Public funding for electoral campaigns: Legislation died, but struggle continues
Posted by Web Editor on April 15th, 2007
Washington Public Campaigns reports that all three pieces of Washington State legislation offering public funding as an alternative to big money contributions died in the 2007 legislative session. The House and Senate failed to meet a legislative deadline for voting on the “local option” bills, which would have allowed local governments to offer public funding for local elections. The “judicial” bills were replaced by Gov. Gregoire’s call for a study to gather information by November. The “comprehensive” bills for state executive and legislative campaigns died in committee. Washington Public Campaigns organizer Craig Salins called for intensive public education to build a groundswell of public support for Clean Elections. This will increase the likelihood of success either for another effort through the Legislature or for a citizen initiative. If you’d like to watch a video copy of the Olympia FOR’s March TCTV program on Clean Elections, contact Glen Anderson at (360) 491-9093 glen@olywa.net. To contact Washington Public Campaigns, phone Craig Salins at (206) 784-9695 or visit their highly informative website, www.washclean.org. To get involved locally within Thurston County (for example, by urging local governments here to consider Clean Elections), contact Carolyn Cox at 413-0014 cox.carolyn@comcast.net or Jacqui Brown Miller at 236-9684 JacquiAfD@comcast.net.