The New York State Legislature’s annual budget process is well underway and will conclude by the end of this month. It’s one of the key periods that issue advocates like us leverage to advance our legislative goals.
What We’ve Been Working On:
We participate in two statewide health advocacy coalitions that focus on budget issues: Medicaid Matters New York, and Health Care for All New York. Each has a comprehensive budget agenda on their websites. In addition, we are helping to lead two budget-focused campaigns: Coverage for All, and End Medical Debt.
Coverage for All is pushing to expand New York’s very successful Essential Plan to all low-income New Yorkers, regardless of their immigration status. End Medical Debt is pushing to improve and expand hospital financial assistance programs, and prevent patients with medical debt from being reported to credit check agencies.
The health committee chairs in each chamber (Sen. Gustavo Rivera, and Assemblymember Amy Paulin) are the lead sponsors of these bills, and they are being supported by many legislators. Governor Hochul has proposed more modest and limited versions of them, so there is common ground to build upon, and we are hopeful for success if the Legislature holds strong for robust versions of them.
What Suddenly Needs Special Attention and Support RIGHT NOW:
Something that we’ve long-supported and thought had been accomplished legislatively three years ago is now at risk, and we need everyone to step forward NOW to keep it on track. It’s not a health care program per se, but rather it involves something that rebalances power overall in state government, and will enable us to significantly advance toward universal health care (along with other progressive ideas.)
In 2020, after a years-long effort led by the Fair Elections for New York coalition (that we are part of), New York created a landmark new system of public financing of election campaigns to better enable grassroots community leaders to run for public office. It is modeled on a very successful small donor matching system that we’ve had here in NYC for over two decades that has transformed our government for the better. The new statewide system began to launch last fall right after Election Day, to be in effect for next year’s election cycle for state legislators.
For this year’s state budget, Gov. Hochul proposes to fully fund the agency tasked with running this new system (Public Campaign Finance Board), but she has not asked for enough money to match what candidates are already raising from small donors. Rather than step forward to make of the difference, state legislative leaders are suddenly silent on the matter, and some rank-and-file members are getting cold feet. This whole new system is now in jeopardy, and things could revert back to the old system dominated by special interests, Big Donors, and party powerbrokers.
What to do RIGHT NOW!
Contact Governor Hochul and your State Senator and Assemblymember to demand that New York’s new public campaign finance program is fully funded in this year’s state budget, so that it can successfully operate for next year’s elections. Call on them to: “Stand up for small donors and grassroots democracy!”
- Email lawmakers via their websites: Governor Hochul, State Senate, State Assembly
- Post messages on lawmakers’ social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok)
- Call lawmakers’ offices and leave a voice message: Governor Hothul (518-474-8390), State Senate (518-455-2800), State Assembly (518-455-4100)
- Alert others to this situation to ask them to take action via email and social media.
Thanks for stepping forward to help out at this crucial moment! Having a successful and functional public financing system in New York will help level the playing field against all the various special interests that have long blocked a universal health care program here.