Gov. LePage has vetoedL.D. 1579, a bill that advances $500,000 to Maine’s Clean Election Fund to ensure adequate funding for the 2016 elections. If it does not become law, Clean Elections could run out of money this year, according to the Maine Ethics Commission.
Over the years, lawmakers have taken more than $6 million out of the Clean Election Fund and used it for other purposes. It’s time to return that money and ensure that the program that voters overwhelmingly support is solvent.
Because of years of lawmakers raiding Maine’s Clean Election Fund for other purposes, the fund could easily run dry in the 2016 and 2018 elections.
L.D. 1579 has no fiscal impact. It calls for no new spending, but simply advances funds already in the budget that would otherwise be transferred later in the fiscal year.
Maine people just reaffirmed support of Clean Elections at the polls by 55 percent. Voters want a strong, fully funded Clean Election system. For the Clean Election Fund to run out of money now or in the 2018 election would be an insult to Maine voters.
Furthermore, over 70 percent of 2016 declared candidates in both parties have signed up to use Maine’s strengthened Clean Election system.
Please call your state representative and state senator and ask them to override the veto of L.D. 1579 on Friday. Only a few more legislators are needed to vote to override the governor’s outrageous veto.
If the veto stands, it would mark the first time in the history of Clean Elections that the Legislature has allowed the fund to head into an election with inadequate resources.
All legislators should support this common-sense measure – but especially lawmakers who are running as Clean Elections candidates this year. Please urge your legislators to vote to override the veto of L.D. 1579.
Jeff Smith
Swanville
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