II - Campaign Finance Reform

Speaker’s Commission on Legislative Reform
June 11, 2007
Voting Meeting

With regard to Campaign Contribution Limits,

1a) Shall the Commission recommend limits on campaign contributions by individuals similar to such limitations set by the federal government?
(previously set at $2,300 per election and currently adjusted for inflation)

            12-0 / 7-5        NO RECOMMENDATION

1b) Shall the Commission recommend limits on campaign contributions by political action committees similar to such limitations set by the federal government? (currently set at $5,000 per election)

            12-0 / 8-4        NO RECOMMENDATION

1c) Shall the Commission recommend adoption of a “rich-man exception” which would allow a candidate to exceed the contribution limits three-fold when his opponent spends $250,000 or more of his personal wealth? 

            NOT VOTED

2a) Shall the commission recommend contribution limits be established for each of the following races: State House, State Senate, Governor, other statewide races?

             12-0 / 9-3         RECOMMEND

2b) If so, shall the commission recommend contribution limits be established in the following amounts for the following races per election cycle, and apply to both individuals and PACs: $500 for State House races; $1,000 for State Senate races; and $10,000 for Governor and other statewide races.

            6-6 / 2-10        NO RECOMMENDATION

2c) Shall the Commission recommend adoption of a “rich-person exception” which would allow a candidate to exceed the contribution limits three-fold when his opponent spends $250,000 or more of his or her personal wealth? 

            12-0 / 11-1       RECOMMEND

3) Shall the Commission recommend legislation mandating...

-- the setting maximum campaign contribution limits ([2,500] for individuals, and [$10,000] for businesses) for those seeking non-competitively bid Commonwealth contracts, and prohibiting such persons and businesses who exceed the contribution limits from receiving non-competitively bid Commonwealth contracts?

and 

-- the [doubling] tripling of campaign contribution limits in races where one candidate spends more than 250,000 of his or her personal money?

             12-0 / 12-0       RECOMMEND

With regard to Contribution Limits with Public Financing,

4) Shall the Commission recommend supporting mandatory contribution limits, public financing for gubernatorial campaigns, and voluntary spending limits for candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor?

            10-2 / 0-12      NO RECOMMENDATION

With regard to Spending Limits and Public Financing:

5) Shall the commission recommend limiting the amount of money that can be spent by a candidate in a given election cycle based on a formula equivalent to $1.00 per person in the constituency represented, further enforced by releasing public funding for those who otherwise abide by such limits when an opposing candidate does not (with a ratio of two dollars of public funds released for every dollar exceeding the cap)?

            WITHDRAWN

With regard to Disclosure Requirements,

6a) Shall the Commission recommend quarterly campaign reporting in non-election years?

            1-11 / 8-4        NO RECOMMENDATION

6b) Shall the Commission recommend that in election years, in addition to current reporting requirements, the addition of two (2) additional reports, one occurring at the end of March, the other the end of September?

            6-6 / 12-0        NO RECOMMENDATION

6c) In lieu of the current reporting requirements shall the Commission recommend a “rolling” reporting system which is triggered once the candidate raises $20,000 and then would require the candidate to file monthly reports thereafter?

            1-11 / 0-12      NO RECOMMENDATION

6d) Shall the Commission recommend requiring candidates for the state legislature to also file 6th Tuesday pre-primary and 6th Tuesday pre-election reports as currently required of candidates for statewide office?

            7-5 / 12-0        NO RECOMMENDATION

6e) Shall the Commission recommend expanding the annual reporting process for non-candidates/candidates’ committees in the off year to a semi-annual reporting process?

            7-5 / 12-0        NO RECOMMENDATION

7) Shall the Commission recommend expansion of the heightened reporting in the month immediately prior to an election?

(NOTES TO ADD: Shapiro: goal to require candidates within the last month to report contributions above a certain threshold 24-48 hours)

            7-5 / 7-5          NO RECOMMENDATION

8) Shall the Commission recommend that 527 groups comply with the same reporting standard as candidates?

             12-0 / 12-0       RECOMMEND

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