Coverage of Florida Constitutional Amendments: Number 1

Over the next couple of days I'm going to put in my two cents on the Florida ballot.

Florida Constitutional Amendment Number 1 as written on a sample ballot:

NO. 1
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
ARTICLE VI, SECTION 7

Repeal Of Public Campaign Financing Requirement

Proposing the repeal of the provision in the State Constitution that requires public financing of campaigns of candidates for elective statewide office who agree to campaign spending limits.

Here is the text of the Florida Constitution.

ARTICLE VI, SECTION 7.

Campaign spending limits and funding of campaigns for elective state-wide office.--It is the policy of this state to provide for state-wide elections in which all qualified candidates may compete effectively. A method of public financing for campaigns for state-wide office shall be established by law. Spending limits shall be established for such campaigns for candidates who use public funds in their campaigns. The legislature shall provide funding for this provision. General law implementing this paragraph shall be at least as protective of effective competition by a candidate who uses public funds as the general law in effect on January 1, 1998.

You have to look at the State Statutes if you want to find out what the actual law surrounding campaign finance is.

106.30

Short title.
—

Sections 106.30-106.36 may be cited as the “Florida Election Campaign Financing Act.”
History.
—

s. 1, ch. 86-276.
106.31

Legislative intent.
—

The Legislature finds that the costs of running an effective campaign for statewide office have reached a level which tends to discourage persons from becoming candidates and to limit the persons who run for such office to those who are independently wealthy, who are supported by political committees representing special interests which are able to generate substantial campaign contributions, or who must appeal to special interest groups for campaign contributions. The Legislature further finds that campaign contributions generated by such political committees are having a disproportionate impact vis-a-vis contributions from unaffiliated individuals, which leads to the misperception of government officials unduly influenced by those special interests to the detriment of the public interest. Furthermore, it is the intent of the Legislature that the purpose of public campaign financing is to make candidates more responsive to the voters of the State of Florida and as insulated as possible from special interest groups. The Legislature intends ss. 106.30-106.36 to alleviate these factors, dispel the misperception, and encourage qualified persons to seek statewide elective office who would not, or could not otherwise do so and to protect the effective competition by a candidate who uses public funding.

Why should the tax payers be mandated by the state to fund election campaigns involuntarily? The idea that public campaign financing decreases the effectiveness of lobbyists is absurd. It's not like lobbyists are only active before an election. Lobbyists lobby constantly; it's not a part-time job.

Tea Party candidates have been largely effective in many states (without mainstream party backing) is proof enough that campaign finance laws are irrelevant.

Note: You DO NOT need to register to leave a comment.