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Campaign Finance

By Hunter Walker 3/05/12 7:10pm

Campaign Finance

Senator Squadron (Photo: NYS Senate)

Squadron Pushes To Keep Anti-Super PAC Legislation Alive

This afternoon, the State Senate Corporations, Authorities, and Commissions Committee voted to prevent the Corporate Political Accountability to Shareholders Act from moving out of committee. The Act, which was sponsored by Senator Daniel Squadron, would have forced businesses to disclose political donations by requiring shareholder approval and eliminated the secrecy surrounding super PACs in this state. Though the bill lost its vote today Mr. Squadron is circulating a petition that will bring the legislation to a vote on the Senate floor if it is signed by 38 senators.

“Today, Senate Republicans chose corporations over people and prevented my bill from moving out of committee. But our fight to counter Citizens United, rein in unchecked corporate political influence and bring transparency to our politics isn’t over: I’m petitioning to bring the bill to a vote on the Senate floor,” Mr. Squadron wrote in a note on his Facebook page. Read More

By Hunter Walker 3/02/12 4:09pm

Campaign Finance

Senator Squadron (Photo: NYS Senate)

State Senate Committee To Vote On Anti-Super PAC Legislation

On Monday, the State Senate Corporations Committee will vote on legislation that would force businesses to disclose political donations. Senator Daniel Squadron sponsored the Corporate Political Accountability to Shareholders Act to address the effects Citizen’s United Supreme Court decision of January 2010 that allowed businesses to make undisclosed and campaign contributions through super PACs.

“As we all look on in horror at the effect of Citizen’s United on the political process, here in New York, we have a chance to do something about it. This bill would reign in unchecked corporate influence in a way that the Supreme Court still allows,” Mr. Squadron told The Politicker. “It would require shareholders of corporations to approve political spending, it would require disclosre of political spending and it would require corporations to justify the corporate puprose of that spending. Too often people are using corporations to grind their own political axe. It’s not good for shareholders and it’s not good for the political system.”  Read More

By David Freedlander 12/30/11 11:09am

Campaign Finance

Elections Board to Miss State Disclosure Deadline

According to a release put out today by the New York Public Interest Research Group, the Board of Elections has blown through deadline imposed under the state’s new ethics laws to put out a proposed regulation on the disclosure of independent campaign expenditures.

The deadline was January 1.

“This is the latest example of the need to restructure the oversight of the state’s campaign finance laws and ensure that sufficient resources are available for implementation and enforcement of the laws,” writes Bill Mahoney, the legislative coordinator for NYPIRG. Read More