There is an ongoing effort to pass legislation in Minnesota that is designed to take the adverse effects of money interests out of politics. This effort has already met with success in Maine and Arizona, where State legislatures voted to limit expenditures and encourage public financing of elections. In Minnesota, status of such efforts is mixed, and support is building around the state.
Last Thursday evening, there was a meeting at St. Olaf promoting Fair and Clean Elections, lead by Nick Palumbo npalumbo@mapa-mn.org of Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action MAPA. Fair and Clean Elections (FACE) is a program dedicated to its name, and has sponsored bills in the Minnesota House HF1382) and Senate SF998 towards this end.
The League of Women Voters FACE website has a good summary of these bills.
The Senate Bill, SF988, has been amended and passed through several committees and was referred on Thursday to Finance.
The House bill (HF1382), however, has met with GOP opposition and is languishing, thus far having been only introduced and referred to Governmental Operations Committee
I believe in Fair and Clean Elections, and in the 2002 election, I signed on to the FACE campaign and will again in 2004. Rep. Ray Cox did not sign on, and it remains to be seen if he’ll support the bill if it comes to the floor.
Keep your eyes open, you’ll hear more about the FACE campaign in the coming months!
Some of you may already have gotten a call from MPIRG, as I have to support an effort in Minnesota.
