The really short version: the state of New York has a law in place that requires donor transparency for nonprofit organizations. Last week NARAL Pro-Choice New York received a unique exemption for that policy – and I mean unique; the rules were determining exemptions got changed after NARAL got its exemption. Since then the NY GOP has actually managed to get upset about something done for/by the Democrats:
Senate GOP leader Dean Skelos is asking the state’s top ethics panel to rethink its decision to exempt NARAL Pro-Choice NY from having to disclose its financial donors.
Skelos, in a letter to Joint Commission on Public Ethics Chairman Daniel Horowitz, said the commission’s decision to exempt the abortion rights group was made behind closed doors and violated the spirit of the state’s Public Integrity Reform Act of 2011.
They’ve even got some press support for this one, for what it’s worth: unfortunately for the forces of anti-cronyism, New York State government is remarkably unconcerned about whether or not people get upset over the way that favorites at court are routinely given special consideration. And, forgive me for saying this, but: the way that the NY GOP routinely participates in such court shenanigans is one major reason why the New York State government feels free to act in such a manner. I humbly suggest that the NY GOP keep this in mind in the future.
Moe Lane (crosspost)
Are the NY and IL GOPs the worst state GOPs in the country? Is there any mechanism for the national party to reach down and fix them or does the influence all flow the other way? I don’t know how these things work.