Rep. Case joins Republican push for campaign finance reform

HARTFORD – State Rep. Jay Case (R-63) today joined legislative Republicans in announcing a 2015 push to reform campaign finance laws in Connecticut.

The slate of campaign changes proposed by Republicans include capping organization spending by state political parties, reducing individual donor limits to state central parties, eliminating grants to unopposed candidates, prohibiting state contractors from donating to federal accounts to fund state races and to reduce the publicly-financed Citizens Election Program (CEP) by 25 percent.

“We are doing a genuine disservice to voters and taxpayers,” Case said. “If we want to engage more people in the democratic process, we need to close up these loopholes. It will benefit our state in the long run, both at the voting booths and in the bank.”

The CEP, which funds gubernatorial and state Senate and House races, is a public finance program that awards candidates with campaign funding after hitting a specific private contribution threshold. Since 2008, the 1,185 taxpayer-funded CEP campaigns have cost $80.7 million, according to the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis.

In 2014, Connecticut taxpayers funded $33.4 million in 326 publicly-funded campaigns.

The 2015 proposals include:

1) Cap organizational expenditures by state parties

Currently, political parties can make unlimited organizational expenditures on behalf of participating candidates. Republicans are proposing the following limits:

• Candidate for Governor                                       $250,000
• Candidate for Constitutional Officer                   $75,000
• Candidate for State Senate                                   $10,000
• Candidate for House of Representatives              $3,500

2) Reduce individual donor limits to state parties from $10,000 to $5,000

In 2013, individual donor limits to state parties was increased along with the amount state parties could make in organizational expenditures to a campaign. Republicans are proposing to roll back donation limits to previous levels.

3) Eliminate grants to unopposed candidates

Currently, candidates for state office (constitutional officers, senators, and representatives) are eligible for Citizens’ Election Program (CEP) grants even if they are unopposed.  The amount of their grant equals 30% of a full-grant. Republicans are proposing to eliminate these grants.

4) Stop state contractors from donating to a federal account to fund a state race

The State Elections Enforcement Commission (SEEC) needs to be able to enforce Connecticut’s current laws that contractors from donating to state races. Republicans are proposing legislation to help SEEC enforce this law.

5) Reduce all Citizens’ Election Program grants by 25%

By reducing CEP funds across the board, the state can save taxpayers approximately $7 million in gubernatorial election years and $2.4 million in Presidential years.