New York State is on the verge of taking a big step toward protecting democracy and returning power to people. A bold bill sponsored by Assemblywoman Walker is pending in the state Assembly that would prohibit foreign-influenced U.S. corporations from spending money to sway New York’s elections. A counterpart bill sponsored by Deputy Majority Leader Michael Gianaris (Queens) just passed the state Senate with bipartisan support. If this legislation becomes law, it will protect elections against foreign influence and reduce the huge power of big-spending foreign-influenced companies.
The Empire State has a proud history of welcoming immigrants, visitors, and investors from around the world. Yet foreign entities are not permitted to influence state elections. That’s because foreign entities often have political or policy objectives at odds with New Yorkers’ priorities. People want confidence that their lawmakers are accountable to them. It’s about self-government.
The above excerpt was originally published in Medium.
Click here to view the full article.