McGorty, Perillo, Hoydick & Kelly Propose Cleaning Up State’s “Clean Election” Laws

HARTFORD –The State of Connecticut can do much better with its so-called “Clean Elections” laws which were originally designed to create a transparent and level playing field for those seeking state elected office according to Shelton and Stratford’s State Representatives Laura Hoydick (R-120), Ben McGorty (R-122) and State Senator Kevin Kelly (R-21).  This past week they joined the call of Republican lawmakers to repair the numerous erosions to the integrity of the program since being enacted in 2005, which the say has caused the system to fail the voters of Connecticut.  They also called for new reforms to make the program more effective.

“The original aim of the state’s clean campaign finance measures has been corrupted over time by a majority who, after each successive campaign season, found something additional that was inconvenient in the law and sought to remove it,” said Rep. McGorty.  “The result has left us with a shell of what was once a system to take pride in.”

“Today’s campaign finance laws bear almost no resemblance to those passed ten years ago,” said Rep. Perillo.  “The legislative majority have systematically disassembled the most important parts of our campaign laws, replacing them with system that does not keep up the state’s part of the bargain on maintaining clean elections.  With increased taxpayer dollars and reduced accountability and transparency, this system is failing us.”

“A decade ago a bipartisan set of reforms signed into law by Governor M. Jodi Rell created a state elections system which became a model for other states,” said Rep. Hoydick.  “These measures took a large amount of the money and influence out of political campaigns while establishing a level of accountability that created a new benchmark in campaign transparency.  Since that time, the majority in the General Assembly have revisited this law, chipping away at its foundation making it unrecognizable from its original form.”

“The problem we are trying to address today is the same reason Connecticut created the citizens election program in the first place,” said Sen. Kelly. We are trying to get state contractor money out of the election process. Over time Democrats have eroded the protections our state once championed. Without reforms to repair these protections, the entire public financing program is nothing more than a false promise to keep elections clean.”

The campaign finance system relies on the use of public funds that are distributed to candidates after they meet certain fundraising criteria and thresholds.  The legislators pointed to several legislative rollbacks of the law which created the current crisis, including the increase of allowed donations to state political parties coupled with the unlimited expansion of how much those parties could spend on publicly-financed candidates.  They also noted the 2010 special session of the legislature to increase the state grant funds for then-gubernatorial candidate Dan Malloy to assure he would have enough money to compete with a self-funding opponent.

In the 2014 elections the State of Connecticut spent $33 million- an amount the legislators say is too much.

In response, Hoydick, McGorty and Kelly, along with other Republican legislators are proposing a package of legislative reforms to election laws including the following changes.

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.

This session of the Connecticut General Assembly adjourns at midnight, Wednesday, June 3^rd.