Massachusetts passed a public funding law, but needs the legislature to fund it for the 2002 test year. States like Oregon, Missouri and North Carolina are trying to get it passed. Public Campaign, the national group behind the public funding movement, has the ultimate goal of passing it on the national scale. The system is intrinsically dependent on cooperation. The states have to find the money to fund it each year.
Candidates have to choose to participate.
Politics is inherently messy. We are constantly reinventing it in the name of leveling the playing field. We never get there, and we never expect we will completely. We do that, and we just hope democracy comes out on the other side. Most importantly, voters are going to have to accept the fact that anyone would be able to run for office.