"Corrupticut" Passes Tough Campaign Finance Reform

The Connecticut state legislature approved campaign finance reform laws, including restrictions on campaign contributions and a new publicly funded election system.

Reformers call the legislation a model for the nation. The law bans contributions from lobbyists and state contractors, ends campaign advertisement booklets and creates a voluntary public financing system that affects all state races.

The Associated Press highlighted these details:

- A new, voluntary public financing system for election campaigns begins with the 2008 legislative elections and 2010 statewide races, including governor. The State Elections Enforcement Commission will administer the program.

- The new Citizens' Election Fund will be financed from abandoned property in the state's custody, such as unclaimed bank accounts and pay checks. That money is now funneled into the state's general fund. The election fund is expected to cost about $17 million annually. If there is not enough money available, any shortfall would come from corporate taxes.

- Citizens, businesses, organizations and political action committees can contribute directly to the fund. Also, candidates who receive money under the public financing system must donate surplus funds back to the fund.

- Participating candidates must agree to campaign spending limits if they want to use the public financing system. A gubernatorial candidate opposed by a major party candidate without a primary, for example, is limited to spending $3.25 million. Of that, the candidate must raise $250,000, at no more than $100 increments, to qualify. The state kicks in $3 million.

- Lobbyists, their immediate families and principals of a state contractor or a prospective state contractor are banned from contributing to a participating candidate. They are also banned from contributing to any exploratory or candidate committees for legislative and statewide offices, political action committees established by candidates, legislative caucus or leadership committees, or party committees.

- State candidates are banned from using ad books, which allow businesses to contribute to political campaigns by buying ad space. Local town committees, however, will still be able to use the ad books.

- Individual lawmakers will be limited to operating one political action committee apiece. The four legislative caucuses and legislative leaders can operate three PACs per caucus. Those leadership PACs, state parties and unions will be able to provide in-kind services to candidates, including phone banking and polling.

Both the Senate and the House debated the bill for about seven hours in separate sessions. The bill passed the Senate 27-8 and the House 82-65. The House vote came after several amendments were defeated. Governor Rell promised to sign the bill into law. The changes will take effect on Dec. 31, 2006.

I'm uneasy about the lack of a public debate about this legislation. Like the federal McCaine-Fingold "campaign finance reform" Connecticut's "reform" is sure to have many unintended consequences, such as stifling free speech rights and inviting litigation.

Comments

[Pete Larson]

I find it amazing how many people want public financed elections. Hey people, on a national level, that comes from out tax dollars, you know, that $3 box to check on the federal tax form? The matching funds comes from that FEC funds, right out of the tax funds. And if you guys want all federal offices to be financed by this same group, you better start checking off those little boxes. Less and less people are checking that box, so just where do you guys who want public financed funds to come from? How about enforcing the laws we have? Oh yeah, all those illegal funds for Clinton and Gore, what happened? Not much, just more regulations.
I wonder why the Dems loved Jon Corzine with his $60 million for his Senate seat, Maria Cantwell for spending her $10 million for the Washington senate seat and Mark Dayton with his Dayton Shopping bank account financing his Senate race in Minnesota. The only time Dems want to whine about financing of races is when the money is not coming to them.