An Act To Create Optional Public Financing of Legislative Leadership Elections
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1562
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: DUDLEY, BRENNAN, CUMMINGS
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1, 21-A MRSA §1019-B, 21-A MRSA §1122, 21-A MRSA §1124, 21-A MRSA §112

Legislative Document 
No. 1562 
H.P.I101 
House of Representatives, April 12,2005 
An Act To Create Optional Public Financing of Legislative 
Leadership Elections 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative DUDLEY of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator BRENNAN of Cumberland and 
Representative: CUMMINGS of Portland. 
Printed on recyc led paper 
Il/~ 
/J1·md£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1, sub-§21-A is enacted to read: 
21-A. Leadership position. 
"Leadership position" means the 
position of the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House 
QLJte..P-r..eJientati V.--e~cL.aJme.I'--..Q~~r..~ in tb~_!tMte, a 
l~eI 
of a party in the House of Representatives, an assistant leader 
Qf a party in the Senate or an assistant leader of a party in the 
House of Representatives. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1019-B, sub-§I, ,B, as enacted by PL 2003, 
c. 448, §3, is amended to read: 
B. 
Is 
presumed 
in races 
involving 
a 
candidate who 
is 
certified as 
a 
Maine Clean Election Act candidate under 
section 1125, subsection 5 or 15 to be any expenditure made 
to design, produce or disseminate a communication that names 
or 
depicts 
a 
clearly 
identified 
candidate 
and 
is 
disseminated during the 21 days, 
including election day, 
before a primary election; the 21 days, including election 
day, before a general election; or during a special election 
or election for a leadership position until and on election 
day. 
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2001, c. 
465, §3, is further amended to read: 
9. 
Seed money contribution. 
"Seed 
money 
contribution" 
means a contribution of no more than $100 per individual made to 
a candidate, including a contribution from the candidate or the 
candidate's 
family. 
To 
be 
eligible 
for 
certification, 
a 
candidate may collect and spend only seed money contributions 
subsequent to becoming 
a 
candidate as defined by section 1, 
subsection 5 or section 1125, subsection 15 and throughout the 
qualifying period. 
A candidate may not collect or spend seed 
money contributions after certification as a Maine Clean Election 
Act 
candidate. 
A seed money contribution must 
be 
reported 
according to procedures developed by the commission. 
Sec. 4. 2l-A MRSA §1123, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is 
amended to read: 
§1123. Alternative campaign financing option 
This chapter establishes an alternative campaign financing 
option 
available 
to 
candidates 
running 
for 
Governor, 
State 
Senator aBeL State Representative and leadership positions. 
This 
alternative campaign financing option is available to candidates 
for elections to be 
held beginning in the year 
2000. 
The 
commission shall 
participating in 
with 
all 
other 
regulations. 
administer this Act and the fund. 
Candidates 
the Maine Clean Election Act must also comply 
applicable 
election 
and 
campaign 
laws 
and 
Sec. 5. 21-A MRSA §1124, sub-§l, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, 
§17, is amended to read: 
1. 
Established. 
The 
Maine 
Clean 
Election 
Fund 
is 
established to finance the election campaigns of certified Maine 
Clean Election Act candidates running for Governor, State Senator 
aRQ.L State Representative and leadership positions and to pay 
administrative and enforcement costs of the commission related to 
this Act. 
The fund is a special, dedicated, nonlapsing fund and 
any interest generated by the fund is credited to the fund. 
The 
commission shall administer the fund. 
Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1l25, sub-§9, as repealed and replaced by 
PL 2003, c. 688, Pt. A, §22, is amended to read: 
9. 
Matching funds. 
When any campaign, finance or election 
report 
shows that the 
sum 
of 
a 
candidate's expenditures 
or 
obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever is greater, 
alone or in conjunction with independent expenditures reported 
under 
section 
1019-B, 
exceeds 
the distribution 
amount 
under 
subsection 8 or 15, the commission shall issue immediately to any 
opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional 'amount 
equivalent to the reported excess. 
Matching funds are limited to 
times the amount originally distributed under subsection 8, 
paragraph A, C, E or F, whichever is applicable. 
Sec. 7. 21-A MRSA §112S, sub-§lS is enacted to read: 
15. 
Leadership POSili9J!$. 
A certified candidate for State 
~tor or State Representative under subsection 5 may run for a 
leadership position as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate. 
The 
following 
provisions 
apply 
to 
a 
candidate 
for 
a 
leadership 
position who runs as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate: 
A. 
A certified candj~A~~Po wishes to run for a l~~shiQ 
position in the Senate must collect 9 signatures in support 
~e 
candidate's leadership candidacy from members of the 
candidate's party who were nominated to seats in the Senate 
for the upcoming election; 
B. 
A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership 
position in the House of Representatives must collect 38 
signatures 
in 
support 
of 
the 
candidate's 
leadership 
candidacy from members of the candidate's party who were 
nominated to seats in the House of Representatives for the 
upcoming election: 
C. 
A certified candidate who wishes to run for a leadership 
PQsition must file a letter of intent with the commission 
~fter certification under subsection 5 and within 3 days of 
becoming 
a 
candidate 
for 
a 
leadership 
position. 
The 
commission shall certify the candidate as a candidate for a 
leadership position upon receipt of the letter of intent. 
~be 
signatures 
required 
under 
this 
subsection 
anQ 
confirmation 
that 
the 
can~ate is 
certified 
for 
the 
upcoming election under subsection 5: 
D. 
Prior 
to 
certification 
under 
this 
subsection, 
a 
candidate certified under subsection 5 may collect and spend 
up to $1,000 in seed money: 
E. 
Within 3 days after a candidate I s certification under 
this subsection, the commission shall distribute $5,000 to 
the candidate for a leadership position to pay for operating 
expenses for the leadership campaign: 
F. 
A candidate certified under this subsection may not 
contribute any funds to 
a 
candidate, 
campaign, political 
committee or political action committee during the campaign 
for the leadership position: 
a leadership campaign may not accept or expend any other 
funds 
in 
running 
for 
a 
leadership 
position 
for 
that 
campaign: and 
H. 
A candidate who receives funds under this subsection may 
not serve as an officer of or have control over a political 
action committee that contributes to a campaign in the State. 
The 
commission may adopt routine technical rules pursuant to 
Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A to carry out the purposes of 
this subsection. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows Maine Clean Election Act financing for 
candidates in legislative leadership races. 
The candidate for a 
leadership position must already be a Maine Clean Election Act 
candidate. 
A candidate for a 
Senate leadership position must 
obtain 9 signatures from members of the candidate I s party who 
were nominated to seats in the Senate, and a candidate for a 
leadership position in the House of Representatives must collect 
signatures from members of the candidate' s 
party who were 
nominated to seats in the House of Representatives. 
A Maine 
Clean Election Act candidate who wishes to run for a leadership 
position may collect up to $1,000 in seed money. 
A Maine Clean 
Election Act leadership candidate receives $5,000 to spend on the 
leadership 
campaign 
and is 
not 
allowed 
to 
contribute 
to 
a 
candidate, 
campaign, 
political 
committee 
or political action 
committee during the leadership campaign. 
A Maine Clean Election 
Act leadership candidate may not be an officer of or have control 
over a political action committee.