A rare veto override – in fact the first of the Bellone Administration – spelled the end to what might have been the Suffolk County Democratic Party’s hallmark campaign finance reform legislation.
While few expected County Executive Steve Bellone’s (D) veto to hold given the Legislature’s new predominately Republican composition, it represents the changing face of business in Suffolk with an emboldened Republican majority.
Once the Republican majority took control of the Legislature in January, they immediately sought to dismantle the $2.6 million campaign finance scheme, and did so by a 11-4 vote with two Democrats and one Republican abstaining.
The plan, if fully implemented, would have taken money earned through the Suffolk County Regional Off-Track Betting Corp (OTB) to partially subsidize elections. Public financing of elections has been controversial through the country both legally and politically as they are prone to legal challenges.
The source of the funding is always hotly debated, as it was under Suffolk County’s plan. The use of funds earned through OTB raised numerous questions, but also allowed supporters to rightly assert that taxpayer dollars were not being used.
The program would have provided 4-1 matching for small donations, which proponents argued would have “increased community representation by attracting women, young adults, people of color, low-income earners,” as stated by Mercy Smith, Executive Director of the Suffolk County Campaign Finance Board, by lending small donors more power.
“People shouldn’t be forced to finance and supplement candidates whose ideals they don’t share,” said Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst). “It’s not the American way.”
Since the money came from OTB, those gambling would inadvertently be funding political speech for any candidate receiving public financing. Therefore, any trip to Jake’s 58 would make one complicit in politics they might find objectionable, so the Republican argument goes.
Legislator Rob Trotta (R-Fort Salonga), who throughout the legislative process seemed more open to the program than most of the Republican caucus, decided to support the veto override.
“I was,” said Trotta, when asked if he was ever in support of the program, he then went on to explain the flaws in the scheme.
While acknowledging that the program might have some utility on a county-wide level, as opposed to legislative races that happen on a much more local level, he claimed the legislation ignored the “Elephant in the room” – special interests, namely the Suffolk County Police Benevolence Association (PBA).
While categorizing the methods used by the PBA to raise funds from their members and disburse them to candidates “illegal” and stoppable by the County Executive, he proposed two pieces of legislation he thinks would limit special interests.
The first bill he is proposing is based off the Hatch Act at the federal level to limit law enforcement involvement in politics. The second bill he is proposing, called the Recusal Act, would require legislators that receive more than $3,000 in PBA funding to recuse themselves from contract negotiations.
Trotta is currently in contact with the Bellone Administration regarding his proposals.
The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association was unavailable at the time of publication.
