SCR 1009 would bar the Citizens Clean Elections Commission from providing campaign funds to qualifying candidates who choose not to take special interest money. SCR 1043 would completely gut the funds allocated by the voters specifically to Clean Elections by transferring the funds out of that account.
Here’s an excerpt from the written testimony I submitted:
“For democracy to work, we need the participation of a broad cross-section of people. Campaigning for public office is expensive. Clean Elections ensures every Arizonan, regardless of personal wealth, has the opportunity to seek public office. Further, Clean Elections allows candidates to spend more time connecting with voters and less time appealing to donors so we, as candidates, can engage in deeper conversations with voters about public policy. Finally, Clean Elections limits the involvement of special interests in our elections, guaranteeing the voter is always a candidate’s top priority.”
These bills are another attempt by lawmakers who have taken advantage of Clean Elections to undermine that very system. Politicians like Republican Senator John Huppenthal continue to participate in Clean Elections while regularly voting to eliminate it. Senator Huppenthal voted yes for both SCR 1009 and SCR 1043 on the final vote in the Senate but is still running with Clean Elections funds in 2010. This seems both inconsistent and disingenuous.
To learn more about this issue, I encourage you to visit the Arizona Advocacy Network’s website on Clean Elections at http://www.azadvocacy.org/issues/cleanelections.html.
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