gavel-and-law-books

A New York judge struck down a law Thursday that created a public campaign finance system, saying lawmakers were wrong to pass off legislative decisions to a commission.

Niagara County Supreme Court Justice Ralph Boniello ruled that lawmakers gave the commission the ability to create and repeal laws, but that function is "reserved solely to the Legislature under the constitution."

The line between administrative rule-making (which can be delegated) and legislative action (which cannot be delegated) has clearly been transgressed," he wrote in the decision.

The commission was made up of nine members who were appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders.

The panel was tasked with creating the new public campaign finance system, and their recommendations would become the equivalent of a new law unless amended by lawmakers, according to the decision. Lawmakers did not step in to amend the recommendations.

In his ruling, Boniello argued the process was not justified just because lawmakers had the ability to modify the commission's recommendations.

"The legislative function must be followed with proper procedure as mandated by the constitution and adopted and historically followed by the Legislature," he said in the decision.

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