HP0616, LD 820, item 1, An Act To Alter the Distribution of Maine Clean Election Act Funding

An Act To Alter the Distribution of Maine Clean Election Act Funding

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§3, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 240, Pt. F, §1 and c. 443, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read:

A. For a gubernatorial candidate, at least 3,250 750 verified registered voters of this State must support the candidacy by providing a qualifying contribution to that candidate;

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6, as amended by PL 2009, c. 105, §1, 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 , except as provided in subsection 6-D, may not accept any contributions unless specifically authorized by the commission. Candidates may also accept and spend interest earned on fund revenues in campaign bank accounts. 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. A television advertisement purchased with these revenues must be closed-captioned when closed-captioning is available from the broadcasting station who that will broadcast the advertisement. The commission shall publish guidelines outlining permissible campaign-related expenditures.

Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§6-D is enacted to read:

6-D. Additional contributions authorized; gubernatorial candidates. After certification pursuant to subsection 5, a gubernatorial candidate may continue to collect contributions in the amount of $5 from verified registered voters in this State. A voter who provides a qualifying contribution during the qualifying period to a candidate in a contested primary may provide an additional $5 contribution to that candidate after certification pursuant to subsection 5.

Sec. 4. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8, ¶E, as amended by PL 2009, c. 363, §8, is further amended to read:

E. For contested gubernatorial primary elections, the amount of revenues distributed is $400,000 an amount equal to $55 for each qualifying contribution collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph A, up to a maximum of $350,000 per candidate in the primary election.

Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§8, ¶F, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read:

F. For gubernatorial general elections, the amount of revenues distributed is $600,000 an amount equal to $55 for each qualifying contribution collected pursuant to subsection 3, paragraph A if that amount was not distributed pursuant to paragraph E, plus an amount equal to $55 for each additional $5 contribution collected pursuant to subsection 6-D, up to a maximum of $750,000 per candidate in the general election.

summary

This bill does the following.

1. It decreases from 3,250 to 750 the number of qualifying contributions required for a gubernatorial candidate to be certified as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate.

2. It provides that a Maine Clean Election Act gubernatorial candidate may continue to collect $5 contributions from registered voters in the State after certification as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate.

3. It allows a voter who provides a $5 qualifying contribution to a gubernatorial candidate in a contested primary to provide an additional $5 contribution to that candidate after certification.

4. It provides that each $5 qualifying contribution and each $5 additional contribution must be matched by a distribution of $55 from the Maine Clean Election Fund.

5. It decreases the distribution limits for gubernatorial primary elections from $400,000 to $350,000 and increases the distribution limits for gubernatorial general elections from $600,000 to $750,000.

HP0616 LD 820	First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature		LR 1914 Item 1
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