Protestors were literally coming in through the windows at today?s state Senate hearing on the New York City campaign finance system.
Shut out of the cramped hearing room by the Senate?s sergeants at arms, a group of election-reform protestors eventually grew tired of shouting in the hallway and? tried to disrupt the session via the room?s first floor windows. A few protestors did manage to stick their heads in and chant ?Let People In? before officials closed the window. They also threw dollar bills inside as a symbol of the money in politics.
The incident was characteristic of the circus-like atmosphere that greeted the Senate GOP?s hearing, which was held in one of the Capitol?s smallest hearing rooms and with few seats for the public.
A coalition of good government groups ? including several that were denied permission to testify ? filed a protest with the state Committee on Open Government protesting the fact that members of the public were denied access to the session.
Some reporters were also denied access by the sergeant of arms.
?The failure to open up a ?public? hearing to the public today is a new low for democracy and open government in New York,?? the groups, including the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause NY and the New York Public Interest Research Group, wrote in their letter.
Senators Cecilia Tkaczyk (D-Schenectady) and Diane Savino (D-Staten Island ) also criticized the committee?s decision to hold the session in such cramped quarters.
?This is a public hearing and I am disturbed the public is not in the room with us,? Tkacyzyk said.
Senate Republicans rejected the criticism, arguing shut-out members of the public had access to the proceedings via webcasts.
"It won't come as a shock to anyone that this complaint comes from organizations who support using taxpayer dollars to fund political campaigns,? Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif said in a statement. ? They say they support free speech, yet they attempted to disrupt a hearing and prevent members of the Elections Committee from taking testimony on the City's taxpayer-funded election system. This hearing was webcast live and we made every effort to get as many people into the room as possible, including every reporter who wanted to attend. As the room reached occupancy, we were instructed to close the room."
As for the hearing itself, senators heard a mix of testimony both supporting and criticizing the city?s public finance system.
David Keating, president of the Virginia-based Center for Competitive Politics, urged senators to reject public financing schemes like the one used in New York City, arguing it would only put more taxpayer money in the hands of corrupt politicians.
Others, including former city Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro and Amy Loprest, executive director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board, argued public financing would revive public confidence in the system and reduce the impact of big-money donors.
?The evidence is clear: the city?s matching funds program greatly increases participation in our elections by New Yorkers living in every neighborhood,? Loprest said.
The hearing came just hours before the state Assembly is expected to adopt public financing legislation modeled after the city?s system.
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