Term Limits, Campaign Rules Sought
As another corruption scandal descends upon Albany and New York City, State Sen. Tony Avella is renewing a push to bring significant reform to Albany through term limits and the full public financing of campaigns.
Avella previously introduced legislation (S.324) in the Senate that, if approved by the legislature and the voters, would for the first time institute term limits for state senators and assembly members. The legislation would institute a maximum of 12 years for state legislators.
“Politicians who serve for countless years tend to become stagnant, arrogant and reluctant to adopt new ideas,” Avella said. “Entrenched senior legislators become less concerned with taking on controversial issues and doing the public’s business in favor of cementing their stranglehold on office and gaining leadership positions. This creates an arrogance that eventually leads to the dysfunction and corruption that has become synonymous with Albany. Instituting term limits is a viable solution to this problem.”
When Avella was a member of the New York City Council, he introduced legislation entitled “Clean Money, Clean Elections” that would have allowed candidates for city office to qualify for full public financing of their campaign.
The Clean Money, Clean Elections system entailed four steps- candidates opt in, obtain small $5 donations from constituents, and as a result receive public funds for their campaign. While the city currently has a partial public funding system, there is no public financing system at the state level.
Assemblyman Felix Ortiz of Brooklyn has introduced similar legislation (A.4116) that would bring a full public financing system to state elections. Avella will be introducing this same legislation in the State Senate.
“This new fully public funded system entails four easy steps-opting in, obtaining small $5 donations from constituents, receiving public funds and campaigning,” Avella added. “In the current partial or no public funding system, private fundraising is mostly from large, outside donors and bundlers, whereas in under ‘Clean Money, Clean Elections’ private fundraising is strictly limited to small donations from contified, stituents. Under the current system the playing field isn’t leveled, it’s actually tilted. In ‘Clean Money, Clean Elections’ all of the amounts are the same.
“It is time to take the dirt out of politics and ensure that legislators are free to vote their conscience and truly represent their constituents without being beholden to special interests,” the state senator concluded.
