Supreme Court Decision Attacks Clean Elections

Press Release

Ruling favors outside groups with deep pockets

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree criticized today's U. S. Supreme Court decision that overturns parts of an Arizona system for public financing of campaigns--a system based on Maine's Clean Elections law.

"The court has ruled in favor of special-interests by throwing out a key component of a clean elections system that has been effective at leveling the playing field and reducing the influence of campaign contributions," Pingree said. "Unfortunately today's Supreme Court decision tips the field back toward outside groups with deep pockets."

Pingree says she's hopeful that Maine's Clean Elections law will be amended and kept in force.

"The Legislature is moving in the right direction to at least consider any changes necessary to make the Maine law comply with the Supreme Court decisions. We've had clean elections for a decade. Maine people know it works and they don't want to give it up," Pingree said.

The Legislature is considering a bill this year that would require a legislative committee to study any necessary changes to keep Maine's Clean Elections system in compliance with Supreme Court decisions. The bill has won preliminary approval in both the House and Senate.

In Congress, Pingree has introduced the Fair Elections Now Act, which would allow candidates to run for Congress using public funding and limits campaign contributions to $100. Pingree's bill has already attracted 68 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House and a similar bill has been introduced in the Senate. Anticipating today's Supreme Court decision, the bill was specifically written so as not to be affected by today's decision.

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