Legislation Details

Reference No. CB-004-2018    Draft No. 1
Type: Council Bill Status: Failed
Meeting Body Public Safety and Fiscal Management Committee
Meeting Date 6/7/2018
Introduced Date Public Hearing Date
Effective date:    
Title: AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING for the purpose of establishing a Fair Election Fund to provide public campaign financing for a candidate for a County elective office; regulating certain campaign finance activity of a candidate for County elective office who voluntarily accepts public campaign financing; authorizing the Maryland State Board of Elections to administer and enforce the public campaign financing system; and providing for penalties for violations of the public campaign financing system.
Proposers/Sponsors: Mary A. Lehman, Mel Franklin, Obie Patterson, Deni L. Taveras
Attachments: 1. B2018004, 2. CB-4-2018 AIS, 3. Donor Diversity Report - WEB, 4. Effingham Testimony Common Cause, 5. Faces of Public Financing, 6. PG_PSFM_Briefing_DRAFT_Mar6, 7. Zdanys Testimony 3-8-2018, 8. Title 33 - Maryland State Board of Elections, 9. Progressive Maryland - Testimony - CB-4-2018, 10. Maryland PIRG - Testimony - CB-4-2018, 11. Fair Elections for Briefing CB-4 - 3
Contact: Colette Gresham, Legislative Officer

Title

AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC CAMPAIGN FINANCING for the purpose of establishing a Fair Election Fund to provide public campaign financing for a candidate for a County elective office; regulating certain campaign finance activity of a candidate for County elective office who voluntarily accepts public campaign financing; authorizing the Maryland State Board of Elections to administer and enforce the public campaign financing system; and providing for penalties for violations of the public campaign financing system.

 

Background

The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2013 (Chapter 419, 2013 Laws of Maryland) authorizes the governing body of a county to establish by law a public campaign finance system for the election of County Executive and County Council.  The proposed legislation would implement this authority by establishing a public campaign finance system for the election of County Executive and County Council.  The goal of the bill is to encourage greater voter participation in County elections, increase opportunities for more residents to run for office, and reduce the influence of large contributions from businesses, political action groups, and other large organizations.  Montgomery County and Howard County enacted public campaign financing legislation in 2014 and 2016 respectively.

 

THIS BILL WAS NOT ENACTED