Mixed reviews for HB12-1279

HB12-1279 "Public Financing of Legislative Campaigns" has good intentions, it will help take the money  out of politics to a degree. Many who want electoral and campaign finance reform think public financing is the way to make our process cleaner and more representative of constituents instead of special interests, I agree. 

HB-1279 is a step in the right direction. My opinion of the bill is that it sets the threshold for receiving financing too high and unjustly favors major party candidates, if a few relatively minor adjustments were made to the bill I would vote for it in the Senate. Unfortunately the bill is unlikely to appear on the floor of the House or Senate this year, it is headed for death in committee. 

One major problem with the bill is the hypocrisy of its sponsors. Representatives Lee, Court, and Kefalas* all did not accept spending limits for their 2012 legislative campaigns. They seem to be all for electoral reform as long as they don't have to lead by example. 

Their motivations are admirable, their actions are not. Maybe that's part of the reason why the bill will not pass: partisan politics take precedence over good decisions these days. 

*Rep. Kefalas is also a candidate for the State Senate 14th District