"The arms race for money that drives our campaigns threatens the concept of one person, one vote."
Public Financing Victory in NC House
PRESS RELEASE July 28, 2007
HOUSE APPROVES PROGRAM TO PROVIDE COUNCIL OF STATE CAMPAIGN PUBLIC FINANCING
On a final vote today, the NC House approved a pilot to provide a public financing option for a limited number of Council of State seats in 2008. The bill will now head to the Senate for consideration.
Under the legislation, candidates running for Commissioner of Insurance, State Auditor, and Superintendent of Public Instruction could receive a public grant to run their campaigns if they collected at least 750 small 'qualifying donations' from registered voters in North Carolina and agreed to strict spending and fundraising limits. Candidates who chose to participate in the voluntary program would not be allowed to accept contributions over $200 and would be barred from accepting money from PACs or from fundraising after they receive the public grant.
Commissioner of Insurance Jim Long and Superintendent of Public Instruction have both endorsed the bill along with hundreds of large campaign donors, civic leaders, and former elected officials across the state.
Chase Foster, lobbyist for NC Voters for Clean Elections (NCVCE), a broad coalition which supports campaign public financing alternatives, said that the bill's passage in the House was an important victory for improving confidence in government.
'This program would give candidates vying to become our state's regulatory heads a viable alternative to the constant hustle for campaign cash that dominates most statewide campaigns,' said Foster. 'By creating a system where candidates can focus more on voters, we would increase confidence in government and improve the state as a whole.'
Beth Messersmith, President of NCVCE, said the Council of State legislation would build on North Carolina's judicial public financing program, which has been in place since 2002 and was the first program of its kind in the nation. 'Just like our judicial program educates voters about our judicial candidates, this program would better educate voters about the role and function of our Council of State, 'Messersmith said. 'And just like our judicial program provides an alternative to lawyers funding our judicial campaigns, this bill would give citizens an alternative to our state's head regulators being funded by the groups they regulate.'
The bill was approved 59-57 today and will likely be referred to the Senate Select Committee on Government and Election Reform when it is received by the Senate.
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