Clean Elections has many problems. Rep. Michele Reagan’s HB 2690 addresses some of those problems and should be supported.
In addition to upping the amount of money available to participating candidates, amendments should be offered raising the contribution limit for non-participating candidates for statewide office to at least the federal limit of $2,300 per person, per election.
Clean Elections did not provide enough money to mail one flyer to every voter in the state, let alone advertise heavily on TV and radio. And for other statewide offices, the numbers were even smaller. The net result under Clean Elections is that state elections for statewide office take a back-seat to federal elections.
TV and radio ads, flyers and mailers provide more information to voters, and also increase news coverage of a race. Unless we believe Congressional seats are 10 times more important than the Governor’s office, and 50 times more important than Attorney General, we need to reform Clean Elections.
