Bronx, NY – Public financing of elections has reached a stage of public discourse that many never thought it would reach, including longtime advocates such as Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz. With unified control of the state legislature, election reform activists have seized the opportunity to make the creation of a statewide small donor matching program their top legislative priority in 2019. On Friday, a group of activists from the Northwest Bronx and around New York City arrived at Assemblyman Dinowitz’s office to show them he has their support as he fights for the cause in Albany.

While many activists have demanded that public financing be included in the budget this year, some legislators have expressed a preference to enact public financing through independent legislation instead. Many have argued that the executive branch has more influence on policies when they are passed in budget bills, and that by passing separate legislation the process would be more transparent and ultimately a better system would be created. Assemblyman Dinowitz has repeatedly declared his support for public financing and is indicated as a “Yes” vote by the Fair Elections NY campaign.

The Assembly included support for a low donor matching program in their one house budget resolution which passed on March 13, and indicated that discussions would continue throughout budget negotiations. Assemblyman Dinowitz cited the inclusion of this language as a key reason for his support of the budget resolution when he explained his vote on the Assembly floor, a point which he reiterated at the rally on Friday. The budget is due before April 1.

Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (D - Bronx) said: “There is no question that we need to reform our election and campaign laws in New York State. Far too often, we see incredible candidates beaten simply because their supporters don’t have the financial resources to compete with opponents who are backed by big money interests such as the Koch Brothers. I have fought for public financing for many years, and for many years it seemed like a pipe dream. It is wonderful to finally see so many people joining this important cause, and I am optimistic that with everyone working together we will get this done.”