Bloomberg BNA:

The impact of legislation signed by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) to combat the effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision will hurt nonprofit charities that were not intentionally targeted by the bill, according to “good government” groups.

The bill (S. 8160), which was signed by Cuomo Aug. 24, would prohibit coordination between independent expenditure groups and campaigns and make other changes to the state’s campaign finance and lobbying laws. The Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission eliminated decades-old restrictions on corporate campaign spending and allowed outside groups to raise and spend unlimited amounts for “independent expenditures” to influence campaigns.

While Cuomo hailed the measure as the first of its kind, the state’s leading good government groups urged him to veto the measure because it failed to address the ethical scandals that have rocked Albany, N.Y., in recent years. They also said the bill will “seriously harm some of New York’s most prestigious institutions.”

The bill, which generally took effect immediately, establishes strict limits on coordination, including a ban on coordination with independent spending groups formed by candidates, run by a candidate’s family members or run by former staffers.