Now is the time to send an e-mail to your state legislators urging their support for this bill. The committee votes will take place this week or next, and then the legislation will reach the floors of the House and Senate. Our latest vote count has us within a few votes of the magic number of 71 in the House of Delegates, so we need as many calls and e-mails to legislators as possible. You can get your legislators' e-mails on the General Assembly website at www.mlis.state.md.us, or you can use the easy web-based fill-in-the-blank legislator contact systems at http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=192850 (click on the link that says "Contact Your Delegates Now") or http://progressivemaryland.org/page.php?id=132.
I will paste in below a sample message to legislators and some background information. Please forward this to others who might also support this important step toward enhancing democracy and social justice in Maryland.
Thanks,
Matthew Weinstein
*************************************************************
Here is a sample message to legislators:
Dear Senator/Delegate ______________________:
I support public financing of state legislative elections - SB569/HB1054. The status quo undermines public confidence in the integrity of the policymaking process while forcing legislators to spend time raising funds instead of addressing the needs of their constituents. As recommended by the Study Commission on Public Funding of Campaigns in Maryland, this reform, which includes a dedicated funding source, creates a voluntary alternative for candidates who can prove they enjoy broad public support.
Please let me know if you will cosponsor and vote for this important bill.
Sincerely,
Name: ______________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________
City/State/Zip: _______________________________________________
Background information
What is Clean Money Campaign Finance Reform?
As enacted already in three states (Maine, Arizona, and late last year in Connecticut) Clean Money Campaign Finance Reform is a voluntary system of public financing of state legislative elections. It has already proven its ability to clean up politics and improve the basic workings on democracy by offering a voluntary alternative to relying on wealthy private interests to finance political campaigns. The status quo undermines the fundamental values of democracy, equality, and social justice by making legislators beholden to special interests rather than voters and taxpayers. For more details nationally, see www.publiccampaign.org. For details on how this year's Maryland proposal would work, read the HB1054 fiscal note at http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/fnotes/bil_0004/hb1054.pdf.
Where do things stand in Maryland?
House Bill 1054/Senate Bill 569 is before the 2006 General Assembly, which ends April 10th. This is the legislation that was recommended in 2004 by the official, blue-ribbon Study Commission on Public Funding of Campaigns in Maryland (read the commission report at http://mlis.state.md.us/other/ campaign_financing.pdf) and passed in 2005 by the House Ways and Means Committee. You can read the bills on the General Assembly website at www.mlis.state.md.us.
Who else is involved?
-- Progressive Maryland
-- Common Cause - Maryland
-- League of Women Voters of Maryland
-- Maryland NAACP
-- Maryland AFL-CIO
-- Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club
-- Baltimore Jewish Council/Maryland Jewish Alliance
How can I make a difference?
Call, e-mail, or write your state legislators TODAY. Urge their support for HB 1054 and SB 569. Go to www.mlis.state.md.us to find your district and your legislators.
Press coverage
We had a press conference in Annapolis on Friday morning that generated this brief item at the end of an article in Saturday's Washington Post at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/04/AR2006030401190_pf.html:
The Start of Public Funds for Campaigns?
With all the competitive races in Maryland this election season and the requisite fundraising, advocates for the public financing of political campaigns believe their chances are greatly improved this session.
Groups such as Common Cause and Progressive Maryland are starting small with legislative races. A bill sponsored by Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George's) and Del. Jon S. Cardin (D-Baltimore County) would create a voluntary system paid for with proceeds from the state's sale of unclaimed property.
Most lawmakers, said Tom Hucker of Progressive Maryland, don't like fundraising. The measure would allow them to "spend more time with voters and less time at cocktail parties with lobbyists raising money," he said.
To qualify, candidates would have to collect $10 or more from about 280 registered voters in their district, or one-quarter of 1 percent of the district's population. In general, qualified candidates for the House would receive $40,000 for a primary race and another $40,000 for the general election. Senate candidates would receive $50,000 for each contest.
The cause also has a champion this session in Sen. Paula Hollinger (D-Baltimore County), who speaks from personal experience. Hollinger is running for the 3rd Congressional District seat held by U.S. Senate candidate Ben Cardin (D).
"The time has come," Hollinger said before a hearing on the bill Friday. "The fundraising has gotten ridiculous for all offices."
Staff writer Ann E. Marimow contributed to this report.
© 2006 The Washington Post Company
Also, last year's Baltimore Sun and Washington Post editorials in favor of the legislation are available on their websites, and here are excerpts:
Baltimore Sun editorial, 3/4/05: On issue after issue, it's obvious that big money equals big clout in Annapolis… The only real solution to this problem is to reduce the politicians' dependence on donations. Fortunately, there's a way to do this pending in the legislature -- public financing of campaigns… The legislation faces its biggest hurdle in the Senate. Two Baltimore-area senators whose support is critical are Joan Carter Conway and Paula C. Hollinger, who chairs the committee that oversees campaign finance laws.
Washington Post editorial, 3/7/05: …this is the right time for Maryland's legislature to combat the perception of money's influence over political decision making by adopting a voluntary system of public funding for legislative campaigns… The experience in Arizona and Maine suggests that public campaign financing does little to alter the shape of elections themselves -- incumbents still enjoy huge electoral advantages -- but plenty to advance the cause of good government.
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