An Act To Change the Campaign Finance Laws Pertaining to Campaign Contributions To AlJow for Increases Indexed to Inflation
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 1065
Committee: Legal and Veterans Affairs
Sponsors: GOODALL, MITCHELL, PLOWMAN, SULLIVAN
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1015

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E.LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 1065 
S.P.399 
In Senate, March 17,2009 
An Act To Change the Campaign Finance Laws Pertaining to 
Campaign Contributions To AlJow for Increases Indexed to 
Inflation 
Reference to the Committee on Legal and Veterans Affairs suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator GOODALL of Sagadahoc; 
Cosponsored by Repres~ntative TRINWARD of Waterville and 
9tf)(J-~ 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: President MITCHELL of Kennebec, PLOWMAN of Penobscot, SULLIVAN of 
York, Representative: FITTS 6fPittsfield. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§l, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §10, 
is further amended to read: 
1. Individuals. An individual may not make contributions to a candidate in support 
of the candidacy of one person aggregating more than $500 in any election $1,000 for a 
primary election and $1,000 for a general election for a gubernatorial candidate or more 
than $250 in any election $350 for a primary election and $350 for a general election for 
any oth~r candidate. 
A candidate may raise the funds for a primary election and a 
general election at the same time as long as the candidate deposits the funds raised into 2 
separate accounts. A portion of the funds not to exceed $1,000 for a gubernatorial 
candidate or $350 for any other candidate must be deposited in an account to be used for 
the primary election, and a portion of the funds not to exceed $1,000 for a gubernatorial 
candidate or $350 for any other candidate must be deposited in an account to be used for 
the general election. This limitation subsection does not apply to contributions in support 
of a candidate by that candidate or that candidate's spouse or domestic partner. Every 2 
years beginning on September 1, 2011, the commission shall calculate an adjustment to 
the contribution limits listed in this subsection to the Consumer Price Index published 
. monthly by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 
adjustment must be based on the difference between the price index on the date of 
comparison and the price index on the base period. The base period is the price index on 
September 1, 2009. In the event that this adjustment leads to an amount that is not a 
multiple of $25, the amount must be rounded to the nearest multiple of $25. 
The 
commission has the authority to submit legislation to adjust the contribution limits to 
reflect the indexing. 
. 
. 
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1015, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2007, c. 443, Pt. A, §11, 
is further amended to read: 
2. Committees; corporations; associations. A political committee, political action 
committee, other committee, firm, partnership, corporation, association or organization 
may not make contributions to a candidate in support of the candidacy of one person 
aggregating more than $500 in any election $1,000 for the primary election and $1,000 
for the general election for a gubernatorial ca_ndidate or more than $250 in any election 
$350 for a primary election and $350 for a general election for any other candidate. A 
candidate may raise the funds for a primary election and a general election at the same 
time as long as the candidate deposits the funds raised into 2 separate accounts. A 
portion of the funds not to exceed $1,000 for a gubernatorial candidate or $350 for any 
other candidate must be deposited in an account to be used for the primary election, and a 
portion of the funds not to exceed $1,000 for a gubernatorial candidate or $350 for any 
other candidate must be deposited in an account to be used for the general election. 
Every 2 years beginning September 1, 2011, the commission shall calculate an 
. 
adjustment to the contribution limits listed in this subsection to the Consumer Price Index 
published monthly by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 
The adjustment must be based on the difference between the price index on the date of 
comparison and the price index on the base period. The base period is· the price on 
September 1, 2009. In the event that this adjustment leads to an amount that is not a 
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multiple of $25, the amount must be rounded to the nearest multiple of $25. 
The 
commission has the authority to submit legislation to adjust the contribution limits to 
reflect the indexing. 
SUMMARY 
This bill raises the gubernatorial campaign contribution limit from $500 to $1,000 for 
any election. It also raises the campaign contribution limit for all other candidates from 
$250 to $350 for any election. This bill also allows a candidate to raise money for a 
primary and a general election at the same time as long as the contribution is distributed 
into 2 separate accounts and that the total contribution does not exceed the total 
contribution limit of $2,000 for a gubernatorial candidate, not to exceed $1,000 for the 
primary election and $1,000 for the general election, or $700 for any other candidate, not 
to exceed $350 for the primary election and $350 for the general election. The bill also 
ties the contribution limits to the Consumer Price Index published by the, United States 
Department, of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics every 2 years, with the calculations 
beginning in Sept~mber 2011. 
An adjustment will be made based on the difference 
between the Consumer Price Index on the date of calculation and the Consumer, Price 
Index on the date of the base period, September 1, 2009. If this adjustment does not 
create an amount that is a multiple of $25, it will be rounded to the nearest multiple of 
$25. 
The bill also authorizes the commission to submit legislation to adjust the 
contribution limits to reflect the indexing. 
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