The drumbeat for reform in New York is getting louder. Today's New York Times: "In an effort to build public support for reining in the flood of money in politics, advocates of overhauling New York State’s political fund-raising laws will spend over $800,000 on a new advertising campaign to begin on Monday."

More: "Supporters of overhauling the state’s campaign finance laws are also planning to hold rallies this week in Albany, New York City, Syracuse and the Mohawk Valley; more than 100 house parties are scheduled for the week of April 7, and meetings are being organized on college campuses around the state.

Ok, and your tweet of the morning: RT @bobney: I am pleased to announce that Speaker Boehner has offered me a job in his campaign office. This time I got it in writing! April fool!

Campaign Finance/Fair Elections
Times-Union: Now, let's fix those elections
Albany Times-Union editorial says that with the budget done, Fair Elections should be next. "Lawmakers don’t have to look any further than the need to fix New York’s deplorably anti-democratic campaign finance laws. Take this as a challenge to both the Legislature and a governor who has shown that he can steer his agenda into law — if and when, that is, he has the political will."

Post-Standard: Public financing of elections would improve democracy and slow the money chase
A great op-ed by former U.S. Rep. Mike Arcuri on his own history with campaign cash and the need for New York to take action. "I am deeply concerned about the corrosive role that private money plays in political campaigns and the legislative process, both in our nation's capital and in Albany. A system of public funding of elections would provide an alternative to the money chase that occupies countless hours of fundraising and dialing for dollars for candidates and incumbents alike."

KITV: Public funding option for elections may be coming
Good story in Hawaii on reform legislation moving through the state house. Voter-Owned Hawaii's Kory Payne: "We really do end up paying for elections by not paying for them in the form of bad policies." Press release.

NPR: IRS To 'Social Welfare' Groups: Show Me The Political Ad Money
Peter Overby's latest: "Now, in a bid at fuller disclosure, the IRS wants 1,300 501(c)(4) social welfare groups, 501(c)(5) labor unions and 501(c)(6) business associations to complete a nine-page form. The questionnaire is a public document, but we'll never get to see the answers. This is, after all, the IRS."

Congress/Admin
Public Campaign: Dow 30 spend big on lobbying as tax rates fall
Public Campaign's Kurt Walters looks at the Washington Post's analysis of the Dow 30 companies that have seen tax rates fall over the years and offers one explanation: "Since 1998, the Dow 30 have collectively spent over $2.2 billion dollars lobbying the federal government, based on Public Campaign analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics, making them some of the most represented interests in the halls of Congress."

Palm Beach Post: In Palm Beach County, campaign fundraising for 2014 hit high gear last week
2014 is a ways away, but that's not stopping fundraising for Palm Beach-area lawmakers: "With the first quarter of 2013 ending on Sunday night, Frankel and a host of other candidates from both parties wanted to be able to report impressive contribution figures to establish credibility and give pause to potential rivals."

Politico: DNC amps up fundraising
"Jordan Kaplan, who has helped raise money for President Barack Obama going back to his Senate campaign, is the new finance director of the Democratic National Committee, which is ramping up its post-election fundraising with events featuring Obama and Vice President Joe Biden."

Politico: Mark Zuckerberg's group hires lobbyists
Zuckerberg's new issue advocacy group is staffing up: "The group is adding two lobbying firms — Peck, Madigan, Jones & Stewart and Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock — to a roster of other consultants, a source working with the group confirmed."

Newsday: LI voted for Obama, but donated to Romney
Wait, you're telling me the donor class doesn't always line up with what voters want? Shocking new analysis: "In last year's election, Long Islanders gave a majority of their votes to President Barack Obama but donated a majority of their campaign money to help Republican challenger Mitt Romney."

NYT: A Clinton in ‘Transition’ Keeps Opponents and Donors Frozen
Another story about Hillary Clinton mentioning "frozen" donors: "Those who are most connected to her exhaustive network of political financiers — some of whom remained in her orbit with plum invitations to official diplomatic soirees — say its most important members will make no move until she gives the signal." It's worth noting that Mother Jones' Andy Kroll had the money story last week. Byron Tau at Politico on the draft Hillary super PACs.

Sunlight Foundation: Baseball's (political) heavy hitters
It's opening day and Sunlight has you covered: "According to data from Sunlight's Influence Explorer, MLB organizations pumped in over $24 million to politicians, PACs and independent expenditure groups throughout the 2012 election cycle."

CPI: The anatomy of a misleading fundraising email
A breakdown of a DCCC fundraising email.

Roll Call: NRCC makes small ad buys in Arizona, Georgia, and Minnesota
About $8,000 combined: "The National Republican Congressional Committee has bought airtime in three television markets in the next week, according to a Democrat and a Republican who monitor media buys"

CPI: Easter has friends on K Street
"Organizations linked to the Easter holiday and its furry mascot have ramped up their efforts to influence lawmakers, according to federal lobbying data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics."

Roll Call: American Bridge signs Mackler, Vale for super PAC
"American Bridge 21st Century, a Democratic super PAC focused on opposition research, announced Monday that it has brought on two new top staffers"

Other/States
WTSP News Florida: Universal Health Care's CEO, A.K. Desai, has huge political pull around Florida
An embattled insurance company CEO has close ties to many Florida politicians.

Des Moines Register: Civil rights groups sue to stop voter registration rule
"Two civil rights groups have sued Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz to halt a new state rule allowing people to be removed from voter registration lists if their citizenship is questioned. "

AJC: New lobbyist law leaves possible loopholes
On the new lobbying law passed by the Georgia legislature: "Legislative leaders called the lobbying reforms passed Thursday night 'historic,' but questions were being raised about loopholes even before the final gavel fell on the 2013 session." Florida looking at some changes to its lobbying guidelines too, specifically what lawmakers can receive as "gifts"

WRAL: GOP seeks to curb early voting
The war on democracy in North Carolina continues, this time with cutting early voting and same-day registration. One advocacy makes a super strong case: "I think Sundays just should be – some things you just shouldn't do on Sundays, so I am just opposed to voting on Sunday." Ok!

Tampa Bay Times: Vice Chair of Gaming Commission rents condo from lobbyist
"Sen. Maria Sachs, a Democrat whose district was reconfigured because of redistricting to stretch into Broward County, maintains a residence in Fort Lauderdale by renting a condo from a prominent political consultant and gaming lobbyist."

Providence Journal: RI AG Kilmartin proposes campaign contribution restrictions
"Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin's proposal to ban certain companies with state contracts from donating to officeholders who award the contracts came before the House Judiciary Committee last week."