Albany, N.Y. (AP) - Progressive groups nationwide are watching closely as New York considers a measure to publicly finance statewide and legislative campaigns to reduce the influence of special interests.
The system would restrict spending and use public money to match even small contributions.
Dan Cantor of the state's Working Families Party says the measure is needed to ensure the political system is based on one person, one vote; not one dollar, one vote.
The liberal activist group MoveOn.org and University of Rochester Professor David Primo (pree-MO') say other states are watching New York to see what is politically possible.
Opponents, however, see the measure as a tax that can't be afforded in hard times.
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