New York Candidates Can Use Campaign Funds for Baby-Sitters Under New Law

Parents looking to enter politics will have it a little easier thanks to a new law allowing state and local candidates to use campaign cash to cover child care costs.

The law, signed by Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday, codifies a ruling made by the state Board of Elections earlier this year.

The legislation was inspired in part by Liuba Grechen Shirley, a Democrat who asked the Federal Election Commission if she could use campaign funds to pay a caregiver for her two young children as she ran an unsuccessful bid to unseat Rep. Pete King (R-Long Island) last year, said state Sen. Shelley Mayer (D-Westchester).

Today is a historic day for parents, particularly mothers, across New York State," Mayer said. "Child care expenses are a heavy burden for many families across the state, and these expenses should not prohibit qualified parents from seeking public office. This new law will allow more young parents to run for public office, and we need their experiences represented in government.”