New Jersey General Assembly

CLEAN ELECTIONS REAUTHORIZATION SIGNED INTO LAW
Measure Expands, Strengthens Public Financing Project for 2007 Legislative Races

(TRENTON) - Bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the state's Clean Elections program for 2007 and enhance the ability of candidates to qualify for public financing was signed into law today by Governor Jon S. Corzine.

The law's enactment ensures the continuation of the state's Clean Elections pilot program - the nation's first to be legislatively enacted - and comes at a time when federal lawmakers are proposing the creation of a national system of public financing for Congressional races.

"In renewing its commitment to Clean Elections, New Jersey today cements its position as a national leader in the effort to ensure that true power in the electoral process rests with voters, not campaign contributors," said Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. (D-Camden), lead sponsor of the measure.  "With Clean Elections attracting attention on Capitol Hill, it is imperative that New Jersey provide new evidence of how public financing can strengthen the democratic process."

The reauthorization measure (A-100) is based on findings from a four-member bipartisan Assembly working group the Speaker established in September 2006 to examine the state's previous Clean Elections law, the implementation of that law in two Assembly legislative races in 2005, and the recommendations of the New Jersey Citizens' Clean Elections Commission.

The working group members - all of whom teamed with Speaker Roberts to sponsor the reauthorization law - are: Assembly members Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex), Bill Baroni (R-Mercer), and Amy Handlin (R-Monmouth).

"For women and minority candidates, Clean Elections continues to hold the greatest promise for opening the doors to political action and knocking down barriers that have kept qualified would-be officeholders on the sidelines," said Greenstein.  "Clean Elections can help ensure that the make-up of the Legislature better represents the vast diversity of our state."

"It is important to restore the confidence of voters in the electoral process, and a key component of doing so is weeding out the corrupting influence of big money," said Baroni. "By cutting out big money contributions from special interests who seek to influence the process, this program will help to break down the culture of corruption that has gripped our state."

The new law institutes the following changes for the 2007 pilot program:

• Lowers the number of necessary qualifying contributions from 1,500 to 800, and set s a flat $10 donation level for qualifying donations - as recommended by the New Jersey Citizens' Clean Elections Commission;
• Allows a candidate who reaches at least 50 percent of the qualification level to be certified as a "clean candidate;"
• Provides increased funding to the state's Election Law Enforcement Commission for voter outreach, education, and communication - more than was previously recommended by the Clean Elections Commission;
• More than triples, to $10,000, the amount of seed money a candidate can collect to help finance their efforts to qualify as a "clean candidate";
• Expands the number of districts participating in the program from two to three - including a competitive "split" legislative district; and
• Makes it easier for residents to contribute to candidates seeking to qualify under the program (cash, online donations, etc.).

The legislative leadership of each party will select the participating legislative districts.  A current Democratic-controlled district will be selected jointly by the Senate President and Assembly Speaker; the Senate and Assembly minority leaders will select one Republican-controlled district.  A third district with split representation will be agreed upon by all four leaders.

"These changes create a fair and workable system that removes many of the stumbling blocks that kept our state's first attempt at Clean Elections from succeeding," said Greenwald, who was one of only two candidates to qualify for public financing under the program in 2005.  "These revisions will enhance the ability of dedicated, hard-working candidates to run under the Clean Elections banner."

"I was proud to work on the task force that studied this issue to craft a clean elections program that will hopefully improve on the pilot program of the last election," said Handlin. "With today's signing, I hope we have created a program that will make it easier for candidates to participate so that we can achieve the goal of holding elections free from the influence of those big money contributors who seek to corrupt the process."

Last Tuesday, U.S. Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) unveiled the federal "Fair Elections Now Act" to establish a system of publicly financed election campaigns for qualified Senate candidates.  A House companion bill was introduced by Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.).

The first page of the Senate legislation (S. 936) states "the current system of privately financed campaigns...has the capacity, and is often perceived by the public, to undermine democracy."

New Jersey became the first state to legislatively enact a Clean Elections program in 2004.

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