Historic Clean Elections Bill Signed

Phoenix - The governor has signed into law the first ever bill to make improvements to Arizona's groundbreaking campaign financing system, a national model for public funding of candidates for state office. Arizona's voters passed the Clean Elections Act in 1998 and, despite experience over the past four election cycles showing the need for minor adjustments and improvements, it has remained unchanged since. In the past, bills to make necessary improvements to the system have been bottled up by the foes of Clean Elections and prevented from coming to a vote. The only bills that have advanced at all were those to either repeal the system entirely or to make damaging changes in preparation for a repeal. The 2007 legislative session has produced the first serious bipartisan attempt to make these minor but necessary improvements to the Clean Elections Act. HB2690 is a compromise bill that provides something for everyone, whether they participate in Clean Elections or run a traditionally funded campaign. Nonparticipating candidates get reasonable increases in individual and PAC contribution limits, an allowance for fundraising expenses, and elimination of excessive campaign finance reports. Participating candidates running for statewide office get an increase in campaign funds shown to be essential to running a viable campaign. And everyone gets better control of the Clean Elections rulemaking process and a limitation on the period in which political opponents can file potentially harassing complaints. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the bill's sponsor, Representative Michele Reagan (R-08), and a number of other legislators from both parties, and with input from campaign finance experts at the Citizens Clean Elections Commission and the Clean Elections Institute, the bill made slow but steady progress through the legislative process. The final accord was so successful that the bill passed the House by a unanimous vote, garnering the support of both Clean Elections supporters and diehard opponents. These few simple revisions to the Clean Elections Act and related campaign finance laws will significantly reduce candidate dissatisfaction and provide increased fairness for all contestants for state offices, whether their campaigns are financed by the Clean Elections system or by private donors. Passage of this bill invalidates the opposition arguments that the system is unfair, unworkable, cannot be improved, and should be repealed; and will help to guarantee the long-term survival and success of Clean Elections. The mission of the Clean Elections Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit corporation, is to educate elected officials and voters about the law, monitor the Citizens Clean Elections Commission's rule-making and enforcement activities, defend the law, and advocate for improvements and expansion of the law to other elected offices.