An Act To Improve the Maine Clean Election Act
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ¶B, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:
B. For a candidate for the State Senate, at least 150 300 verified registered voters from the candidate's electoral division must support the candidacy by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate; or
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2005, c. 542, §3, is further amended to read:
6. Restrictions on contributions and expenditures for certified candidates. After certification, a candidate must limit the candidate's campaign expenditures and obligations, including outstanding obligations, to the revenues distributed to the candidate from the fund and may not accept any contributions unless specifically authorized by the commission. Candidates may also accept and spend interest earned on bank accounts. Candidates may also accept the offer of an organization that is independent of the candidate and the candidate's committee to send a mailing. All revenues distributed to a certified candidate from the fund must be used for campaign-related purposes. The candidate, the treasurer, the candidate's committee authorized pursuant to section 1013-A, subsection 1 or any agent of the candidate and committee may not use these revenues for any but campaign-related purposes. These revenues may not be used for meals or for maintenance of motor vehicles. The commission shall publish guidelines outlining permissible campaign-related expenditures.
summary
This bill makes the following changes to the Maine Clean Election Act.
1. It increases the number of qualifying contributions that a candidate for the State Senate must collect from 150 to 300.
2. It prohibits the use of revenues that a candidate receives from the Maine Clean Election Fund from being used for meals or for maintenance of motor vehicles.
3. It permits a Maine Clean Election Act candidate to accept the offer of an organization that is independent of the candidate and the candidate's committee to send a mailing.