Commission Looks to Publicly Fund Elections

By Dan Gorenstein on Tuesday, September 2, 2008.

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Every member of the new commission to study public funding for elections agrees; political campaigns in New Hampshire should be publicly funded.

The struggle for commission members will be figuring out how to finance the system.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein has more.

A few dozen people - like state Senator Martha Fuller Clark - had come to the Commission’s first meeting full of suggestions.

State lawmakers have asked the commissioners to see if they can find a way to publicly fund elections without dipping into the state’s general fund.

The Portsmouth Democrat proposed taking advantage of big money candidates, particularly the ones who come into the state and throw money around.

TAPE: Steve Forbes came here and ran in NH and spent an enormous amount of money, enough, as I understand, to build us a new WMUR station and facilities, and we want to thank him for spending his money.

Fuller Clark’s idea is a variation on that old adage, ‘don’t tax you and me, tax the guy behind the tree.’

She says when a Steve Forbes type comes through, the state can put a surcharge on big media buys, and use that to fund other candidates.

Fuller Clark admits there may be legal questions that must be considered first before her plan is adopted.

A number of people who testified recommended the Commissioners review the Maine model.

There, when gubernatorial and legislative candidates raise enough small contributions from registered voters in their districts, they can receive public funds.

Commission chair Brad Cook says that’s just one idea that’s out there.

TAPE: the check off system which would be a voluntary additional fee...when you file your tax return you want to give $1, $2, $5, other to the campaign fund. Today, I heard about drivers license, hunters license, and that sort of thing...ideas of matching contributions....I know there will be other suggestions.

Right now, Cook says no idea is more popular than another.

The Commission plans to review other models.

About a dozen states across the country publicly fund their elections.

In addition to selecting a funding mechanism, the commission must determine which races should qualify for public funding- state senate, governor, executive council, state representative?

The other question is how much each candidate needs to be competitive.

At this stage, no one has come out and answered those questions directly.

But the New Hampshire Coalition for the Public Funding of Elections hopes it can provide a little context.

Coordinator Kathy Silber says her group has complied funding data from the 2004 and 2006 cycles.

TAPE: this will be vital data for the commission to use. We don’t have a full recommendation on how they should analyze it, but this is where they have to start.

The Commission has a little less than three months to come up with a recommendation.

The jokes Commissioners made suggests they are all aware of how quickly that deadline is approaching.

Long-time campaign finance reformer, state Representative Jim Splaine gave commissioners two pieces of advice: be creative and don’t worry about using money from the general fund.

TAPE: if your report is, there is no way to fund this...unless you go to the general fund, that is our challenge, those of us who are in the Legislature... but that doesn’t say this won’t work. That means that the debate has to go the Legislature starting in January.

Lawmakers from both parties came out to support public campaign funding at the hearing yesterday.

But going into a year when the state is already facing a deficit that could hit a quarter of a billion dollars, will lawmakers make changes that will only add to that shortfall.

For NHPR News, I’m DG.