An Act Regarding the Matching Funds Provisions of the Maine Clean Election Act
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1774
Senate Amendment SA_B_S387 (Senate)
Amends: 21-A MRSA §1125

SENATE AMENDMENT" B "to S.P. 612, L.D. 1774, Bill, "An Act Regarding the 
Matching Funds Provisions of the Maine Clean Election Act" 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the following: 
'Sec. 6. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§2, ,,n and C, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, 
§ 17, are amended to read: 
B. One thousand five hundred Three thousand dollars for a candidate for the State 
Senate; or 
C. 
Five hundred One thousand dollars for a candidate for the State House of 
Representatives. 
Sec.7. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§2-A, ,C, as amended by PL 2009, c. 302, § 11 
and affected by §24, is further amended to read: 
C. Upon requesting certification, a participating candidate shall file a report of all 
seed money contributions and expenditures. If the eandidate is eertified, any unspent 
seed money ';",ill be dedueted from the amount distributed to the eandidate as 
provided in subseetion 8 A. Seed money unspent or obligated once a participating 
candidate is certified is subject to the same expenditure restrictions as distributions 
received from the fund.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 11 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 11. Resolve 2011, c. 89 is repealed. 
Sec. 12. Distributions for the 2012 and 2014 primary and general election 
cycles. 
Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 21-A, section 1125, 
subsection 8-A, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall 
distribute the following amounts to candidates for the Legislature for the 2012 and 2014 
election cycles certified as Maine Clean Election Act candidates under Title 21-A, 
chapter 14: 
1. For a candidate for the State House of Representatives: 
A. In an uncontested election during the primary election cycle, $500; 
B. In a contested election during the primary election cycle, $1,500; and 
SENA TE AMENDMENT 
( 
SENATE AMENDMENT" B "to S.P. 612, L.D. 1774 
C. During the general election cycle, $5,865; and 
2. For a candidate for the State Senate: 
A. In an uncontested election during the primary election cycle, $2,000; 
B. In a contested election during the primary election cycle, $8,000; and 
C. During the general election cycle, $27,296. 
Sec. 13. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
ETHICS AND ELECTION PRACTICES, COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENTAL 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices - Commission on 0414 
Initiative: Allocates payments to candidates based upon repealing Resolve 2011, chapter 
89, which reduces the amount distributed during the 2012 election cycle to 5% less than 
the amount distributed during the 2010 election cycle. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2011-12 
$245,835 
$245,835 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices - Commission on 0414 
Initiative: Reduces payments to candidates from eliminating matching funds. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2011-12 
($473,001) 
($473,001) 
Governmental Ethics and Election Practices - Commission on 0414 
2012-13 
$0 
$0 
2012-13 
($927,880) 
($927,880) 
Initiative: Adjusts payments to candidates as a result of adjusting distributions during the 
2012 and 2014 election cycles. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2011-12 
($100,985) 
($100,985) 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
2012-13 
$943,279 
$943,279 
",", ;:; -~" 
'\ ',' 
\ 
SENATE AMENDMENT" 0" to S,P, 612, LD, 1774 
ETHICS AND ELECTION PRACTICES, 
COMMISSION ON GOVERNMENTAL 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
2011-12 
($328,151) 
($328,151) 
2012-13 
$15,399 
$15,399 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
Under current law, the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices 
determines distribution amounts for candidates by looking at certain factors, including 
campaign expenditures from the Maine Clean Election Fund from the 2 previous election 
cycles. 
This amendment repeals the requirement that distributions during the 2012 
election cycle must be reduced by 5% from the amounts distributed during the 2010 
election cycle. This amendment provides a set amount for distributions for the 2012 and 
2014 election cycles, which will be used when determining future distributions, and 
maintains the single distribution proposal included in the bill. This amendment doubles 
the amount of seed money contributions legislative candidates may receive, 
The 
amendment adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
SPONSORED BY: ----,.Q~~z:.J-IoI~-V+-'---=-...::....:..-=-='-=----
(Senator PAT¢K,) 
COUNTY: Oxford 
SENATE AMENDMENT 
\ 
Approved: 02115/12 
:;t!:?ac 
LD 1774 
LR 2682(06) 
An Act Regarding the Matching Funds Provisions of the Maine Clean Election Act 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Note for Senate Amendment" C>" S - 3. ~'1 
Sponsor: Sen. Patrick of Oxford 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2011-12 
FY 2012-13 
$144,850 
$943,279 
Projections 
FY 2013-14 
($100,985) 
Projections 
FY 2014-15 
$943,279 
(. _ iscal Detail and Notes 
( 
This floor amendment retains the original bill's repeal of requirements related to qualification for and distribution of 
matching funds. It also specifies distributions to candidates during the 2012 and 2014 election cycles and it repeals 
Resolve 2011, c. 89, which reduced the amount distributed during the 2012 election cycle to 5% less than the amount 
distributed during the 2010 election cycle. The incremental impact as compared to the original bill is an increase in 
Other Special Revenue Funds allocation to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices of 
$144,850 in fiscal year 2011-12 and $943,279 in fiscal year 2012-13. This analysis assumes participation in the 
Maine Clean Elections process during the 2012 and 2014 election cycles will be consistent with the 2010 election 
cycle. 
LR2682(06) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1