[Winona Online Democracy] Hello Winona Online Democracy, For those of you who are interested, here is more information about campaign finance reforms in Minnesota. There is a Star Tribune article and a listing of the information found on the State Senate Rules Committee that Steve Kranz sent. The listing of Senators is important in case you want to call and share your opinions with them. The web page URL is: http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/committee/Rules/members.htm I'm sorry about the funky format that happens in the cut and past process. I found the article pleasantly surprising because Roger Moe apparently now supports the bill(s) and it has other support from key State Senate leaders. My impression was that in the recent past, campaign finance reform bills had made it out of the MN House of Representatives but they always died in the DFL controlled Senate. That seemed ironic to me. Now it appears that the House Republicans are going to try to stall the issue to death. What do you think about campaign finance reform? Dwayne Voegeli =================== Star Tribune Article: April 21, 2001 by Dane Smith Apparently figuring that if one campaign finance measure is good then two are better, the Senate Subcommittee on Elections approved a pair of bills Friday aimed at reducing special-interest spending on elections. One, called the Fair and Clean Elections bill and sponsored by subcommittee Chairman John Hottinger, DFL-Mankato, would provide virtually total public financing for statewide and legislative candidates. It also would install disincentives for political parties to make independent expenditures. The other, originated by Gov. Jesse Ventura and dubbed the Open and Accountable Campaigns bill, contains some of the same elements but isn't as comprehensive, or as costly, as Hottinger's. Both bills also would provide public money enabling candidates to respond when they are attacked as a result of independent expenditures by parties or interest groups. It's a bit unusual for a committee to approve two bills that address the same issue in different ways, but Hottinger said the tactic makes sense because Ventura and the DFL Senate majority are strongly behind campaign finance overhaul in this session. Having Ventura's bill as an option will help enlist his support in dealing with the Republican-controlled House, where neither bill has advanced. "We wanted to have alternatives," Hottinger said. The bills go next to the Senate Rules Committee, which will be a crucial hurdle. The Republican House's majority leaders oppose passing a major overhaul this year and instead favor a study this summer of all the proposals that have been offered to overhaul campaign finance. House Speaker Steve Sviggum said Friday that he strongly opposes both bills. "I am in favor of campaign finance reform, as long as it does not cost taxpayers more money and as long as it is constitutional," he said, arguing that the Senate bills fail on both counts. Public financing under Hottinger's bill would cost taxpayers $12.7 million more in the next election. The state of Minnesota, owing to reforms in the 1970s and early 1990s, already provides about a third of a typical legislative or statewide candidate's campaign money. Advocates for the Hottinger and Ventura bills say the extra expense is a bargain if it helps restore public trust in the political system. Moreover, they argue that taxpayers will save money if interest groups can no longer wheedle special tax breaks or programs from the Legislature. Those advocates -- who include a coalition of more than 40 civic organizations, labor union units and advocacy groups -- said they were greatly encouraged by the subcommittee's action. "We're thrilled that it passed," said Beth Fraser, a key architect of the proposal and public policy organizer for the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action. She said several factors have converged to give major reform its best chance since 1993. Among them: Ventura's support, the backing of top Senate leaders such as Majority Leader Roger Moe and Finance Chairman Doug Johnson, the progress of similar legislation in Congress, and more public pressure. -- Dane Smith ==================== Rules and Administration Committee Members and Staff Chair: Roger D. Moe Vice chair: John C. Hottinger Ranking Minority member: Dick Day Office: 208 Capitol Phone: (651) 296-2577 Meets: On Call Size: 23 Members: William V. Belanger, Jr. Charles Berg Linda Berglin Richard J. Cohen Dennis R. Frederickson Dean E. Johnson Douglas J. Johnson Keith Langseth Cal Larson John Marty James P. Metzen Gen Olson Sandra Pappas Pat Pariseau Lawrence J. Pogemiller Jane B. Ranum Don Samuelson Sam G. Solon LeRoy A. Stumpf Jim Vickerman Committee Staff Executive Director: Vic Moore, (651) 296-4196 Executive Assistant to the Majority Caucus: Pamela Schutt, (651) 296-4196 Legislative Assistant to the Majority Leader: Todd Olson, (651) 296-2577 Leadership Assistant: Elise Diedrich, (651) 296-4196 Leadership Assistant: Michael Such, (651) 296-5640 Leadership Assistant: Emily Lawrence, (651) 296-4196 Legislative Assistant: Mary Hennessy, Room G-24 Capitol (651) 296-5555 Legislative Assistant: Connie Haddeland, (651) 296-4196 Senate Counsel: Peter Wattson, (651) 296-3812 Rules and Administration Subcommittees Subcommittee on Elections: Hottinger (chair), Ourada (ranking minority member), Johnson, Dean, Johnson, Douglas, Limmer, Marty, Moe, Oliver, Sams, Scheid, Terwilliger. Subcommittee on Redistricting: Roger D. Moe (chair), Belanger (ranking minority member), Cohen, Hottinger, Johnson, David, Kleis, Knutson, Neuville, Orfield, Pogermiller, Rest. Subcommittee on Bill Referral: John C. Hottinger (chair), Frederickson, Samuelson. Subcommittee on Committees: Roger Moe (chair), Berglin, Day, Hottinger, Samuelson. Subcommittee on Permanent & Joint Rules: John C. Hottinger (chair), Belanger, Johnson, Dean, Larson, Moe,R.D., Pariseau, Ranum, Samuelson. Subcommittee on Personnel: Roger D. Moe (chair), Berglin, Day, Hottinger, Marty, Olson, Pariseau, Ranum, Samuelson. Subcommittee on the Senate Audit: Dennis Frederickson (chair), Betzold, Hottinger, Neuville, Ranum, Robertson, Terwilliger, Wiener. Subcommittee on the Senate Budget: Roger Moe (chair), Cohen, Day, Frederickson, Langseth, Olson, Price. Special Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct: John C. Hottinger (chair), Frederickson, Johnson, Dean, Terwilliger. ---------------- This message was posted to the Winona Online Democracy Project. Please visit http://onlinedemocracy.winona.org to subscribe or unsubscribe. Please sign all messages posted to this list with your actual name. 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