VOICE Legislation Still Has a Chance

It is looking like the VOICE legislation that would bring campaign finance reform to Iowa is not totally dead yet. The situation might be similar to this quote from Dumb and Dumber...

Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
[pause]
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance.

Yes, there's still a chance. From Bleeding Heartland...

The legislative session in Iowa is winding down. The General Assembly is scheduled to recess this Friday and the House leadership is trying to stall passage of the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act that would bring full public financing to the state's elections. The bill is currently sitting in the House Appropriations Committee. We have the votes to bring the legislation to the floor, but we need your help.

Please call the following representatives and tell them to allow the VOICE Act, HF 805, to go to the floor.

Speaker of the House Patrick Murphy
(515) 281-3221
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
(515) 281-3221
Rep. Jo Oldson, House Appropriations Committee Chair
(515) 281-3221

The VOICE Act would make elections in your state about voters instead of big campaign donors. House leadership would prefer to see this bill just die in committee, but we can't let that happen. The legislation deserves a fair debate on the floor of the House.

We need your help today. Please take a few minutes to call the following legislators and tell them to support HF 805, the VOICE Act:

Speaker of the House Patrick Murphy
(515) 281-3221
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
(515) 281-3221
Rep. Jo Oldson, House Appropriations Committee Chair
(515) 281-3221

With so much special interest money flowing into the elections in 2006, these legislators are feeling pressure to bow to their big donors instead of the interests of all voters. Put on a little pressure of your own with a few calls. Thanks for all you do.

Jeannette Galanis
National Field Director

Here are the email addresses of the Legislators mentioned...

Pat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
Kevin.McCarthy@legis.state.ia.us
Jo.Oldson@legis.state.ia.us

As I wrote a few weeks ago...

This bill affects all other bills that are being debated because the VOICE legislation takes the big money out of politics and creates a level playing field.

But Tom Vilsack said it best at the DFA training in Cedar Rapids last month...

The legislation would give candidates a chance to actually go around and talk to the voters and hear what is their minds. It is the only way to get a system where the people's business is taken care of and not those of the special interests...The party that is in power today should really be for this.