:

For the health of our Democracy, we need to level the playing field and provide an avenue to access the electoral process for all who wish to compete for public office.

We need to lessen the influence of "big-money" political contributions.

Disclosure is critical, but by itself, it is not enough. We must empower small donors by matching their dollars with public dollars.

For those candidates who choose to participate in the public financing system we are proposing, our legislation sets eligibility requirements and contribution thresholds, identifies which contributions can be matched and which cannot, defines permissible and prohibited uses of public funds, and establishes a uniform individual contribution limit.

We recommend a match of six dollars for every one dollar of eligible contributions up to a maximum two-hundred and fifty dollar contribution.

In addition, we establish a funding stream to support our public financing system, fed by an income tax check-off of five dollars, and the imposition of a ten- percent surcharge on recoveries for fraudulent practices relating to stocks, bonds and other securities.

Realistically, the average citizen is finding that the cost of running for election has become too expensive, for many, prohibitively so. We cannot allow elected public service to become the exclusive domain of the wealthy and the well-connected.

The voters have provided us with the best opportunity in years to remedy this situation in our state, and to ensure that New Yorkers will always have a powerful voice in our Democracy. We must take advantage of this opportunity.

Here in support of the 2013 Fair Elections Act are an overwhelming number of my Assembly Majority colleagues, many or all of whom, are co-sponsors of this legislation. I am proud to say that the Assembly Majority has supported campaign finance reform - and specifically, a system of public campaign financing - for many years.

We are honored to have a number of special guests who are here to stand up for our legislation today:

Together, we call upon our colleagues and our partners in government to review and adopt the 2013 Fair Elections Act, and to help us institute the real campaign finance reform New Yorkers want and deserve.

Let's get it done. Thank you.